advice on loading up

jordanross

jordanross

New Member
Jul 19, 2009
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Hi guys,

well i thought id ask for some pre advice on loading up a horse. I dont intend going anywhere yet but i have been thinking about it. so thought id find out the do's and dont's beforehand.

from what i understand the horse goes in forwards ( so horse is facing towards the front) and comes out of the side door yes?

how do you secure the horse in there though? Ive stood up in the back of a van before whilst it was traveling and know how hard it is to stay stood up straight going around corners etc! ( dont ask what i was doing stood up in the back of a moving van) LOL!!!

ive seen the strap that goes along the front, does that act as a seat belt so to speak? and do you have one for the back?

do any of you guys have pictures of a horse loaded up? to give me some idea...

Ive seen and heard many of you also talk about travel rugs? and travel boots? are these for traveling when in a trailor?

very basic i know but just want to be sure and safe when i do finally start traveling with daphi xxx
 
cant give you advice on the speed but youve basically got the rest right. the partion and box sides keep them standing plus their own balance(ive seen mine bracing themselves on the walls as they go round bends), plus learn to do safety knot for tying up. they go in from the rear , the breast bar(front) is up when she goes in and there should be a rear bar to that you put up once shes in, then unload fron the side door,
i dont rug or boot for short journeys,only long ones
 
It all depends on what you are travelling her in, I'm guessing you are thinking of a 'normal' type trailer like the ifor ones for example. So based on that, horse goes in from the back into one of the partitions (there are normally 2 spaces in these type trailors). There is a breast bar at the front that she should put her chest against and a breech bar at the back that goes behind her quarters (bottom). You would normally tie her up on a ring that is at the front just for security, not all people do, its a personal choice really but I do, you can cross tie as well which means a rope from either side of her headcollar attached to either side of the trailer, normally people would only do this if they are travelling their horse without a partition.

The partitions in the trailor help keep the horse in balance, they are quite close fitting and it may look like she is squashed but they are like that for a reason. Partitions are normally padded so if the horse bangs itself it shouldn't damage itself (hopefully).

I always travel with travel boots on, these protect the majority of the horses leg against bangs and knocks, you can get these from your local tack shop, not expensive but well worth the money for peace of mind. As for a rug, if its chilly or your horse gets stressed when travelling then a fleece or cooler is a good idea.

I always give a haynet tied up whilst travelling, gives them a distraction and helps them stay calm.

As for speed, I have a lorry and go no faster than 50mph on a dead straight road, on local roads I guess I do 25-30mph. The key to driving with a horse on board is to really think about your braking, I allow probably about 4 times more braking area when I have a horse in than I would do normally. Take it really slow into turns, bends and islands and you will be fine. Also, don't accelerate sharply as again that will throw her about.

Hope this helps, happy travelling :)
 
Assuming we are talking about a trailer - yes everything you have said is right. The horse if on their own should travel on the side in the middleof the road (drivers side).
Bandages or boots are preference according to horse and handler - I only use bandages but I know some of my horses prefer to travel with nothing. A cooler is a good idea in case the horse sweats a lot, to prevent them catching a chill.
As for securing, just tie a normal quick release knot to some bale string, quite loosely to allow horse to move head around to balance. Remember they have four legs, one at each corner, so are quite well balanced - better so than humans!

You can drive up to 60mph on a motorway, 50 on a single carridgeway. If you have the right tow vehicle and a good trailer and a steady traveller this is not a problem. But keep it slow if you are unsure or not expereienced towing, don't make sudden turns or sudden brakes.
 
With a trailer, they go up the back ramp and face forwards, when unloading you can either back out or come out the side ramp, depends really on wether she is likely to rush one way or the other.
You can put boots and rugs on, personally I go for bandages as less likely to slip, also a tail bandage as they will often lean their bum on the back door.
You have a breast bar - at the front, breach strap/bar - at the back, and normally a partition in the middle although this is not essential. Most horses can balance fine remember they have four legs not two.

As for speeds, the maximum legal you can do is 50mph so bear this in mind, 30-40 is often a good steady speed, however it totally depends on road conditions etc, slower is better really. You could practice with no horse and put a plastic jerry can full of water in back of trailor, go for a drive if you hear it clattering about as you go round corners your going far too fast or erratic, when you get back check it if it has moved all round the trailer you need to slow down.

Also check if you will need a trailer test or not, if you passed your driving test after 1997 you will need to take one.

Just think positive happy thoughts when it comes to loading up and you should be fine, practice leading her in and out before you drive any where just to guage her reaction if your a bit nervous.

