Stress-free hauling

[beowulf]

I appreciate all the responses, folks!

I’ve ordered a noise reducing bonnet; the ear plug idea is second in line if I don’t see an improvement. Trailer camera is on standby, I’m still looking at options.

I had my XC lesson yesterday and I made SO drive me back while I was in the trailer with my gelding. Previously SO has only driven me with the trailer empty for safety reasons. He didn’t love the idea but eventually relented.

There are a few things rattling with a loaded horse that weren’t obvious empty. One was a big spare cotter pin up by the divider above my gelding’s head. I’ve taped that down with some electrical tape. There’s some creaking/wind gusts from the windows above the ramp - they are secured down, but slam against the ramp over bumps. I’m going to ask my trailer guy to come out next weekend to fix that. If anyone has any ideas how to get that battened down, I’d love to hear them.

The chestbar joints creak with horse pressure on them - I WD40’d the joints and then lined it with vet wrap.

The ride itself was smoother than I expected. Much less bumpy and jarring than empty, even over potholes,

Observing his behavior in the trailer, my gelding seemed calm once the trailer started moving. His breathing settled, and he wasn’t splay legged or struggling to keep balanced - another reason I wanted to sit back there and see what was going on.

I did not try hoof boots yet - I pulled mine out of winter storage and found that a rodent of some sort had made a midden in the boot box and destroyed one of my hoof boots - so that idea is on standby until I can order some more.

I’m not sure these are the root of the issue, but I think addressing them will help. I’ll keep you all updated and keep any other ideas you have coming!

[beowulf]

P.S - this is not my trailer but it looks like similar year/style - the red area is where the windows are bumping against the ramp when the trailer is in motion - you can actually see daylight when they move:

Any ideas you guys have for me to chuck at my trailer guy for welding would be much appreciated! He’s pretty clever with metal but not sure if this is a thing he’s done before.

[fivestrideline]

Maybe rubber strips? My straight load has thin, grooved rubber strips on the top doors and ramp right there. I imagine that’ll be cheap and easy to have glued on (even DIY - like stair tread) and better than anything metal.

[Bluey]

@fivestrideline

Maybe rubber strips? My straight load has thin, grooved rubber strips on the top doors and ramp right there. I imagine that’ll be cheap and easy to have glued on (even DIY - like stair tread) and better than anything metal.

That is what I was going to suggest, trailer place should have inserts for just that you can buy from them and push into the metal edges, or even the polyglass ones.

[luvmyhackney]

That’s a great idea.

I’ve seen someone use a door seal to dampen sound trailer sounds and window weather sealing.

[Rnichols]

Yes, that absolutely does make me feel better. I won’t tell my mare, lest it give her an ultimate goal to achieve.

You know, I used to think “oh my horses are so easy”, until other people start to handle them and I have to say “oh wait, but don’t do X Y Z because they don’t like that”. Guess they have me trained LOL. I basically wrote a dissertation for the poor guy who had to feed them while I was out of town one time, for like 2 days

[beowulf]

@Rnichols

You know, I used to think “oh my horses are so easy”, until other people start to handle them and I have to say “oh wait, but don’t do X Y Z because they don’t like that”. Guess they have me trained LOL.

Also guilty!! I realized I didn’t really prepare my filly well for the Real World the other day, when a friend came to ride her. To be clear my friend did absolutely nothing wrong - but there were a few things she didn’t do the way I do, and the filly was looking at me like “WTF Mom???”

[kaya842]

For the ramp doors, I’d try a window sealing tape/ “sound proofing” tape (we got a ton on Amazon for maybe $30?). It should keep it from rattling/ close the gap and if it does rattle it will be foam on metal vs metal on metal so should reduce the sound considerably.

[endlessclimb]

Agree with this, no way would I cut a fabricator loose to try to weld-seal that up! Foam for the win on that one. I’d be looking for the puffy stuff like what’s on a car door.

[equinelibrium]

Wow, this is a great write-up. Thank you! I’ve actually already paid for a subscription to WS’s videos for this month. I created some trailer loading issues with out two who have always walked onto the trailer perfectly by giving them a hard time if they didn’t walk on immediately. (for the record, I wasn’t beating them or anything, but I was trying to use the “make outside the trailer unpleasant” method by making them lunge at the walk/trot when they hesitated) My mare let me know this was not appreciated by refusing to go onto the trailer without the bribe of a cookie. Not helpful when I had to haul her to the clinic to get scoped and she wasn’t allowed food. Similarly, we spent 2 hours trying to get my SO’s horse on the trailer for a trip this winter. Both horses loaded perfectly before so I knew we were messing them up. I watched one of trailer loading videos on WS’s website and tried to emulate that. Took about 10 minutes with my horse and 20 with SO’s. I was flabbergasted. So simple, yet so effective. Even though it was within the free trial range, I purposely didn’t cancel because I felt that alone was worth $30!

