Travelling horse alone

[Mahoganybay]

How many travel their horses on their own i.e. go out to competition, hacks, social rides etc? Meaning you don’t take any one else with you, it’s just you and your horse.

So from start (loading) to finish arriving back at home completely alone.

Any advice, things that are a ‘must’ because you are on your own? Tips or experiences?

 

[poiuytrewq]

Always! My lorry doesn’t have enough payload to carry two.
Both travel fine alone. I do hang a net but it’s never occurred to me to do otherwise.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Always! My lorry doesn’t have enough payload to carry two.
Both travel fine alone. I do hang a net but it’s never occurred to me to do otherwise.

Sorry being dumb! You mean alone as in just one person not one horse?!
Duh 🤭
Yes I do to lessons and stuff, or did my lorry is off the road at the moment.
Biscuits? Charged phone, some change. Nothing in particular that I wouldn’t take even if I had company tbh

 

[Red-1]

Hi, I take my horse on her own when I am on my own. I have a well rehearsed loading and unloading routine.

TBF all of mine have been really good loaders and travellers. I go to competitions but also off hacking on my/our own.

I always have a mobile phone, always have someone know where I am going, plus I call when I have arrived and again when I get back to the box.

 

[Mahoganybay]

Sorry, just edited my post. I didn’t word it well. I actually meant just you and your horse, i.e. not taking another person with you.

 

[milliepops]

almost always on my own. In the last 12 months I have been out probably twice a week on average, maybe more. And I've had a friend or helper 3 times.
Is there anything in particular you are worried about? my only Must Have is my phone, charged up. And I always have a bit of cash on me just in case.

 

[Violet]

I find having the What3Words app on my phone useful. If you have any problems and still got your phone and are conscious you can alert someone by various means, text, email, messenger etc. A 3mx3m location of where in the world you are.

https://what3words.com/daring.lion.race

 

[oldie48]

Always on my own, always have my phone and try to remember to have some money and a credit card. I also have passport and details of my rescue service provider and some water and hay if travelling any distance.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Yup, just me and a Fuzzy, off to meet others to hack, xc, or rc, occasionally compete.
I think I've had DH come twice in 10 years.....

Passport in the horsebox handbag and purse with spare fags.
Breakdown info in glovebox, along with local transporters list. Cash in ashtray.
List of phone numbers in case mobile dies for any reason.
Plenty of water, spare hay etc
All the gear to wheel change, plus minor spares etc

Means I can sing along to radio and smoke happily

Edited to add, I have a laminated sheet of contact details which I pop on the drivers side window in the cab, it also has yard details on, in the worst case scenario so whatever Fuzzy I'm on, can be taken home. If am doing anything away from the box (drag hunting, fun rides etc) then I slip my xc arm band on too.
I have my number written on the partition in chalk, in case I'm needed back at the box in a hurry.

 

[eggs]

Used to regularly travel on my own. I used to have a card that I would leave on the dashboard with my contact details on and if at a show I would give my lorry registration number to the show secretary. Left a showground once in an ambulance so it was handy having this information available.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I used to always travel one horse on my own to shows hacking and trips to the vet mainly, I just make sure I have my phone money and plenty of hay for the horse.

 

[cold_feet]

I often travel on my own. He’s a good traveller and my 3.5t van is vey easy to drive. The furthest I have driven alone is about 3 hours. Never needed to stop, but do have hay and water and phone/breakdown cover at the ready.

 

[LaurenBobby]

Yep me and my horse always go it alone always tell someone where you’re going and when you plan to be back etc, I generally text my oh to say ‘I’m getting on now, if I don’t text you back in x amount of time ring me’

Being organised really helps, know where you’re going and what the set up is when you get there etc.

I like going on my own to most things as I can please myself 😆

 

[Fiona]

I frequently go to lessons on my own, though i love it if hubby hitches on the trailer for me as its my least favourite job..

I'd go to a dressage competition too if needed.

Jumping competitions I always like to have someone with me to do the practice jump, as the last time I tried on my own, the previous users left the jumps at 90cm+ for a 70vm competition and walked away..... I was a bit stressed.

Fiona

 

[Mahoganybay]

Fantastic replies, thank you and although I have my equine rescue and car breakdown cover on my phone i never thought about if my battery dies.

The laminated sheet with contact info on the dashboard is a fab idea.

