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

huskydamage

huskydamage

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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!
 
huskydamage said:
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!
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One of my mares will only travel in a trailer without a partition, she stands at an angle with her hind legs apart to balance. She can’t do this with a partition in. You must use full length breast & breech bars though.
 
teddypops said:
One of my mares will only travel in a trailer without a partition, she stands at an angle with her hind legs apart to balance. She can’t do this with a partition in. You must use full length breast & breech bars though.
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I've got one full length bar but been too scared to use it, I'm looking into getting a second one but I'm just petrified she will fall over ? there seem to be a lot of postive stories though
 
Minto always travelled without a partition and after he started falling over due to hock arthritis. He never moved a muscle without the partition. Soli also traveled without one. In his case he was a bit big for trailer and much better without the partition. As already said they will travel diagonally. Make sure you cross tie though so they can’t turn round.
 
In a trailer you need a breast bar, so without the partition you'll need a full width one. Many trailers also rely on the breast/breech bars for structural strength, so you'll need a full width breech bar too.
Other than that, go for it. Most prefer it, and will spread their back legs wide for maximum balance.
Don't tie too loose, because some will try to turn around and get themselves in a pickle.
 
I had a horse who scrambled and fell in a trailer with a partition - but just perfect when I took it out - they need room to balance themselves.

The key is in the cross tying, loose enough so they can find their balance, but not so loose that they can get their head round 'backwards'.

I also shut the upper door at the back on the drivers side, so they aren't distracted if someone overtakes, which leads to a calmer journey!
 
I used to travel 3 ponies in a Rice Beaufort without the partition - 4 if the Shetland was in the front under their noses. They were all very good friends, able to spread their legs to balance and quite happy with it. Only problem was getting out after loading, as the Shetland was usually in the way.
 
Mine is another that loads and travels better without a partition, she prefers to stand diagonally. The trailer has full length breast and breech bars and they can be bought cheaply enough from Ifor or Bateson.

We’ve only had one slightly hairy moment when she decided to change which side her bum was on as we were coming off a roundabout (so turning) and the camber in the road changed. Nothing major and the trailer settled immediately but I can’t say I’d want to do it again!
 
I always travel my horses without a partition cross tied . The reason I started was my mare was scrabbling and falling once the partition was out she travelled for many years with no problems . Makes it so much easier for tacking up etc as well .
 
One of ours started falling after years of travelling just fine with a partition.

Partition out and she travels just fine again.

Unless I'm taking two everything travels without the partition in now, though I leave it in the 3.5t at the far side so it's there if needed.
 
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I always preferred to travel mine without a partition. I have tried riding in the back to see how the horses coped and from personal experience learned a useful lesson. When driving round corners take your foot off the accelerator. Let the car coast round and only pick up when straight. Much easier to stand up if the driver does that. I followed my friends towing my trailer with their pony in and her husband 'drove' round all the corners. The pony was skidding all over the place but he was only going slowly.
 
I travel mine without the partition; he loves it. I had to buy proper full width bars, but now I have them I can have the option. The only problem I have is where to tie the haynet! Being only a little pony, he can't reach the haynet if it is tied to the front of the trailer, and if he is cross tied, he cannot reach a haynet secured at the side! I am still trialling a few different ideas on this conundrum :-)
 
My mare will only travel without partitions as she likes to stretch herself out to balance. I got the full length breast bars so she has something to lean against and she travels like a lamb ?
 
When I had a trailer, I travelled with no partition whenever I could (i.e. if only travelling one), they travelled better IMO.

Besides, I could tack up in the dry!

The only downside was no space for the toilet, but then I had my trailer altered so it was 60/40 so one generous partition and one small toilet ;)

My 3.5 has been designed the same, 60/40 with the dead side being a toilet and tack locker.
 
I started to travel my gelding without the partition as I felt he loaded better that way. However, he soon found out he could turn round whilst I was fixing up the back bar, before I had the chance to cross tie him at the front. I am afraid we have gone back to the partition again.
 
Carlosmum said:
I started to travel my gelding without the partition as I felt he loaded better that way. However, he soon found out he could turn round whilst I was fixing up the back bar, before I had the chance to cross tie him at the front. I am afraid we have gone back to the partition again.
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I use a long line and wrap it round the breast bar while I go back to put up the breeching bar. This way I can hold him in place without tying
 
Horses almost always travel far better without a partition; I haven't used one for nearly 20 years.

I know some people who think that the partition "holds" the horse up, but that is ridiculous, it actually makes it far more difficult for the horse to balance on turns and when stopping or accelerating. Many horses which panic in a trailer with partitions will travel perfectly without.
 
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