# scramblers and trailering with company



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

My horse is a scrambler. He doesn't scramble bad, and only turning left (he is usually loaded on the right hand side, we drive on the left in Aus so it is the "correct" side). The only problem is, I can't trailer him without company, because I don't own a trailer.

He scrambles with or without company.

SO, tying the divider across is not an option. I don't know anybody with a slant load, he has to go straight. All I can do is try him on the left hand side (which he doesn't like loading on, but can be trained, I just need to chock up the float we're looking after), or give him his head and leave him untied.

He loads just fine, he unloads just fine, and he's perfectly relaxed. He just leans like no tomorrow and then loses his balance and scrambles.

Has anyone had success with curing scramblers, or else getting them to the point where they aren't ruining your trailer? He's only towed very carefully, crawling around corners, every opportunity to keep his feet. All I can think of is giving him his head, or trying him on the other side of the trailer.

Unless there's another solution someone has used that has been successful? And doesn't demand tying the divider across so he has access to both bays, because as I said that's not an option.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

blue eyed pony said:


> My horse is a scrambler. He doesn't scramble bad, and only turning left (he is usually loaded on the right hand side, we drive on the left in Aus so it is the "correct" side). The only problem is, I can't trailer him without company, because I don't own a trailer.
> 
> He scrambles with or without company.
> 
> ...


Does the trailer you use have the dividers all the way to the floor? If so sometimes this can be the cause.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Unfortunely the only solution I can offer is switch trailers to a stock trailer (unsung hero of solving trailering problems) or slant. I had a mare I hauled almost every weekend to some show or clinic, I had a stock trailer, she was fine, no problems whatsoever as any horse I have had using that old heavy thing, all dream loaders, haulers, etc. I "upgraded" to a straight load as I wanted a newer, lighter one with tack storage. While I loved it, my mare hated it, at first she was fine, then the scrambling, refusing to load & at the end she would get in & fall down to knees. She was not a big horse at all, no solid dividers, nothing was wrong except this horse could not tolerate being hauled straight. I sold the trailer to a friend, her horse liked it fine. Went back to a stock, mare was perfect again. A horse was brought to me for some training, took the owners hours to load her in their straight load, to bring her to my place. After this mare was in training with me for 3 weeks (owners wanted me to school her for a month before their began lessons on her) I decided to take her to a small schooling show, she loaded in my stock with minimal coaxing. Owners were at show, and watched her load for the trip home, she loaded like a pro. The next week they came to pick her up with their trailer, she wasn't having no part of that. I hauled her home with my stock. I told my clients to regard the trailer as a saddle not is fitting the horse, DON'T USE IT! Sure it's expensive to replace equipment & transportation for our horses but it's the route I recommend.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

But changing trailer is not an option because it's not my trailer.

No the divider is not floor length. The trailer he has been mostly trailered in is REALLY nice, big windows and light and airy. He will not load in a dark trailer, he plants his feet and flat out refuses. I don't think the trailer itself is a problem as he has been on 2 trailers belonging to friends and has scrambled on both (one was specifically designed to stop them scrambling and it didn't stop him).

Changing trailers is not an option, *I do not own one* so I catch lifts with friends and pray they're going to the same shows as I want to. I'm pretty sure it's actually illegal to trailer a horse in a stock trailer here in Aus, there's something in the animal rights legislation that says horses must be transported in vehicles specifically designed for them. A horse wouldn't fit in a sheep truck anyway and there aren't many cattle trucks that come up for sale.

If I ever have the money for my own trailer, it will be a slant load. I had a pony that hated slant loads, but otherwise I've never had a horse that disliked them.

I need solutions that don't involve changing the trailer itself. I don't have access to any options that involve making changes. So other than leaving him untied, and putting him in the other bay, what can I do?


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

Could be how your ride is driving the trailer, just because it feels smooth to you doesn't mean it is for your horse. If they are willing have them slow down more for corners to see if that helps. If he scrambles on stops ask them to release the brake just before coming to a full stop, that keeps trailers from jerking at the end of the stop. Are they not paying attention and occasionally drop the wheels off the road edge? Basically really pay attention to how the trailer is being hauled and see if you can diagnose what is causing your horse distress. Of course asking your friend to adjust their driving style can be a bit of a sticky situation if they are of the prickly disposition.

Another thing you can try is playing with lead line length. Some horse haul good on a really long lead, others do better with a short lead. 

With your trailer restrictions I can't think of anything else that might help.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

The lady who drives usually literally crawls around corners with him on board, and no he doesn't scramble on the stop. I specifically stated ONLY when turning left, did I not?

Some history on this horse might be necessary here. He USED to be brilliant. I know he has been trucked and trailered up and down the state (BIG state here, we are bigger than TX and AZ combined) in all sorts of different trucks and trailers and he has always been fine. I had him transported to me by a trucking company which had screwed me over before, because they were the only ones doing a run down my way any time soon after I decided to take him on a trial. I now will never ever use them again.

Something went wrong on that truck and he scrambled badly (and fell in the truck) between prior owner's property and the transport company depot. Same driver picked him up next morning and drove him 2.5-3hrs to my property and he scrambled "around every corner". Driver said he was crawling. Driver was running very very late and these guys get told off if they're behind schedule so I seriously doubt that.

It took me AGES to get Monty onto a trailer again. Two months of training is what it took to get him beyond the top of the ramp. He got a horrible fright on that truck and then had to get back on it and go through the same again, whatever it was.

So, it is NOT friend's driving. She is very careful not to upset him, because if he scrambles her trailer gets damaged and it is BEAUTIFUL and only a couple of years old.

The other friend he has trailered with IS a bit quick when hauling but he's only trailered with her once. I've been using friend #2's trailer to train my boy to load, but I don't really want her hauling him again because I now know he scrambles... it was with her that I discovered the problem hadn't gone away with the loading issue.

Friend #1 has been trailering horses for years, and never had a problem, including with a couple of so-called problem loaders... and her current mare is also a scrambler, but never scrambles on her trailer with her hauling it.

This horse, I just remembered, has been hauled untied, and scrambled that time. I have been tying him fairly long to give him his head but now I'm wondering if tying him short would be something to try... will have to give it a go, but I also have to try the other bay (I know people who have had success switching bays).

Occasionally I do have to haul alone, so next time I do I will have to try tying the divider across, or removing it completely... but we'll have to see because hauling alone is very expensive for me, I have to hire a towing car AND a trailer and the nearest trailer hire place is an hour away so there's gas there and back, and 2 hours of my time (meaning trailer would have to be picked up the night before rather than the morning of)... 2 or even 3 days' trailer hire, car hire. Expensive exercise!


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