horrible trailer incident

[Horsegal014]

Just recently I took my mare off property to ride. A month or so before our scheduled ride we practiced loading her (which she did just beautifully) but as soon as we started moving she went bezerk. Rearing, kicking, lunging (as much as she could being in such a small space), doing whatever she could to get out. We only drove for about 5-10 minutes before stopping. She would calm down as long as we were moving, once we hit a stop sign though she had no intention of staying in the box. So on the morning of our ride I wrapped her up good and put on her head bumper, she loaded ok, and we hit the road. I watched her from the backseat the entire time and all seemed wonderful. But after 10 minutes I couldnt see her head. For the next 25 minutes she never put her head up. At the place I got out to unload her, opened the side door and she had her head between her knees shaking. Her nose was bleeding and she was a sweaty mess. She was great the entire time we rode, and the dear thing got right back on the trailer. But again, the whole ride home she stuck her head between her knees starting her nose to bleeding again. Everyone told me just to keep trailering her and she will get more comfortable with it. She had hay and a few peppermint treats on the shelf in front of her but she couldnt have cared less! I'm in confusion on what to do. She loved being off property but I feel just awful putting her through the trailering again. She doesnt tie (bad experiences before I got her, we're working on those now) so I would love to know what you guys think of our dilemma. Thanks so much (and sorry this is so long! :o )

[Nikita88]

im not an expert at this, and i dont want to tell you the wrong thing. I have a mare too, she does fine in the trailer, but she gets a little nervous (she doesnt do what yours does but you can tell she is nervous) Maybe if you trailerd her and do what you have been doing, when your done give her plenty of treats so she knows she a good girl. it might also help if you put another horse in their sometimes that is very very calm!!! Nikita does great when there is another hores in the trailer with her....but im not an expert at that, but its just a suggestion. Sorry :( i wish i could help more.

[Horsegal014]

Thanks for replying. She was being trailered with another horse, one of her good friends actually! The other horse was simply fine! Looking around and eating his hay. But she couldnt have cared less about the food or him! I was thinking of maybe taking very very short rides and slowly build up, like just down the driveway (quite a ways) and back for a start, but as soon as we start moving she panics! I'm clueless....:(

[hellcat]

i have a similar problem with my monty. unfortunatly, we have trouble getting him into the trailer in the first place! he gets really worked up in the trailer, and whenever we stop, he starts thrashing about - i think it scares the drivers behind when the trailer starts rocking from side to side! (makes them back off abit though!) when we get to our destination, hes dripping with sweat.

not sure about the nose-bleeding, but theres a few things to try that could help settle her in the trailer.

a herbal calmer. doesnt make them drowsy, just relaxes them, still safe to ride them with aswell. ( i recommend the equine america so-kalm)

a radio! see if you can attach a small battery powered radio in the trailer. something like classic fm - nice soothing music (well, it sends me to sleep anyway!!)

travel with a companion - can help to calm your horse i ftheres another horse which it knows, and is also a good traveller.

go on lots of small journeys. even if you just drive for 5 minutes round the block then go home again, this will hopefully show her that there no bad experiences to associate with travelling, and on short journies shouldnt give her a chance to get herself worked up.

cant think of any others at the moment, will add them later if any more spring to mind.

anyway, i have to go through all this again tomorrow, taking monty back to the vets for shoeing again!

[Waikato Valuta]

My horses did that when we first started to trailer him. He would freak. We kept trailering him and now he is an angel. Could you try covering up the windows so he can’t see out as I found my horse a lot more comfortable when he could not see the ground going past? And putting his head down may be him trying to cope by not looking.

My horse was literally dripping with sweat he also got a blood nose and some scrapes for the first few times (about 5 times) then he suddenly got over it. He now floats and loads like a dream.

So my personal opinion would be just ignore it as long as he is not damaging himself to much and keep floating.