Will be getting out & about more often with my mare and I actually do enjoy the travelling, good CD on and a stash of sweets and I’m happy.

 

[Cowpony]

Yes I often go out to competitions on my own. I made sure I could load my horse alone before I went out on my own for the first time. I always have my dually headcollar and a lunge line just in case.

As others have said, phone, satnav, money, breakdown rescue contact details, fluorescent in case I need to get out of the lorry at the side of the road, plus all the usual stuff.

 

[Cowpony]

Oh, and if I'm going somewhere new on my own I try to drive there in the car first, so I get an idea of timimgs. I try to pick a day when there is a competition at the venue so I can go in there without feeling conspicuous, and scope out the lorry park, where the loos are, how to get into the warm-up arena etc.

 

[Dancing lady]

I always went alone to lessons or competitions. But I always had someone to call in an emergency and a phone and plenty of hay and a rescue service

 

[Wheels]

Pretty much always on my own (very often have one of the dogs with me but he'd be pretty useless if I had to stop to change a wheel lol)

Horse is a good loader and generally a saint so no worries there. Essential for me was to teach the horse to stay in the trailer whilst I put the ramp up. Yes, always make sure phone is charged and I make sure I am well prepared and make sure I get on the road nice and early.

I always manage to rope someone in to hold M while I walk the course / go to the loo or whatever and he is no bother and always behaves for anybody who is kind enough to help me

 

[CrazyMare]

I go all sorts of places alone, hunting, hacking, lessons, competing.

Never thought of half the stuff above, I'm more of the load up and go appoach 😂

 

[canteron]

You could put a tracker on your phone - ( such as find friends. ) Ring when you are leaving and get someone to monitor your journey.

 

[Bayracer]

I have a laminated sheet on the dash board and cabled tied to the partition in the trailer with emergency contact details thinking that at least if something happened to me people know who to call. An extra Haynet but apart from that nothing else that different. But my other half always knows where I’m going and roughly timing so if I’m not back he knows where to look.

 

[Bernster]

Same here, I have a sheet with contact details in the cab window. I don’t like going totally solo but do occasionally but I go to places where there are people - lessons, events. I’ve never gone to hack or xc completely solo.

 

[littleshetland]

Yup, just me and a Fuzzy, off to meet others to hack, xc, or rc, occasionally compete.
I think I've had DH come twice in 10 years.....

Passport in the horsebox handbag and purse with spare fags.
Breakdown info in glovebox, along with local transporters list. Cash in ashtray.
List of phone numbers in case mobile dies for any reason.
Plenty of water, spare hay etc
All the gear to wheel change, plus minor spares etc

Means I can sing along to radio and smoke happily

Edited to add, I have a laminated sheet of contact details which I pop on the drivers side window in the cab, it also has yard details on, in the worst case scenario so whatever Fuzzy I'm on, can be taken home. If am doing anything away from the box (drag hunting, fun rides etc) then I slip my xc arm band on too.
I have my number written on the partition in chalk, in case I'm needed back at the box in a hurry.

I like the way you've included fags in your essentials list....they're on my list too.

 

[Hack4fun]

Great thread, thank you for some excellent feedback and ideas.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Yep a lot of the time. I like showing and none of my friends do.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

We do, if we only want to compete one we travel the horse alone. If we need to go to the vets taking one horse then same again. We've never taken more horses than needed to go. They've always travelled well on their own. We will always take more than enough hay in nets for the trip in case we get caught in traffic or have some other delay. We have plenty of windows open so the horse gets plenty of fresh air, That's about it apart from we carry 2 warning triangles and a large cone in case of breakdown & we have recovery insurance.

We have 3 horses and all three will hack out alone or in company, it has never been an issue.

 

[stormox]

I go for hacks, events etc all the time totally alone. Just load horse and go. Tack ip tied to the trailer, never had any problems.

 

[CavaloBranco]

Yes, I've travelled solo for years, you then don't need to hang around for a friend who is in the last class while you are in the first! Lots of good advice already but I would add..teach your horse to stay happily in your box at an event..you can then use the loo, walk the course or whatever. I never liked leaving my horse tied up outside and my local venue quite sensibly doesn't allow it.

 

[irishdraft]

Go everywhere on my own hunting hacking competing never even think about it . I do take my phone these days & I have equine rescue just in case x