Traveling - anything else I could try?

SpottedCat

SpottedCat

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Short of electromagnets forcing the ridiculous creature to keep all 4 feet on the ground at all times?!

Horse really dislikes the lorry stopping on the approach to home, and piaffes incessantly when it happens. The yard is at the end of two reasonably long single track lanes, so stopping has to occur to allow traffic past. This is resulting in an alarming rate of shoe removal by said horse.

Was planning to either travel him in hoof boots or covering boots - neither of which is a particularly cheap option - anything else anyone can think of to try? I just do not think over reach boots will cut it as he is treading on the side of his foot with the adjacent hoof.

Front and rear - he makes no distinction. It is, along with the destruction to the lorry caused by his idiocy, driving me slightly crazy, so any suggestions gratefully received.

For the record:
*Loads first time every time and perfectly.
*Stands on the lorry all day at shows, without a sound.
*Travels like the dead except for the last few minutes arriving at a venue or at home (even at a new venue - how does he know?!)
*It isn't the slowing down/stopping which alerts him as he is fine in traffic jams, at junctions and at petrol stations.
*Everyone else's horse travels fine in my lorry, so it isn't the lorry or my driving.
*If you put him on at home, he stands perfectly well until you start the engine, and is then fine as soon as you pull away.
*It makes no difference whether he is on his own or with another horse.

- so he is just a bit special and needs managing accordingly rather than me being an imbecile who has no idea how to travel and desensitise a horse.
 
Afraid i dont have an answer but i do sympathise! One of mine (sold him now!) used to do this.
We only have a short drive to go up but as soon as we turned up the drive he used to hurl himself around the box making rock and making hell of a noise. When is started reversing up the drive it stopped but i realise thats not an option for you.
Just thought id let you know you are not the only one with a Special horse!!
Sure that doesnt actually make you feel any better but hey ho:p
 
I don't think my reversing skills are up to 3.5 miles of going backwards down single track roads :eek:

I would feel much better if someone else was picking up the repair/farriery bills :p
 
Lanky Loll said:
Have you tried hobbling him? I know a few that have had to be hobbled to travel over the years - doesn't affect their balance at all and just helps to keep thier feet on the ground.
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He is already hobbled behind to travel, due to his destructive tenancies when turning into an event/home. He is well able to still piaffe and kick out, he just cannot get the same force behind it!!
 
mil1212 said:
what about wrapping his hooves/shoes on with duck tape? bit of a faff but might help as a cheap or temporary option
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It would work I think, but not a long term solution. Also not ideal for those days when you are running a bit late! Bearing in mind he goes out once or twice a week in the lorry, it would also get quite expensive on the old duct tape :eek:
 
Again not very helpful but lots of sympathy as I have exactly the same problem. We are 5 miles off the main road down lanes... mine doesn't make a sound until you pull of the main road on the way home at which point all hell breaks loose. Tried to confuse him by coming a different way ( worked the first time but then he learnt), covered the windows ( didn't work). Now have given up but scares the life out of any unsuspecting passingers or passers by. sorry not to be any help but makes me feel better Im not alone:confused:!
 
drat - thought they might do the trick if not using them already! We had one that hobbles had a limited effect on too - the witch still managed to kick the side out of the lorry :mad:!


Random thought... if it's the engine noise / change in noise level that sparks him off what about earmuffs and lots of cotton wool?
 
Lanky Loll said:
drat - thought they might do the trick if not using them already! We had one that hobbles had a limited effect on too - the witch still managed to kick the side out of the lorry :mad:!


Random thought... if it's the engine noise / change in noise level that sparks him off what about earmuffs and lots of cotton wool?
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Tried that. No effect. Have also tried 'blindfolding' with a modified fly mask. He is just a gitbag! Ideally I need some kind of system which fixes his feet in place as he stands on the lorry!! :rolleyes:
 
I know someone who travels their horse with a blindfold/hood on, for very similar reasons, would possibly be worth a try, it works very well for thiers, and I'd agree with pp re ear muffs

Good luck, one of the upsides of no longer having pickles is my lorry is a lot less battered!
 
racingdemon said:
I know someone who travels their horse with a blindfold/hood on, for very similar reasons, would possibly be worth a try, it works very well for thiers, and I'd agree with pp re ear muffs

Good luck, one of the upsides of no longer having pickles is my lorry is a lot less battered!
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See above - tried both! He is just so impatient!
 
Lanky Loll said:
have you tried turning him round in the box? travelling backwards or loose?

I know it COULD make things worse - but it might be worth a go?
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Travelling backwards makes no difference (ask poor Chatter1, he did a good destruction job on her lorry too!) and I can't travel him loose if I have another horse on there. Now I sound like one of those god awful people who shoots down anyone else's ideas on how to solve a problem, sorry!
 
Now I sound like one of those god awful people who shoots down anyone else's ideas on how to solve a problem, sorry!
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No problem - just going through the list of things we've tried over the years with different horses!

