Okay, by popular demand, I’m going to start a new thread asking a serious question.
How would you train a horse that doesn’t load onto trailers especially well (even with 2-3 troops to help) to self-load?
What a great idea. A(nother) design project for my engineer husband.
The longe line works well. However, I’d like to get my horse to load so that I can go to shows/lessons/etc. without having to drag unwilling friends/relatives/visiting firemen with me. I’ve heard about John Lyons’ tape and am curious to know if any of you have actually seen it.
personally, i’m not above bribery. carrots, grain, you name it. if you have to capabilities, feeding the horse out of the trailer works. you have to convince the horse that he WANTS to go in. longe lines around the butt, brooms, etc, they’ll get the horse IN but not particularely happily. I have a mare that for years had loaded very well. then, a combination of things had her spooky about loading in a trailer. vas were no problem, just trailers. first, the mare fell through a bridge, then someone else (without my presence) tried to load the mare in a trailer (Which supposedly had just had the floor redone) in which i could see the floor move under the horse’s feet, plus the woman was, from all accounts, rather rough with my less-than-trusting mare. needless to say, we picked her up in the van the next day.(another possible reason- the mare’s intuition-someone else was trailering a horse in that trailer the following weekend, and was cruising along, looked over, and saw the wheel of the trailer go flying past her. yep, it had fallen off.) what ultimately worked with my mare (who is very calm and has a great mind) was blindfolding her. popped the blindfold on, led her up to the trailer and on she went. has loaded fine ever since, and i load and unload her by myself. in her case, she just needed to be convinced that it was ok for her to go on the trailer again. but if you don’t know why your horse won’t load, i’d stick with straight-up bribery.
This three year old “jumped” on my three horse slant trailer (in the first stall, so no help from his buddies) the first time he saw it, and then proceeded to ride from Florida to Connecticut over the course of the next two days. The other two passengers were my older horse, and I am sure they helped him along the way, but you wouldn’t believe how this little guy coped with 24 hours of travel. (Calm, and never thought twice about getting back on the trailer after the first night’s rest stop.)
I attribute it all to his excellent breaking.
Work really hard on establishing “forward” in hand. It doesn’t matter if you use traditional dressage in-hand technique, or John Lyons technique, or what- as long as the horse learns “forward” in response to your command.
Then practice the command in more and more confined spaces (corresponding to loading on a trailer).
When “forward” is firmly established even in “scary” circumstances, set up the trailer so it has solid “wings”. Backing it up to a stall or barn door is one way.
Then lead the horse, using the “forward” command. Just before the horse wants to stop, YOU tell him to stop. Let him stand for quite a while (till he loses interest). Then ask him to move forward.
From then on it is primarily a question of timing of the aids, payience, and knowing how much to ask. With a really bad case, you might be satisfied the first day with putting one foot on the ramp. Then the next time with 2 feet on the ramp, and so on. With a different horse, you might insist on doing the whole thing the first time.
You need to be more patient than the horse is stubborn.
Generally, encourage the horse to go forward, but do not punish it for NOT going forward. Only “punish” it (which usually means jerking on the lead and yelling) when the horse goes backwards.
Anyway, that is what has worked for me. My horses are not all perfect loaders, but none of them are really bad either.
I agree with proponents of bribery as the first thing to try. I have two that know how to load just fine, thank you, but try the balking/freezing thing sometimes, and aren’t influenced by treats. They, too, get upset with a big smack, and are a little freaked by rope around the butt.
I do something similar to the “make them respond to forward” mentioned above. Back away from the trailer, do a brief sort of “lunging” session on the end of the lead shank to reinforce the concept of moving forward when I say forward. You can just show them a dressage whip, or touch the hind end every so lightly - not as threatening or scary as a big whack. Push them to trot or scoot away from you (nothing like a real lungeing session.) It seems to get them unstuck! Obviously you wouldn’t do this to a horse that’s just plain scared, or doesn’t know how to load.
Reward with a treat when they do get on, of course!
Just another idea to consider…
(Umm, what’s the correct spelling - lunging? lungeing? Dang.)
