Loading in a straight load alone

[c0608524]

So I’ve always been taught that never tie the horse before the butt bar goes up. However, this makes loading my guy a two man operation, which is sometimes not ideal. I totally trust that he’s staying on the trailer once he’s on, he’s a pro at trailering (have to love those OTTBs!), but for unloading sometimes he needs a reminder to keep his head low (he’s 17hh). I worry for self-unloading he’d throw the head up, whack it, and start associating trailering with being a bad experience.

So, does anyone tie their horse before the butt bars done up or does everyone own self loading horses?

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=c0608524;8864581]
So I’ve always been taught that never tie the horse before the butt bar goes up. However, this makes loading my guy a two man operation, which is sometimes not ideal. I totally trust that he’s staying on the trailer once he’s on, he’s a pro at trailering (have to love those OTTBs!), but for unloading sometimes he needs a reminder to keep his head low (he’s 17hh). I worry for self-unloading he’d throw the head up, whack it, and start associating trailering with being a bad experience.

So, does anyone tie their horse before the butt bars done up or does everyone own self loading horses?[/QUOTE]

I learned the hard way to never tie a horse before the butt-bar is up, no matter how trusty you think they are. Teach them to self-load, and add a bucket of grain at the entrance if you think it’s extra incentive.

[SuckerForHorses]

[QUOTE=c0608524;8864581]
So I’ve always been taught that never tie the horse before the butt bar goes up. However, this makes loading my guy a two man operation, which is sometimes not ideal. I totally trust that he’s staying on the trailer once he’s on, he’s a pro at trailering (have to love those OTTBs!), but for unloading sometimes he needs a reminder to keep his head low (he’s 17hh). I worry for self-unloading he’d throw the head up, whack it, and start associating trailering with being a bad experience.

So, does anyone tie their horse before the butt bars done up or does everyone own self loading horses?[/QUOTE]

I guess I’m not understanding the concern about whacking his head backing off having anything to do with self-loading/not tieing prior to butt-bar going up.

To unload, you untie at the head, then go back and put the butt bar down. If horse will stand, you can go back to the head end and back him off that way leaving you still at his head for control there. If not, you just put the butt bar down and allow horse to back off the trailer, and as he gets off, you grab leadrope.

[Tiffani_B]

I’ve taught my horses to self load. They walk in by themselves while I stand by the butt bar. I put up the bar, then walk around and tie them. Getting then OUT is more of a problem though - when I untie them, they try to turn around and go out face first. Obviously they don’t fit so then they get agitated. I’ve ended up using a lunge line that I clip to their halter, run through the tie ring up front, and then run it back to the butt bar so I can keep them straight until I lower the bar.

It’s a PITA. We definitely need to work on this!

[c0608524]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8864596]
I guess I’m not understanding the concern about whacking his head backing off having anything to do with self-loading/not tieing prior to butt-bar going up.

To unload, you untie at the head, then go back and put the butt bar down. If horse will stand, you can go back to the head end and back him off that way leaving you still at his head for control there. If not, you just put the butt bar down and allow horse to back off the trailer, and as he gets off, you grab leadrope.[/QUOTE]

The issue with whacking his head is he likes to come off with his head as high as he can - usually he needs a little coaxing to lower the head as he backs up. I worry that if left to his own devices he’ll bang his head. Hope that clears it up!

[downen]

I use and extra long lead rope. I snap it on, undo the trailer tie, then hold it as I go around to the back. That way I’m still able to have some control of the head until the back out, then I let the rope slip and grab it as they come out.

[Highflyer]

They can and should be taught to wait even after the butt bar is down until you are ready for them to unload, whether you stand at the back next to the ramp and cue them from there and catch them as they unload or walk back to the front and back them out.

You can always use a head bumper, but IME they figure out pretty quickly not to put their heads straight up (assuming your trailer isn’t super low). http://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjIo--v-q_PAhWMHYEKHcVRCMkYABAJ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAESIeD27vVIhqFUqpruzgPsaIMUPNrU7Kr1hAJTpRwXb1fUmA&sig=AOD64_1qqmUyK3DKHJGOK4Xxt2aUKgm5jw&ctype=5&q=&ved=0ahUKEwjvhuqv-q_PAhVMGT4KHWaFDdAQwg8IJw&adurl=

[LadyB]

If you can, have the time and a friend, teach them to self load. Its wonderful!

