He won’t turn around in a trailer. No idea why. He’s not giant (16.1), but he has always insisted on backing out when in an angle haul where walking out would be easy enough.
@luvmyhackney that is a good video, thank you.
Do these owners haul said trailer themselves?
Have we considered their driving stinks and was what put him off trailering?
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This is a very good thing, especially with a horse that wants to fly out of the trailer.
I will allow very young and green horses to turn around in my trailer when it is set up as a stock, but only for their first few trips. After that, they learn to stand in place while I shut the divider or door, tie them, etc. Similarly, I expect them to stand quietly after I untie them and open the doors, then back out on my command. Yes, even in a slant load or stock trailer.
If you think a horse flying backwards out of the trailer is dangerous, try being trapped in a 7’ wide box with one that spins around and bolts past you, knocking you into the wall in the process.
Edited to add: And my horses are all 13.2-14.2 hands.
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Wait, so he’s saying the handler is the predator?
Predator /prey relationship is the basis of Natural Horsemanship. Round penning and “join up” was first perfected by cats “playing” with mice.
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The horse needs to know he can go backwards in order to develop “peace of mind.” You have to train the horse to take forward steps into the trailer along with backwards steps (to back out of trailer) and the horse needs to understand these requests.
Putting a line behind them is asking for a wreck. BTDT.
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Yes. Anytime you have a claustrophobic horse and you “trap” him in the trailer you are going to get a panicky response and the upper limits of that response is a horse that runs back out like a bat out of hell with no regard for what is behind him. Maybe this might work once for an emergency but it will make loading him harder the next time. Like Pluvinel noted you have to teach the horse to go forwards when you wish it to and backwards when you wish it to. With my PITA loader I always made her back out when she was happy in the trailer eating goodies at the front to enforce the idea that I decided when she came in and when she came out. She did not get to make that decision on her own.
Yes I know I am preaching at the choir but this takes time and work with a difficult loader. It can be done but most people do not want to work that hard. All the shortcuts will make it harder the next time.
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We never trapped him with the line and always let him back out. It was more just so he would have the feel of it and not be surprised by the bum bar. It also helped keep him from sneaking to the side. Obviously it didn’t work, but it didn’t seem to cause him additional stress either.
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Do you have access to sturdy corral panels?
Now, this is NOT how you train a horse and this will NOT help his training down the road. However, if you MUST get him to the vet, this is one way to get him on the trailer. Use 3-5 panels to make a “corral” around the back of the trailer, paying attention to how you place it around the door. Whether you have a person in with the horse or not doesn’t really matter. Then you slowly start to inch the panels tighter and closer to the trailer. Slowly. You go slow so you do not create panic. Eventually, he has no where to go but onto the trailer and then you get that door shut.
I’ve only ever had to do this once for a horse, and it worked very well.
But remember, this is only for an emergency purpose to get the horse the care it needs. This will NOT help train him. But if you are in dire need of getting him to the vet and you must get him there, that is one way that you could do it. Again, just a suggestion if you must get him to the vet to have the molar care. I would imagine coming home from the vet may be easier because they could sedate him with something more heavy to have him totally relaxed to get him on the trailer to get home. The dorm you can use at home only does so much.
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My mare loads pretty well into our straight load but I had to learn not to force it. If there are “helpers” standing outside clucking, holding ropes etc then she will plant all her feet and stand there all day long. Give her a couple seconds/minutes to think about it on her own, she might step up the ramp once and back off again, then she will come back in and stand quietly munching on waiting hay & treats while we do up the bar. It takes alot of patience and a good understanding of pressure & release. I spent many evenings walking her in and hanging out in there with her, letting her back off if she got nervous, and eventually she got comfortable and would wait for me to ask her to back off. If the owners won’t take the time to help the horse get comfortable there is not much you can do for them. And in my opinion trailer training is not one of the times I would use tranq. Having them dopey & uncoordinated while getting in and out of the trailer, especially if they get panicky, sounds more dangerous to me.
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That was more or less how my husband convinced the horse to be ok loading many years ago, but the horse owner hasn’t been able to get the horse in the trailer by herself (other than maybe front feet). It’s hard because the trailer the horse owner bought doesn’t really make it easy/safe to walk in with the horse - the escape door is small and awkward. As far as I can figure, the horse either needs to self load or load using a pully system. It’s unfortunate she bought that trailer. I keep hoping the horse’s owner comes up with a plan, but so far nothing.
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If she is determined to keep both this horse and this trailer, then I think the only feasible long-term solution is to just use persistence and wait the horse out. The first session may last what feels like forever.
I personally use a system in these kinds of situations that is loosely based off various natural horsemanship-type trainers. I don’t do the longing outside the trailer part, because I have Arabians, and that kind of exercise just amps them up and can create more anxiety than the horse started with. Rather I point the horse towards the trailer opening and wait…and wait…and wait. I will apply a bit of pressure equivalent to what that horse needs but no more. For a very sensitive/responsive green horse, just moving the horse back into the “nose towards the trailer” position may be as much pressure as that animal needs or can tolerate. For some, it’s just quietly raising my flag (you can use a dressage whip or longe whip, but the flag is gentler, more visible, and also makes a bit of noise that can help) a foot or so off the ground and clucking (which I have already established as the “move your feet” cue). For one that is more stubborn and not really afraid, I might tap them repeatedly on the top of the rump. I prefer not to put any pressure on the horse’s halter other than very gentle guiding back into the correct direction if necessary - humans will never win in a pulling match with a horse, and almost all horses than don’t load well also don’t lead/tie as solidly as they should, so that’s not a winning strategy with them anyway.
What I don’t do it get myself amped up, frustrated, or aggressive. I don’t escalate unless the horse tries to run over me (the spoiled ones almost always do this once or twice), which does get a big reaction because it is a safety issue. Otherwise, I just make it not a big deal but also non-negotiable. “We are going to stand here and do this thing until you comply. It is not scary, and it is not optional. I’ll wait as long as you need to figure this out,” is the energy I want the horse to read from me.
It is very important that, whichever type of pressure you use, you stop/release the instant the horse responds. Initially, the response might just be to lean towards the inside of the trailer. Timing is critical here. Release pressure and give a reward - “good girl/boy!” in a singsong voice works for my horses; other people might use a clicker or a pet on the neck. Let the horse absorb for a few seconds, then go right back to it.
Goals have to be realistic per session. If the horse has no baggage and reasonable ground manners, and the experienced handler has good timing, most horses will hop right on the trailer in very short order. In a situation like the one you are dealing with, though, I’d set the bar low and work on baby steps. That might be two feet in calmly on day one, all the way in on day two, standing quietly but not actually closing the door on day three, etc.
I like to use a high-value treat inside the trailer. Alfalfa hay or a bit of grain usually work well. But I do not “bait” the horse with grain to try to lead them into the trailer. That method might work once or twice when the horse is highly motivated to eat and not excited, but it doesn’t actually teach the horse to load long-term. The horse loading and then finding a “surprise” treat inside is a pleasant reward and helps make the trailer a more appealing place to be.
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