Letting horse turn around and unload front-first: OK to do? Or bad habit to start?

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

My new horse - a 22 yr old QH with impeccable manners who normally lives to please - wants to unload frontways. I have a 2H bumper pull modified stock trailer with a removable divider. No ramp.

I do not blame him. I would hate stepping off into space when I could not see my feet or my landing spot. Also this horse is not always the most coordinated animal. He trips on occasion and I’d hate for him to fall getting out of the trailer. It seems to me unloading frontways would minimize this risk.

I’m thinking of just removing the divider. I’d still tie his head and he’d still have the breast bars to brace against if he wanted. I just wouldn’t have to worry about him succeeding in his efforts to turn with the divider in (so far I have thwarted him but there’s always a chance) and getting himself stuck. I also think he’d load more cheerfully if he had the whole trailer instead of just half. Then when we stop, I’d slip in the back door, untie his head, push the back door all the way open, and lead him off frontways.

But. I can hear the howls of my horse friends already, telling me that if I let him do this I’ll never get him to unload backwards again, and sometime I may have to haul him with another horse, and civilization as we know it will cease to exist, etc.

So I thought I’d ask for the collective COTH wisdom before trying it. What say y’all?

[sdlbredfan]

You answered part of the question with ‘Also this horse is not always the most coordinated animal. He trips on occasion and I’d hate for him to fall getting out of the trailer. It seems to me unloading frontways would minimize this risk.’

As horses age, it also quite often becomes harder for them to back up. Ignore your friends who are treating this as a behavioral issue, which it is not.

Have you considered just leaving him loose, and facing backward, since it is a stock trailer? I agree that just removing the divider is best. Many articles I have read say that most horses travel better when they are facing toward the back of the trailer, anyway.

[hank]

Your horse, your trailer. Do what you want.

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

[QUOTE=sdlbredfan;8946136]

Have you considered just leaving him loose, and facing backward, since it is a stock trailer? I agree that just removing the divider is best. Many articles I have read say that most horses travel better when they are facing toward the back of the trailer, anyway.[/QUOTE]

I have thought about it. I’m just not sure how safe it is for the horse.

He’s a little fellow - only 14.3 hh about 900 lbs - so I’m not worried about a big behemoth shifting my truck. Also where we live roads are flat and generally straight.

But if I had a collision, is a loose horse less safe than one that is secured? Or more safe, since if he were knocked off his feet he wouldn’t still be tied by the head? Geez. Isn’t this always the way with horses? Either way can result in a terrible accident.

And thanks - I don’t think it’s behavioral either. He’s such a compliant little soul in all ways - except if he’s afraid he’s going to get hurt. Can’t blame him for that.

@hank;8946137

Your horse, your trailer. Do what you want.

Thank you. I agree.

[Zarafa]

[QUOTE=hank;8946137]
Your horse, your trailer. Do what you want.[/QUOTE]

Seconding!

My little old fellow (14.2 and 30 y/o) has always preferred to ride facing the rear and my fabulous hauler has no problem with it at all. Hauler thinks some of them get ‘trailer sick’ facing front, and is happy to oblige the rear facers to avoid trauma before, during and after the ride.

[Squirt]

I had always been told when I was a kid to NEVER let a horse turn around and go forwards off of a step up trailer. HOWEVER, in the intervening 25 years I have seen it done hundreds of times without incident. So, I would let him turn around and come out forwards if it makes him happier.

[partita]

I have made the same mistake twice. Hauled a strange horse only to find out upon arrival they did not know how to back out (#*$^#@^@%!). Although I don’t have a problem with letting them turn around and come out front first, I do think that every horse should know how to back out as well. You just never know when you will need that skill in unforeseen circumstances. Like if an idiot like me comes along to haul your horse and finding out upon arrival that they do not know how to back out.

You can teach them this by backing up slowly one step at a time into and out of the stall, out one stall door across the aisle and back into another, back up and down slopes and over cavaletti, logs, etc. Back into and out of the arena. Then when you go to try the trailer, do not let them go all the way in the first few times. One front foot only, then back out. Two front feet, then back out. Two fronts and one back, then back out. All of this several times and over several sessions before letting them go all the way in. And never ever in a hurry. Always one step at a time then pause. The first few times you let them all the way in, immediately in one smooth motion go from all the way in to backing back out (before they have a chance to “get stuck”).

This method has always worked for me.

[saddleup]

Because I trail ride with several friends who all have different types of trailers my horses have always had to learn different ways of loading and unloading. It just takes a bit of time and patience but it’s a really valuable skill for them to have. When I had a big slant load my horses would turn around and walk off. Now they back off my step up trailer without incident. My friend has a ramp and they’ve figured that out, too. Do whatever works best for you.

[Tee]

I have two - one likes to turn around, one likes to back out (even if I try to turn him around). I generally let them do what they prefer, but every once in awhile I will back out the turn around horse just so he remembers how, in case it ever comes up in another trailer.

My feeling is that they should know how to back out and step forward out.

[MMavin]

[QUOTE=Tee;8946535]

My feeling is that they should know how to back out and step forward out.[/QUOTE]

This. We get quite a bit of snow, and I sometimes have to unload where it’s packed down and a little slick. Letting my mare come out frontwards is way safer. She stands quietly while I open the divider and waits for my cue as to which method we’re using that day.

Go with your gut for your boy.

[Draftmare]

In any other situation I would say it is a bad habit. If a horse learned that turning around in one trailer is okay, and then tried to do it in another trailer that is too small for that, it could spell disaster for the horse. However, in your case with the stumbling issues, and age, I would say do what is safest for the horse.

