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ALMOST EVERY HORSE OWNER must at some time transport a horse to a show, to a trail ride, to a veterinarian, to be bred, or to a new home. If a horse is not easy to load, the frustrated horseman may resort to force. Rather than attempting to pull the horse into the trailer or making it so uncomfortable outside the trailer that the horse finally decides to escape into it to get away from the whip, train your horse to load before you must take him anywhere; then he will load willingly and without fear.
There are many different trailer-training methods that work well. The important thing is how you go about the task. Even the best methods can fail if you don’t have good communication with your horse and if you don’t stay calm. Most unsuccessful attempts at loading are the result of two extremes in human 'margin-top:1.2pt;margin-right:31.4pt;margin-bottom: 1.2pt;margin-left:0cm;text-indent:14.4pt;line-height:normal'>Training the young or inexperienced horse to load is generally easier than retraining a spoiled horse who has become stubborn or fearful due to bad experiences, so start training early.
Load the Foal with His Mother
If possible, trailer a foal with his mother. He’ll gain confidence from her, and if his early trailering experiences are good, he will be off to a good start and receptive to further lessons.
Using a buddy horse, especially Mama, can put the weanling at ease and make his first experience with the trailer and loading less frightening.
If Mama willingly enters the trailer, her foal will want to follow her. The foal takes his cues from Mama, and if she is comfortable and confident, he will be less afraid. Load her first, and lead him right after her. If he has been trained to tie (see pages 92–95), an older foal can be tied next to his dam in a two-horse trailer for a short trip.
The safest way to trailer a foal, however, is in a four-horse or stock trailer. Either tie the mare and leave the foal loose or leave them both loose. A small foal traveling with his mother will nurse and lie down when he gets tired, so he’s best left loose. If the foal is loose in the stall next to the mare in a two-horse trailer, make sure the back is closed so he can’t jump out.
The First Time
If your foal balks when you try to load him, boost him in. The easiest way is for one person to lead him, to keep him aimed straight, while two others lock hands behind him and gently move him into the trailer.
With a reluctant youngster who you must load at his first session, two people can lock arms behind him to encourage him to step in while a third person keeps him aimed into the trailer, with no pressure on the halter.
The Weanling or Yearling
If your horse is a weanling or older before his first trailering lessons, plan a few training sessions before you have to take him anywhere. Then you can let the youngster accept the trailer at his own pace and on his own terms, when everyone is calm and there’s no urgency.
DON’T CONFINE OR RESTRAIN
HIM AT FIRST
The first few times a horse goes completely inside, don’t fasten the rump chain or bar (in a two-horse trailer) or tie him. Leave him free to back out if he wants. This way, he won’t feel threatened or panicky. He can come to terms with this new experience at his own speed. Once he is relaxed enough to stay in and finish eating his feed in the manger, you can start fastening the rump chain and tying his head.
Using Feed
At this age, if he is accustomed to eating grain, you can usually lure your foal into the trailer with food. Be patient, and take several days, if necessary, to overcome his apprehension. Some bold youngsters walk right in the first time, with some encouragement, but others need more sessions to decide that the trailer is a safe place. Feed your foal in a tub inside the door, where he can reach it from outside, then move it farther inside each day until he must put his front feet in to reach it. Then place the tub far enough inside that the foal must step all the way in. Because he is not being forced, walking into the trailer becomes his own idea.
Feed grain in a tub in the trailer for a few days, and gradually move the tub farther in to encourage a horse to step into the trailer, eventually, on his own and without apprehension.
DON’T PULL HIS HEAD
When loading a horse the first time, don’t pull straight forward on his head. This creates resistance because he doesn’t want to be dragged into the unknown. He may fight and even bang his head on the trailer.
If you have an assistant, station him at the horse’s head. The assistant should encourage and guide the horse, not pull. If a bit of pressure is in order, it should come from the rear, to gently boost the horse in or to encourage him to move forward.
If you are working alone and must give tugs on the rope, pull at an angle rather than straight ahead. Pulling at a 45-degree angle will encourage him to move the nearest foot to balance himself. Release tension when he takes the step.
Patient Loading
Sometimes the young horse’s first experience with a trailer is when he must be transported somewhere. If you have to combine first experiences in a trailer with hauling, make sure you have extra time to load him, and be very patient and understanding as you go about it. You want no bad experiences to make future loading difficult.
