We are moving about 3 hours from where we live now. My mare loads in the trailer fine. She rides horribly, though, especially alone. She hated my slant load so i bought a straight load. Not really any better and it’s gotten to the point that the last time i took her to the vet (an hour away), she was double kicking the back doors toward the end (I have a camera in there and was horrified by her behavior). I am guessing it’s a claustrophobic reaction. Anyway, i will consult her vet to see what he suggests, but would love to hear from anyone that has had a similar experience and any thoughts on how to most safely relocate her and not totally stress her out in the process. Thanks in advance.
You can try taking the divider out and letting her ride in the box stall. You can try sedation.
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Do you keep a hay net in there for her?
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Moving is just so stressful for everybody. I would be seriously considering better living through chemistry in order to get this done. Talk to the vet about sedating her, and then you can work on the trailering issues once you are all settled on the other side.
(I asked a similar question before we drove 8 hours to get my 3yo and also talked to my vet, and the consensus was to use Ace if needed.)
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Second the suggestion to try her in a box. I had a horse once who was fine in a straight load until, one day, he wasn’t. He would only haul in a box from that point on.
Some horses also prefer to haul facing backwards.
Alternatively, you could just ship her professionally. A Brook Ledge air ride van makes a lot of horses happier. I would still haul in a box, in that case. If you decide to go that route, make sure they’re sending a horse box or van, rather than one of their regular shuttles.
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Take the divider out , get her in and just get her to your new destination. With a bigger area she may not feel so claustrophobic. How is your driving? Some calming substance may be beneficial as long as it doesn’t keep her from being able to balance.
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I had a horse that trailered the same way–kicking non stop. He was perfectly happy to haul loose in a box stall.
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My horses have trailered fine in a straight or slant load once they get going.
That said, my last two horses were perfectly fine to haul loose in a box-type stall. My current gelding usually is loose in a straight or slant load, but he prefers to turn around in a box stall and ride backwards once going. I know this because I don’t own a trailer and have followed and watched this horse.
Alternatively, you can start now by taking her on a series of short rides. Ten minutes, 15, 20, 30 until your horse became comfortable. I’d suggest loading a hay net with regular hay plus good alfalfa. Horses like alfalfa, and your horse could associate trailering with a treat. Plus, alfalfa is high in Calcium and other positive cations that can neutralize stress-related stomach acid.
No matter what route you decide to take, addressing your horse’s difficulty when trailering can only be to yours and hers benefit.
Good luck!
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Thank you all for the great suggestions and advice!! Much appreciated! Yes, i keep a hay bag in there for her and she sometimes eats it and other times just tosses it around. I have only been trailering horses a couple of years and not all that often. I am careful and slow, easy to start and stop. Had my trainer drive a couple of times to see if it was me, but she was the same way. I know the girl who owned her most of her life and she said she always preferred the straight load and was never hauled alone. I can see if the divider comes out and i will definitely give the vet a call. Thanks again!!
Another vote for removing the divider to haul in a box, and/or sedation.
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Slight tangent question for the people advocating hauling loose- is there a time limit to how long you would trailer loose? Like anything under 1 hour but over an hour you would tie? I ask because I always thought horses liked to use the divider and bars etc to help balance them on long drives…
Sorry to hijack OP! Hope you don’t mind but seemed like a relevant question
We hauled across the country loose. Box stall style is much better for long hauls (IMO) so the horse can move, adjust, drop their head down, etc. I haul short distances with a divider because I feel like it’s a life skill they should be able to do, but if they just can’t and you have the choice/ability, then save the trailer and haul them loose.
ETA: City driving: I can understand the want for a divider to help them balance. I haul a lot in the city - lots of starting/stopping, turning, etc. But for long, straight highway miles, I would box stall if I could. So, to answer your original question, I would say it’s the opposite. Longer hauls(6+ hours), ship loose. Shorter hauls (0-5 hours), I use their designed slots.
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God no. It’s so much more comfortable for them to haul loose. The longer the haul, the better off they are in a box.
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A horse liking it better with dividers to lean on or loose is very horse specific. No set in stone rules on this. If the horse likes loose then loose in a box stall situation is probably fine for long and short distances.
We shipped my young horse from FL to NY this winter. It ended up being close to a 30 hour haul. So glad I opted for a box stall for that trip. It gives them so much more flexibility to choose where and how they position themselves to stay comfortable. Also, being able to lower their heads at will reduces the risk of shipping fever compared to being in a tie stall with head restrained.
Thanks all! I always chose a box stall in an air ride when I shipped my horses long distances but haven’t done a box stall since getting my own 2H BP mid pandemic. Good to know that’s an option for longer trips- I’ll try it out for smaller ones and see how she goes. We are near a big city so it may be best to pick and choose which trips to try it on based on how much traffic we’ll need to get thru