So I’ll definitely go looking for the “bending to relaxation” videos. I totally agree with you that separation anxiety causes more issues than we realize. I have a feeling if we could get SO’s horse more confident alone, it would not only help him with the big issue of freaking out off property, but would solve almost all of the minor issues we have with him as well.

[FjordBCRF]

I have had a lot of luck with WS videos and am halfway through his new book which makes a lot of sense. If you haven’t listened to his podcast, they are long episodes but boy does he really talk to some fascinating people. Some have more of a tie in to the horse world than others.

I have mostly made the trailer a place of little stress when asking to load. I did try a couple gentle tug-tug-tugs last time and that did help though I was ready to stop at the first thought of a backup or stress response.

Today I am hauling over to a nearby park to eat hay and dinner and literally a couple bites of grass (laminitis risk) and practice our loading on and off there. And have the camera all set to be able to see how he is during transit as well.

[Feathered_Feet]

@kaya842

For the ramp doors, I’d try a window sealing tape/ “sound proofing” tape (we got a ton on Amazon for maybe $30?). It should keep it from rattling/ close the gap and if it does rattle it will be foam on metal vs metal on metal so should reduce the sound considerably.

Could you share a link? “window sealing soundproofing tape” produces a lot of very varied results.

[Feathered_Feet]

Forgot to add - @beowulf, have you tried a mirror for your guy? I added this one to my trailer for my nervous hauler (who hauls better with a friend), although I can’t say it’s helped much (maybe a smidge, if any): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0855H7RDZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also doubles for checking teeth for spinach after lunch (for me, not the horse).

[ThreeWishes]

@beowulf may I piggyback onto your timely thread?

I have had the same trailer for 16 years. An extremely well maintained Equispirit 2 horse BP straight load with a ramp. I’m the original owner. I’ve owned my current horse for 7 years. Never any hauling issues. Until now. Last horseshow I opened the apron windows and dropped the ramp to find a horse who had pawed himself a raw spot on his left front and completely removed his back left shoe with little scratches all around. Granted what should have taken a little over an hour took about an hour 45 minutes because I 4 in Florida is . I am an experienced and careful driver. That doesn’t mean I don’t encounter idiots who cut me off or stop short. It was long ride. The haul back home was early on a Sunday morning and while he did not remove his shoe again he did paw and stomp around behind and cause small cuts albeit not as bad as the haul to the show.

In the interim I checked everything out. Took a ride back in the trailer with someone else driving and was alarmed at how loud the head divider was … not just rattling but squeaky AF. I removed it since I haul alone. I also secured various tie rings.
I purchased shipping boots.

Fast forward a month and I had decided to bring him home to my barn. A quiet 25 minute haul. Well when I opened the door he had this time kicked off his right back shoe. with some minor cuts and pretty much ruined both back shipping boots. Totally removed the back right one.

Is this just PTSD from the bad trailer ride a month before ? He willingly gets on the trailer and off like a pro. I do feel some stomping when I first start pulling away. I think that is when he kicks his shoe off. I bought and installed a trailer cam. I am going to practice in a week when I am at the end of my 4 week shoeing cycle. Because I don’t want him to kick a shoe off ! Help! I have a show first week of June.

[endlessclimb]

@FjordBCRF

I was ready to stop at the first thought of a backup or stress response.

While I understand your sentiment here, this is a really bad idea for many reasons. You stop when he steps forward. It doesn’t have to be onto the trailer, but it MUST be forward. Poll pressure = forward. This is for tying too, which to me is a life-critical skill that is not up for discussion.

[FjordBCRF]

I will have a runaway horse if I don’t. I know his tells well enough at this point. As soon as he thinks he’s being forced or trapped…buh bye.

[endlessclimb]

There are times though that you’re going to have to face off to that response. I’d rather do it in a controlled setting like a driveway than on a narrow trail somewhere or when he’s tied to the trailer at a show.

[FjordBCRF]

There’s more than one way to get a desired result. As others have commented on this thread, WS methods have also worked well for us and is my preferred way of communicating with a horse. That’s the main approach is be taken with groundwork including trailer loading and it’s been pretty successful.

[endlessclimb]

True, there’s multiple ways to get stuff done.

I’ve never had a horse who wouldn’t get back on a trailer somewhere though, so I’ll stick to what works to make consistent loaders who will get on any trailer at any time.

There are times I care about their feelings and times that I don’t. I don’t care if they don’t like the trailer, they must get on. It’s a safety issue. Same with tying. Same with “forward”.

Note I never said to escalate the tug tug tug. But stopping when he threatens to go backwards or flat out say “eff you” teaches him… what, exactly?

[FjordBCRF]

@endlessclimb

Note I never said to escalate the tug tug tug. But stopping when he threatens to go backwards or flat out say “eff you” teaches him… what, exactly?

That there’s an alternate way to communicate? If the end result is a horse on the trailer and the difference is it takes a few extra minutes to get a horse on the trailer without a fight I would say it teaches them there is an easier way.