|
Post by barbiegirl on Dec 15, 2014 21:10:47 GMT
What is the best quick release thing to use when tying a horse in a trailer? My pony isn't a great traveller and does sometimes lose her balance in trailer and has fallen down a couple of times. The first time she did it she put her poll out as what she was tied to didn't break when she went down. I've seen different items advertised but don't know which is the best thing to use... Ideally I want to use something that will release or break if she does go down in trailer, so hopefully she won't put her poll out again.
|
|
|
Post by judyh on Dec 16, 2014 7:26:25 GMT
Tie her up to a loop of string, would never tie a horse up anywhere to anything else.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Dec 16, 2014 7:51:01 GMT
Fair enough in the OP's situation, but it can cause a lot of problems if they learn that they can break a loop of string with ease and get loose. They are only really safe tied up if they are used to being held by the head - many aren't trained to do that and if for example spooked into pulling back they will then panic and hopefully something else will break before the horse's neck does. I train mine to give to pressure on the head using a thick bungy that will break but they have to try very hard to do it! It has only ever happened once. If using it for training foals I stay with them and push them forward into it if they pull back, thus teaching them that the way to relieve the pressure is to go into it and not panic and pull back more. It has a gradually increasing degree of pressure which is better than a sudden dead stop, and they learn not to be frightened of being held by the head, along with knowing they can't get away if they are, which also helps when leading. Mine may bounce about on the end of a rope, but they don't fight to get away, in their heads though know they can't, even though I know they're stronger than I am and could if they really tried!
There are trailer ties which should come apart if too much pressure is put on them, sorry I don't have any details though.
|
|
|
Post by judyh on Dec 16, 2014 8:00:28 GMT
I have had horses and ponies for over 50 years. Was taught this in racing when I was 16. Never had one fly back or need it! The ones I bred were tied up from foals, must have been lucky to have well mannered horses all my life.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Dec 16, 2014 8:44:09 GMT
Not mine, I train them as foals, but they will pull back to start with when tied up. They have to learn it's no big deal and they won't be hurt, but it's a natural reaction to being restrained. I have seen them panic and fight, including the fully grown mare who broke my bungy and should have known better (not my mare!), and heard of cases when they broke their necks doing so and fighting to get free. And one case where a spooked and panicking loose pony killed someone at a show too some years ago, not the pony's fault. But some people and methods of teaching to be tied up only really teach them to stand by something they're tied to in their eyes, and they never get pressure put on the head so panic when they do. I'm sure in racing they're far more practical and appreciate the need for them to stay tied up safely when they are!
A loose horse or pony, particularly in a public place, is a danger to itself and others, and breaking a loop of string is very very easily learned - one I bred, sold and bought back would do it the instant he was tied up, he knew very well he could.
As for the OP's problem - have you thought of addressing the root of the problem taking measures to make your pony into a good traveller instead of a bad one? If she has plenty of room for her to spread her legs to balance she shouldn't lose her balance unless she is driven REALLY badly, and I don't believe you do that! I was once told they stand on the legs on one side and spread those on the other side out, which was borne out by one I had who would only travel on the RHS of my trailer, which had a rubber curtain for the bottom part of the partition, enabling her to spread her NS legs under it. If I put her on the LHS she couldn't spread them and panicked. This one also needed a wider space in a lorry for her hind legs. Can you try yours without the partition in at all to give her more room?
|
|
|
Post by fanfarefan on Dec 16, 2014 12:33:14 GMT
my 12.hh in the beginning of his travelling education was not very good , fine at home tied up , no problem ,,,, but establishing his balance in the trailer took a while ,,,, we had two methods one was 2 pieces of baler twine ,,, one was a normal sized piece for tying up for travelling , and the other was longer , so that if he pulled back to sit on the tail bar , the first piece broke , but not the second , and he was still tied up , the second , was a piece of cord 2-3 feet long looped round the tie up ring , then the two end threaded through a martingale rein rubber , and a couple of big knots at the end , so whilst he was tied up , if he did suddenly pull back , it will pull the knots through the bungie ,,,, that said education at home , and carefull driving are key ,,, good luck
|
|
Pheobe
Junior Member
Posts: 104
|
Post by Pheobe on Dec 16, 2014 12:45:04 GMT
|
|
|
Post by comanchediva on Dec 16, 2014 17:04:21 GMT
We've used the quick release bungees ever since a yearling jumped over the breastbar and ended up facing backwards on the floor on the other side of the trailer to where he started and the baling string he was tied to didn't break.
