Travelling in a trailer with no partition, good idea or not?

[Wannabedressagequeen]

I have an IW trailer. I keep the front partition in and just remove the back partition and use a full length breach bar. I also travel 2 like that and they always find "their" own space. I recall feeling v nervous about this but have gone from a having a terrible traveler to being able to traverse the length and breadth of the country with no issues, both alone and together, it is nothing short of a miracle!

 

[Equine_Dream]

When travelling without a partition, do most people unload at the front or the rear?

I unload from the front xx

 

[brighteyes]

I have an IW trailer. I keep the front partition in and just remove the back partition and use a full length breach bar. I also travel 2 like that and they always find "their" own space. I recall feeling v nervous about this but have gone from a having a terrible traveler to being able to traverse the length and breadth of the country with no issues, both alone and together, it is nothing short of a miracle!

THIS is a post I have been hoping to read!

 

[windand rain]

I have travelled a mare without the partition but under no circumstances do I unload out of the front. Got badly injured walking a young horse through a trailer so dont do that either they go in front wards and carefully back out. Have a lorry now so wont be towing again. Might have been a freak accident but it has happened more than once when horses have leapt shoulder high out the front ramp

 

[Nudibranch]

I have a continental trailer so don't have a front unload option but in all honesty I don't miss it at all. Horses got the idea of backing out straight away and it means I can have a tack locker with no issues. Backing out actually feels safer, especially if they're keen to get going.

 

[Spotherisk]

It is worth remembering that horses don’t naturally lean on things as we humans do - so they don’t want to lean on partitions, walls etc, they’d rather stand on their own four feet and keep their balance.

 

[Lex1979]

Mine will only travel without a partition. With a partition he was scrabbling about, pulling shoes, cutting his legs and coming off dripping in sweat. Without he travels perfectly, and did a 4hr journey a few months ago with no issues at all.

Hello I’ve had exactly the same this today. Did taking the partition out work instantly. Such a scary situation he cut his bulb and threw a shoe

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I am debating trying to travel my horse in the trailer with no partition but am scared she will fall over! Has anyone got any good or bad stories who has tried this?

My horse struggles to balance travelling in the trailer with a partition and scrapes the side to bits and scrambles on left hand bends. I put a camera in and recorded her and can see that as well as figiting about, her back end periodically sort of falls against the partition. If no partition will make it better for her I will try it but I don't know anyone who travels their horse like that, hoping some people on here do!

I have always travelled like it. Uou will find your horse can spread its legs and balance much easier than leaning on a partition when it's legs can go from underneath it.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I have an IW trailer. I keep the front partition in and just remove the back partition and use a full length breach bar. I also travel 2 like that and they always find "their" own space. I recall feeling v nervous about this but have gone from a having a terrible traveler to being able to traverse the length and breadth of the country with no issues, both alone and together, it is nothing short of a miracle!

Not sure I'd want to do this, especially if horses have shoes on. Barefoot would possibly be ok but if shod horses have a bit of a scramble they could easily seriously injure each other. Seems to be working for you though.

 

[ycbm]

I have an IW trailer. I keep the front partition in and just remove the back partition and use a full length breach bar. I also travel 2 like that and they always find "their" own space. I recall feeling v nervous about this but have gone from a having a terrible traveler to being able to traverse the length and breadth of the country with no issues, both alone and together, it is nothing short of a miracle!

What a horrible accident waiting to happen. If you had to do an emergency stop or suddenly swerve there's no telling what might happen to the eight legs in the one confined space. The fact that it hasn't happened yet doesn't make it remotely safe.

 

[huskydamage]

An old thread of mine but as its popped back up.. I did actual try this in the end and filmed her again, she travelled so much better. She basically stepped slightly sideways around bends then stood still forward the rest of the journey. The very first time I tried it she did fall over once at the start (i think she didn't realise the partition was gone) but since then no issues, no scrambling, sweating and no trailer damage

 

[Horseysheepy]

Glad that worked out for you op.

Just to hijack post, sorry! Those who travel minus partition, one horse, with full width breast and breach bars

I'm very much on my own, just me and horse. How do you load the horse and set about doing up breach bar, and unloading, how to you go about putting bars down without them getting in the way, either out front or rear unloading.

Just need a step by step explanation if any one has a spare minute!!

I've only done this a few times, but many years ago, with an assistant!

 

[Birker2020]

I am debating trying to travel my horse in the trailer with no partition but am scared she will fall over! Has anyone got any good or bad stories who has tried this?

My horse struggles to balance travelling in the trailer with a partition and scrapes the side to bits and scrambles on left hand bends.

