Travelling Nightmare

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Cat Reid

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My 14'2" Scottish sports horse is 17. He still has plenty of life left in him and we regularly compete. We bought him in October 2009, he was fine to travel when we first got him but around February 2010 he started to kick out when travelling. It then stopped during the summer but started just after Christmas this year. When he is on the right hand side of the trailer he leans in on the middle partition on the left-hand bends and thrashes out frantically. When we put him on the left side of the trailer he leans in on the middle partition on the right-hand bends and does the same. We travel him in leg pads and travelling bandages so they don't come off. He doesn't go any better with them off but we keep them on as he cuts himself otherwise. It has got to the point where he has broken the trailer on numerous occasions and I don't want to travel him if he hates it so much. We have tried him in a side facing lorry but he kicked out the partition. Taking out the partition in the trailer would not be a solution as we transport my sisters pony alongside him. Has anyone got any ideas which would help?
 
The only thing I can suggest is to get some miles on him by getting a full width breast bar and travelling him alone with lots of room on his own and get his confidence in the trailer that way. I have known people who travel with the top door open but that always scares me! If your sisters pony is small, you could try him with the back section of the partition clipped open so he can spread his hindlegs. You could also try a calmer, but I think it's a case of the more you travel him without trauma, the better he'll be.
 
I think you will have to take the partition out to get him used to travelling. Just get him used to getting out and feeling comfortable in the trailer. Once he is used to travelling you can re-introduce the partition.
 
Ok thanks, i think i will just take him out for 10 minutes at a time without the partition and see how he is! we have experimented with the top door open and closed and it makes no difference at all!
 
As already said - take out the partition. Its strange how many people have horses who travel fine for years then suddenly start doing exactly what yours is doing. I've had 2 horses do it - both who travelled beautifully for about 3/4 years before beginning to "fall" in the trailer. The only thing to solve it is to remove the partition (but you'll need a full length breastbar) OR you can try just taking the back section out (if you have an Ifor or Bateson you can do this). They seem so much happier when they can spread their hind legs right out. As soon as you do it, I bet he'll be fine.
 
we have an ifor so i'll try the back part out first and if that doesn't make any difference i'll take the whole thing out!
 
Have you had his back checked, having to support his weight differently on corners might cause him some pain.
Might not show any when else. Worth having it looked at.
 
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