Traveling - anything else I could try?

Mine is like that. He knows when he is turning into the show and when he is turning into the last road from home. He bucks and piaffes. Bloody nightmare!
Anyway, I have managed to stop it and I have no idea why it works but it does... I keep the window in front and behind him shut. He wears ear plugs with a fly veil on to keep the plugs in and he is in a herringbone stall, I put a stall guard across the partion so that he can't step forward to get the room to buck and mess about. This combination has made him 100% better.
 
What about if you hobbled above the knee and hock? No chance of getting legs caught then.
Also like the straw idea and if you had enough room you could stick one in front of him too so he literally hasn't got room to get his feet off the floor either end; pack him in like a sardine.
 
Maesfen said:
What about if you hobbled above the knee and hock? No chance of getting legs caught then.
Also like the straw idea and if you had enough room you could stick one in front of him too so he literally hasn't got room to get his feet off the floor either end; pack him in like a sardine.
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If I hobble above the hock won't he still be able to kick? I might be being very dim about this..... :o
 
A long shot, but have you considered me might not like travelling in travel boots? My cob behaved in exactly the same way, and I've had a few ripped off shoes, plus cut fetlocks and pasterns. I tried travelling him minus boots, which I know will horrify a lot of people, but ever since then he has been a quiet as a lamb.

He will also not tolerate any form of bandage or boot on his legs at all. I once put some hi-viz boots on him to hack out one darkish winter afternoon. Tied him up outside of his stable while I went to the tack room to get my hat and gloves and to lock up. Came back to find he has ripped the dam things off, and they were brand new. He stood there looking as proud as punch.
 
TheoryX1 said:
A long shot, but have you considered me might not like travelling in travel boots? My cob behaved in exactly the same way, and I've had a few ripped off shoes, plus cut fetlocks and pasterns. I tried travelling him minus boots, which I know will horrify a lot of people, but ever since then he has been a quiet as a lamb.

He will also not tolerate any form of bandage or boot on his legs at all. I once put some hi-viz boots on him to hack out one darkish winter afternoon. Tied him up outside of his stable while I went to the tack room to get my hat and gloves and to lock up. Came back to find he has ripped the dam things off, and they were brand new. He stood there looking as proud as punch.
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I cannot believe I am about to admit to this, but he never used to be traveled in boots as he used to be scared of the noise of velcro undoing!!
 
Humm well from having a homing pigeon horse that resulted in a thicker expensive floor I have big sympathies!!

I did buy some bells which I was intending to make into fetlock braclets, so when he kicked off he got noise to amuse him. However I don't think this would have stopped him, as he wanted to make noise

Do you know if he is kicking out with one or both hindlegs?

You could try sidle line hobbles, but don't cross like Australian as they are designed to floor the horse if they kick out

Still testament to your excellent lorry that its only bowed - you see quite a few with acute hoof prints!

Edited to add - get hoof boots, you could even advertise to buy worn out ones, which would be cheaper. I'd recommend getting some nice ones to use!
 
Jen_Cots said:
Humm well from having a homing pigeon horse that resulted in a thicker expensive floor I have big sympathies!!

I did buy some bells which I was intending to make into fetlock braclets, so when he kicked off he got noise to amuse him. However I don't think this would have stopped him, as he wanted to make noise

Do you know if he is kicking out with one or both hindlegs?

You could try sidle line hobbles, but don't cross like Australian as they are designed to floor the horse if they kick out

Still testament to your excellent lorry that its only bowed - you see quite a few with acute hoof prints!

Edited to add - get hoof boots, you could even advertise to buy worn out ones, which would be cheaper. I'd recommend getting some nice ones to use!
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He was kicking out with one hindleg, when I hobbled him he now goes with both, but cannot get as much force behind it.

Hoof boots it is - I am just not comfortable with any kind of line from front to back feet in the lorry - probably being silly but there we go!

I actually do hate him when he does it :eek:
 
Hoof boots bolted to the floor!!!!! Sorry to jest. Had one like it ,it grew out of it eventually. Have you tried thick rubber on the wall as that helped this one.It appeared that when it realised it was not making any noise it stopped doing it.We came to the conclusion the noise was the whole point of the exercise.
 
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Try a mattress attached to the wall of the lorry(with reinforcing ply behind it if necessary), this will take the sting out of the kick to help prevent damage to both horse & lorry, & deaden the noise.....which may make you feel better too....and if you are really lucky, not being able to make so much noise, might make him do it less!

...plus hoof boots for the shoe pulling.

....definitely helped one of mine.
 
I have a nightmare traveller. I don't travel in Boots and now no tail bandage. I once got back to the yard, put him in the stable with tail bandage on, and put the trailer away. When I got back to the stable he had rolled several time, and was in a right lather. I couldn't get near him for ages to get the tail bandage off, then I thought I would have to cut it off for quickness. It really stressed him out.

So, maybe he's stressed about having his tail bandage/kit taken off when he gets to the comp and home - hence stressing when he knows he's there/home.

Now too if I travel anyone elses horse in my trailer I don't let them use back boots. IMO they cause the horse to kick out.

Hope you get sorted. Its horrid this travelling lark. xx
 
Does yours stress about having the kit put on? Because mine is actually fine as soon as you drop the ramp - you can leave him on there for hours. I rarely take his kit off when he arrives at an event, usually he's on the lorry for at least another hour whilst I get numbers and walk the XC. So I can't see how he is anticipating kit coming off? He's also fine about being chucked in the stable suited and booted whilst I unload the lorry and he has dinner?
 
