just throwin' out an idea here, what if ya went with an 8' wide wagon with mangers, so that he/she doesn't really have room to throw that front leg out in front of him/her.  Maybee attach a heavy 1/2 or 3/4 inch rubber mat to the manger in that or all the stalls.  Depending on the steeds size maybee all they'll do is hit thier knees on the manger when they go to pawin'.  Just throwin out ideas here, Reg had good advise on figurin' out why your partner's pawing, BUT, we all know that is easier said than done!  I'd be scared of the hobbles myself, have ya ever tried trainin' rings, also called kickin' rings?  Take yourself a chunk of 5/8" steel rod, may have to go to your local Blacksmith for this next part... measure your partners leg just under the ankle and have the smithy fashion a "bracelet" if you will for your horse.  There will be a "gap" towards the back of this bracelet with rounded edges (for safety) The idea is that when this "bracelet" is carefully put on it then rests down on the coronary band (front or hind legs)  when the horse kicks, or paws the "bracelet" slams down on the coronary band causing discomfort, in essence letting the horse teach himself that is is uncomfortable to do so.  They can be used in trailers, stalls, at hitchin' racks, etc. etc.   I personally wouldn't turn one out with a set on, but that's just me.  Hope this all makes sence, if not e-mail me and I'll try to explain better with some "custom illustration".lol

  Talk to y'all later...

                          M.J.

I smiled when I read your post.  I learned a long time ago that there are many good horses out there, but our attachments to them don't always make it easy.

I went to a Clint Anderson Clinic and met this old horse trainer, 87 years old.  I have a stallion that is a dream to ride and behaves like a gentleman.  But when in the stall if you walk by with a gelding or a mare he goes nuts.

In my world this is not acceptable.  I show my Stallion and offer breedings.  The last thing someone interested in breeding to a stallion wants is genes from a "nutso" stallion.  The trainer loaned me an electric collar made for horses. 

Here is how it works.  I have a remote so we would walk a gelding by the stall and the minute he started we pushed the button, he got a shock.  He was never able to associate the shock with us, only his behavior.  It took 3 hours with a total of 4 days.  I returned the collar, bought myself one.

Good luck

Try trailering in a straight load. Not all horses prefer a slant. Heck not all horses fit in slants.

Trailette and Hawk have a two horse straight, with one slant stall that is pretty cool if you want the extra space in the dressing area that a slant load provides and three stalls instead of just two. You can also walk them straight out the front door too if you like. A bit pricey, but pretty cool. Not in my near future. But I can look right? LOL