We clip the lead rope type clip to their headcollar and the quick release end attaches to the tie ring on the horsebox wall. This way if we need to lead them a short distance with the bungee we can do as the proper clip is attached to the headcollar. All our ponies tie up well and have done since babies but the quick release bungee means if anything does go wrong they are free very quickly.
|
|
|
Post by barbiegirl on Dec 16, 2014 18:10:25 GMT
My pony is 5 and i've had her since a foal so she has been taught to tie up mannerly. The issue is not bad manners or pulling back, it's that she has problems balancing in a trailer. If there is a partition she will throw herself against it on the corners and on two occasions has had the partition down whilst travelling which caused her to fall down. She was tied to baling twine when she fell the first time but the twine didn't snap and she put her poll out and the second time she went down but got straight back up again. She now travels with a full width breast bar and no partition but seems unable to spread her legs to balance and just leans up the wall, then sometimes on a corner just slides down the wall and wants to lie on the floor. She is not a panicky pony and is not throwing herself around or pulling back, she just gently slides down the wall. It's not my driving or my trailer as she does this in every one of the three trailers we have at the yard and with anyone of the three 4x4's towing. I just don't want her to keep putting her poll out if she slides down the wall. I have a camera so if she was to slide down and a quick release mechanism came into play, I can just pull over in a safe place and re-attach her with limited damage to her head and neck.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Dec 16, 2014 19:07:35 GMT
We're all trying to help.
Have you tried travelling her backwards? Is there any need to tie her up at all?
|
|
|
Post by barbiegirl on Dec 16, 2014 20:26:39 GMT
Unfortunately I can't travel her backwards as there are no fixings for the breast bar at the back. Although this is something I have considered trying in the future. I'm frightened to travel her loose as she may slide down and get cast in the nose of the trailer (I have a large Rice that used to be a 3 horse trailer) or just lie on the floor and stay there. She never used to be this bad, it's got much worse since the partition fell and she fell over.
|
|
|
Post by fanfarefan on Dec 16, 2014 20:27:07 GMT
apart from rubber matting what do you have on the floor of the trailer ??
|
|
|
Post by barbiegirl on Dec 16, 2014 21:01:36 GMT
Ive tried putting some straw down and also a scattering of wood pellets, and also just the plain matting which has anti-slip grooves in it. Nothing seems to help. When in a partitioned Ifor she crunches up to the back and sits on the breach bar whilst leaning on the wall, then when we negotiate a corner she slams herself against the partition. She also gets her bum under the breach bar and has got it off before by breaking the fixings. Ive tried travelling with another horse in but am worried she will slam the partition and break it, then I will have two horses in the trailer with the partition falling to bits instead of just one. She has travelled with another horse on many occasions and it's been fine, it's just since recently that she has got worse and has started slamming the partition and sliding down the walls, so I daren't travel with another horse if she is going to do that. I've had the physio out and they can see no physical reason for this. I've spoken to my vet who can't shed any light and my instructor said that some just have balance issues and just give pony as much space as poss and crack on with it.
|
|
|
Post by comanchediva on Dec 16, 2014 21:04:47 GMT
After our yearling jumped the breast bar and fell over we travelled him backwards for a while. We always shut the top doors above the ramp so he couldn't try and climb out. We didn't put the breach bar on his side in case he reared and put his front feet on it but we put the breach bar on the opposite side to keep the partition stable. We also tied the front part of the partition away from him so he had loads of room for his back legs to spread. Luckily at the time his travelling companion and best mate was a section a yearling who didn't care what you did with him so we tied the partition behind his bum.
He travelled brilliantly like that for a full season and then we got a wagon and he never looked back. Not sure if you can try something like this with your girl?
The quick release bungees in Phoebes post above are what we use (not the stretchy ones). We travel all ours with these and find them much easier than messing with a lead rope and baling twine and the clip always comes apart if more than usual pressure is applied.
|
|
|
Post by fanfarefan on Dec 17, 2014 14:03:01 GMT
mmmm , i personally think that there could still be something physical wrong ,,, ie back, poll withers, pelvis , which is restricting her and not enabling her to spread her feet properly,,,,,, also will she stand in the trailer , with the front and the back open
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Dec 17, 2014 15:25:57 GMT
I agree, there must be some underlying cause for her behaviour.
If she scrunches up to the back in an Ifor and is normally in what used to be a 3 horse Rice I wonder if the balance of the trailer is upset? If it is it will snake which she won't like. There should be weight down on the hitch at all times, hopefully not much as most of it should be on the axles, but at the hitch the force should be down and not up. I had a horse once who sat on the breeching bar at the back which upset the balance and made the trailer snake, so she did it even more. I did sort her out, but by hanging an old tyre between her bum and the ramp, so moving her weight further forward. Tying her tighter didn't work as she just went back anyway and leaned on the rope.
|
|