Every horse is naturally somewhat fearful the first time he is loaded. If there is a ramp, your youngster may be afraid of the artificial footing. The enclosed trailer is scary. If it’s dark inside, he’ll hesitate to enter. When you are acquainting him with the trailer, always place it so that the sun shines into it, giving the horse a better view inside. And don’t use a low-roofed trailer for a tall horse.
It helps if you have a well-trained horse for a good example. Load the experienced horse, then the youngster. This works best if the horses are acquainted; it may not work at all if the horse is a stranger to the young one and the youngster is timid. The young horse will be more willing to follow a familiar buddy. For two weanlings that are pals, load the bolder one first, even if you have to boost him in; the timid one will be apt to follow.
Your goals now are to gain your horse’s trust and to minimize his fears. All too often, the person loading the horse is in a hurry. Frustration can lead to using harsh methods, which will convince the hesitant horse that his fears are well founded.
For safe, successful loading, take time and be patient. First, you must convince your horse that you are patient, so he will trust you. It is often actually a good idea to work alone when trailer training, with no other people around to distract him and definitely with no one standing behind him to make him nervous. If he feels boxed in by someone standing behind him, he may want to get farther away from the trailer.
Lead your horse up to the trailer, with a little slack in the rope, the way you taught him to lead, walking freely beside you. As he gets near it, he may stop, so you stop, too. Give him time to look it over, and move forward again only after he’s relaxed. Take your time, approaching the trailer at his speed; your horse’s curiosity will usually get the better of his fear, and he’ll want to smell it and check it out. If he has confidence in you from earlier leading lessons, you can usually encourage him to step in — especially if it’s a large, roomy stock trailer or a four-horse trailer.
If your horse stops as you approach the trailer, let him stop. He should be at ease and comfortable before moving forward.
Sometimes the youngster is almost willing to enter the trailer but is still hesitant and needs to be persuaded a bit. A helper can gently pick up his front foot and put it in the trailer while you guide in his head. If this does not upset the horse, the other foot can also be gently placed up onto the trailer floor. He may then realize it’s not impossible to enter the trailer and with encouragement may walk right in.
Rump Rope
If your youngster is still hesitant, use a rump rope, just as you did when you led him as a foal (see page 87). He’ll remember the lessons and realize he must go where you want him to — that he can’t avoid the trailer by balking or backing up. If he tries to back up, the rope tightens around his hindquarters. If you are patient but firm, he’ll know that he must move forward instead of backward when the rope tightens; then you can lead him step by step into the trailer. Success in loading the weanling or yearling the first time often depends on how well halter trained he is; that is, how well he has progressed with previous leading lessons.
Leading the weanling to the trailer using a rump rope
Trailering the Adult Horse
If you need to trailer an adult horse who is not familiar with this kind of traveling, you’ll want a few days to acquaint him with it — with feed and gradual lessons — because he is too large to boost physically into the trailer as you might be able to do with a foal or weanling. If the first time he sees a trailer is when he must travel, and you have no opportunity for lessons beforehand, patience and tact are your best bet to persuade him it’s a good idea. Start as early as possible in the day. Do some leading ground work to cement his willing responses before you approach the trailer.
The Trailer
For lessons, park the trailer on level ground with good footing, preferably inside a pen so the horse can’t get clear away if he pulls free. If it’s a two-horse trailer and you are working alone, with your aim simply to get him into it as you lend encouragement from the side, leave one door closed so he’ll have no confusion about which side he must enter. After he loads on one side, practice on the other side; he needs to learn to load from both sides of the trailer.
Leave all doors closed except the one at the back where he will be entering. Seeing an opening up front may encourage him to get in, but when he can’t go on through, he may panic and try to go through the escape door. Keep the escape door and the feed manger door closed so he won’t think there is a forward exit.
Allow Plenty of Time
Insufficient training time is the biggest cause of failure in loading lessons. Be prepared to devote several sessions to trailer training. Depending on the horse and your abilities, you may make great progress in one session or it may take several sessions of patient work for him to load successfully. Even after your horse loads, however, plan several more lessons to reinforce his learning so he will load well in the future.