My guy self loads and unloads. I lead him up to the ramp, as he’s walking up I walk beside the ramp. Some days he’ll stop, a little pull towards the trailer and he walks right on. Toss the butt bar and deal with the front once the butt bar is up.

Unloading him, undo the tie up at the head, then head to the bum. I tap his bum once my butt bar is down and he starts to wobble off. At 13 years old… he still can’t back up straight off the ramp :lol: He can be embarrassing about that. If only he could do it straight, but he walks right off. Super handy since we travel a lot just the two of us.

[whitney159]

[QUOTE=LadyB;8864660]
If you can, have the time and a friend, teach them to self load. Its wonderful!

My guy self loads and unloads. I lead him up to the ramp, as he’s walking up I walk beside the ramp. Some days he’ll stop, a little pull towards the trailer and he walks right on. Toss the butt bar and deal with the front once the butt bar is up.

Unloading him, undo the tie up at the head, then head to the bum. I tap his bum once my butt bar is down and he starts to wobble off. At 13 years old… he still can’t back up straight off the ramp :lol: He can be embarrassing about that. If only he could do it straight, but he walks right off. Super handy since we travel a lot just the two of us.[/QUOTE]

Forget even needing a friend. Take the time and teach self loading. I’m not a follower of the natural cowboy types, BUT after a two hour fight with a new mare who would. not. load…I found a trailer training guide from a John Lyons follower. It’s like 5 days to trailer training or something. It only takes one person. By the time you get to having them fully in the trailer, on their own, it’s all just a non-issue. I don’t think it’s any great secret method (and no flicky thing is required), it’s just breaking down what you are asking of them. First teach them to walk past you on a lead rope. Teach them to move forward if you tap them with a dressage whip on the hip, teach them to move off pressure. Then introduce the trailer. One foot at a time. One foot on, then back them off. Do it 100 times. Then two feet (100 times) then three etc. The repetition is great for both of you and even my super reactive mare went from absolute refusal to finally accepting that loading on a trailer was something she COULD indeed handle. My OTTB gelding has always been a self loader and if it kills me, every horse I have in the future will also learn this. It is truly wonderful. Now, time for me to get my butt together and go practice what I preach with my two year old.

[Guilherme]

You don’t need to teach a horse to “self load” to be safe. That’s a very good thing to do, of course, but not a necessity.

You DO need to teach a horse to load quietly and stand quietly after loading. This takes time and dedication. It can be done; it’s up to the owner to do it.

G.

[LadyB]

[QUOTE=whitney159;8864685]
Forget even needing a friend. Take the time and teach self loading. I’m not a follower of the natural cowboy types, BUT after a two hour fight with a new mare who would. not. load…I found a trailer training guide from a John Lyons follower. It’s like 5 days to trailer training or something. It only takes one person. By the time you get to having them fully in the trailer, on their own, it’s all just a non-issue. I don’t think it’s any great secret method (and no flicky thing is required), it’s just breaking down what you are asking of them. First teach them to walk past you on a lead rope. Teach them to move forward if you tap them with a dressage whip on the hip, teach them to move off pressure. Then introduce the trailer. One foot at a time. One foot on, then back them off. Do it 100 times. Then two feet (100 times) then three etc. The repetition is great for both of you and even my super reactive mare went from absolute refusal to finally accepting that loading on a trailer was something she COULD indeed handle. My OTTB gelding has always been a self loader and if it kills me, every horse I have in the future will also learn this. It is truly wonderful. Now, time for me to get my butt together and go practice what I preach with my two year old.[/QUOTE]

100%!

[jherold]

Yes, all the horses I own and have owned are self loading. But they didn’t come that way! Take the time to teach them. I also use the John Lyons method.

[Eleanor]

Self loading in both a straight or angle haul is the only way horses should be loaded in trailers. I had a bad loader in my teen yrs and now I take the time to teach all my horses to self load.

