Lack confidence when I am travelling horses!!

[ajb]

This must sound really pathetic but I really hate transporting my horse. I have a fab 4x4 plus a beautiful IW 510 trailer but I just hate doing it. I get more nervous about this than when I am actually on the horse! When I first started travelling horses I used to go and hide in the loo until my horse had been loaded by a friend!! Anybody got any tips? It doesn't help the fact that I have to load and go places solo (OH makes things even worse!!)

[giftgirl]

what do you actually get nervous about? Is it the loading, or the actual travelling itself?
i havnt really got anything to suggest, buthave youhad abad experience in the past that this fear stems from?
sorry i cant help more xx

[nic1]

Have you tried EFT . I don't know what it stands for i am afraid, but i have tried a little bit . Basically it is tapping certain points of your body in certain sequences to relieve anxiety/stress/fear etc. I was a bit sceptical because it sounds a bit mad, but i did a sequence 3 times for anxiety before riding for the dressage judge at my first dressage clinic. I get very tense and generally go blank or try too hard and just generally mess it all up. I was able to ride my test without fluffing it and sit all of Tawnys bucks in canter and still continue. Before that i would have lost it and got careering off across the middle of the arena before getting my head together again. I am sure if you google EFT it should come up, along with hypnosis and NLP.
I am going to a section of a nervous riders clinic on friday to see a EFT practitioner and see if i can solve some more of my anxieties about riding. You can always pm me and see how i get on, i am going this friday morning, it does cover all areas of life not just horses/riding etc.

Nic
x

[happyhacker]

Well if its the loading bit pratice, pratice, pratice, snap ive got my own trailer and 4x4 i got stuck while back for three days when out hacking at epping forest.

Its a daunting time travelling allow plenty of time no schedule horses dont see time as we do lol and its a big thing for a horse to go travelling we expect a lot really .

noisy ratling trailer a good tip i had is see a horse as a glass of milk the aim of the game is to get there without spilling a drop !

If your horse doesnt like travelling ask yourself why ?
step back look at things and see it from horse prospective hay nets should have big holes as possible easily munchable .

boots try and avoid the really stiff ones that make emm do the moon walk lol go for softer or bandage legs with gamjee and overeach boots is ok .

also poleguard if they sometimes rear is a most ive adapted mine with some pipe lagging on top .

also dont allways have to use a partition ive travelled molls with none just two brest bars and cross tied to yorkshire and she seemed quite happy they will stand at 45 degree angle to follow camber of road and balance quite well .

try some short trips locally to build up both your confidence and try not to let on your worried horses are extremely sensitive animals and pick up on things amzingly well
have fun
martin

[amarche]

hi ajb - just to say you're not alone - I dread having to take my horses anywhere and I don't really have any loading or travelling issues as such - just get really nervous about the whole idea!!

Maybe explain what part of the loading/driving bit gives you the worse fears -(break it down a little) and perhaps we can all offer snippets of advice to help?

[Casper]

amarche said:

Maybe explain what part of the loading/driving bit gives you the worse fears -(break it down a little) and perhaps we can all offer snippets of advice to help?

Hi ajb, we can help each other here I am sure! I am the complete opposite to you - happy to load and travel the neddies anywhere, but get to be a nervous ninny when I get somewhere different to ride!

As Amarche says, what worries you the most about travelling them? Is it the loading, the worry about meeting an idiot driver on the road, not being able to reverse the trailer or what?

Do you enjoy flying or travelling to go on holiday? If you do, try to see this as part of the great horsey day out experience and remember it is a fine line between nerves and excitement. So instead of worrying about the loading, how about thinking "wow, we're going on the trailer and out to have SUCH a fabulous time today, aren't we lucky". xx

[wozzer]

Are you suffering from the "what ifs"

Is it that you don't like travelling your horses, because what if so and so happened, and you start to wind yourself up?

If this is the case, I think another thread had the answer (sorry can't remember who said it), but when you get that little voice in your head saying what if, you reply to it: well, if that does happen, I will manage it. I have done everything to make sure I can be as safe as possible, and if something happens, then we will deal with it at the time.

Hope I am not completely off track here ;D

[jill]

I sympathise - I used to trailer horses all over the place, on my own, without a care in the world, but I think it was having a bad loader that knocked my confidence - sort of what if something happens to upset him/I have to unload him and can't get him back in/the car breaks down.........the older you get the more you realise all the things that can go wrong. I try and have a friend with me if at all possible - then not only do I have the help I might need, but I also put up the "capable" front. Maybe that's the answer - pretend to be capable and you will be.

