# Horsebox partition drama and a warning, please read...



## kerilli (22 June 2011)

When we'd finished at the show on Sunday I left Mr T tied up, as I have done literally thousands of times before, with extra room (partition at a bit of an extra angle as he was on there alone and is rather a big lad), back doors shut, and a haynet to keep him happy, while i scooted off to pick up rosette. A friend was in the horsebox living, and Mr T had been angelic all day. I always do this if the horse is on there alone, and then close the partition further when we're about to set off...
Well... suddenly he decided that as his nose fitted in the gap between the partition and the lockers, his body obviously would too... so he went for it. I got back 3 mins later to see the horsebox rocking ominously and find him totally stuck under the partition, which he had bent like so:





he'd also bent the bar on the wall that it fixes to, and the connection at the end, so it was stuck fast, and even lots of determined work with a hammer and pin, attempting to shove the bent pin out, would not move it...   
He had scraped his rug off and skinned his back like so:





and his back was visibly swelling around the partition as he stood there, totally jammed.

we got him out eventually, but he made a bit of a mess of himself and will be off games for a while, poor lad.

morals of the story: 
don't give them extra room in case they decide they need a lot more.
the partitions look really strong (1.25" box steel, good quality or so i thought) but horses can bend them with surprising ease.   
always have a tool kit on board so you don't have to yell "HELP!" and beg people to run and get a hammer etc. you never know when you might need it...

Big big thanks to everyone there who helped. He's on the mend now, and travelled home amazingly well, bless him.


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## VGM (22 June 2011)

i think if a horse is going to try and go under the partition they will do it however much room they have and im not being rude but your horse must be very silly ( read stupid ) to try and go under the partition with the gates closed as well as its not as if he can see daylight or other horses under the partition ! !


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## PorkChop (22 June 2011)

Crickey, must have been awful, poor chap 

I know lots of people who give their horses extra room in the same way as you describe - you just never know what can happen.

Hope he recovers quickly x


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## zizz (22 June 2011)

VGM said:



			i think if a horse is going to try and go under the partition they will do it however much room they have and im not being rude but your horse must be very silly ( read stupid ) to try and go under the partition with the gates closed as well as its not as if he can see daylight or other horses under the partition ! !
		
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are you for real? Don't worry everyone it only happened because kerilli's horse is stupid - ours are all much more clever!


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## bounce (22 June 2011)

Oh dear, hope he recovers quickly.

If they are going to try and escape from the box I don't think it matters how much room you give them.  My pony decided to follow me back off the lorry when I had just loaded him and I hadn't given him any additional room, he just ducked his head under the extending arm like yours and thought his body would follow, which most of it did until his rope stopped him.  Luckily he is only 14.2 but his withers are still higher than the bar so not sure how he managed to get them underneath.  He didn't panic and just waited for the partition to be lifted off. 

I'm now very cautious how tight I tie him but he hasn't tried it since.  I also put his haynet against the partition to make any gaps smaller or less inviting.


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## ihatework (22 June 2011)

zizz said:



			are you for real? Don't worry everyone it only happened because kerilli's horse is stupid - ours are all much more clever!
		
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Lets face it, most horses are stupid self-harmers given half the chance! It was pretty dim of the horse!!!

That said, never hurts to think about minimising their risk and I'm glad OP horse not badly hurt!


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## vam (22 June 2011)

Ouch! You do wonder what goes on in their head to make them think the way they do at times. I havnt got a tack locker in the horse area as i just see them as another way for a horse to get in trouble, that said they can find something out of nothing  

Glad he is on the mend and travelled well, it looks sore bless him, you prob already know but aloe vera is fab stuff for things like that.


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## dressagecrazy (22 June 2011)

Ouch, god they really do try there hardest to give us heart attacks!

Im ultra paranoid over partitions, my Tie rings are quite high so they can never get low enough to get under the partitions, but they can get through a small gap at the front over the partition. Haynets in the right place solve it.

You should see how i travel my Yearling, we use quite a few hay bales either side of the gaps in the partitions the bales block the gaps just makes sure she can't do anything stupid & come under. 
It's really frightning when you start to think of all the what if's.


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## kerilli (22 June 2011)

zizz said:



			are you for real? Don't worry everyone it only happened because kerilli's horse is stupid - ours are all much more clever!
		
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exactly! my point really was that if i hadn't given him extra room, he wouldn't have been at the right angle to make the attempt quite so determinedly... if they're sandwiched in they can't go for it in quite the same way.
must admit though i know two people whose horses have recently attempted to exit by the window, one of whom then flipped over backwards between the partitions instead, so if they're determined to self-harm, they'll find a way...
but, i won't leave the partition at an angle like that again, just in case, that's all. he isn't usually stupid at all fwiw, he's a very sane bean actually.


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## Woodykat (22 June 2011)

I had a bit of a drama with a partition last week whilst trying to load my horse for the local dr champs (flaming typical!)

The lorry is side loading, and so, of course, the partition was swung out ready for loading. Thing is, hes a swine to load, and likes to hide behind the partition thinking I can't make him get on from there.

I always load him in a be nice halter for extra persuasiveness, and I have no idea how, but he managed to get the halter completely trapped on the bolt at the bottom of the partition (that keeps it in place on the floor)

Natually he freaked, as his head was attached to the partition, but luckily we managed to get him to stand still - but the halter would NOT budge, and of course with that amount of immense pressure on his nose and poll, it's a wonder he stood it. We thought we were going to have to cut it off him.