Its for this reason we opted to change the configurement of the trailer so offside had 3/4 of the room and the nearside 1/4. Dad permanently changed it as my horse at the time had serious issues keeping his balance. We initially felt by penning him in with the partition he'd be better but when you stand on a bus you spread your legs to keep your balance. So we gave him more room, installed rubber matting as the condensation was dripping on the floor and turning to ice on the wooden hardwood floor making it slippy - this was 1995 when winters were colder! We also moved the breast bar forward as the horse I had at the time was long in the body.

Dad was an engineer and knew what to do with the fixing bolts etc but you'd probably be better taking out the partition and using a single breast bar.

 

[Tarragon]

I load by leading pony in using a long rope, then wrap the rope once round the breast bar and then walk back to the rear, holding the rope, and raise the breeching bar. The long rope is enough to keep the pony "tied" without it being tied. I just walk back beside the pony, but I can see it also working if you didn't want to do that and went out the jockey door instead? I haven't tried that though. Once the breeching bar is in place, go back to the front and cross tie.

 

[Horseysheepy]

I load by leading pony in using a long rope, then wrap the rope once round the breast bar and then walk back to the rear, holding the rope, and raise the breeching bar. The long rope is enough to keep the pony "tied" without it being tied. I just walk back beside the pony, but I can see it also working if you didn't want to do that and went out the jockey door instead? I haven't tried that though. Once the breeching bar is in place, go back to the front and cross tie.

Thank you. For unloading, do you take breach bar off completely? Or does it swing well out of the way and you place it on the ramp?

 

[Bluewaves]

Glad that worked out for you op.

Just to hijack post, sorry! Those who travel minus partition, one horse, with full width breast and breach bars

I'm very much on my own, just me and horse. How do you load the horse and set about doing up breach bar, and unloading, how to you go about putting bars down without them getting in the way, either out front or rear unloading.

Just need a step by step explanation if any one has a spare minute!!

I've only done this a few times, but many years ago, with an assistant!

With great difficulty lol.

I load with back and front ramp open and one end of each bar resting on its hinge. The other end of the breach bar kind of sits on the left side of the back ramp. I rest the breast bar on its hinge and the other end set on the trailer floor kind of to the front and left.

I lead the horse in the front ramp then put up the breach bar in front of him as he is facing the rear, he turns round and i put up the breast bar. I then cross-tie him.

I have to do it this way as he would back out quickly if i led him on from the back and it wouldn't give me enough time to get the breach bar up.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Glad that worked out for you op.

Just to hijack post, sorry! Those who travel minus partition, one horse, with full width breast and breach bars

I'm very much on my own, just me and horse. How do you load the horse and set about doing up breach bar, and unloading, how to you go about putting bars down without them getting in the way, either out front or rear unloading.

Just need a step by step explanation if any one has a spare minute!!

I've only done this a few times, but many years ago, with an assistant!

I travel one horse, no partition. To load I walk him up ramp to his haynet. I never tie him at this point. You could use a bucket of feed as well. I walk out the back. Fasten up back bar. Pop ramp up. Go to jockey door, take lead rope off and attach safety tie which is always in trailer. To unload I unlatch safety tie and attach lead rope. Go round back and let ramp down, undo bar. Back out of trailer. I can't take him out forwards as he rushes. If taking out forwards, undo front ramp. Untie, let front breach bar down and walk out.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I load by leading pony in using a long rope, then wrap the rope once round the breast bar and then walk back to the rear, holding the rope, and raise the breeching bar. The long rope is enough to keep the pony "tied" without it being tied. I just walk back beside the pony, but I can see it also working if you didn't want to do that and went out the jockey door instead? I haven't tried that though. Once the breeching bar is in place, go back to the front and cross tie.

I used to do it like this too, but honestly horse just stands there now without me holding the rope. So I just leave him undone, walk beside him to do up the breech bar, then tie up. I then go and do up the ramps (as load with front and back open)

 

[MagicMelon]

Ive had 2 horses who lost balance, they needed to spread their hind legs right out so depending on your partition - I took out the rear half section and got a full length back bear put in (for safety - please dont put the ramp up without a bar behind the horse!). Worked perfectly and meant I didnt need to faff around buying a full length front bar and also I can take another horse on the other side or I put boxes with my stuff in there for events.

 

[PeterNatt]

The danger is that the horse can move causing the trailer to become unstable and this could cause the rig to Jack Knife.

 

[Tarragon]

The danger is that the horse can move causing the trailer to become unstable and this could cause the rig to Jack Knife.

Would you say that this was a risk that would put you off from doing it? Is there anything that could be done to mitigate it? I must admit that I tie up with the head closer to the driver's side of the trailer rather than centrally, to encourage a diagonal stance in the trailer, with most of the weight towards the centre of the road. I am not sure if that would make a difference

 

[Birker2020]

My breast bar folded at the partition then you just moved partition to side and unloaded front unload

 

[BSL2]

Sorry, if coming across as patronising, but have to ask. Has trailer, tyre pressures etc been checked. What protective gear ie bandages, boots, nothing do you use?