Won’t travel in a trailer but will in a box??

[Olivia.]

My horse has taken a huge disliking to trailering. I can’t deal with the stress of it anymore.

I want to get a 3.5t box however I’m worried he won’t go in that too.

I am in the process of getting a 3.5t to try and see if he will go in.

Just wondering if anyone has a horse that won’t travel at all in a trailer but will travel in a Horsebox competently fine??

 

[Tiddlypom]

It's pretty common, tbh.

Do hire or borrow a lorry before you buy, just to be sure that your horse approves. If he does approve, look to buy one with that same configuration.

Avoid any 3.5ts with a fixed breast bar and narrow rear grooms door.

 

[ycbm]

If your horse used to trailer OK and doesn't now then I suspect something is bothering them and the first culprit with this issue is very often the hocks.

I've heard of lots of horses that will travel fine in a lorry and not in a trailer.
.

 

[Michen]

Pretty common but given previously fine I would be having a vet check and the trailer serviced. Mine started scrambling on left turns and despite having been checked by a vet a few weeks before, his hocks needed reinjecting. He'd gone from sound to 3/10 lame very quickly as they flared up.

 

[cauda equina]

Have you had your trailer serviced recently?
Sometimes things like incorrect tyre pressures can put them off
I had my trailer serviced yearly but it turned out they hadn't been checking the ramps which were beginning to go

 

[Annagain]

Is it just going on or actually travelling too? As others have said a full MOT and service for both the trailer and the horse would be an idea but if it's just loading issue, help from a pro could be an idea. It made a world of difference to my new boy when he took a dislike to going on (although once on he always travelled fine.)

 

[Olivia.]

It’s a brand new tralier and the air in the tyres has been checked and is fine. He’s had his back checked too and that’s also fine. He does go on but he gets super super anxious when going along. We have even tried with a full length bars front and back.

 

[View]

Just because the trailer is brand new doesn’t mean that it has been set up perfectly. Please get the tyre pressures, suspension, floor and ramp checked.

listen for rattles and other noises on the move.

is the flooring and covering different?

Is this trailer a different load/unload configuration to the previous trailer?

Any/all of these might be the issue.

 

[bonny]

Just because the trailer is brand new doesn’t mean that it has been set up perfectly. Please get the tyre pressures, suspension, floor and ramp checked.

listen for rattles and other noises on the move.

is the flooring and covering different?

Is this trailer a different load/unload configuration to the previous trailer?

Any/all of these might be the issue.

I wouldn’t risk it, the OP says her horse has got a huge dislike of her trailer, it’s not worth trying to get a genuinely scared horse to accept travelling in one. It’s too dangerous, there are a lot of horses who hate trailers but are fine in a lorry so that is the way forward for them.

 

[Tiddlypom]

What trailer is it?

 

[View]

I wouldn’t risk it, the OP says her horse has got a huge dislike of her trailer, it’s not worth trying to get a genuinely scared horse to accept travelling in one. It’s too dangerous, there are a lot of horses who hate trailers but are fine in a lorry so that is the way forward for them.

I take your point - but still worth working out if there has been a major change that has caused this.

It might be something to do with the trailer, it might be a physical issue for the horse.

without asking questions, simply trying a box may not resolve the problem.

How would OP feel if she sold on a trailer that she hadn’t checked and the trailer was then involved in an incident?

 

[Olivia.]

What trailer is it?

It’s a cheval liberte

 

[Goldenstar]

Get his hocks checked .

 

[Tiddlypom]

It’s a cheval liberte

Which model? Is it one with big windows along the sides? Some horses hate those.

If so, try covering them (old feed sack taped on, maybe) up next trip.

I agree about getting the hocks checked etc.