Straight load with my guy, we walk up towards the trailer, I put the rope on his neck and give him a treat he walks in and I close up the back of the trailer, put chain, but door, ramp and then top door. Then I walk around and tie him up. I make sure that there is a few treats up front for him when he gets on. When unloading, I untie him put the rope on his neck. walk around to the back open top door, ramp, butt door and then drop chain. Pat him on his butt and tell him to “back out”.

Angle load. Walk you to trailer, rope over neck, give treat, he loads. I follow him in and close divider, walk out, close up trailer. go around to side and tie up. Unloading just reverse steps. Only I back him out as he is 17.3 and hard for him to turn in most trailers. With smaller horses they can turn around but they must stop at the door before stepping out.

I just did this for a lady at the barn on Monday. She couldn’t get her mare to load going to the vet. 30 mins later the mare was self loading and standing in the trailer waiting to be tied up. this from a mare that would pull back and drag you if she could. All it take is a little ground work and bounders.

[EmilyM]

Do you have the divider that easily opens up so you can walk in with him and then slowly back up and close the butt bar? reverse for off loading? i did that with my guy and by the end of show season i didn’t even have to go up with him. just threw the lead over his neck and up he went.

[rebecca_yount]

Some good suggestions here. I have always taught all my horses to self-load and unload using basically the methods described. It is a very good skill to have. 40 years ago loading was scary to me but after years of practicing and having horses do it the right way it’s very routine now.

[ndirish07]

Another for the self-loading option. I think my new horse had a bad experience trailering and just did.not.want. to load. Every time I wanted to go somewhere I was on a schedule and just didn’t have time for his non-sense, so then I got mad and flustered, which really helped things. :no:

I did the same thing as mentioned above. I started with groundwork and really taught the basics i.e. moving off the shoulders, backing, moving hips. etc. Once his ground manners were installed, I worked with him over the weekend on self loading. I lead him in quite a few times, made him stand, and then backed him off. Then I started asking him to self load— I did clip the divider over so it was wider so he had a larger opening. I had a dressage whip and if he planted or refused to move I just lightly tapped him, and annoyed the crap out of him until he went forward. Mule planting was not an option. He went after 10 minutes and then its like it clicked in his head. I also had sweet feed in a bucket in the manger so he had something to eat so he’d associate trailer=happy place. He’s pretty food motivated so that was easy. I also hooped and hollered like he won Rolex every time he went in. To unload I made sure he was listening and would poke his hips if he tried to sit on the butt bar to get him to move off. I really don’t have an issue with my guy for the “off” part. I wouldn’t be too worried about them whacking their head coming off–I dont think they’ll equate that with a bad experience rather than hey maybe duck next time, unless of course, the trailer is particularly low for the horse.

While he may not always load on the first try he loads by the 3rd attempt. I haul a lot by myself so he has to self load and unload.

[AKB]

I would put some treats in the hay bag before you unload. If he is chewing, he may not throw his head up in the air. You also have the option of untying him in the front, putting treats in the hay bag, undoing the butt bar, and then going back to his head while he is still looking for treats.

Self loading is the easiest way to load. I can’t believe I walked in with the horses for years before I learned about self loading.

[Hej]

Just want to add a reason to NEVER tie a horse until the butt bar is fastened - a horse can panic if they hit the end of the tie, pull back and flip over when it or the halter lets go.

I saw a horse break it’s back/neck in what was basically a backwards rotational fall out of a trailer, owner simply forgot to untie before dropping the butt bar.

Not something I ever want to see again, and obviously devastating for the owner.

[joiedevie99]

No, I would never tie before putting up the butt bar.

I almost never have loading help. One self loads. Just point at the trailer, and he puts himself on. The other, I walk on, then go out the door and around back. I put up the butt bar, and the ramp. Then, I go back to the side door, take off the lead rope, and tie the horse.

[Dani]

I taught my mare to self load and I do not tie her in the trailer. I’ve got a tall, wide, and long 2 horse straight load. I get her head in and then give her an extra tug forward and she steps right on. As soon as she’s in I clip the butt bar up and load the next horse. When it’s time to unload all of the ones I regularly trailer are self unloaders except for 1 and he’s coming along. Because I don’t tie, I lower the butt bar and then give a light tug on the tail and they all calmly back off. My mare tried raising her head once in a trailer and she whacked it pretty good and never tried that again. She’s not quite as big as yours, but the learning process should be about the same.