what do you class as a horse that travels badly? !

Clarebear*

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in the 3.5 tonne lorry my horse, leans to balance himself? he doesn't fall over or do anything dramatic, he simply leans round corners. Does this make him a bad traveller? my friend who drives the lorry says, hes a very bad traveller, and it scares her when he leans. Personally i wouldn't class this as a horse that travels badly?

I can't tell whether she uses this as an excuse for her not wanting me to take my horse so i can help her when shes competing? because its only sometimes she says it! 95% of the time she asks do you want to go here on sunday? etc.. and we travelled down to a week long show, 6 and a half hours away last summer? no problems there..

I admit i am sounding like i have spat my dummy out here, and i don't expect lifts from her, but it frustrates me when she says she will take me places, then 2 days before changes her mind, even though shes still going... and expects me to come and groom for her! and thats my wasted entry fees and me letting the team down if its a rc comp! grr hate moaning about her as she is my friend but its as equally frustrating as i know i would never ever treat my friends in this way!

opinions please! is it a horse issue or people
 

HaffiesRock

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Very annoying but her box at the end of the day.

I'd be inclined to ensure I had my own transport sorted before paying entry fees in future.
 

Dizzle

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If she is worried about driving your horse then it is her prerogative to not take him, although cancelling two days before when you have already paid entry fees is a bit rude IMHO.
 

debserofe

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I wouldnt call her a friend and I certainly would be telling her to groom her own horse!!!! Time to find another friend and mode of transport or not enter and make alternative arrangements for your weekend so you are not available to groom for her!
 

smellsofhorse

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When I comes to lifts its awkward as it's their transport, you shouldnt expect lift or take them for granted.

I don't mean to be rude, but do you pay you way? Contribute enough?
Not transport owners often don't realize the true cost of running it

I agree it is bad if she says you can go then changes her mind a few days before, loosing your entry fees and letting teams down.

Really the only way you can get around this.situation is hire or buy your own transport.

Oh and in.answer to your question, no, I wouldn't say your horse is a bad traveler, this other lady can't really think that if she only mentions it occasionally.
 

Clarebear*

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i know its her right and decision which is why i am moaning on here, and not too her! haha its just very frustrating that its so inconsistent! i just don't get why its only sometimes she doesn't want to bring him, surely if he leans and she doesn't like it she would not want to drive him anywhere? itsjust horrible to be let down, and have wasted money! think i need to get saving up!
 

Micky

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Id class a bad traveller as one that kicks seven bells out of the lorry/trailer, and I've known a few...:)
My horse leans and occasionally rops one hip to counter going around a corner, however as he got stronger in his back end, this started to disappear, also, the trailer was quite tight and i dont think he could spread his legs as much as he would like to balance.... There are also some dreadful drivers out there who unfortunately, think they are great but they take corners too sharply/fast and plainly drive too fast!!
Get yourself a wee trailer and drive yourself :)
 

Clarebear*

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of course i pay her! i wouldn't expect a free lift... and its not like i give her a tenner and say thanks, i ask how much she would like in advance so she can work out price of fuel etc so we can split it!
 

smellsofhorse

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Is it related to expenses, are you paying your dues?

I agree could be this.

I was happy to take people with me.
If I was going any way a fuel contribution was a bonus.
But when they planned things, and we went together, or I took them. They never contributed the true amount.

Fuel and maintenance costs a lot more than people think!
 

xgemmax

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It's annoying but nothing you can do and one of the reasons I bought my own horse box due to no having noone to hitch a lift with! And to answer your question, no I would not class a horse who leaned to balance himself a bad traveller :)
 

Spring Feather

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in the 3.5 tonne lorry my horse, leans to balance himself? he doesn't fall over or do anything dramatic, he simply leans round corners. Does this make him a bad traveller? my friend who drives the lorry says, hes a very bad traveller, and it scares her when he leans. Personally i wouldn't class this as a horse that travels badly?