>>>Get Buck Branaman’s ground work tape. Your horse needs to be better halter broke. I know it sounds crazy,
Nope, it doesn’t sound crazy at all. This is a horse who will be walking alongside me and just suddenly stop. It only takes a couple of light taps to get him going again, but he shouldn’t stop on his own in the first place. I’ll look into the tape you recommended. He rides just fine on the trailer and doesn’t seem at all afraid of it. It just seems as though it’s his little “test.”
It’s close on the carrots one. The best fix I have ever seen is one a couple of people used at a boarding stable I was once part of.
Take the horse and only feed him in the trailer for a couple of weeks. He only gets hay and a handful of grain if he only goes in his stall. You keep it hooked up to a truck at meal time, go out and have his food in it. He starts with only going part way in the first few times, then you let him see you bring it to the front the next couple of times. After a while, they usually go in if they are little pigs. Then you close it up and let them eat for a few days, and on the final couple of days, you drive around the block with them eating dinner.
Takes patience and a hungry horse, but it works!
It doesn’t sound like you have a chronic bad loading issue. You would just rather he run you over getting into the trailer, right? 
I love those self loaders, too. I found that taking a part of a day, if you will, and dedicate it to getting in and out of the trailer works. Load at his pace at first, with people support as needed. Let him stand in the trailer, doors closed etc. Then off load, don’t go far from trailer, then come back in. Repeat this two or three times. He should get quicker about getting in. Then take him for a ride around the block. Off load, and reload. With enough practice, my guy has gotten to where I can finally throw the rope over his neck and sometimes he just walks right in (step up two horse). Other times he is a bit hesitant and I have to walk in the off side of trailer and encourage him. I do load the barrels of the gun ALWAYS. I have his “nose bracelet” on (chain) just in case he gets “stupid” and decides backing up is a better idea. Then we do the backing up until “I” say whoa. Not real fun, and then he gets right in the trailer.
He was a real stinker as a three year old and it has taken the above method. I travel alot by myself and also do not have the privilege of having another body around at 5:00am to help get the horse in the trailer.
respectfully disagree. would never recommend loading by using a longe line. too dangerous if the horse is really going back or getting difficult. can result in injury to handler and horse, and makes horses more claustrophobic, not less.
i had to break a very, very very bad loader. i did it like this.
first, we use a ramp. it is far better when the horse won’t load well. remove everyone from the area - dogs, cats, mice, onlookers, helpers, other horses. make sure the trailer is parked in an open, safe area with good footing around the ramp that is firm yet not hard, not slippery or wet, and not easily cut up.
if there is a partitition, remove it or draw it to the far left side of the trailer and secure it so it will not move.
remove the tail bar, breast bar, equipment, trunks, tools, brooms, and muck baskets.
close windows and front doors.
get the horse. put on bandages and bell boots on the legs, a thick head bumper, a leather halter and shank, and put away all your whips, ropes, brooms, and anything loose. park the trailer away from branches, trees. if possible, point it so when the horse walks in he’s going toward the barn or toward his stall. be absolutely sure the trailer is secured to a tow vehicle, and do not leave the horse unsupervised around or in the trailer at any time.
put the leather lead shank on the halter without putting the chain over the nose, under the chin, across the face or up through the halter in any way. double the chain and twist it so it stays together and does not leave a long length of chain to put your hand on.
put on gloves, hard toed shoes, lace them up tight and secure them, put on thick, sturdy pants and shirt that do not flap, rattle, drag on the ground or make you trip or stumble.
a couple layers of clothes will help protect your skin if you hit the ground or the trailer.
get a bucket and put some grain, carrots, sugar cubes and apples in it. add any treats the horse especially likes and can eat quickly (not hay).
drop the ramp, and be sure it is secure, steady, even and not shaky, uneven or unsupported.
get the horse, equip him properly, and lead him, carrying the bucket.
make the horse get in the trailer.
people always ask for more details to that part, LOL!!!
the most essential thing is to drop the attitude. your job is to find out, within the next 6-8 hrs, a way to get the horse into the trailer, NOT to put into play what you read in a book.
