Travelling

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Bevjane

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Any advice welcome, how do you turn a bad traveler into a good one, my horse had an incident in a lorry the day I brought him, I’ve brought and sold 2 horse boxes which didn’t suit as they had breastbar which is the problem he just try’s to climb them, since I’ve hired a couple of boxes with longstall stallion partitions which he’s traveled ok but still unsettled, tomorrow I have hired another, the same, this time forked out on a titanium hood, and got a mirror to put in, I’ve doubled his calmer and gave him calming cookies over the last few days, tried Relaquin sedation before but he’s worst as just fights it, don’t really know what else to try, is it just exposure to travelling? I’m looking for my own lorry 3.5longstall but that’s easier said than done as there either a second Morgage or they have done ++ miles on the clock, tomorrow is vet trip for kissing spine surgery 🤦🏻
 
Have they checked his hocks and PSD before doing the kissing spines surgery? It's often secondary to hocks and hocks are notorious for causing travel difficulties.
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Is he any different travelling with another? If he settles when he's got another horse/pony in with him I'd be inclined to make sure he had company (relaxed and well-travelled company) whenever he travels until he settles again.
 
Bevjane said:
Hi thanks, hocks are fine, never had a problem and never been lame
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I'm not sure from your answer if they've been checked before the kissing spines surgery? Bad travelling is very often the first sign an owner gets that the horse's hocks are troubling them. And doing kissing spines surgery and then finding out afterwards that the hocks are an issue is very common too.

I'm sorry i can be more helpful with the travelling.Good luck with the surgery and rehab.
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Yes, it's rare to have KS without other issues, it's all part of compensatory movement patterns, other parts of the body take the strain caused by the dysfunction in the back. If it's not clinical yet, odds are it will be at some point, whether it's hocks, SI, suspensories etc, all common patterns. This from a US vet:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02CAfsFmvdWttnPT68n1xABKdyxCpqk9gPumET74yEhpPy2AGrtA7dxkiHdoXnrUaVl&id=100063752040325

I'm sure once he's more comfortable then travelling will improve, it's a big ask of dysfunctional body.
 
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SpeedyPony said:
Is he any different travelling with another? If he settles when he's got another horse/pony in with him I'd be inclined to make sure he had company (relaxed and well-travelled company) whenever he travels until he settles again.
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Not tried him but unfortunately not possible to travel with another as my other 2 are elderly and can not travel anymore and no one else on the yard
 
Hi I also have a had traveler, rearer in the box/launches over breast bar although he only does this when stationery not moving, we would get to our destination covered in sweat.
The one thing I swear by and will never ever go without for him now is an equi travel safe harness https://www.equitravelsafe.co.uk/ I got my collapsible breast bar switched for a full length breast bar (also collapsable) fitted into my equitrek 3.5 box.
My horse now travels like an angel, when he does try and rear he isn't going anywhere as he is attached, it is very easy to unclip him just exactly the same as a seatbelt.

Now I have seen many different opinions of these due to the horse being connected to the breast bar but I see it no different than people who hobble them to travel, I actually see it safer than hobbling as the horse is still able to move around freely.
I won't ever travel without it again, it has really made travelling 100x less stressful.

Edit - sorry I have just read up thread, my horse had no issues with KS etc etc he had a full vet check as at that time due to another issue.
 
Hi thanks for the reply, I have an equi safe travel system and your right they are amazing and it keeps him safe, but he just gets stressed no matter what I do, he sweats from head to toe, it’s just like he carnt relax at all 🤦🏻
 
Bevjane said:
Hi thanks for the reply, I have an equi safe travel system and your right they are amazing and it keeps him safe, but he just gets stressed no matter what I do, he sweats from head to toe, it’s just like he carnt relax at all 🤦🏻
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Is he an ex racer? I only ask cos one of ours turns into an anxious mess when travelling now cos he was getting himself so worried about going racing. ( now retired).
 
Pidgeon said:
What is he like travelling herringbone rather than forward or backwards? Have you tried Coligone to settle him?
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Hi I’ve had him in different boxes all ways and dosnt make a differance, he’s on a regular calming suppliment, I’ve tried relaquin but soon as it really kicks in he’s worse, he’s on box rest at the mo after kissing spine surgery and he’s on low dose trazadone to keep him chilled and he’s lovely on it so don’t know if that’s the answer 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’m currently looking for a lorry with no breast bar and just hoping with constant nice trips out he will eventually be ok 😬
 
BJ you still don't seem to have confirmed that his hocks were x rayed, his suspensories scanned and his SI function checked before the kissing spines was operated on.

If they weren't, then I recommend they are done now, they are so often found to be responsible for worsening travelling issues.
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I have a bad traveller. I am setting as about finding an adhesive mirror that will be stuck on the box body in front of her. I think that when she is distracted she is more settled. Will let you know how it goes. She also sweats up etc.
 
ycbm said:
BJ you still don't seem to have confirmed that his hocks were x rayed, his suspensories scanned and his SI function checked before the kissing spines was operated on.

If they weren't, then I recommend they are done now, they are so often found to be responsible for worsening travelling issues.
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Hi his hocks were x-rayed and ligaments checked all was checked over before making the decision to operate and all good 👍🏻
 
Old school said:
I have a bad traveller. I am setting as about finding an adhesive mirror that will be stuck on the box body in front of her. I think that when she is distracted she is more settled. Will let you know how it goes. She also sweats up etc.
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I have had a mirror in his stable and he seems to like it and is a lot more settled so I’m going to try a mirror in the lorry when I find one ☺️
 
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