Have you tried hauling her out every day, even if its just for 5 -10 minutes just put her on and go somewhere everyday for a week and see if that helps?
That is going to be my next game in the process, now that I can get my trailer out of the parking area (surrounded by mud, so my truck wont get stuck) I will do that. She’s been good with another horse in a similar trailer (I did have to tell the driver not to take the turns so fast though!). I can’t quite haul every day but I’m going to try to add time on the weekends by herself in the trailer. I want to get a trailer cam installed.
Update. No kicking chains yet, have been trying various trailering scenarios on DIFFERENT Trailers, different drivers. With and without other horses.
She kicks a lot less with other horses around. Her kicking leg is her back right. Kicks less when she is tired, more after we first get in and start driving, doesn’t matter who is driving.
Note, she also kicks when she’s in her stall alone in the barn and is mad that no other horse is stalled. NO neighing, just spins and kicks. But, she does quiet down after 2 minutes, last year she just about tore the place apart if she was alone. (I tested that theory this weekend). I don’t think its her having a bad experience in the trailer. She used to paw hard and acted stressed when I first got her, she’s a lot calmer now in the past 8 months, except the kicking. She’ll stand quietly on the trailer and happily eat, never tries to get out when the other horse unloads. So she is usually mannerly.
Over all, she’s been excellent: standing quiet in cross ties, self loading, standing quiet when tied to trailer, excellent in jumping lessons (she getting more forgiving of my mistakes , just pins her ears at me when I’m not doing well), decent working on flat (worked through some testiness when 2 horses left the arena and we were by ourselves, but then was fine). Yesterday was the first chance I have had to hack out alone on the property. She was a peach, no barn or herd sourness, she doesn’t spook but sometimes she can be “I just cant go that way” but offered none of that. Light in bridle and happy. Stayed at a walk when we headed home, even though she wanted to speed up. She listened and stayed on a lose rein.
So, I may try the kicking chain in the stall and go from there.
You can tap the brakes when she kicks that will force her to stand up, its has worked wonders for some of my horses.
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You said putting a pad between the butt bar and the ramp doesn’t do anything?
She probably gets a great deal of satisfaction from the sound/feel of kicking. Take that away and she may do it a lot less.
Sounds like separation anxiety too, she hates being alone. Maybe she needs to gradually spend more time farther from her buddies at home? It’s a tough, instinctive behavior to try to work out but most of them learn to accept it given enough time and practice. Might be a better way to approach it then kicking chains-get to the reason for the behavior, not just punish it.
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Oh, it could be. Yesterday I had a lesson I had to trailer to. My friend couldn’t take her horse so I had to trailer mine. Opted to take my Quiet TB gelding too to give her a buddy. I grabbed her out of pasture and put her in stall. Get my gelding and as I’m walking in the barn I see her just bucking and kicking the snot out of the stall. I yell at her and she stops. I perfect look of “who me? Was I doing something?”. turd.
Fast forward. Both horses load quietly as usual. All closed up and waiting for my friend to jump in the truck. Not a peep, as she used to paw. Then “WHAM WHAM WHAMM WHAMM”. A fellow boarder was walking behind the trailer and just about pooped herself as she was about a foot behind the tailer. She comes running up…laughing as we know who it is… My trailer rocking back and forth like there’s a dragon, she said it was a bit freaky as she was next to it… It all stops and my friend finally jumps in the truck. Maybe one had foot stamp on the way there. She unloads and ties to trailer and was strong but fine for the lesson. And not a peep or a stomp when we trailered home.
Both times I waited about 10 minutes before driving off too. So it was improved, but still taking a buddy.
