Travelling tips for unhappy pony in trailer

Liostro

Liostro

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Hi all, I'm after some advice please our 15hh appaloosa is an angel in everyday apart from travelling, she even loads fine and will follow u up the ramp without even having a headcollar on!!!! However when travelling as soon as u get to a corner she trys to lie down! If u double tie her head then it helps but she still turns her back into the partition. Has anyone experienced the same or got any tips that might help? My partner drives and goes very slowly and the other horses are fine but since we've got the new 511 trailer it's even worse as I bigger and she can turn easily.
 
Couple of questions first......... How long have you had her?
Has she been travelling in a lorry side on perviously.

I only ask as my 15hh WelshxArab does the same thing, loads fine, but as soon as we move he tries to lie down this started by banging slightly on corners and now, we only have to pull forward a foot and he is trying to do it.

I looked long into this and found his issue stemed from me travelling him in a trailer all the time for years then i used a lorry for a whole season and he was travelling side on, now when he goes into the trailer, his brain finds it hard to adjust to the forward movement instead of the sideway, so he can't cope and lies down. he doesn't panic when doing this luckly, will get up when asked unloads and then will walk straight back in.

I travelled in the trailer the first time he did this on the way to the beach, i was holding him up, was beating his neck to get him to hold his own weight.


carried on with ride on the beach and the reloaded and as soon as we moved he led down soooo.... I called a lorry out and travelled him loose in it so if he wanted to lie down he could do no harm to himself, at the other end he is stood perfectly happy side on in the lorry....

Lucky for me, he is more or less a happy hack for my mum so rarely now goes anywhere, but if i need to travel him, we get a lorry. I had all the normal checked...his back etc...and bloods for an infection in his ears etc....All clear.

I know this doesn't help you but just wondered if it was alonfg the same lines.
 
I had a pony who did the same thing, we took the partition out and cross tied her and she travelled fine. I think some like more room in a trailer to balance themselves.
 
Take the partition out. They always travel better without.

A more extreme measure is to go go with her (on a private road only!) and show her how to stand up. We had to do that with a friends horse (it was that or walk 25miles home) and she quickly learnt how to stand properly, with some pointers.
 
That's really helpful, thank u everyone. I think trying without the partition is a good idea however do i have to buy a full breast bar or can she travel without and just double tied? We will be looking at selling her soon and don't want whoever buys her to cause her any distress by not being patient and understanding by her travelling problems. Would hate harm to come to her as she's a lovely mare x
 
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