Before you take him to the trailer, polish his leading skills with ground work that requires flexibility and control. Move him forward freely at the walk and the trot, back him, and make sure he moves his hindquarters or front legs to the side when asked. Trailer loading is just an advanced form of ground work. Good ground work develops trust, respect, and communication; you can make the proper response easy for the horse and the wrong response more difficult without creating resistance. When you are leading, your horse should maintain forward impulsion, should not crowd you, and should never pull back on the rope. If he fails at any of these things, he needs more leading lessons before you attempt to load him into a trailer.
TRAINING AIDS
Use a long lead rope (12 feet) so you can direct your horse from a distance when necessary, or give slack when needed, or swing the end of the rope — flicking it lightly against his hindquarters for encouragement. If you are using a training whip as a step-forward stimulus, loop the lead rope over his neck and withers so he won’t step on it. Use your left hand on the lead rope, near the halter, with the training whip in your right hand to gently tap his hindquarters when you ask him to step forward. Use the whip only if your horse has already been taught to respond to it.
A Step at a Time
Lead your horse up to the trailer in a relaxed manner. If he stops, let him. He mustn’t think he’s being forced, or he may decide he just isn’t going any closer. Stepping up into a confined space such as a trailer is an unnatural thing for a horse, and most horses that have never entered a trailer immediately decide that it is too scary and balk. Your job as trainer is to reassure your horse and to dispel his fears. Give him time to look over the trailer; he may decide he doesn’t like the looks of it and back up.
As always, be patient. If your horse decides to back up a few steps, let him. Don’t create any tension on the halter. Pulling on him or trying to hold him in place if he steps back will make him more afraid, and he’ll pull back harder. He doesn’t want to be forced into something he doesn’t trust. If he’s on a loose lead, he won’t be so fearful, and he’ll stay more relaxed. Potential danger that he feels he can jump away from is not as bad, in his mind, as potential danger when he is being held tight, unable to back away from it. Every time he stops, let him stand a moment.
If you understand how your horse thinks, you’ll be patient and let him step back if he wants to. Move back with him, talking pleasantly, letting him know there’s nothing to fear. Help him relax. After he is calm, ask for another step toward the trailer. You can tell from his body language when he is ready for another step. Don’t rush him, but don’t wait so long that you miss the window of opportunity. Sense his receptiveness, and make requests when he has an open mind and is willing to expand his comfort zone and level of trust. Whenever he becomes upset, stop and reassure him until his anxiety fades, then ask for another step. Praise him every time he steps forward.
Soon your horse will stand quietly by the trailer, unafraid, looking it over. Let him smell it if he wants to satisfy his curiosity. When you feel he is relaxed again and ready, encourage him to take another step or two toward it or up the ramp if the trailer has one. One step at a time is sufficient, and it doesn’t matter whether he decides to back up again a few times.
With patience and tact, you are changing his mind, convincing him that the trailer is not something to be afraid of, letting him realize that he might be able to enter it. You must be able to sense his change in mood. This indication of changing attitude may be a mere twitch of a muscle or a slight stretching forward of his neck to take a new look inside the trailer — the spark of new interest that shows you he’s beginning to reconsider. From that moment forward, the lessons are working — as long as you continue to be patient. Don’t move ahead too quickly now: give him a little more time, and set his mind at ease.
Watch for signs of curiosity or interest, then proceed.
Now you can begin again, step by step, to encourage your horse into the trailer. You can now use a training whip, just as you used it earlier in teaching him to lead (as an extension of your arm, to touch him on the hindquarters to encourage him to move forward; see pages 63–64). As long as he does not fear a whip, but rather accepts it as your third hand, you can use it to advantage. If you have not used a whip before in his training and he is afraid of it, do not use one now. A whip works only if a horse accepts it as a cue to move forward.
BE PATIENTLY PERSISTENT
This session of patient steps toward and then into the trailer may take only a few minutes with a green horse or several hours with the reluctant spoiled horse, but eventually, you will persuade him to enter the trailer. It may take more than one session, but if you are patient and persistent, he will overcome his fear. If you take whatever time is necessary for that particular horse, you will change his mind gradually, without a battle of wills.
At the trailer door, your horse may try to turn away his head, but the only tension on the halter should be to keep his nose pointed at the trailer, not to pull on him. Once he is completely relaxed and standing by the door, encourage him to step into the trailer — even just a step or two or a step up with a front foot. If he decides to back out again, let him. Don’t put any tension on his halter to try to keep him in there. He is just trying out this new situation and making sure he can accept it safely.