[beau159]

You do what works for your horse.

My horses will either back off, or they can turn around. I can do either with them. The majority of the time, we haul in my 3-horse slant load. They self-load, and back off (once in a while, Red will self-unload and back out of the end “stall” but I haven’t worked consistently with him on it).

On occasion, we also haul in a stock trailer. Or when we compete at ranch horse challenges. I can let them turn around in the stock trailer and walk off. Or, I can ask them to back off. They’ll do either.

Really, it’s just a matter of TRAINING. Any horse can be trained to do any of those options. You do what works for you. I like to have my horses trained to back off OR turn around, based on what I instruct them to do.

If you would like to train your horse to back off, it just takes practice. With practice, I am sure he would also be more coordinated. Start with loading one foot, andn then unload one foot. Do that one thousand times. Then load both front feet, and unload both front feet. Do that two thousand times. Then load 3 feet, and unload 3 feet. By the time you progress to asking the horse to load all 4 feet, and then effectively back off the trailer, it is no big deal. They have learned what to do with their feet.

[trubandloki]

It sounds like this horse knows how to back off but with the other issues going off front first is much easier and more comfortable so why force the issue?

My old man sounds like a similar horse to your horse, easy going and very willing. He hated going backwards off a step-up. He would do it. But he made him worry and stress. My modified stock trailer made it very easy to simply turn him around and let him walk out, which fixed the whole worried and stressed thing. Heck with what others think, I did what was best for this horse.

[SuckerForHorses]

I prefer a way to turn them around and walk out if there is no ramp. I’ve seen horses step down and

1. scuff the heck out of the front of their cannon bones, and
2. have a leg slip under the back of the trailer resulting in a broken leg.

I have a 3 horse slant, step up. The only horse that I back off is the last one on, because there is no room to turn it around. The other 2 get turned around and walked off.

I have actually found that turning them around and walking them off has resulted in calmer horses for trailering/unloading. Horses that have rushed off backwards now are much more comfortable unloading, even if I do have to let them back off once in a while now.

[OverandOnward]

He’s 22. So long as you are his forever home, let him get out the way he wants to get out.

Accommodate him whenever you can. Make these years grand ones for him.

[betsyk]

Turning around in a straight-load is scary. I had an Arab who hated to back up and who always tried it, and often got stuck. But if I could swing the divider to the side before unloading him, he had enough room to back a step over and then turn and walk out. Not something I’d want to do with a TB.

We’ve always had straight loads and not always with ramps, so I’ve taught them that “back” means “you’re backing on solid ground” and “step” means “step down now.” Being able to associate a voice command with what’s coming up has helped a couple of ours to deal with the feeling of stepping off into space. I also do a lot of practicing around the barn, stepping and backing off and over and through anything I can find. If you have to trailer him in someone else’s straight load with another horse, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. But really - he’s your horse, it’s your trailer, if you want to take out the divider and haul him by himself so he can walk out the way he prefers, why not?

[Mango20]

I don’t think it’s a big deal. That said, I have a new 6 year old 13hand pony who won’t back off the trailer. I haven’t had the time to really fix that yet, but I plan to, since I will probably sell her in a few years, and want her to be able to unload the way most people will expect her to. For now, we can just swing the divider over and she has plenty of room to turn around.

[cloudy18]

I do both. I have a slant load and typically back my horse out. But if we are parked on questionable footing (ice/snow), or the distance to the ground is different than normal, I let her walk out. I also use a “step” command to let them know they can step down.

[sandsarita]

Well if you have a straight load I would prefer to back them out. What if you need to take 2 horses with you.

That said, I have one horse that I have to turn around. As a 4yo she was having hissy fits getting in and out of trailer. I could make her back out, but there was always drama. At trainers recommendation, to make the entire experience more pleasant, to take the drama out of getting out and just turn her around. Always made her wait on me and I give the signal to turn around. Once I did that, she got better with loading.

Now that I have a better trailer and she is now an amazing hauler, I have tried to get her to back out. Have used the put one or two feet on and back out. That goes fine until she freaks out and just barrels into the trailer as she thinks she is getting in trouble. Have tried slowly backing her out. Can get her to the step down and she just won’t go. And yes, she has an amazing back up on the ground with excellent control. So she just gets to turn around. No trainer has had a problem with this with her. I just warn them and she goes in the first slot or two and good to go.

And as a caveat, I have been hauling for 20 years, have had different trailers and horses. She is the only one I can’t back out. And honestly, she is my forever horse.

Edited to add that one horse I had that was hell to back out at the beginning we put driving lines on him and backed him out from the outside. Worked like a charm and you weren’t in there if he decided to turn suddenly. This mare, it didn’t work for unfortunatley

[BoyleHeightsKid]

I see absolutely nothing wrong with letting them turn around and walk off the trailer especially if it’s a step up. Some horses are afraid of backing off of a step up and my 16.1h TB gelding is one of them.

I hauled with my former BO to a show years ago and she has a 3h slant step up that’s too small for him. He hated loading in that trailer because she always wanted him crammed into the front stall. He would snort and get nervous every time I backed him off that trailer, so this time I let him turn around and walk off… She was horrified and said “I can’t believe you just did that!” I said “Why? Look how much happier he is walking off I don’t see anything wrong with it.” I never hauled with her again and now I have my own huge straight load with a ramp and he happily self loads and backs off with no issues ever. That’s how it should be.