Humm other suggestions

1. Have you tried putting loud music in with him? I leave my door open, so the horses can hear the stereo, but wondering if you distact him with heavy rock music, or sooth with classic? Cheap to try if nothing else!!

2. Have you tried a roller with something around the backend to press on his tail - horses shouldn't kick out if restriction felt (prob. won't work)
I was thinking along the lines of one of these over the tail* and clipped to the headcollar or just round the front of him
0_14035---306_410_002_300x300.jpg


* may result in poo covered tail

Edited to say the above combi aid is as cheap as chips
 
He did stress about the kit going on yes. As soon as it was produced he would paddy.

He would load on the way out, but not on the way home, this went on for 2 years. He stood stock still when he was in, and will stand for hours on the trailer at an event.

Then we had someone out to him for loading issues and he loaded and travelled perfectly for 3 years.

Then he started to loose his balance, scarbling up the walls etc. this was same trailer and car - no changes, nothing different.

Then we bought a 510 to give him more room. disaster. sold that after 5 weeks.

So we bought an equitrek space treker, and he is fine. loads fine and travels ok. He willl have a kick at the beginning of the season, but thats because he wants to stay at home and eat all day.. lol.

I don't use boots now or a tail bandage. Its really tense travelling him sometimes, it really becomes an issue and starts to put a damper on the day, so I totally sympathise with you and hope you find a solution. x
 
I think mine is v different to yours Mickey Moo - you have my sympathies. Mine will drag you up the ramp of a lorry if he sees one down on the yard! He is just terribly impatient and wants the ramp down so he can see what's going on. As soon as you drop it, he stands and eats.

JenCots - music doesn't work, never tried anything round his backend (aside from a pessoa) - I could just tie him up in a fig 8 with a tail bandage like those TTouch people do?!
 
mmm.. Yes, my 14.2 ran up the ramp, I always had to let go and someone catch him at the top.

what if you put a bigger window in, or more windows for him to see out.

Would definately try hoof boots as short term thats going to solve the problem of him pulling shoes.

hope you get sorted. x
 
Windows in my lorry are already over-sized ones - I specified them when I had it built :(

Yes, think it's hoof boots in the short term, new horse in the long term??! :eek:
 
A sheet or floor rubber hanging behind him so that he boots that first.
I'd travel him bare-legged just in case he's kicking because of the boots.
Only other idea, and I'd forgotten this till now, is to make him 'bracelets' out of spur straps or similar, and thread on big heavy but smooth nuts (as in, nuts and bolts), and put them loosely round his fetlocks. when he kicks they'll bang his joints, when he stops, they stop. this cured 1 of mine years ago (after he'd managed to slice open his front fetlock on the top of the kickboard in front of him, on a 3 minute journey), badly enough to need stapling. Inside of lorry looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre had just occurred... so, it could be worse. just. ;) ;)
 
kerilli said:
A sheet or floor rubber hanging behind him so that he boots that first.
I'd travel him bare-legged just in case he's kicking because of the boots.
Only other idea, and I'd forgotten this till now, is to make him 'bracelets' out of spur straps or similar, and thread on big heavy but smooth nuts (as in, nuts and bolts), and put them loosely round his fetlocks. when he kicks they'll bang his joints, when he stops, they stop. this cured 1 of mine years ago (after he'd managed to slice open his front fetlock on the top of the kickboard in front of him, on a 3 minute journey), badly enough to need stapling. Inside of lorry looked like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre had just occurred... so, it could be worse. just. ;) ;)
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It could always be worse!

I am going to look like the biggest idiot going - yes, my horse travels bare-legged, with bracelets, hoof boots, hobbles and I feed it between phases eventing. :rolleyes:
 
Mine does this when we get home but thankfully to a lesser extent, he also snorts for england and neighs :rolleyes:

Nothing more to add, unless tying his back hobbles to something fixed in the wagn was possible, with a quick release clip in the event of an accident? So clipping them to a ring set in the floor/wall/partition? :)
 
Mine did similiar thing - (although not as bad) and I had a mirror put on the partition and he has been really good every since. Seemed to reduce the stress when setting on and arriving.
 
I have images of springs and hooves which aren't pretty.

get him a set of rhythm beads too SC and you will be good to go ;) :D

eta just wondering, a bit like the stall guard is it possible to add breast/breech bars to the partition (no idea how you would have space to do this on the back though) so he cannot move about to get up power?
 
kerilli said:
btw i would be VERY wary about the idea of putting a mattress behind him, if he puts a hoof through it, things could get very bad very very fast... *worst case scenario brain at work*
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Sorry...should have been more specific...when I say mattress....I meant a thick foam pad one...think I used one from a temporary bed, with a nice robust cover....entirely safe I do assure you! It deadened the noise brilliantly, & the cover was removeable/washable!
 
quizzie said:
Sorry...should have been more specific...when I say mattress....I meant a thick foam pad one...think I used one from a temporary bed, with a nice robust cover....entirely safe I do assure you! It deadened the noise brilliantly, & the cover was removeable/washable!
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Ah okay, fair enough. I, too, had images of hooves and springs and god knows what... and although SC is smart enough to think about the contents of the mattress first, some people might not be until they were visible... ;) ;) ;)
 
SpottedCat said:
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.
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What you need is a material that will absorb the impact. I would put 1" thick (minimum) memory foam between wall and stable mat. Will probably solve that problem.
 
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