with different horses, different things work, and you have to be able to keep adjusting your approach, reading the horse, and responding to what he is doing, and responding very quickly and accurately, to get results. as your schooling continues, you’ll find what you did before stops working, and you have to take another tack, and you should.
this is an experiment in fixing a misaligned communication between you and your horse.
and yes, he’s going in the trailer. you won’t stop until he does.
with some horses, you carry the bucket and march quickly forward with the bucket where the horse has to reach for it, you stay by his side, you don’t walk in front of him, you walk at his shoulder with him moving along smartly, you don’t look back, and you march right up the ramp, growling, clucking or saying, ‘‘GIT UP THERE!’’.
and then you stand in the trailer and let him eat. get his head down in that bucket and keep it there as long as you can. and then you back him out.
at first he will run off or run right back out. bring him back in. keep doing it until he stays in for ONE SECOND before he runs out, and try to keep him in by giving him food.
and that doesn’t always work. sometimes it doesn’t work because people don’t lead at the shoulder and keep moving; they hesitate. other times it plain doesn’t work.
so at other times you will keep the horse faced into the trailer. NEVER BACK HIM UP, AND NEVER CIRCLE HIM. you are teaching him not to get in the trailer. if he can’t get in, have him face the trailer and look into it, but never, never, never, never, never back him up or circle him.
if HE runs back, go with him.
yes, go with him.
and then immediately make him walk right back into his spot, looking in. if he’s crooked line him up straight.
then you start ‘‘stepping in’’.
if you have ONE ounce of fear about having him come forward toward you and being in close quarters with you in the trailer, hand him over to someone else, because he’ll sense it and he won’t get in.
you give him some food from the bucket in your hand. go on, let him stretch and stretch and stretch. let him stretch for two hours, if he likes. if he reaches the food, he gets a little tiny treat.
every time he moves one forefoot forward, even if he moves it 1/4 of an inch, give him food out of your hand.
step him in up the ramp as far as you can. he’ll run back many times, most likely. bring him back to his spot and start over. remember, you’re not going to get mad and lose it, but you are NOT GOING TO GIVE UP. EVER.
he goes back to his spot and you straighten him. one time, a hundred times, a thousand times, a million times. be quick about it, and be firm, and make him do what he’s supposed to do, but DO NOT LOSE YOUR TEMPER.
the longer you piddle around and let him stand there thinking about it, remember, is the longer time he gets it in mind that he doesn’t have to get into the trailer, so if you feel you need to ‘‘give him space’’, ‘‘let him rest’’, and stuff like that, be very clear what you’re doing in his mind - backing down and saying, ‘‘you’re right, you don’t have to get on’’.
while at the same time you are going to push him ALMOST to his limit, but not beyond. THAT is the art of it. you have GOT to push, but not ONE iota more than it takes or he’ll get dangerous.
if he starts to go sideways, steps sideways off the ramp, leaps over the ramp sideways, runs back, rears or starts kicking or simply loses it, GO WITH HIM and BRING HIM BACK TO HIS SPOT IMMEDIATELY. straighten him if he’s crooked, and do it quickly.
almost every horse will get to the point where he will have a flat out temper tantrum, just like a little child.
bring him back to his spot.
many horses will just lose it and try to get into the barn or pull away.
go get him and bring him back to his spot.
you have to be like a FORCE OF NATURE. you will not give up.
now when you have the horse that just stubbornly stands there like a frozen statue while you pull, you’ve probably got his neck too straight when you pull. pull his head to the left, and then to the right, and then try to have him go forward. pull his head to one side until one of his forefeet moves, and then take him forward.
every single step he takes you FEED that horse. when he’s stretching and stepping in, out of your hand, and once he’s in, get his head down and IN THAT BUCKET!
the main idea is this. he’s getting in.
velvet’s way is what i would suggest…have seen place the trailer in the pasture(hooked up of course) and left the food in there(but not the water) and let the horse wander in to eat and over time they forget it’s scary and want to go in…
“There are times when you can trust a horse, time when you can’t, and times when you have to.”