If he won’t step in, tickle his hindquarters with a whip. If he still hesitates, give a light tap. Reward any forward movement — even a shifting of weight in the right direction — with the cessation of tapping, and give him praise.
If your horse backs up several steps, don’t try to pull him forward or he’ll pull back harder. Just keep his head pointed toward the trailer, and move back with him, with no tension on his halter, as you continue tapping his hindquarters with the whip. Increase the intensity of tapping until he stops going backward and takes one step forward. Then stop tapping, let him stand, and praise him. Wait until he is relaxed again, then ask him to go forward — a step at a time — until he is once again at the trailer.
If you keep your patience, he’ll eventually step in with one foot. It’s not necessary for him to go all the way in at this point. In fact, it’s best if you stop him, praise him, and let him stand there with one or both front feet in the trailer. If you let a horse rush into a trailer, he may panic, not knowing how to get back out. Instead, stop him, and let him proceed slowly and gradually, so he is thinking and at ease, not trying to escape into the trailer. Then let him back out (this is part of his training for unloading and is just as crucial), and ask him to step in again. Training the horse to load is only half the equation; he must also realize he can calmly come back out again. He needs to be utterly at ease with getting in and getting out.
Encourage your horse with a whip by tapping his hindquarters gently to ask for another step. When he complies, stop tapping and reward him with praise.
Once your horse goes all the way in, and after loading and unloading him several times, put some grain in the manger or some hay in a net at the front if you’re using a stock trailer. He will enjoy this reward and will relax enough to stay in the trailer without fear. Then close the door or snap the rump chain in place and secure his halter at the front.
Tying in a Trailer
It’s usually best to tie a horse when you haul him. In a two-horse trailer, always have the door shut and the rump bar or chain hooked before you tie his head. Otherwise, he may try to back out while tied and will have a serious problem if he gets partway out and finds himself confined by the head. He may panic and fight, with risk for serious injury.
Don’t tie too short or he may feel trapped. An adult horse in a two-horse trailer should have enough slack that when he backs up, he feels the rump chain before he feels restrained by the rope. The exception is a small horse who doesn’t fill the stall of the trailer.
Don’t leave so much slack in the rope that he could put his head down behind the manger or get his head on the wrong side of the manger divider. The rope should be long enough for him to be able to look to the side 90 degrees each way, but not so long that he can turn his head around or he might think he can turn around in the trailer.
This horse is tied properly in the trailer; note the partition on one side and space bars ahead of and behind him.
When unloading a horse, always untie his head before you unhook the rump chain and open the door. This is very important. Also, make sure a lead rope is attached to his halter before unloading. Don’t open the door until you have the rump chain unhooked because your horse may start to back out and press so tightly against the chain that it will be difficult for you to unhook.
Another Method
Another way to acquaint the horse with a two-horse trailer in the first lesson is to leave the door closed when you lead him up to it and then do some ground work next to the trailer. Stand at the left rear corner, with your back to the trailer, and direct your horse in a semicircle, using the long lead rope as you would a longe line to your right, so he comes to a stop facing the side of the trailer. Let him stand a moment to look at the trailer, then direct him back around you to where he comes right up to the trailer door.
To encourage him to move briskly, swing the end of the lead rope toward his hindquarters or point your training whip, whichever works better for you and your horse. Do this several times, until he moves freely and willingly in the small semicircle around you, alternately facing the trailer side and the trailer door. Do this on the other side of the trailer also.
Once he is calm about this ground work, stand somewhat behind the trailer and direct him between you and the back of the trailer. If he can do this without hesitating, speeding, or trying to push you out of the way, your horse is ready to try loading. Gradually narrow the space between you and the trailer. When he is calm about going back and forth between you and the trailer, get set to open the door.
Open the left door. Stand with your back to it, and continue to ask the horse to circle around you. This time, when he comes up to the back of the trailer, he’ll be facing the open door. Let him put his head in the trailer, and give him a few seconds to check it out. While he’s still interested and curious — that is, before he decides to back off — direct him away from the trailer. This takes off the pressure and lets him relax. Lead him up to it again, and ask him to stick his head farther in the open door. Repeat, building on his curiosity and acceptance of this new idea in small increments, so he never becomes alarmed about the thought of entering.
