do you trailer in for lessons?

[morganpony86]

I brought my show horse home and plan to keep him there. I do not have an arena, but I do have a lovely flat grassy area on which to ride and some jumps.
I want to start trailering in for lessons, but have never done so. I’m new to the area, so I need to find a trainer and am in the process of doing so.

But my question is, of those who trailer in for lessons, do you have any tips/advice? I’ve always boarded my horses with my trainer. How does scheduling work? I’m a working amateur, and most barns are ~45min+ away from my home, so it’s likely I could only do lessons on weekends. Is it expected you tack up at your trailer? Allowed in the barn? What have you experienced re: health requirements? I am conscious that I would be an “outsider” bringing my horse in from “who knows where”.

I’m actually looking forward to this as a training opportunity, as my horse is only 6 and hasn’t gotten out much. So it will be a good practice for shows (trailering somewhere new, standing by the trailer, tacking up, riding, going home). But I know the first few lessons will be a disaster because I’m sure he’ll be a nut. He has gotten out a lot in his life, but 75% of the time it was to a vet hospital where he didn’t have to “work”, and he hasn’t been to a show in over a year due to me moving and a significant injury that left him stallbound for 8 months. Any thoughts on that part of it? Am I silly to think that this will help him? Most of the time you perfect things in the comfort of home so that when you go to a show in unfamiliar territory, you have a base. Will we not achieve that “base” and just waste time? Or will he eventually come to learn that trailering to a new place is his “home”?

[osgoka01]

I ship out to lessons & have with my last 2 show horses. I love it! My horses live at a low key farm 5 minutes from my house which makes daily riding possible (I work alot of hours) and then I ship out every other weekend for lessons.

I DO end up paying an extra $10 ring fee on top of the lesson fee, but it is absolutely worth it. My young horses get to jump show quality jumps, in a new setting and then go home for turnout with their buddies.

[Green_Acres]

I have been hauling to my trainers for lessons for about 5 years now. My trainer’s barn is pretty laid back and a little backyard but I use the wash rack when needed, etc. I normally haul on Saturday’s for lessons and tie my horse at the trailer to prepare for the lesson. Once I’m finished, I will untack at the trailer and then walk to the wash rack when it’s hot to hose off. I have done this with two different horses and they do get used to the getting on the trailer weekly, going to the farm, riding and then going home.

I think it makes it easier when you haul somewhere new that the horse takes it all in stride. We did a few little schooling shows this summer and kept the horses tied up at the trailer. My mare took everything right in stride at the shows and I was concerned about having her tied up at the trailer.

I really like hauling to my trainers and look forward to my weekly lessons since I’m usually riding alone at home. It’s a nice change but I love having my horses at home!

[jaybird660]

I have typically boarded in winter and trailer to lessons with the same trainer the rest of the time over an hour away! In good weather it is easier I find to tack up at the trailer. It is expected that I clean up loose hay and any mess and park in the designated area. If I tack up in the barn I always sweep up before going into the lesson and keep my stuff neat. I call and schedule ahead of time and I am expected to be on time as trainers often have their day scheduled. I also love being able to do both. It give me stuff to work on when I am back at my home.

[shadowanne]

I don’t trailer in, but there’s many that come to my barn. It’s a $10 extra fee to the barn. Haul-ins are only allowed to tack up at their trailers and only use the riding areas.

As a boarder, I appreciate not having haul-ins in the groom racks and not walking the aisle ways of my horse’s stall, etc. It’s also about the best separation we can keep.

In really inclement weather, like pouring down rain, haul-ins have used our groom racks which is understandable.

[ParadoxFarm]

I have trailered in at several places. I have been lucky in that I have never had to pay an extra haul in fee at any of them. Also, I have been welcome to being my second horse for my husband to school on at no extra charge, which is very nice. I have always been welcome to use the tack-up stall and wash bay. In winter, I do use he tack-up stall. In summer, oftentimes I just tack up at the trailer simply because it is easier than hauling all my tack inside.

I guess my advice is to just use common courtesy. Clean up the tack-up and wash bay areas (even if it is not your mess!). Leave it neater than when you arrived is my motto. :). Ask about and follow all barn rules. Be early enough to be on your horse at the allotted time. Make sure people can maneuver around your parked trailer. Don’t forget to pay. And always thank your trainer before you leave.

