[minibn]

Hi,

I have recently purchased a Dartmoor hill pony. She is currently still out on Dartmoor and will be brought in during the hill pony drive at the beginning on October. She is a wild pony and although she will have had a week of handling by the time I collect her, she will still be pretty feral.

I was planning on collecting her in my Ifor williams 510 trailer. The size of the trailer is fab for my big 16.2 warmblood, although my little pony will be tiny in it. I was planning on travelling her loose, seeing she will most likely not be used to tying up. It will be quite a long journey (about 3 hours). I am worried about traveling her loose as do I remove the partition completely? I have a full width breast bar, although, it's to high to actually do anything. I am worried about travelling her in a completely empty trailer. Can you get a adapter bit to make the breast bar lower, does such a thing exist?

I want to make it as stress free as possible, but want to do it safely. I had thought about hiring a horse box instead or having a transport company deliver her, although this works out pretty expensive.

Any suggestions welcomed.

Thanks for reading.

Emily

[Buttermilk]

I would use a wagon if she were mine.  She would get a better ride without the risk of her trying to jump out before you get the ramp down.  Travelling loose is better than tying up as she will not be fighting the restraint as well.

[Sbom]

I'd loose travel her and just drive really steady

[harmony]

How old is she?


Lots of bedding and yes empty trailer of partitions and breast bar.

[sabrina]

Travel lose with the breast bar  and partition out. Plenty of bedding and she should be fine. Before taking her out I would go in the side door and put a headcaller on so you can hold her while the ramp is coming down.

[minibn]

Thank you for all you advice. She is still very young, she will just been weened.

I will make sure i put in lots of bedding. I plan on taking plenty of water and giving her a haynet.

It should take about 3 hours to get home, hopefully providing traffic isn't to bad.

Would you travel her with the back top doors shut to? I was wondering if she would get to hot. I travel with one back door shut with my horse, if we will be travelling on a motorway, just as he is not a fan of the lorries to close behind.

Thank you

Emily ?

[Buttermilk]

Now I would not with hold water before travel and I would put hay in a pile on the trailer floor so she can nibble, no net to get caught up in.  You do not want her stressed by thirst, 6 hours of no fluid is a long time for a foal.  I would not put water in for the journey and I doubt she will gorge on water once arrived at her destination.

If you try to enter through the jockey door be very aware she could see it opening and dive out through it, been there and done that!  Yes do close both top doors. 

Be aware with your towing that if she does stand in the nose of the trailer she will in all probability give you too much down weight on the drawbar making the trailer handle differently and lightening the front wheels of the car on the road.

[harmony]

Definitely no haynet and probably a waste of time putting it on floor. She can nibble straw if she wants.


She doesn't need water whilst she's travelling. I wouldn't worry about removing water before hand. If she is inside and has water ad lib she isn't likely to have taken a long drink anyway.


I would be aware she might rush the ramp when you put it down but in my experience she is more likely to stand at the front and be in no rush to come out.


I wouldn't put a halter on her in the trailer if she isn't used to it. Leave that for a later lesson.


Once she is in the trailer get going.


Don't worry about it. Take someone with you. Be calm and don't rush. Main thing is lots of bedding.