Tying horse in trailer with no partition

[awelshandawarmblood]

I'm taking my youngster to his first party in a few weeks & looking to travel him in my trailer with full bars infront & behind, without the partition.

Would you tie to one side or cross tie?

He's only ever travelled in 3.5 lorries with no partition - loose, so I've not tied him before.

Probably completely overthinking but just wondering the best way to go with it.

 

[claret09]

you need to cross tie.

 

[Nudibranch]

Cross tie absolutely.

 

[Impu1sion]

I'm taking my youngster to his first party in a few weeks & looking to travel him in my trailer with full bars infront & behind, without the partition.

Would you tie to one side or cross tie?

He's only ever travelled in 3.5 lorries with no partition - loose, so I've not tied him before.

Probably completely overthinking but just wondering the best way to go with it.

Not a bad thing to overthink it, but I'd definitely crosstie.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

Cross tie and do not leave it till on the day.
Start practicing on the yard, then in trailer and then take him out round a block or so in the trailer before the show, preparation is key to good loading and travelling.
Hope you have a good outing ?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Cross tie, and twiddle about with the cross tie lead rope lengths so that he can comfortably reach his haynet, but they are not in loops.

 

[holeymoley]

Crosstie for sure. Must be short enough too.

 

[scats]

I used to travel a previous pony without a partition in the trailer. I tried cross tying but he wanted to stand diagonally so I ended up tying to one side. He was as happy as Larry and it solved his loading issues.

 

[awelshandawarmblood]

Brilliant thank you all! That was my gut but I wanted to see what the general consensus was.

We've been practising loading for weeks with him now walking in happily & eating his tea with the partition at it widest behind, but the more I bring the partition across so I can put the back bar up, the more hesitant he gets - so I've yet to put the bar over in case it upsets him & undoes all our hard work. So I'm trying to get hold of some full bars now for him.

 

[ycbm]

I travel mine in a 3.5t, set with a partition nearly as wide as a double trailer. I've never cross tied and never had a problem. I find they usually like to travel diagonally.
.

 

[Gallop_Away]

My mare will only travel without the partition in. Have always cross tied her.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I used to travel a previous pony without a partition in the trailer. I tried cross tying but he wanted to stand diagonally so I ended up tying to one side. He was as happy as Larry and it solved his loading issues.

I travel mine without the partition and just tie him with a single rope. He can easily reach his haynet but couldn't turn round if he tried. Don't hear a peep out of him travelling.

 

[exracehorse]

I have a 401 Ifor single. So obviously no partition. I cross tie

 

[Tiddlypom]

The cross tying is to prevent the possibility of the horse turning around in the trailer and potentially jumping out over the rear ramp if the top doors are open. This wouldn't happen in a 3.5t, or in a trailer with the top doors shut, but I have known of it happen. The pony died, or rather it was PTS when it was located roadside after the owners realised on arrival that the trailer was empty .

 

[Fransurrey]

I cross tie. As said, you need to check they're short enough so the horse can't turn, but still reach the haynet. I had a heart attack yesterday when I noticed that my horse was bending down to scratch against the breast bar (trailer cam) and so adjusted the ties. Worth having someone check a camera for you on the first journey so you can be sure the ties are ok, as I thought mine were short enough!

 

[Alibear]

Always just tied to one side personally.

 

[rara007]

Cross tie!

 

[Tarragon]

For those that cross tie, do you tend to find that the cross ties are evenly set so that the horse is central, or do you make one shorter than the other so that the horse is more diagonally placed, and if so, would it be closer to the inside of the road or the outside?
When I travelled my last pony, which I did without the central partition, I would have the hay net tied on the same side as the driver, and the cross ties tied so that his he was able to reach the haynet.

 

[Bluewaves]

I cross tie, because even though my horse does stand diagonally without the partition, i don't trust him not do something stupid in my 505 trailer, plus he knows he can turn in the trailer.

He's very claustrophobic and won't load unless i have both ramps down and the partition removed.

However if i load him from the back, and I'm on my own, he quickly backs off the trailer when i try to put the breech bar up. It's much harder to put a full breech bar in position than the breech bar from the partition divider to teh side.

My compromise to get him securely inside is to load him from the front ramp, so have him facing the back while i put the breech bar up with me holding him at the same time. Then i put the breast bar up and turn him round to face the front. Then i cross-tie him quickly and close both ramps back up. I didn't tie him quickly enough on one occasion and he tried to limbo under the breast bar and got temporarily stuck and panicked. Thank God we were stationary!

I am sure this puts pressure on the trailer sides as he turns and probably isn't that good for him, but I can't figure out another way to load him on my own when i have to. It's so much easier with a helper.

In between journeys i have to keep practising walking on and off the trailer so he is familiar with that.

I do the same as the poster above with the hay net on the drivers side and a shorter tie on that side.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I cross tie, because even though my horse does stand diagonally without the partition, i don't trust him not do something stupid in my 505 trailer, plus he knows he can turn in the trailer.