Somehow I remember reading someone describing the method where you attach a lunge line to the halter and feed it through the trailer, out the escape door and back to yourself, standing behind the horse. Meant to try it (I definitely don’t have a ‘self-loader’) but it’s just not an activity that seemed like any sort of fun in the dead of winter. Sorry I can’t remember any more details, but maybe someone else here will…
Yeh, I think the “general ground manners-thing” is a good way.
A couple of years ago, some people were leaving our barn with their 2 horses, a couple of “wild Ayrabs”. They tried for 30 minutes or more, and couldn’t get them to go in. They came and asked me to help. I had just recently read some things about making the horse move, some direction, forward, side, or back, if they balked. So, I took the first horse, led him up and down the aisle (quietly, but firmly and determinedly, stopped him, backed him, made him go sideways, etc., to make sure he was focused and would do and go as I asked. Then I took him back out to the trailer, walked as confidently as I could straight into the trailer, and he followed, nice as could be. Took the other horse in the barn, same routine, same result. And the owners went on their way, thinking I was some kind of magician! But then, too, tho’ both horses knew me, but not as well as they knew their owners, perhaps they were intimidated in some way and were afraid to refuse me?! Does this make me a sort of “Godmother” ?!
Use the modified Chinese water torture technique. All it takes is a dressage whip. Lead the horse to the trailer and the moment he backs (or balks) tap his whithers with the whip. The longer he stands the stronger the taps (read: firm taps, not lashings!). The moment he so much as slightly shifts his weight forward, stop and tell him he’s good. Ask him to go forward again and if he balks, resume tapping.
Works on the worse of loaders and takes very little effort (as well as only you). Personally, I’ve no patience for the lunge line or feeding techniques. If I want a horse in a trailer, I want him in there now, not three weeks from now. I also don’t want to arrive at my destination exhausted with scary hair.:eek:
Susie
how about water and feed are ONLY available on the trailer???
But first I’d think about this…
Make sure the trailer doesn’t rattle while it’s on the road (take a ride inside, without the horse to see for yourself)… use a backroad, not a highway. Maybe the windows rattle? The roof?
Maybe the driver is bad! Too fast, too swervy, too quick to hit the brakes?
Maybe the hay net swings and smashes the poor horse in the face?
Maybe the floor is unsafe and the horse is scared?
Velvet’s explanation is what we use for babies that have never been trailered or remediating rotten horses. For a horse that is just spoiled and has to be loaded now, lounge whip (or even scarier yet, a broom) on the butt. When they stop or back up, they get tapped.
You didn’t mention whether or not you had a ramp or not with your trailer. If it’s a step up, it’s generally easier to get them to load because once you get their head and neck in the rest will follow. With the ramp, plenty of time and using the feeding method Velvet explained is the only way to get them used to the ramp and trailer.
Sorry I can’t offer any other suggestions, but those two methods are the only two that I know that works.
>>>Maybe the driver is bad! Too fast, too swervy, too quick to hit the brakes?
Hey, I resent this comment. I went through Skip Barber’s School of High Performance Driving – twice.
Okay, by popular demand, I’m going to start a new thread asking a serious question.
How would you train a horse that doesn’t load onto trailers especially well (even with 2-3 troops to help) to self-load?
Sometimes when going all the way onto the trailer is too much for a horse to comprehend, I try to break up the task into smaller bits. I’ll start one day with the goal of just getting the horse to step one foot onto the ramp (or in the case of a step-down, one foot into the trailer). I just practice getting one foot up several dozen times, with hearty displays of praise for each time the foot goes up, and reinforcement through repetition. Then in the next session, I aim for two feet on the ramp, and so on. By the time we get to asking for all four feet on the ramp, the horse is getting really good at it, and also is learning how to back off the ramp safely. Broken up into more digestible bits, the horse can eventually go all the way onto the trailer without a lot of fuss. I try to avoid hollering and lead-rope-jerking so the horse does not associate the trailer’s appearance with a big undesireable hassle.
Make sure the horse always goes forward when you ask.
A caution against the whip method…my horse now will not load if anyone stands by the trailer doors or behind him, because he’s sure they will beat him with a whip. If no one is in those areas, he will walk forward willingly on command and load.