Take your horse away from the trailer several times before you ask him to put a foot into it. If he does, let him stand a moment and praise and pat him, but don’t try to force him to stay there. He needs to know that even attempts to obey you are rewarded. If you are the one who asks him to back up again, before he does it on his own, he will stay in a more willing frame of mind. As he gets bolder, ask him to step in with one foot, then two, but don’t let him walk all the way in or he could get scared and lose his trust.
Some horses will put both front feet in during first tries. Others take more time. Tailor your lessons to the horse. Don’t ask too much or too little, and progress at the rate that seems best, keeping him in a responsive mood. Once your horse is putting both fronts in, back him out only a few steps, then ask him to go right back in. If he will stand there, pat him, then ask him to back out. Each time you bring him to the door, ask him to step in a little farther or to stay longer. If he becomes alarmed, let him stand and relax after he backs out, or do another semicircle, and go right back into the trailer.
OVERCOMING A BALK
If your horse won’t go forward after you lead him to the trailer or won’t continue in with his hind feet after he’s put in his fronts a few times, don’t continue tapping his rump; he’ll develop a negative association about being there. He simply needs more impulsion. If he won’t move his feet into the trailer, get them moving somewhere else first. Direct him into the semicircle to the side of the trailer and back again, and make him move briskly. If he has to hustle, he is more apt to let this impulsion carry him into the trailer rather than walking slowly up to the door and stopping. If you get him to be more active on his circle, he will put more effort into getting into the trailer.
Eventually, your horse must put a hind foot in; if he doesn’t offer to do this on his own, ask for a little more briskness as he comes to the trailer. If he stops suddenly before stepping in with a hind foot, tap him on the rump with your whip or the end of the lead rope. If he backs up rather than going forward, do another semicircle, and direct him into the trailer again. Usually, once he has reached this level of acceptance and is a little bolder, a bit of impulsion will carry him into the trailer, with one or both hind feet.
When your horse gets all the way in, give him lots of praise, and let him stand and relax for a moment; then ask him to back out. He has now loaded, a step at a time, and is learning to unload. If you ask him to back out, he’ll be more at ease about getting into this confined space. He can back out again before he gets scared. After he backs out, pat and praise him; let him relax or even walk him away from the trailer a moment before asking him to return. If he is calm, load him a few more times, then quit for the day.
In the next day’s lesson, you will work with your horse on staying in longer before unloading, teaching him to wait for you to ask him to back out rather than doing it on his own. Before unloading the last time, put some grain in the manger. Using grain this way as a reward is a good idea when doing this type of lesson.
Repetition
Take your horse in and out of the trailer several times before you feed grain, secure him, and go. Several loadings and unloadings before hauling helps ensure good loadings in the future; your horse will know he can do this, that it is not frightening to get in and out of a trailer. A few stress-free lessons will make him willing to load for the rest of his life, as long as he never has a frightening experience.
Your objective during training should focus not on getting your horse loaded but rather on teaching him how to load, to be at ease with getting in and out. Training him in small increments also teaches him to unload — he realizes he can back out. Repeat these steps many times, going partway in and back out again, until your horse is comfortable with going in and out and with going completely into the trailer. By then you have accomplished two goals: you have a horse who willingly enters the trailer whenever you ask and one who calmly unloads when you ask.
Unloading
If you don’t practice, backing out of a two-horse trailer can be as traumatic for the inexperienced horse as is going in the first time. He can’t see where he’s going and may not want to back up because he doesn’t know where the trailer floor ends. He may worry about stepping down. Some horses start to step out and immediately leap back into the trailer. With a young horse — small enough that you can be in the trailer stall with him — you can reassure him and push on his chest to help him back up.
If an older horse refuses to back out, fasten a soft cotton rope to the rear of the trailer, then pass it around his chest and out the rear on his other side. With someone at his head to steady him and encourage him to back up, another person pulls back steadily on the rope around his chest, never allowing it enough slack to fall to the floor. Do not rush your horse; the rope is merely to give him support and an incentive to back out. After he has gone in and out a few times, it’s not such a scary procedure. A stock trailer makes maneuvering easier, as there is room to turn around and your horse can walk out facing forward.