I agree with one of the other responses here...a crop, hobbles, ets aren't the answer, nor are tapping the brakes which could actually make it worse!  Horses are prey animals, so naturally being (in their mind) locked in a cramped, noisely and bumpy horse eating cave is not always the treat we all like to think it is.  In my experience, horses that paw, kick, whinny excessively, fall down around corners, etc are suffering from two things...one the trailer is too small and they are qwastroprobic (can't spell I apoligize) or the horse/driver is bothering them.  The second one is simpler, there is or sometimes is not a horse next to them to comfort in the horse eating cave.  Some horses are buddy sour in trailers similiar to that on rides.  Sometimes the other horse bothers them.  This scenerio is trial and error.  To me, I wonder if it isn't so much this as the actual trailer.  The first possiblity actually has more hope attached to it.  The trailer that he is in is too small and it makes him nervous.  If he's at a trainer's this could be hurting too because he made buddies with someone there.  Slants are notorious for causing fatique and being cramped  (not to mention less than safe for you and your horse...two words: escape door? not mention what if your in a wreck or have to get to the middle horse with a full load, you have to unload the other horses to get to them, sure you can see their heads in a slant, but when have you known in horse issues to simiply need to pet their forehead?  there are good slants, but they are usually very large and have a special full size escape door for EACH horse) If your horse is larger, this could be a contributing factor.  Slants can only go so wide and so long.  Tall is neither here nor there as most everything is tall now.  Straights are a different story.  A horse can look around (provided he is tied correctly so he can't turn around, but can freely let his head down and look around) shift body weight easily, doesn't get his head slammed in a wall when you go around turns, can sprawl their feet for balance, are assisted by the front and rear padding during acceleration and braking, etc.  Also, many straight loads have ramps for easier loading/unloading (not the tenitive drop and possible slip UNDERNEATH the step down trailers getting caught) and most importantly ESCAPE DOORS, sometimes several of them.  Many are even full size now too.  The pawing issue is important, but so is safety for you and your horses.  I have wonderfully mannered boys that I trust mroe than I'll ever trust a human, but I'm also not stupid.  Bees love trailers, horses are unpredictable, they slip or get excited, and accidents happen.  I had a perfectly capable and professional friend crushed to death in a trailer with no escape doors because her horse of 12 years was stung by a bee and she couldn't get out of his way.  Granted her fault was she was alone too.  Windows could help your horse as well.  Air is a plus (shipping fever bad, windows good) as is the reduction of heat in the trailer since it appears that you live in FL (try to look for fiberglass roof too, they don't conduct heat)! They look nice too which never hurts.  The key here is to try a BIGGER trailer.  Even if your horse is 15.2 and on the thin side, pretend he is the fattest draft you have ever seen, and shop that way.  3 feet wide in the stalls is nice, enough room to move and not feel squeezed in, but offers support on turns.  7+ feet tall so there is room to move his head, air flow, heat reduction, and it makes the trailer seem bigger (walk into a 6 1/2 ft and a 7 1/2+ and feel the odd difference it makes.  The stalls at LEAST 7 ft long is good too again for the bigger feeling, and allowing the horse to sway and adjust.
   I do find it strange that you mention that 2h are harder to find...they are by far the most common horse trailer I've ever known.  Due to their abundance, they are cheaper too.  Slants are almost always more expensive, unless you're talking an open stock, different story there.  The reasoning behind a slant is the most horses in the smallest space possible so the truck doesn't have to be upgraded.  Well, they now have three horse straights, or older trailers ( I had one like the following one) can have a two horse straight front end with a cattle door behind, and then an open stall for two more horses to go straight, slant, or just stuff.  The one I had was an old valley, two escape doors, and a dressing room to boot. That is if you need the extra room that a 3h provides for an expanding herd, without going the slant direction persay to take the stress off the pawer.

  Try a bigger trailer, either straight or slant, go easier around corners, lay off the brakes, and praise him for even a moment of standing still.  Try just putting him in the trailer and standing (in a bigger trailer that is).  But close him in like it is a ride.  Praise when he's good, avoid him when he's not and repeat until he calms down, and then let him out.  Repeat.  Several times in a day if necessary.  I run a hauling business and this has never failed me with my routine clients horses, even the nasty studs with mares in season.  There is no reason why they can behave in the open, shows, trails, and so forth and then loose it in the trailer.  Time and more training.  (And have fun shopping...  ;-p)

ps-try NC, for some reason I find all my best trailer deals there from a simple two horse that I've had for 6 years that I got for $600 to my brand new rig two horse straight goosey, dressing room, extra extra tall, wide and long for $3500 and I live in PA!  usedtrailer.com, ebay.com, tacktrader.com, and this lovely site are all good places to look.  Some nice brands to look at for safety and long lasting power are Kingston (my absolute favorite, the $600 one I bought is a 71 that looks and acts better than most new ones, and my newest one is also a Kingston..87 and everyone thought is was hot off the press!) Merhow, Sundowner, Hart, Valley, Starlite, Hawk, Trailet,  and Equispirit are all really nice trailers of various price ranges that are VERY safe for all involved and are almost always bigger for less money.  Custom orders are easy too.  Sundowner is the only horse trailer comp that I know that will add escape doors for every horse in a slant trailer, even if you weren't the original buyer.  All these trailers also hold up to beatings EXTREMELY well, (my 71 kingston for ex) and are easy and safe to by in older used versions, just checking for the standard wear and tear areas, tires, floor, frame, brakes, wires, lights.  Kingston are the only ones that I know of that also undercoat the trailers.  Anyways, I've rambled forever, hope it was a help...if you have questions please write back and I'll try to help...Have an absolute blast shopping for your trailer!

