Travelling panic, help!

[Evil_Cookie]

Hi, I don't really know where to start, I've been having a problem with my mare Ruby for a year or two now, we don't travel that often, but this year I'm hoping to do more shows, rides etc... Problem is is it fair to ask her to work when she arrives so stressed out?
She used to be fine, but we brought a new trailer (wessex olympian I think) to give her more space, we had two windows fitted thinking it would be nicer for her. Since then she's learned the habit of leaning on the back bar to look out the windows, which would be fine, but she puts her whole weight on the back bar, she's bent the bar, it's slightly curved now. She also sweats up, usually coming out of the trailer looking likes she's had a shower and that was in winter. This winter the problem has got worse, I've been taking her jumping, she arrived a few times with awful rubs on her bum, under her tail. Her tail was fine, I always use a tail gaurd and tail bandage but have recently bought a neoprene one hoping it would save her bum. It didn't, although she wasn't rubbed raw, over the few days after the skin pealed, leaving red bits, a case of vaseline and antiseptic cream. Poor girl.
The trailer needs to go into be fixed, shes pulled the bar fixing from the wall on one side. I usually travel her alone but last time I travelled her with my other mare, who hasn't got a problem and I'm worried she may pick one up if I travel them together too often. The company didn't make any difference to her stress levels, I even tried her on the other side hoping it would change the habit, it didn't she just managed to pull a rivet out of the bar fixing on that side

.

I don't really know what to do with her. I've covered up the windows which hasn't made any difference, she just braces as soon as the car starts, and rounds her back, sitting on the bar.
I was thinking of trying without the partition, and travelling with her round the block to see how she copes, but with this leaning on the bar, I'm scared if she continued to lean she'd end up breaking the ramp... I haven't got full length breast bars, should I invest in two of these if travelling without the partition is a viable option? Is there anything I could use in the meantime just to test the theory, before I splash out £150?
Any help appreciated, have you had a similar experience?
EC

 

[AmyMay]

Do you tow in a car or a 4x4??

 

[Evil_Cookie]

4x4 a shogun, the trailer is well within the towing capacity with two horses in it, it has to be round here, there are quite a few hills.

 

[AmyMay]

If she used to be fine, and the only thing to have changed is the trailer - then my money would be on that being the problem.

It is odd isn't it. Amy will travel in absolutely anthing - some horses won't. Wonder if you could borrow a different sort of trailer and try her in that??

 

[cheeryplatypus]

have you tried fitting a mirror?
although it sounds like she has trouble balancing more than being worried, although is it possible that something came in through the windows to frighten her? that may explain why she is backing up to the bar

 

[Evil_Cookie]

The thing is with her having damaged our trailer, I've been offered lifts and it just isn't fair to accept. I'd borrow if I could, but I can't really afford a bill to repair someone elses trailer. The last trailer we had was a lot smaller and she wouldn't even load in that, As for boxes as far as I know she's fine, but I've only travelled her in one once. She used to be fine in this trailer, but the problem has slowly developed. Other than buy a new trailer (which I'm not sure would work) or a horsebox I'm confused as to what to do.
She seems to find her balance by leaning back, do normal horses spread there legs to balance? I was wondering, she is quite a wide mare would extra space help?

 

[AmyMay]

In that case - yes taking the partition out may well help. How frustrating.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I will look into a mirror, though she wasn't really any better when travelling with my other mare, they are best of buddies and share a field together. The windows are fixed, but before I blocked them up you could see cars and lorries passing by through them which I guess would be pretty scary with the sound that comes with them, If you don't understand what they are

.
I have travelled down the road in the trailer with them, at about 10mph, it was awful, rattling and shaking, and this is a new trailer. I would hate to think what an older one would sound/feel like. I don't think adding more padding would help though, there is already padding around the doors and stuff?

 

[Evil_Cookie]

Is there anything I could use to maka a make-shift back bar for a short journey, just to test the theory, I would hate to think what would happen if she was to put her whole weight on the ramp, though I guess it would be strong enough, I'd rather not test that.

I would travel with her , with a loose rope just to see where she wants to balance, might give me an idea as to whether a herringbone trailer/box would be better or backwards facing?

 

[AmyMay]

No. Nothing that will be safe anyway......

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Does she face forwards in the trailer? If you decided to buy a new one i would definately try one in which the horses travelled facing backwards, lots of studies have found they balance better this way. Maybe hire a rear facing trailer/ lorry (i know the lorries are now common but think it's much harder to find a trailer that faces backwards), to see what she's like.

Word of warning, if you find a rear facing trailer DON'T leave the back window open as she might try a jump out and could seriously injure herself on it.

 

[Cahill]

i took my partition out and cross tie my mare(also a ruby!!!)she now stands diagonally,still sits on her tail but deff improvement.have heard about people putting thiers in backwards but have no experience of this.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I just looked up rear facing trailers the cheapest I can find is the richardson excel, and thats £4500

My trailers worth 3k but I don't have £1500 to spare.

Funny being another Ruby Cahill, Did your mare take ok to travelling without the partition?

 

[Sooty]

It does sound as if the could be having balance issues. Try her without the partition, and if all else fails change the trailer. We had a Fautras Oblique, and the one and only time Toff went out in it she was drenched with sweat and trembling by the time we reached the other end. She travels fine in an Ifor. Horses love nothing more than costing their owners money...