Has she ever raced? If she has she'll be a pro and more than likely drag you on the box:p
 
If she is travelling alone, put her on the right to help balance the trailer against the camber of the road. If travelling two, put the heaviest horse on the right. Try and load against a fence or a wall if you can to help stop the horse going out the side door. Wear a hat and gloves if you can. Lead the horse in straight and give yourself a bit of a "run up". Use food to encourage her in if she is worried and give yourself lots of time! If they are good but a bit stubborn (ie, not afraid) walk with a schooling whip and give a tap for encouragement if needed. Never beat a non loader! oh, yes and finally - don't lose your cool!
 
i dont know what kind of trailer you have but ours is a huge one 7 place trailer but when i trailer my horse he always has somthing on his legs just not this time we were in a rush to get some hay as we had no more at the barn sowie aint the best pictures

his legs are always wrap like this on a trailer and a blanket

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half the pic cuz we only took 3 horses

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vhewat.jpg
 
That is more like a towable horsebox! Not the sort of thing we have in the UK. Whatdo you tow it with, out of interest?
 
disgruntled said:
If she is travelling alone, put her on the right to help balance the trailer against the camber of the road. If travelling two, put the heaviest horse on the right. Try and load against a fence or a wall if you can to help stop the horse going out the side door. Wear a hat and gloves if you can. Lead the horse in straight and give yourself a bit of a "run up". Use food to encourage her in if she is worried and give yourself lots of time! If they are good but a bit stubborn (ie, not afraid) walk with a schooling whip and give a tap for encouragement if needed. Never beat a non loader! oh, yes and finally - don't lose your cool!
Click to expand...

my horse is a non loader but he gets on when he has the chain but has gotton better the last time didint have one on :D
 
S_F_S said:
That is more like a towable horsebox! Not the sort of thing we have in the UK. Whatdo you tow it with, out of interest?
Click to expand...

im from canada quebec here are some pics

window side there is only 6 windows and at the end we can fit a pony

191ijc.jpg


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the back

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other side

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its huge
 
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:eek:good lord!!

generally you have a "breast bar" at the front of the trailor
ideally a partion down the middle when travelling two horses.
i'd just keep it in all the time unless the horse has an issue with it!

and one bar at the back, that locks onto the side of the trailor and partition
if your horse is like harvey for god sake wait till there settled in the trailor before doing the back bar up...he **** on my mums friends arm:eek::eek::eek::eek:

definitly boot/bandage her up & travel on the right hand side
i know harvey isnt on the right hand side here but we were just practising loading a friends horse (who was heavier)
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well thanks everyone i have everything covered from your helpful and good advice and pics! bad habit your pics display exactly how i expected her to be loaded in so thanks for those.

:)
 
Jordan if you are thinking of buying a trailer I would hire one to try first. There are loads of trailer hire companies out there and its cheap enough.

Practice towing the trailer without a horse in first, its easy when you are starting to cut in and go over kerbs etc and this isn't nice if you have a horse in.

It doesn't take long to get the feel and confidence when there is nothing in it.

Then practice loading, open both ramps and just walk her through. If that goes OK put the front breast bar up and just stop her in for a few minutes then walk on again. If you give her a treat when she's good she will enjoy this and think its a game. Continue like this until you have shut up the trailer ready to go, then unload again.

Trailer companies will explain how everything works for you if you ask

When driving dont accelerate or brake hard and take corners slowly. I dont like going over 50mph but a lot of people do on the motorways.

Make sure the towing vehicle is well up to the job and have the trailer serviced regularly.

Why not go along to local show or something and walk round the car park watching what other people do.

Oh and make sure you buy a trailer with plenty of room for her. Sorry to Laura and Harvery, I know they were only practicing, but the horse looks far too squashed and cramped in.
 
I travel Arnie with nothing on in the better weather. I only put a headcollar on and tie him if he has company. I also put travel boots on if he has company but otherwise he has bare legs.

I do like a cooler or a fleece on him to stop him catching a chill.

Arnie and Bianco in the trailer
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One thing I would say is take it really really slow till you get the hang of it. Trundling works:D
 
Lance quite likes being squished in - Lucy too prefers a tight fit and tends to fall over if she's not squqshed like a bug. Trial & error, depending on horse!

And don't forget to open the windows!
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Lance on the right - ponyfriend on the left
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You also need to practice the leg wraps - bandages or boots or what ever you use. The horse will need to get used to wearing them before you then try to put them on and load. They can feel kind of strange and can spook some horses.
 
I saw travel pads. in fact i saw this really cool matching set. its a quilted type rug with padding, and leg boots to match all for travel. does anybody use this sort of set up?


P.s sorry forgot name person who asked what kind of trailor. it,ll be an ifor williams trailor. the kind for two horses.
the one ive seen has an aluminium floor ( apparantley they used to use wood floors but they rot) so this is a better version ( I THINK!) it has a rear loading ramp with slip mats, and a side exit door. and a smaller door for me i think it said grooms door! LOL i wont be traveling in the back with her! I,ll be driving! LOL
 
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