Yes I would class that as a bad traveller I'm afraid. We are commercial horse shippers and horses who lean or move around frequently are very taxing to transport.
 
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I wouldn't class your horse as a bad traveller, just an annoying one.

Random thought - does your friend hold the relevant licences and documentation for transporting horses other than her own? Many people forget about this these days!
 

risky business

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Maybe you should talk to your friend rather than writing it all over a forum?

She obviously has a reason for not wanting to take you. I wouldn't want to transport a horse that's a leaner either and it's her box at the end of the day.
 

EmmaB

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If you pay then I think she's being rude to suddenly say she's not taking you 2 days before?!

If she doesn't want to take your horse full stop then she should just tell you. I wouldn't bother asking for a lift again, and wouldn't go and groom for her either. Even if you had to pay a transport company to take you or hire a trailer/box at least you wouldn't lose entry fees!
 

Jesstickle

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I hope they aren't big horses if there are two on a 3.5T box!

I would say that whilst your horse probably isn't a bad traveler as such, as someone who had to skrimp and save for transport I might not want to take it. What I will tolerate from my own and what I will put up with for someone else is very different. I love my trailer and I am pretty precious over it. Also, I find driving the box quite nerve racking, it is a big responsibilty (it bothers me far more than riding) so if she isn't happy doing it then that is fair enough I think.
 
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LittleOwl

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I'd agree with the people who say he might be annoying, but I wouldn't class him as a bad traveller. But if a "friend" cancelled on me 2 days before a show when I'd paid entry fees and still expected me to come and groom I'd tell her where to go. I'm happy to groom for people and as I've never had transport I'm used to helping people who used to give me lifts (or did when I had a horse but wasnt competing at that particular show) but if someone did that to me I'd be fuming!
In terms of paying your dues if you're asking how much she wants then she can't complain. I used to get lifts from someone from the age of around 10-16 and instead of asking me to pay her I'd clean her tack, plait her horse and muck out both of her stables on the morning of a show and mum would buy her a burger and photo or entry fee. Most people would question if that was enough but thats what she asked for. She wanted the company and it made a nice day out for all of us
 

Dizzydancer

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Are these 2 horses? Ie over 14.2 cause if so she is probably overweight anyway and actually I think leaning in a 3.5 t box is probably worse than in any other box - they just aren't really designed for it from a centre of gravity so leaning in one will make it feel quite unstable.

Not a lot you can do about it really but unless you have ponies she shouldn't be travelling both anyway
 

fjordhorsefan

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I wouldn't fancy transporting a horse that leans, although I have a 6t box so it's not as noticeable. I saved for a long time to get my lorry, and work hard to pay to keep it running, so I'm afraid I will only have good travellers in it. As Dizzydancer says, I suspect her box will be overloaded with two in it - does she only say she can't take you if there is a chance of being pulled by VOSA?!
 

foraday

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If your horse is leaning then I would say her driving needs to be a tad slower!!!!

Leaners tend to be trailer horses and ponies where they brace themselves.

Agreed with all the others. Her insurance does not cover you or your horse to be in there unless of course she has the relevant DEFRA licences

Tinpot 2 boxes as they are known in the trade can be down right dangerous in build! There have been many photos with these tinpots with pictures of them being cut open to retrieve the poor sedated horse by the fire brigade, on fire, rammed into other lorries and one of the latest where someones horse had actually got their leg through the side of the tinpot!

I would be saving up for my own transport!!

I would not be grooming for her after loosing my entry fees!
 

Spring Feather

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If your horse is leaning then I would say her driving needs to be a tad slower!!!!
I'm sorry but what rubbish lol! Some horses lean. They lean on the straight and they lean on the corners. I am suspecting most of you on here travel horses an hour at the most, for the most part and maybe only infrequently. When you travel a horse for 12 or 13 hours and it is a leaner, then I can 100% say it is a bad traveller and it puts a huge strain on the driver.
 
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