Travellind issues 2 !!

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davidm

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Thanks again all ! Decisions ???
Have i made the wrong choice in buying the larger 510 ?
If i take out the partition will he be like a pea in a pod, and bounce from one side to the other ? and if we have stability issues now what happens when he is in that "Huge Space" with nothing to bounce off if something goes wrong !! ... or .... do i leave the partition in, put him on the other side take out the breaching bar so has even more space and see what happens, gently to start obviousley, There is always something to worry about is there not !
 
Sell the horse and buy a new one that likes the trailer!
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didn't see your earlier post - is your horse knocking around a bit? ty kicked the hell out of a trailer first time he went in it - once he got the hang of finding his 'sea legs' he was fine....

how big is your horse?
 
I have a horse that didnt like to travel in a lorry on her own, and I bought and sold 3 different lorries, she wouldnt settle in any of them. I even took all partitions out and let her loose to see where she would prefer to stand, but she just walked round. So I sympathise with you totally.
The best thing I ever did with her was to buy a trailer, and I travel her with the partition in all the time and she is brilliant. I have a mirror in there too. Just try her with the partition and drive really slowly to gain her confidence esp round islands and corners, slowing and speeding up etc. Sorry not sure if you have had problems as cant remember your last post.
 
If you do ever travel without a partition, please, for safety sake, always cross tie so that the horse can't turn around or get bunched to one side.
With the 510, you'll need a solid breastbar to go from either side. If you can't get one, try it with the back half of the partition pushed over so he has more room to spread the feet; you can tie the back half back so it doesn't move. You'd be surprised how much more room this will give him which just might make all the difference.
 
I travel mine in a 510 with no partition. I have a full length breast and breech bar which cost about £45 from Ifor Williams. The partition is there only to separate Horses, not to help them balance. They balance by spreading their legs and given the choice, will stand diagonally (there has been studies done on this). I always cross tie as well. If your Horse struggles to balance then quite simply you are driving too fast.
 
When you take the partition out it allows the horse to stand with its legs further apart and therefore it maintains a stronger and more balanced stance. If you want to test it, stand with your feet together and ask someone to push you. It wont take much to lose your balance. The try again with your feet apart! You will find that at a certain point it will be really difficult to lose balance. That is what your horse will do If it has enough room. It will balance on its own legs rather than trying to use the trailer sides. But like previous poster said you need a breast bar and preferably a breech bar and you should cross tie.
 
i have a mare who doesnt travel that easily ina trailer - well once shes in shes fine - she moves around and gets bolshy but as soon as we are off shes settled and eating hay?! is this normal? also how do you cross tie, want to make sure i am doing it right...
 
To crosstie you need two lead ropes. They are fastened to either side ring of the headcollar and then tied to the side rings on the trailer. I find it easier to have them already fitted to the trailer and left in there and use another to lead horse in which I unclip after it's tied up. If you do that, you need the ropes short enough to meet in the middle but not long enough that the horse can turn its head round or walk backwards and perhaps get the head under the breastbar either. It's easy once you've done it a couple of times!
 
Can't you try just taking out the back 1/2 partition section? Worked ona horse I had who used to fall / throw himself down. He'd travel pefectly like this. Or again, would travel great with no parition at all! Obviously you need a full length breast bar though. You can cross tie to stop him turning round. They are actually very stable, eventhough it looks like a huge space where they could fall down easier!
 
"If your Horse struggles to balance then quite simply you are driving too fast. "


That's not entirely true. Some horses will panic and throw themselves on the floor even before you've moved!!

I had a mare that used to rock backwards and forwards until she was going forwards as the trailer was rocking back and she'd fall over.
 
david_m: having had similar issues with my horse as you are with yours and wanting to be able to travel 2 in the trailer, I'd suggest setting a day aside and trying your horse all mnner of ways: i.e without the partition in at all - that will mean buying a full length breast and breech bar.

Take horsey round the block like that, and then if all goes well, try putting half of the partition back in, maybe the front section which will allow your horse to spread his hind legs still and stand slightly skew-whiff.

Whether that works or doesn't, go back home and put the back section back in and take the front out. You'll need the full length breast bar again, and will need to cross tie your horse so he doesn't try to turn round.

Another trip round the block.

Always worth trying a radio - classical / soothing music is better I think, plus a mirror, that works for a lot of horses who travel alone.

If none of that works, I'd try hiring an Equi trek as they're rear facing or something like a Fautras that offers travel herringbone (sideways).

I used to travel my horse in a Ford Transit lorry that was herringbone and she always tried to face the rear as much as possible, so she hated my Ifor 505 when first got it, and I had the same problems you've had.

As I mentioned before, she now travels happily on the kerb side, but still won't stand up and stand still on the right hand side whether she's on her own or not.
 
have you checked that horse is unstable on both sides???
if you take out partition as MFH_O9 says defo cross tie and also make sure you have full with breach bar. I would also put in shaving into trailer
Plus i'm sure your driving slow but i always image i have a bowl of water in my lap and so therefore can't spill any...
 
Thanks, you are right, that is my plan next week, get his "Body" checked out this Saturday then on Wedensday try the various combinations, and see what happens. Thanks.
 
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