If a horse rushes backward out of a trailer, spend time with him practicing going partway in and out. Back him out when he’s only partway in, before he has a chance to rush out, until he can back out calmly.
Feeding in the Trailer
If you plan to use feed to entice a horse into the trailer, spend several days letting him get used to eating grain or hay inside (see page 383). Allow him to become accustomed to the trailer at his own speed. He’ll soon discover that the trailer will not hurt him, that he is not being forced, and that he can go in and out at will. Some people leave a trailer (well blocked so it can’t move) in a horse’s pen and feed him in it so he becomes at ease with going in and out.
PRACTICE TRIPS
After you get the horse loaded and are ready to take him somewhere, make his first trailer experiences pleasant. If possible, take him on a short practice drive before making a real trip. Give him a little hay or grain to occupy him. Choose a smooth, straight road and limit your top speed to 40 miles per hour. These first trips help build his confidence if you travel slowly and carefully. Conversely, they can shatter his confidence if he is jostled about.
The Companion Horse
For the inexperienced horse, it often helps if you load an experienced stable-mate first. If he sees his buddy going right in without hesitation — especially if his buddy starts eating something in there — your horse may realize that the trailer is not a big threat. He may want to hop right in so he can have something good to eat, too. The presence of a calm, experienced horse alongside him on his first few rides in the trailer can also be very reassuring. He’ll probably travel much better if you bring along his experienced friend.
Resolving Problems
Some horses have problems with certain trailers and situations. Many of these problems can be resolved if you are able to figure out what’s bothering the horse. Some horses are afraid to walk up a ramp; it makes noise and has some give, which may alarm them. It’s easier for some horses if you use a trailer they can step up into, without a ramp. Often you can situate the trailer so the step up is only 8 or 10 inches.
Use a Bigger Trailer
For obvious reasons, a tall or nervous horse may be uneasy about entering a small or short trailer. Use a tall trailer for a tall horse so he won’t hit his head on the roof. Most nervous horses are reluctant to enter a small trailer and will load and travel better in a stock trailer or a four-horse trailer than in a two-horse trailer.
Most horsekeepers today prefer to use slant-load trailers or the 4- or 6-horse open stock trailers, because these are much easier for horses to get in and out of. The horse can turn around in a stock trailer and come out frontward. It is also more comfortable to ride in because the horses are less confined and can position themselves as they wish, even when tied.
Remove the Partition
If all you have is a two-horse trailer and you are hauling just one horse, he may be more comfortable if you remove the partition so he has more room to move. This may also be the solution for a horse who scrambles as the trailer negotiates corners: he can then spread his legs wider to brace himself on the curves. If you take a corner too fast and your horse tries to brace himself and can’t, he must lean against the wall or partition and scramble with his feet on the other side to keep from losing his balance.
This may become a habit, and if the horse feels overly confined, it can become a serious problem. Some horses throw a violent fit as the trailer takes a corner. They may haul well in a truck or stock trailer where there’s room to move about and brace themselves but have problems in a two-horse trailer with a partition. The claustrophobic horse may kick and struggle, tremble, and sweat. Some horses travel quietly on straight stretches and scramble only on corners.
RULES FOR SAFE TRAILERING
Tie the horse short so he can’t get into an unsafe position. Always use a rump strap, chain, or bar behind a horse in a two-horse trailer so he can’t back out; don’t rely on only the door or tailgate — it could come open.
Start slowly and smoothly when hauling, and build up speed gradually.
Always slow down on turns. Right-angle corners should be taken at about 5 miles per hour.
Be sure the trailer is completely around a corner before you begin to accelerate.
Take curves slowly. Your horse has to balance and brace himself, and you don’t want him to start scrambling.
OTHER TRAILER OPTIONS
Some horses feel more comfortable, and ride better, in a front-load trailer. Here they enter in the front and face the rear. Others prefer a slant-load trailer, in which they are positioned diagonally.
If you are hauling two horses in a two-horse trailer and cannot remove the divider, remove the lower part or replace it with one that doesn’t come clear to the floor. This gives the horse who scrambles more room to spread his feet and brace himself. Some horses like extra foot room to the right, others to the left. If a horse has a preference, you’ll know by his behavior; he’ll be nervous and scrambling while traveling if you’ve loaded him on the wrong side. Load them on the side that gives them their extra room in the middle, under the partial partition. This will often enable a scrambler to travel comfortably in a two-horse trailer.