[Sarah Dent]

Hi Everyone

This is so much more common than you think and I've had quite a few call outs from people with this problem. It usually originates from a bad experience with a less than perfect loader / traveller. I have been known to just give people a "driving lesson" with the trailer and NO HORSE as some ladies have had bad experiences with partners loosing their temper. I am by no means a qualified driving / towing instructor, but just have lots of towing miles under my belt and plenty of not so great experiences which I've had to find a way of working out, plus IH style teaching patience to burn! You are not alone girls (and boys!) There is lots of good advice posted above. Break it down and work on the thing that is most worrying. Become an "expert" on how your equipment works, and if its not working perfectly - get it fixed! i.e. if your jockey wheel is too stiff to turn with one hand whilst you open the hitch with the other....get it sorted. Its all the little things that count. Make sure you join a "trailer /horsebox recovery" type organisation so you always have piece of mind in a breakdown situation. If anyone wants to PM me on this subject, please feel free.

Sarah

[amarche]

thanks Sarah! I sooooo know the partner losing temper experience - mainly regarding my appalling reversing.....probably quite justified thinking about it...lol!

[KoLaTo]

I'm absolutely fine until i have to go downhill ! I've not had my box that long and have had to have a new brake cylinder fitted just recently as one side was stuck off which made braking interesting to say the least - when i wanted to turn right, i just braked slightly and hey presto, the wheels turned for me ! Needless to say, i didn't travel the ponies until i had it fixed.

But because of that and because i drove it empty for a while to get used to the size, i now have a downhill issue with it and so far have managed to just about top 15 mile an hour loaded and downhill!

Agree with above, practice, practice and then practice some more. Thats helping me, just taking the box out empty again and again and again, i now feel comfortable empty and loaded going straight and level and uphill, the downhill will come with plenty of practice over the next couple months.

I had a trailer for many many years and the principles are the same, take corners slowly, brake gently and try to offer the smoothest ride as possible, get to know the routes around you to avoid speed bumps, potholes etc and the biggest thing i always do is drive out in my car to where ever i am supposed to be taking the ponies to check out the routes......

[ajb]

Hi, thanks for all that!! I think there are several issues involved here! Firstly the "what if" syndrome - what if the horse falls over in the trailer, what if I break down, what if the wheel falls off etc etc. Touching wood very quickly my boy is a pretty good loader so its not that but my previous horse was a b**ch to load and when travelling used to swayabout, pawing and neighing her head off. Also I am useless at reversing! So all in all quite a few problems to sort out. I was alot better when we had a lorry but lorries are so expensive to buy, maintain and keep on the road and so for economic sense I now have a 2 year old Shogun and a relatively new Ifor Williams 510 trailer. To keep a lorry on the road I feel you really need to be using it at least every other week and so for a happy hacker that is just not feasible!!

[kalasadi]

Firstly get breakdown recovery with ESS (equestrian support services)-they have a great trailer package and you will be taken care of, trailer and shogun towed home and the horse and you willbe picked up by a horse transporter. So you are covered in the event of a breakdown. For tyres they will send a mobile tyre fitter out and then change your tyre and you can continue on your way.

Next I would sign yourself up to a trailer towing course-although you don't need to take the test you said you are worried about reversing. They will help you overcome any worries.

Next get cctv for your trailer-trailer vision is wireless and really good. You can see how your horse is travelling. If you google the name 'trailer vision' you will come up with the company.

Next have a transport box ready-passport, hi viz jacket, ICE numbers (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY,vets, farriers, local transporter, friends etc) carry that about, torch, emergency chocolate, breakdown recovery membership card, 2 flashing bike lights (to stick on the back of your trailer should you breakdown in the dark) human first aid and horsey first aid. This should all fit quite easily into one of those pilots cases (£20)

So that's all sorted! Now you can enjoy taking your horse out!

[ajb]

Hi, nervous nellie with her shogun and trailer again!! Have organised with a friend to come and help me on Tuesday with hitching up said trailer and practicing reversing - I keep thinking if other women can do it - so can I! Will keep you posted!! Alison

[Kim with Rio]

Hi ajb

Not much to add, as so much good advice above. I used to get really nervous when I first started towing - much better and happier about it now though. I'd recommend doing a trailer towing course for sure and plenty of practise towing your trailer empty, without neddie loaded, with someone sitting beside you for moral support. My partner did this for me, he isn't horsey and doesn't drive, but just having him there made all the difference!

Kalasadi - any tips for CCTV systems for a trailer?

Thanks.

K