 

[Cahill]

no,doesn`t travel particularly well,think cos we don`t do enough,but proper humpty back and bum in corner.grandchildren named her ruby cos got her home and in the evening light her bay colour was proper red.also loads quite wellto go,bit naughty coming home.

 

[flyingfeet]

Try a mirror - you can buy them for under £10 on eBay and Lidl are currently doing strong double sided adhesive for £1.99 (use meths to prep the surface, otherwise they fall off...)

I would try without a partition as heaving leaning is often a claustrophobic reaction (which the mirror may help with)

 

[Evil_Cookie]

If I was to use a mirror where best is it placed, head height? In front, to the side? Hmm.... will have to go look at suitable places in the trailer now.
I had another look at breast bars, £55 each, and I suppose, until I'm sure she'll travel properly without the partition I could just get one, and rope across the front like I did with the mare and foal?

 

[Willow1]

Hi, please try travelling her without a partition, (although you will have to get full widith breast and breeching bars). One of my mares had travelled perfectly for years, then suddenly decided that she could only balance if she placed all 4 feet against the side of the trailer and lent on the partition. This resulted in her literally walking up the side of the trailer and falling over. I was at my wits end and as Richard Maxwell was visiting our yard i discussed the problem with him. He advised me to take out the partition. He also said that this leaning issue is very common with mares. I tried this and my mare was immediately her old self again and travelled perfectly again from that moment on. She will always position herself diagonally across the trailer, (I cross tie her so she can't try and turn around). I got so confident that one day I tried travelling her with a partition again, (because I couldn't be bothered to take it out!), and we had barely left the yard and I could hear her crashing around again, so we turned around, went home, removed the partition, and off we went, happy as larry!!
Her problems started when I had an Ifor Williams 505, and i then happened to change to a Wessex, so I wouldn't hold the trailer responsible, (I love my Wessex). By the way, if you know anyone with Ifor Williams full width breast bars, they will fit a Wessex if you wanted to borrow some to try.
Interestingly, if I travel her in a sideways facing lorry, even though she is in a partitioned stall, she doesn't try to lean.
Good luck!

 

[flyingfeet]

I've got a large mirror covering most of the jockey door and one higher in front of the ifors windows (this is an ifor 510)

I have another 3 to put up, but haven't decided where yet.....

Grumpy mare who doesn't like travelling (doesn't panic, just refuses to load), spent ages looking at herself.

 

[SilverSkye]

Point to point trailers oxford way do try before you buy trailer hire and also hire for the day week etc. They hire out the fautras herringbow travelling trailers so if you were even thinking about buying another trailer that would be worth trying.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

[ QUOTE ]
I've got a large mirror covering most of the jockey door and one higher in front of the ifors windows (this is an ifor 510)

I have another 3 to put up, but haven't decided where yet.....

Grumpy mare who doesn't like travelling (doesn't panic, just refuses to load), spent ages looking at herself.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your trailer must look like a crazy mirror maze, lol, I think Ruby would like the mirror, I can imagine her being quite vain

Hmm will deffinatly try without the partition then, the trailer has to go in to be fixed so will order full width bars and have a trial run. Is cross tying preferable, or just to one side so they can stand diagnally? (sp

)

Out of intrest has anyone tried using lavander in the trailer for its calming properties, I was thinking about trying this the other day, Or a radio with classical music, (still trying to figure out how this one would work) to see if it helps calm them?

And haylage, do you find your horses eat in the trailer? I usually put a haynet up but was wondering if I put up a haylage net whether as a treat she might be distracted by it?

Trying to make the trailer as comfy as possible, I'll be getting her a dressing gown and slippers next, and bubblebath

 

[archoak]

My experience is the same as yours Dan1 and we now travel our mare herringbone in a lorry with full partitions. However we are getting are new lorry and the lorry has rubber skirts and we are thinking of making them solid. What sort of partitions do you have on your lorry?

Sorry to hijack the post - try travelling without the partition lots of people have had success with this - the ifor full length breast bar is only about £35.

 

[Weezy]

I have a new mare. She has ALWAYS travelled superbly in an Ifor Williams, with partitions. I have a Bateson Ascot. She hates it

First time I took her out in it with partitions we had to turn for home and she had made an awful mess where she had just fallen again and again (only got 3 miles!)

Anyway, immediately took out partitions and put her straight back in to the trailer and she was absolutely fine.

I have continued to travel her without the partitions and she has been OK, not as good as the ifor tho (damn horses).

Yesterday I had to take a friend for a lesson with me, it is only a mile and a half from our yard so I thought I would take the plunge and travel them together (with partition). I put her on the passenger side as that is where she chooses to stand when travelling without partitions and the other horse on the drivers side. Well blow me down, she was brilliant on the way there!

But when it came to loading back up she did NOT want to go in - first time we have had a prob

Got her in after a couple of mins, but she had sweated up by the time we got home again (even thought she hadn't made a noise).

So I am going to borrow an Ifor if I can for the next couple of trips and see how she is in there again.

 

[Willow1]

Hi, in answer to your question re partitions in my lorry, it just had rubber skirts. The lorry was partitioned so the horses were sideways facing, and for whatever reason my mare never felt the need to lean on the partitions the way she did in a forward facing trailer. Rather than immediately go to the expense of changing the partitions, I would try her with the rubber skirts. My mare was so bad in a paritioned forward facing trailer I would never have believed that she could cope with a partioned lorry, but she did immediately. Obviously the position of travel must have also had a lot to do with it.
Good luck!