Luckily friend managed to pull hard enough for me to get the halter off. He had however wacked his nose really hard whilst panicking and gave himself a huge nosebleed - it looked like someone had been murdered! 

There was blood all over the yard, all over him, all over us, all over the lorry (and the ramp has got a beige carpet )

It could have been so much worse though, he had a swollen nose for a few days, but that was all thank god! 
The lorry was worse off - he'd split the wood in the floor that the partition attached too, almost taking the partition with him, and the bolt is completely bent!


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## kerilli (22 June 2011)

cripes, that must have been terrifying. flipping horses, sometimes i wish i wasn't addicted.


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## horsevideo (22 June 2011)

Yikes - thank go he was OK (nasty scrapes though).  Why do they have a death wish??  Worse than bloody sheep.

Good reminder to keep a hammer etc in the box - only time similar has happened to me was at home where hubby could bash the bent pin back into shape .. . have had to beg duct tape for temporary window repairs before, now that lives in the box too (in a place I can actually find it . . )

Hope he heals up well kerilli.

A


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## nikkimariet (22 June 2011)

Silly horse, poor lorry! Hope he's alright and it doesn't cause and lorry related issues in the future.

Funnily enough, Bruce has done the exact same thing. Several years ago mind, in the 7.5t. Saw his nose poke unde the front of the partion, a minute later, followed by the rest of him up to his withers. Was horrible to witness but no lasting damage


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## Woodykat (22 June 2011)

Meant to say hope he heals quickly and well Kerilli, the video on your other post is fab!


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## Saratoga (22 June 2011)

One of the reasons I won't have a lorry with internal tack lockers, too many ways for a horse to self harm.

When my boy was a bit younger I took a horse off the lorry and left him on, and he tried to come under the front of the partition after said departed horse (with no tack lockers there's a bit more room). Luckily he got half way through, realised he couldn't fit and backed up before he panicked or got stuck. Made me realise how lucky I was though that day.

I still open the partition a bit more when he's resting to give him more room, but make sure he's tied up tight enough to get nowhere near the gap!


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## SpruceRI (22 June 2011)

In my wisdom I once decided to teach my 4yr old to reverse out of the trailer, when she was used to coming out of the front unload.

So I untied her inside the trailer and put the lead rope across her back so I could hold onto her as she came out the back.

Went round the back and put the trailer ramp down, whereupon she starting reversing, with the breach bar still up.

As she reversed, her bottom sunk a little, and being 14.2hh, even with the breach bar on the low setting, her bum went under the bar, and she kept coming backwards until the bar was wedged over her withers.

She went nuts.  I thought she was going to roll the trailer or kill herself.

Eventually, after much thrashing, the breach bar bent upwards, pulling the partition towards the wall, but giving her enough room to extricate herself forwards.

I was on my own at my rented field, which made it all the worse, no one to help.

I was traumatised for ages, but the pony was fine.


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## Rosiefan (22 June 2011)

Oh dear - how distressing for all concerned. I saw a horrible Houdini attempt from the Oakley Supersport parked next to us when we were showjumping last Sunday as described in my report and Frodo has been known to get a front leg up on top of the tack locker (external but it juts into the horses area) more than once. They don't seem to learn from their mistakes do they .
Good to hear Mr T is justa bit sore and no long term harm done .


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## Aoibhin (22 June 2011)

EEPS!  makes me glad the boy just lays down & goes to sleep, even he cant hurt himself once laying flat out (i hope!)

hope he recovers well.


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## Ranyhyn (22 June 2011)

What a skinning, poor laddy.  Hope the recovery is quick and uncomplicated K.


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## cronkmooar (22 June 2011)

Just thought I would ad with a story of another idiot horse!

My wagon has full length partitions but no tack locker so gap under the head guards is like a mini passageway.

I was at a show with two - one right at the back one in the middle.

When I took the one out that was in the middle the mare at the back was not best chuffed to be left so broke what she was tied to then proceeded to limbo under the head guards and walk out down the ramp.

This was not a pony it was a 15.3hh tb mare - how she was not injured or stuck and did not move the partitions to this day I don't know - and if I hadn't seen it I would not have believed it!

Just thought I would ad because its just as easy - probably more so in a box without lockers

OP hope your horse is fully recovered soon


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## NR99 (22 June 2011)

Hi K,
Poor boy, ouch!  Old boy tried to do this in our lorry. We don't have tack lockers so had to get additional struts fitted to reduce the gap below the partition.

Good idea about the tool box though, I'll put one on.


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## MissSBird (22 June 2011)

Ouch!

Thanks for the warning. Sensible idea about taking a tool box!

Hope he gets better soon!


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## MrsMozart (22 June 2011)

Yikes lass! What an end to the day 

Glad all is, um, comparatively okay. Hope he heals alright!


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## angelish (22 June 2011)

owch poor man 

i do this with my horse but always have him tied up quite short as i once took a friend and her pony to a show and he dived under the partition once ,no lockers in mine so he did fit and barged his way out unscathed ,
he didn't fit however the next time he tried it (no friend had not learned to tie it up properly  ) when he had his saddle on ,very scary as i was in the partition behind him with my horse and he ended up with his back legs in with me, his head out the other side and his middle still wedged in the middle  he eventually managed to bash his way though ,wrecking her saddle ,just as i'd come out of shock and was climbing the partition to undo girth


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## Festive_Felicitations (23 June 2011)

Glad to hear that he is on the mend!


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