[Sunset_Ponies]

I think you are going to get a mix of answers to your questions. I have also shipped in to a lot of places for lessons and do so now. Where I am now is relaxed and I am welcome to use grooming stalls beforehand and wash rack afterwards. Often I am offered a stall if I bring more than one pony. I didn’t ask for these privileges. I wait until they are offered and always do my best to clean up after myself and be courteous to those that live in the barn that also want to use those areas. Every barn is going to be different on those types of things.

As for it being good for your horse, the answer is yes! I do ship in lessons as a precursor to horse shows with baby ponies all of the time. Make sure if you have one that might be green that you give yourself lots of time for him to settle in and warm-up

[ToTheNines]

You have gotten some good advice. I haul in for lessons, and tie to my trailer to tack up. Good practice for local shows!

I do not make assumptions, and try to use as few resources of the trainers barn as possible. I also pick up any horse poop with a manure fork I carry in the back of my truck and put it in the trailer.

I pay a small haul in fee, which seems very fair to me. My favorite part about hauling in is when my trainer asks me what I have been working on that week. Then, at the end she gives me my “homework”.

[Mukluk]

I always do last minute groom and tack up at trailer- all my stuff is in the trailer so it’s just easier. I bring my own bucket and make sure my horse is offered water after the lesson (she has access to water in her pen before we leave). Clean up any horse poops!!! Bring trainer fresh chicken eggs.

[Sueby]

All people that trailer in at our facility pay $10 extra too. But they are allowed to use the was stall and grooming stall if they’re available. They can also stick their horse in an empty stall if they need it as long as they clean it out before they leave.

[tidy_rabbit]

I have people trailer in for lessons and allow them to use the grooming stalls if they want to. Not an issue at all. I’d say my biggest concern is people being on time and letting me know if they are running late. Or if their horses have been exposed to some illness… don’t bring a horse to the farm who is sick, or lame.

I ship out for lessons. I take 2 or 3 horses and stay for several days at a time. It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive one way. Generally there is a horse show going on at the same time at the horse park, so we ship over and show and then go back to the farm and train. They treat me just like a regular member of the family/customer base and are very welcoming and happy to have me and the horses there (or at least they make me feel that way which is all that matters I suppose).

Find someone who is supportive of your goals and is willing to work with you as a ship-in customer. If they make you feel “less than” because you ship in, then that’s probably not the best fit for you.

[morganpony86]

[QUOTE=Sunset Ponies;7178337]
I think you are going to get a mix of answers to your questions. [/QUOTE]

Differing opinions and a mix of answers on COTH??? Say it isn’t so!!!

Thanks all; I appreciate the tips and shared experiences. I’m a huge fan of trailering to shows just for a day since I work and cannot take off weeks at a time for large rated shows. Or even long-weekend unrated shows. So I’m hoping this will be a good time to train him to stand tied to a trailer someplace sketchy.

Though I’m kind of a little shocked about how common the trailer-in fee is and how expensive it can be. $10 is 20%+ on a $45 lesson fee, so essentially paying for 5 lessons a month. That will factor in to how often I can do it.

[salymandar]

A long time ago, I shipped long distance to lessons (3 hours one way). Sometimes we stayed overnight and sometimes we just shipped in for the day. The trainers were very generous and offered us a stall, even if it was just for the day. We were able to use cross ties and wash stalls, if necessary.

I currently ship in. One trainer is five minutes down the road, the other is less than 20 minutes away. Generally, I brush my horse and put on his boots or polos before shipping, then throw his tack on at the trailer. I find it more efficient and good practice for horse shows. When I am done, I usually find it just as easy to throw him back up on the trailer with his boots and/or polos on and then clean him up at home rather than waiting in line for the wash stall, unless he is really sweaty and having a hard time cooling down. I am not prohibited from using my trainers’ facilities, I just find it easier not to. I am rather new to the ship in experience, so I think I will probably use the cross ties in the winter when I have a lot of blankets to juggle and it is freezing cold.