Megan

Sounds like astraight will work for your horse type.  I'd say no to mangers so that he won't have a wall to "tap" with his feet.

Try putting a plastic mirror on the front wall facing him but off to one side so that he can see his reflection.  I had one horse I hauled over 250,000 miles and this worked for him and he was very TB minded.  If he thought he was in the trailer with others he wasn't nervous!

ANother random question, do you use shipping boots or wraps?  If not try them and go up over the knee, this will make it harder to paw.

Actually the trailers I mentioned are gooseneck models. And I know there's a Hawk or Trailette dealer in Florida, because I've seen them on eBay. Which is also why I can't remember which one they sell. Though I think they usually have one of the bumper pulls on eBay, I'm sure they can order what you want.

OK, I don't work for them, so keep shopping around, that's just what I'd be looking for if I could justify a new trailer right now.

I figured out early on as a child that you need to listen to your horse...I finally bought the new trailer and never looked back!  Turns out he just needed a better ride and a ramp!

Nearly all of my clients (ex-trainer) bought new trailers once they were with me and the horses changed for the better!  Seems kinda crazy but the show records don't lie!

I still laugh even at "horse people" when they say you can train a horse to ride in any trailer...really?  Makes you wonder why there are so many types out there!

Do what you feel is right for you...horses are like kids

I didn't have time to read the other posts, so maybe someone already knows about this.  It's a surefire cure.  Have your shoer take a piece of bar stock and cut and bend it to fit like a cuff on your horse's ankle.  He should leave a space so you can slip it on from the side, but it won't come off.  I guarantee your horse will stop pawing, and as a side benefit, it'll increase the circulation to the hooves, and they'll be in better condition than they ever have.  Put them on in situations when he paws, and remove them at other times.  Works on the back feet too, or as a cure for brittle, shelly feet that are hard to hold a nail.

Edited to say they should not be tight...the point is to have them loose enough to bang around on the ankle.

Just FYI.  Sometimes the trailer is not the problem nor is the training or discomfort of the horse in the trailer.  I have a highly trained, well minded gelding that paws just for the fun of it.  Aside from this , he is the most obediant, well mannered I have ever had and I have been graced with some great ones.  I have no patience for anything else!!!!!  He Doesnt do it alot nor really aggressively, but has done it for years with no discomfort noted, no specific time, vet checked normal in all aspects, it just seems like he is playing.  Will paw at the ground then spring away and run, like its a game.  He does seem to do it more when he is bored with nothing to do, like being tied at a fence.  But even giving him hay to eat and stuff to play with most times doesnt stop it.  I refer to it like a HYPERACTIVE kid that just cant stay still!!!!!!!  Guy that raised him said that he was fidgity ever since day one, just cant stay still unless he is asleep, dog tired or waiting to go into the arena.  If he is awake, he is moving!!!!!!  Maybe slght ADD!!!!!!!  Ha, Ha, Ha!!!!!

As to the original question, buy a trailer with space in the front so instead of kicking mats and the side of the trailer, he is kicking just air!!!!  Head to heads with chest bars, stock trailers, and some inline trailers are designed like this.  You can also get any trailer, take the partitions out and put crossties to attach him to.  Hence, putting the crossties at the correct distance from front will give him nothing to paw at also.

If that is not an option, hang a rubber mat directly at his chest where when he loads, his chest is up against the mat.  When he kicks he will hit mat first and deflect blow to trailer sides.  This mat hangs with chains attached to snaps at the top corners and attached to the partions with tie rings or something similar.

Both of these methods I have seen work in the past.