Footing
A slippery floor may cause scrambling. Rubber mats can prevent this, but if a horse still has trouble keeping his footing, add some nondusty bedding for better traction. Make sure the trailer rides level, without a sloping floor. If your hitch is too high or too low, the trailer will slant up or down and put the horse off balance. Tires should be neither overinflated nor underinflated or the trailer may not ride level. A bent axle, bad wheel bearings, a broken spring, a flat tire, and other problems can also cause a trailer to have a bumpy ride. Routine trailer maintenance is critical to the safety and comfort of your horse.
A scrambling problem is sometimes a tying problem. If your horse doesn’t tie well, he shouldn’t be tied inside a trailer. If he fights the restraint, he may feel hemmed in and start scrambling. If you plan to tie the horse in the trailer, first make sure he is well trained to tie.
The Reluctant or Spoiled Horse
A horse who refuses to load may have been in an accident or been handled poorly in earlier training. This horse associates a trailer with discomfort and fear. He may fight strenuously to keep from loading, and it may be difficult to change his mind.
Most trailer-loading problems result from fear and resistance. The horse’s resistance is reinforced if you are unsuccessful at loading him. If you lack confidence, he knows it. Try to determine whether he is afraid of the trailer or has no respect for your direction, or both.
There are many ways to get a problem horse in a trailer. The success of a loading method depends on the individual horse and what his particular hang-up is and also on how he reacts to the method used. Know your horse, then determine which methods might work and which should be avoided. Work with his personality and problem, and strive to make the loading as nonconfrontational and stress-free as possible.
Advance Preparation
Techniques for putting an inexperienced horse into a trailer—leading him up to it, taking your time, eventually convincing him it’s safe to enter—can work on a horse who’s been made afraid of the trailer by poor loading techniques. He may need a longer time to be convinced, however; it may take several days of patient handling. He may need lessons in basic leading and with the whip, as when you were teaching him to respond better to voice and whip cues.
With such a horse, it’s often a good idea to work alone. He may become more confused and afraid if confronted by several people at once; in this case, it’s easier for him to gain confidence if one person handles him. Before you even show him a trailer, give him some lessons in basic handling so he is totally manageable and maneuverable at your command. Acquaint him with the whip, and let him know it is nothing to fear. This won’t work if he’s been abused with a whip unless you have lots of time to work with him very patiently, starting from the beginning to help him overcome his fear. This can be a considerable challenge, though, so perhaps forgo the whip on a previously abused horse.
BE SURE HE’S NOT BLUFFING
Occasionally, a horse’s refusal to go into a trailer is a bluff. He may have been trailered before but doesn’t want to go in now, so he refuses just to see if you’re really serious. If you show him a whip or put a rump rope behind him, he’ll usually walk right in. Be careful, though: Some horses may become more frantic at the sight of a whip or ropes.
Use a Long Line
For a reluctant horse whom you must get loaded without several lessons, enlist an assistant to help him load: one person leads the horse, the other one offers encouragement from behind. The person leading must not pull on the rope; the horse will react by pulling back, rearing, or rushing backward. The rope is merely to keep him facing the trailer. If you are working alone, ahead of time loop a long rope around something solid at the front of the trailer and back again. Snap one end onto the horse’s halter, and hold on to your end as you encourage him from behind. Take up slack or give slack, as needed, to keep him facing the trailer. The long rope enables you to keep a forward tension on it, even if you have to be alongside or behind the horse to give him encouragement.
A lead rope of any kind is simply to keep his head straight, not to pull. Most accidents occur when a horse rears up or pulls back hard in response to being pulled by the head. A horse will rarely bang his head on a trailer or rush backward forcefully unless he is being pulled.
Make It Comfortable to Go Forward
Your horse is rewarded for every forward step by the release of pressure. Refusing to go forward, however, or backing up, is made uncomfortable (not punished!) by an appropriate stimulus, such as someone behind him flicking his hindquarters gently with a whip or poking his rump with a straw broom. When using a broom stand to the side and out of the way in case your horse kicks. The bristles are used on his buttocks, not on any sensitive areas; they’re an aggravation to move away from rather than as something to cause pain. A plastic bag fastened to the end of a long whip can also be used to “worry” his hindquarters and encourage your horse to move forward, away from it.