He's very claustrophobic and won't load unless i have both ramps down and the partition removed.

However if i load him from the back, and I'm on my own, he quickly backs off the trailer when i try to put the breech bar up. It's much harder to put a full breech bar in position than the breech bar from the partition divider to teh side.

My compromise to get him securely inside is to load him from the front ramp, so have him facing the back while i put the breech bar up with me holding him at the same time. Then i put the breast bar up and turn him round to face the front. Then i cross-tie him quickly and close both ramps back up. I didn't tie him quickly enough on one occasion and he tried to limbo under the breast bar and got temporarily stuck and panicked. Thank God we were stationary!

I am sure this puts pressure on the trailer sides as he turns and probably isn't that good for him, but I can't figure out another way to load him on my own when i have to. It's so much easier with a helper.

In between journeys i have to keep practising walking on and off the trailer so he is familiar with that.

I do the same as the poster above with the hay net on the drivers side and a shorter tie on that side.

Could you put a bucket of food at the front, walk with him half way up the ramp, let him go alone to the food whilst you pop the breach bar up? Sorry If you've already tried that!!

 

[Bluewaves]

Thank you, I will try that in our practice sessions. The problem will then be getting to the breast bar before he walks out down the front ramp. He keeps me busy I guess lol.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Thank you, I will try that in our practice sessions. The problem will then be getting to the breast bar before he walks out down the front ramp. He keeps me busy I guess lol.

Could you put front breast bar in, front ramp open, pop feed bucket at head height si he can see and reach it easily, walk half way up back ramp with him, let him walk in to feed whilst you do up rear?

 

[Landcruiser]

Following with great interest.
I've always travelled my older horse cross tied with no partition because it's "the done thing," but I'm questioning it with my youngster. I'm beginning to wonder of it's one of those things that are "traditional" and "BHS" but actually not the best thing or at least the only thing. Surely the horse can't "turn round and jump out" if it's tied to one side, because the single rope won't allow that?? My old boy stood diagonally, and I had one shorter rope and one longer, to allow this. But I'm not sure he needed the longer one.
So far I've travelled my youngster WITH the partition, which is fine, but once we start TREC I sleep in the trailer and the partition is a pain, plus I'd like her to have the diagonal option. Anyone else NOT cross tied?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Following with great interest.
I've always travelled my older horse cross tied with no partition because it's "the done thing," but I'm questioning it with my youngster. I'm beginning to wonder of it's one of those things that are "traditional" and "BHS" but actually not the best thing or at least the only thing. Surely the horse can't "turn round and jump out" if it's tied to one side, because the single rope won't allow that?? My old boy stood diagonally, and I had one shorter rope and one longer, to allow this. But I'm not sure he needed the longer one.
So far I've travelled my youngster WITH the partition, which is fine, but once we start TREC I sleep in the trailer and the partition is a pain, plus I'd like her to have the diagonal option. Anyone else NOT cross tied?

I don't cross tie. My boy is 16.2 in a 505 classic. I tie haynet to top right of trailer and I have a quick release rope on the tie thingy at the front of the trailer on the left. There is no way he could turn round.

 

[Landcruiser]

I cross tie, because even though my horse does stand diagonally without the partition, i don't trust him not do something stupid in my 505 trailer, plus he knows he can turn in the trailer.

He's very claustrophobic and won't load unless i have both ramps down and the partition removed.

However if i load him from the back, and I'm on my own, he quickly backs off the trailer when i try to put the breech bar up. It's much harder to put a full breech bar in position than the breech bar from the partition divider to teh side.

My compromise to get him securely inside is to load him from the front ramp, so have him facing the back while i put the breech bar up with me holding him at the same time. Then i put the breast bar up and turn him round to face the front. Then i cross-tie him quickly and close both ramps back up. I didn't tie him quickly enough on one occasion and he tried to limbo under the breast bar and got temporarily stuck and panicked. Thank God we were stationary!

I am sure this puts pressure on the trailer sides as he turns and probably isn't that good for him, but I can't figure out another way to load him on my own when i have to. It's so much easier with a helper.

In between journeys i have to keep practising walking on and off the trailer so he is familiar with that.

I do the same as the poster above with the hay net on the drivers side and a shorter tie on that side.

I loaded my lad for a long time by taking him on the back, turning him round, putting up the back bar, turning him round again, then securing him (cross tied) in front. He, like yours, was a backer offer. Eventually i managed to keep him from backing off by looping the (long) rope under the breast bar as soon as he was on so he thought he was tied, and getting the back bar up without having to turn him. The turning thing is unorthodox, but it worked for us for a few years

 

[Dasher66]

I had two lead ropes permanently in the trailer for travelling. Use a practice session to get the lengths right and then just clip them on each time you load.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I never tie my lad up before I've put the ramp up. If he were to panic, and he was tied up, it would make it 10 times worse. Luckily he is an absolute Saint to load and on the trailer.