Ok so we have a really nice show pony that has seriously been around the country. That said its obvious he's been on the trailer a LOT and to many new locations for shows. We've had him a few months. In the time we've had him we have hauled him a lot for lessons and riding practice at a local arena. He loads & unloads totally fine. At first I had a straight load trailer. He would rock back and forth which made it hard to haul. He also panicked if I tied him so he couldn't rock. So I bought a slant thinking it'd be better. At first it was fine. He couldn't rock around and tying wasn't an issue since he couldn't go anywhere. He would try to look over the divider out the back of the trailer. About a month ago we trailered him and another horse to a large show. He was in the front the other in the back stall. All was fine until we were a few miles from the show. He started kicking and bouncing around. I figured it was hot and stuffy and there was a lot of stop and go in that last bit so I didn't think much of it. On the way home he kicked and threw himself around so much he ended up with gashes on his hip bones. After that when I went to lessons I let him ride in the back stall thinking if he could see he'd be better. Again all seemed fine. We went to a show with another horse last weekend and I moved him to front stall. He picked a fight with the other horse almost immediately. Within a couple miles of leaving home he was having such a fit and fight we stopped and unloaded the other horse. The other horse was unharmed but seriously wound up from the experience. I turned around and drove him back home. He continued to kick and scream even after the other horse was removed. I got him out and noticed he had his hips broke open again. I didn't want to reward the behavior so I lunged him for a bit. A friend picked up the other horse for me and I hauled him in the back of the trailer without problem to the event. On the way home I put the other horse up front and him in the back. I had my friend follow to watch for problems. I could feel the trailer rocking around and she reported to me that he was not bothering the other horse but he is standing on his haunches (rearing) in the trailer. The rocking I was feeling was him bouncing up and down. He's just under 14HH. I'm really at a loss to know what to do here. I do not understand why he is jumping or rearing in the trailer while its moving. Much less how to stop it. If he feels too confined in the front stall that's fine I can keep him in the back. But the jumping I can't deal with. I'm afraid its going to cause a bad accident. Any one ever delt with anything like this?
Ear infection? Might be affecting his balance? How level is trailer? How well do you pull one?
Might be eye opening to get in trailer and be hauled, or let someone ride while you drive.
Trailer floor level? Trailer sound?
And if this seems to be related to him being too hot/stuffy then you need to deal with that, and also may be claustrophobic too?
Photo of trailer might help, if he isn't very tall, might be not getting any air movement? And was the sun on him when he was in the back? He may be one that can't take much heat too.
Honestly if he's new to you I would just call the seller and ask for advice. Maybe he's only been in a stock trailer or something?
It sounds like he's OK in back?
Maybe try a light sedative and just drive back and forth a few times and try to make it a good thing. That wouldn't be my first choice though. I'd really just ask what he was used to and how he was.
It is not unusual for a horse to start fighting a trailer or 'climbing' in a trailer if it has been thrown off balance by going around corners and curves too fast. I have seen many good horses ruined in this way. I have seen them start climbing so badly that they put large holes in one or both hips that went to the bone. these horses put their feet against a divider and push against their hips on the opposite side. They often start with just leaning or climbing and then get worse and start kicking, rearing, or even throwing themselves down to the floor. They end up doing anything they can to fight the trailer.
All started this bad habit after a 'rough ride' with a driver that took corners too fast or drove around curves too fast. I used to live in the mountains of Colorado, so I saw a lot of these horses. It is particularly bad when horses have to brace for a right curve and then immediately have to brace for a left one -- like they have to do in the mountains.
It is really difficult to fix this problem. If a trailer has dividers that go all the way to the floor, it sometimes helps to use short dividers so the horse can spread its feet apart. Some horses will also haul backwards better. By far, the most effective way to handle them is to use a stock trailer and no dividers at all. Even then, some will thrash around once they have started this.
Can he easily see the horse next to him? Some trailers have a solid partition at the head which upsets some horses. I bought a slant load like that & before I took it home I had bars installed.
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