Travelling horses, how to calm them?

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Kate_13

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My boy is learning the lesson of loading and travelling. We have got to the point where (after my fear) we are now going in the box able to shut the partition and ramp.

The problem now is that he kicks hell out of the box but when travelling he stands still. When I get him home (we are only doing very short distances) he is dripping in sweat.

Is it just a case of keep practasing and he will get used to it????

Also, I want to be able to leave him in the box when at a show to have a pee, get my numbers e.t.c what will keep him calm? Obviously for the first few times I will ask my OH to help so he has someone with him all the time.

Any tips would be great. I have never had a horse that is scared of lorries before, so all advise welcome. Thanks
 
My horse is 12 and still doesn't travel well. I bought him from Germany from afriend and apparently he travelled fine over there. We think he stressed coming over from Germany 'cos he was travelling for about 12 hours albeit in a lovely big air suspension wagon. I do lots of small trips sometimes just around the block. Drive very slowly (have a huge queue behind us- so popular) and leave him at comps a little bit longer each time. One day we'll be "normal"!
 
Gen was exactly the same. Now he travels anywhere lovely and stands happily on the lorry on his own.

I hate to say it but its just perseverence and patience. We started off by only taking him with a friend as he wouldnt travel on his own. Then one day we took him round the block on his own and he was ok .... a bit hot but didnt panic. The next day we went a bit further etc etc. Drive slow and careful (I dont really need to say that lol).

As for standing on the lorry ..... open it up full so your horse can turn and look out as he would in a stable. Give him a haynet as well. Dont leave him for too long at a time. We made Gen stand on the lorry for 10 mins to start with, now he stays on there for hours quite happily.

Try giving him his dinner in the lorry as well so he thinks he is going to get something nice.

Just dont try to rush it too much.

Good luck.
 
Try putting a few drops of Bachs Flower Rescue Remedy on a small handful of feed. It has a very calming effect which would be useful to start getting your horse used to travelling. Take it with you and just use a few drops when he starts to get het up. You can't overdose on it and it isn't a banned substance, so it's well worth a try!!!

It's great for human nerves as well!!!!
shocked.gif
 
Sounds like he either hasn't got enough space (hence the kicking) or he is trying to get boots off and the sweating is due to not enough air being circulated in your lorry.

Have you got cctv to see exactly what he is doing?

The kicking can be due to any tack lockers forcing the horse to be too far back or the fact your partitions are too tight (I am assuming your lorry is herringbone) or the fact that he hates the travel boots you have put on him. Perhaps try him in brushing boots or sports medicine boots instead.

DEFRA have produced an excellent ventilation guide.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/welfare/farmed/transport/ventilation.pdf

Remember to rely on windows forcing the air in you will need to be travelling around 50mph so think about getting fans fitted in the ceiling. SO short journeys will get him sweated up-maybe do a short route on a dual carriageway?

Good luck
 
can you take some other horse with you at all? just for the first few trips.
When we first got the lorry my 16 yearold connie had never been in one before (travels beautifully in a trailer) and we made the mistake of takeing him round the block on his own, he was white with sweat at the end of it and very very stressed.

For the next trip i narrowed the partitions (he was flinging himself from one side of the partitions to the other to balance himself, and i took along my 25yearold 1st pony who i know has been in a box before. The connie sweated up a little but was not stressed and was quite happy when we got him out again. I think the sweating was because of heat!
 
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