I take it you've tried absolutely pinning him with the partitions as well?

Only other thing I can think of is a kind of cattle crush type arrangement - not sure how you'd manage that in a lorry though!
 
Lanky Loll said:
No problem - just going through the list of things we've tried over the years with different horses!

I take it you've tried absolutely pinning him with the partitions as well?

Only other thing I can think of is a kind of cattle crush type arrangement - not sure how you'd manage that in a lorry though!
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He has to be pinned with the partitions, otherwise he kicks them out. As in manages to lift them so they fall on him. I pin him tightly at the front so he cannot scoot forwards and therefore get any force into his kicks, then give him more space at the back. He has to be next to the bulkhead or the partitions are toast. He manages all this in the space of approximately 2 mins - the rest of the time you would not know he is on there! I have tried really wide partitions but this just means he has enough space to get some real force into his kicks :eek:
 
What a nightmare! Can you put a straw bale behind his back legs? Although not sure that would stop the piaffinf/ripping shoes off.
 
i had one like this once and used hoof boots behind, i think they were just old mac boots and seemed to do the trick! Nothing worse than getting home or to an event and find he was shoeless!!!
 
Saratoga said:
What a nightmare! Can you put a straw bale behind his back legs? Although not sure that would stop the piaffinf/ripping shoes off.
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Now this may have milage! I think the shoe issue is solvable - have found some Shires 'temporary shoe boots' which I could put on over the hoof so he physically cannot rip off the shoes. I worry slightly that he might roll the bale and panic? If he gets his back feet on it for example?

I am quite seriously considering an animal communicator at this juncture, which for those who know me means I am at the total end of my tether. Thank god the blooming creature does a good job at the other end and makes me smile when I ride it, or he'd have had a one-way trip in the lorry long ago....
 
applestroodle said:
i had one like this once and used hoof boots behind, i think they were just old mac boots and seemed to do the trick! Nothing worse than getting home or to an event and find he was shoeless!!!
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Great to know, thankyou! I will need them all round (horse is not fussy and happily removes both front and back shoes), but amazing to know it works. I have found some cheap shires ones which look like they will do the job....
 
SpottedCat said:
He has to be pinned with the partitions, otherwise he kicks them out. As in manages to lift them so they fall on him. I pin him tightly at the front so he cannot scoot forwards and therefore get any force into his kicks, then give him more space at the back. He has to be next to the bulkhead or the partitions are toast. He manages all this in the space of approximately 2 mins - the rest of the time you would not know he is on there! I have tried really wide partitions but this just means he has enough space to get some real force into his kicks :eek:
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Yipes... helpful little soul then!

One other thing... have you tried hobbling front to back? Not something I've tried admittedly - seems to be a *cowboy* method but...

also just gone back through some old posts and found this one: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=8884673

which includes some alternative hobbling methods
 
SpottedCat said:
Great to know, thankyou! I will need them all round (horse is not fussy and happily removes both front and back shoes), but amazing to know it works. I have found some cheap shires ones which look like they will do the job....
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I still have the marks on my lorry, i to had no idea why the horse did it he was such a cool dude at everything else! Hoof boots worked a treat and i do remember being in a rush one day and not putting them on to find i got to a competition with half a shoe on and a punctured sole with the toe clip- never fotgot them again!! Good luck! :)
 
SpottedCat said:
Now this may have milage! I think the shoe issue is solvable - have found some Shires 'temporary shoe boots' which I could put on over the hoof so he physically cannot rip off the shoes. I worry slightly that he might roll the bale and panic? If he gets his back feet on it for example?

I am quite seriously considering an animal communicator at this juncture, which for those who know me means I am at the total end of my tether. Thank god the blooming creature does a good job at the other end and makes me smile when I ride it, or he'd have had a one-way trip in the lorry long ago....
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You could try and tie it to the floor so that he can't roll it? I'd put it on it's side so that it is slightly taller and narrower than if it was on it's flat base. That way I don't think he'd stand on it.
 
I think front to back would stop him, but I am really scared of doing it for traveling as I think it could precede a nasty accident. As I am on my own 99% of the time, I need to know that if I cannot stop he is (relatively) safe.

I have already reinforced the bulkhead with a stable mat, but he has seriously buckled the external wall now :( My lovely lorry :( I am also beginning to be quite concerned he may actually get a foot through the lorry wall.
 
Saratoga said:
You could try and tie it to the floor so that he can't roll it? I'd put it on it's side so that it is slightly taller and narrower than if it was on it's flat base. That way I don't think he'd stand on it.
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I can't think of a way to do that in my lorry. Food for thought though, will put the idea to OH and see what he can come up with!
 
Maesfen said:
Have you tried hobbling diagonally front to back?
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About the only thing I haven't done - I'm just worried about the potential for an accident if I do that traveling? I am on my own most of the time, and he is a contortionist. I could well believe he might get a leg over the rope in the middle and floor himself. If I thought it was safe I'd try it as it would seem to be a solution.
 
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