Knowing how much to pause — letting your horse think about each step — and how much to encourage is crucial. Be in tune with his attitude and responses. Keep him calm and thinking, rather than pressing too much and triggering panic or resentment. One step forward, a pause where he thinks about going forward rather than back, or the smallest try—any one of these should be rewarded with praise and a cessation of the aggravation behind him.
Often a person accidentally punishes positive behavior, by pulling on a horse, for example, or by pestering him from behind when he starts to go forward, inadvertently teaching him that the trailer is an uncomfortable place, one to be avoided. The apprehensive horse starts to move forward, and the horsekeeper sees progress and tries to encourage it by tapping or spanking from behind — in essence, punishing the horse for his effort. Be mindful of this: Your horse needs to be rewarded for positive movement by release of pressure.
Don’t worry if he begins to load and then backs out. Continue the aggravation until he begins to walk forward. Give him a clear choice without pulling or pushing. Allow him to enter the trailer because it is his own decision. It may take several minutes of encouragement for him to come to that decision, but if you are patient and consistent, giving rewards when he goes forward and aggravating his hindquarters when he goes backward, eventually, he will go in.
Using a Rump Rope
A horse who was trained as a foal with the use of a rump rope may be encouraged to move forward with one. If he protests, tends to kick when a rope tightens around his hindquarters, or tries to swerve away from the trailer as he is led up to it, two helpers — each holding the end of a long rope or longe line — can use the rope against his hindquarters to put pressure behind him. This keeps them out of harm’s way if the horse kicks or rushes backward.
The rope behind him encloses the horse and keeps him going straight as he approaches the trailer. Steady tension can resist backward movement. He is not pulled by the rope; its purpose is just to keep him straight and encourage him to go forward.
If need be, two ropes can be used, one tied to each side of the trailer. Assistants pass behind the horse at a safe distance and cross the ropes behind his hindquarters. Short, firm tugs on the ropes encourage him to move forward. The helpers must be prepared to give if the horse flies backward, so as not to pull his legs out from under him or make him fall over backward. It’s better to use a solid “chute” (see next section) to keep the horse from swerving past the trailer, but sometimes this is not an option; the ropes can help convince the horse he must continue to face the trailer.
LET HIM DECIDE
Whatever method you choose to encourage a reluctant horse into a trailer, make it his idea to enter it. Even if you must use firm encouragement from behind, leave it up to him to decide to go into the trailer rather than pulling on him. If it’s his decision, he will be more receptive to doing it again; it’s a form of training — working with his mind rather than just forcing his body.
Just One Choice
Often the easiest way to load a reluctant horse is to back him up to an enclosure so he can’t go past the trailer door; the only route from pen or stall is directly into the trailer. Another way is to make a lane to the trailer: use a solid fence or wall as one side and create another side with a portable panel.
For safety, when working with a stubbornly reluctant horse, make sure the panel is solid by securing a piece of plywood or even a rug or tarp against it so the horse can’t put a foot through. With this “loading chute” behind the trailer, there is nowhere for the horse to go but into the trailer; he knows he cannot dodge past the trailer to escape and therefore does not try. As one person patiently encourages from behind, the horse more readily submits to going in because he knows he can’t go any other direction.
Don’t Battle
It’s not worth fighting a horse to get him into a trailer. You’ll get him loaded, but the struggle that got him in is one more bad experience; rest assured, he will resist again the next time. On occasion, though, a horse can be forcibly loaded and then become easier to load as time goes on — if he’s not hurt in any way and his trailer experience is good: that is, good food to eat, no rough roads, no bad corners.
It’s best, however, to begin at the beginning. Use patient methods with a spoiled horse until he gains confidence and goes in on his own. A few days or weeks of nonconfrontational training sessions are better than struggling, which always presents some risk of injury to both the horse and you.
REINFORCE THE LESSON
BEFORE YOU HAUL
Though your inclination after loading a difficult horse may be to close the tailgate and go — you’re probably running late by then — it’s better to give him a few minutes to relax, reward him with praise and feed, and then unload him. Load him several more times until he goes in without resistance. This will make him much easier to load the next time, ending the experience on a positive note.