I also have a small muck bucket in my empty stall that I use to clean up any manure, so I don’t leave a mess. If I use the wash stall or cross ties, I would also be responsible for cleaning up after myself. I don’t think I have ever paid a ship in fee and I have not been required to provide health information, but I don’t know if that is because my horse was living with my trainer before I became a ship in client.

[QHEventer]

I event, but haul-in to a fancy H/J barn for my jumping lessons. I don’t have to pay an additional haul-in fee, so I’m sure you can find a barn that doesn’t charge one also. It has been a great experience for my horse though. He was always a good loader, but would paw and get a little nervous going somewhere by himself. Now that we’ve been hauling to weekly lessons though, he is totally relaxed whenever we go somewhere new. If you’re worried about your horse acting nutty the first time you take him there, I would suggest trailering him to the facility a couple of times BEFORE you have a lesson. You can show him the sights, walk him around the arena, longe him, then take him home. No need to try to survive a lesson on a looky, non-attentive horse. After you take him to a couple of lessons, he will figure it all out. As far as etiquette, I make sure I park my trailer out of the way of boarders, and I get my guy tacked up at the trailer (unless it’s raining), but I am welcome to use the wash rack after my lesson. I make sure to arrive 30 minutes before my lesson and make sure I am on my horse 5 minutes before my lesson is supposed to begin. Nothing worse than making your trainer wait on you! I think this is a great idea for you, and it will definitely benefit your horse!

[Hrselvr1982]

My daughter and I have trailered for weekly lessons for years now. We are fortunate to not pay a haul in fee, and are free to use the wash rack/empty stall if needed. We typically tack up at the trailer unless it is raining. It was a great experience for my green horse, as he is used to hauling places now.

[Brutus614]

[QUOTE=morganpony86;7178804]
Though I’m kind of a little shocked about how common the trailer-in fee is and how expensive it can be. $10 is 20%+ on a $45 lesson fee, so essentially paying for 5 lessons a month. That will factor in to how often I can do it.[/QUOTE]

But still cheaper than boarding at the lesson facility!

[JLC]

I have been shipping to weekly lessons for about 2 years now. I do not pay a haul-in fee, just my lesson fee. I am allowed to use the crossties and wash stalls, but in good weather I just find it easier and more time efficient to tack-up and un-tack at the trailer. It is nice in the warm months to be able to hose my sweaty horse off after a hard lesson and even in the colder months the barn allowed me to use their heated wash stall to bath my horse for a show - a total unexpected bonus and I and my horse really appreciated it.

[morganpony86]

[QUOTE=Brutus614;7178997]
But still cheaper than boarding at the lesson facility! :)[/QUOTE]

Not really. Everyone knows it’s not really that much cheaper to keep your horses at home, and when you factor in gas for 2 hours of driving there & back, lesson fees, and the amenities I would get if I boarded there and don’t have at home, it’s borderline even. The main reason I keep my show horse at home is because I have two retirees and need a third horse for when someone goes to the hospital and so it leaves 2 at home instead of 1 home alone. If I didn’t have my two retirees who have far better lives at home instead of being boarded, I wouldn’t keep any horses at home!

[tidy_rabbit]

I don’t know what sort of board you would be paying but it is considerably cheaper to keep my horses at my own farm than to board them out.

[d1277]

For me, it was a lot cheaper to board than keep a horse at home. If you have a large facility and multiple horses, that would be different. If you only have one or two by the time you factor in property maintenance, property taxes, all the equipment you need to care for horses, your time and/or paying someone to care for them, it adds up quick. THEN you add the truck and trailer maintenance, gas, again your time to ship for lessons and I also had to ship to a good farrier.

That said, I have some advice for shipping in to lessons

1. Practice loading your horse when you have plenty of time and nowhere to go.

2. Arrive early. IME, horses that ship in need a little extra time walking around to settle in, so you don’t spend the first 20 minutes of your lesson working on getting you and your jacked up horse calm because you are late.

3. That said, stuff happens, when you are going to be late…call your instructor as soon as you know you’re going to be late.

It worked out really well for me when I could ship in late one day for a lesson and stay overnight to have an early am lesson the next day. The 2nd lesson was usually much more productive.

My horse did handle her first shows very well. I think that was in due in large part to shipping in for lessons. Good luck!