I have a horse that is relatively new to me. He traveled quite a distance to get to me. He was in a box stall with other horses getting off and on on the trip. He loads just fine and trailers well with others, but he’s a basket case. When you trailer him alone. The front half of him is soaked with sweat.He’s shaking and foamy
He’s going to need to trailer by himself. When I go to meet friends for trail riding and other activities. Does anybody have any suggestions for me? He gets on just fine but as soon as you close him up and start to move, he gets upset. It doesn’t matter what type of trailer. I have an Adam 2 plus 1. I am looking for people that have actually had this problem and how they actually solved it if they did. I’ve never had this problem with a horse.
Thank you in advance.
You could try attaching an unbreakable mirror to the wall. I’ve heard that can help.
Slow and steady, short rides, even just to the end of your driveway/road at first if that’s what he needs to get off without being drenched and shaking. They take the time they take to get comfortable, and then they’re ready to go a little farther. It can be a slow and frustrating process if you’ve never had a difficult traveler 
Also, this is a bit off the wall, but my mare who trailered like your guy had PSSM1, and I came to believe trailering really was physically difficult for her. She was nearly asymptomatic from PSSM, but would have muscle tremors after getting off the trailer, even for very short trips. She would load because she was cooperative, but she hated everything about the ride. Since it’s a new horse for you, could be worth checking his PSSM status to see if he has an extra layer of physical discomfort.
Baby steps as posted above, and lots of repetition, positive reinforcent, time, and infinite calmness and patience on your part.
BTW, how does he do when left alone at the barn? And just for further information, ride in the trailer with him (both of you safely positioned) down your driveway and see how he does.
I assume you have tried him in the box stall area of your 2+1. How’d that go?
If he isn’t actively trying to kill himself, honestly this will resolve with repetition. I wouldn’t try a cross-country solo haul, but anything under an hour and a half just do it. He will gain confidence through time.
My guys has always been reluctant loading. He will do it, but like yours only because he is cooperative. He was also always a little better loading to leave vs going back home which I thought was kind of backwards.
Now that I know we’ve been up against chronic Lyme for the past 4 years, I don’t imagine the ride feels very good for him. I have a camera, and he is cool as a cucumber when we haul, but I don’t think it felt great on hooves/legs for him.
Thanks! He is fine on the trailer if he has a buddy, so thinking not PSSM
Does he have any other instances of separation anxiety or just on the trailer?
He doesn’t like to be alone. I did ride with him and he started the behavior as soon as we moved.
He doesnx̌t like to be out of sight of other horses.
This sounds like the trailer is not actually the issue then.
You said he is new to you; how much time has he had to settle in? I’d be inclined to spend a good while with just working on low pressure bonding type work with him, then slowly start to get him out of his comfort zone away from friends until you build up some more confidence in him before hauling him out by himself.
Wondering if some medication might help to get him used to it?
I have a horse like this. Very obedient about loading. Sweaty and shaking after hauling alone. Fine with a buddy. Doesn’t really like being alone ever and is only separated from other horses when he’s working with me (hobby farm, single herd, no stalls).
My trailer is similar to yours, can be configured as 2+1 or box, currently 2-horse straight load reverse; configuration didn’t seem to matter.
What REALLY helped was the Summer of Trailer. I would load him several times a week with delicious hay or soupy mashy delicious grain (soaked TC Sr) and leave the doors and barriers open so he could leave if needed. As he became more comfortable I put the butt bars up. After another week or two I would close up all the doors. I gradually worked up to loading him like we were ready to drive off then walking away for 30 min to do chores. By giving him the option to leave in the beginning he built up confidence and got comfortable just staying in the trailer alone.
I have read a scientific study supporting the mirror, effects demonstrated by measuring cortisol (stress indicator). Lower than hauling alone, not as good as hauling with a buddy. Haven’t tried it yet.
I had a friend’s horse stay at my house for a bit. When I went to take him back he absolutely would not get on the trailer. I tried every trick in the book.
It turns out he will not load without another horse. I was like… why didn’t you tell me that sooner?! I will say I did get him on without killing him or beating him. It just too far more time then I would have liked.
My friend has another horse with trailer phobia and for a while she trailered that horse everywhere. I would drive behind her and the mare would be circling in the trailer and would arrive covered in sweat. The kicking in the trailer did improve but the anxiety never did improve that much. The mare will load but always has anxiety about being in there. Now for a while this mare would pick a spot to throw herself on the ground when riding back to the trailer… that did go away. My friend would have to hike the last 1/4th a mile back and the mare finally gave that up.
Now my friend has stopped taking her anywhere. I don’t think she has time to deal with the theatrics and when she does have time to ride she picks a easier horse.
Bob, the day I bought him, loaded great into the trailer. All by himself, he trailered 20 min to the local horse park. By the time I got there, he was white-foam soaking wet. This continued for about 9-10 months. Gradually, he stopped. Now he no longer sweats in the trailer. He seems about as quiet as my other horses. So just do it. Make sure you trailer is safe --I used pawing bracelets for awhile. Now Bob no longer paws.
My trainer said, “That he clearly hates trailering and still gets into the trailer for you, is a great testament to how well he trusts you. Trust him.”
I wonder if his previous owners were not considerate drivers with the trailer and he had rough trips. Once he figured out he was getting a better ride he settled down.
It sounds like he’s herdbound, not like he has a trailering issue.
Lots and lots of repetition of leaving his buddies, working, and returning is the only solution I’ve ever found for this. Medication won’t do anything unless you plan on sedating him every time you need to take him away from the other horses indefinitely.
@Christa_P : I actually am acquainted with ALL of Bob’s previous owners: WV breeder, kept him for stud for 4 years, gelded him, sent him to a trainer for saddle breaking at 4 (he didn’t throw color). At 5 he was sold so she could buy a stud who would throw color (blue roan). 5-6 years old, with a barrel racer who never barrel raced him; she called him “fat, lazy, and slow,” traded for a made WP horse for her daughter. 6-7 60 days at a “horse flipper’s” barn --she made a great video of him, and sold him to a friend of mine near where I live. 7 months with her, one trailer ride with other horses to a state park and back. Friend found out Bob is terribly herd aggressive and needed him gone ASAP --I bought him [for a lot less than she paid for him] as I am set up for individual pastures.
In conclusion, Bob was never hauled much as far as I can see. And it appears when he was hauled, it was always with other horses.
In Bob’s case, I suspect the “anxiety” was more herd separation than fear of the trailer per se. Yet, he’s 100% ok alone in the barn, or riding out by himself. So might be wrong there. I long ago quit trying to figure out why horses do what they do.
Bob does continue to try to eat my trailer --I find teeth marks on the aluminum divider and on the front bulkhead. To keep him from doing true damage to his teeth or my trailer, I use peal-and-stick floor tile (just one 18x18 inch piece) in front of him. It take shim about a year to rip it up; then I replace it with a new one. He has a nice hanging hay bag that he pretty much empties when we haul. He’s not hungry. I think he’s still a little anxious.
This.
I adopted a mare years ago who came out of a bad situation and such a hot mess including walking a fence like for 2 weeks on arrival and so many other neuroses. They’d kept her in a stall for months to punish her and the poor thing has heaves. Can you imagine? She would load on my trailer but then get bothered and just want out. At unload time, twice, she turned around in the trailer (straight load Trail Et) and popped off and ran loose. That’s a fun experience.
So I spent a summer. Just first grazing by the trailer then working on loading and all.under.threashold. The second she got worried we’d back out and graze. Ask again and go back to being comfortable. Fed in the trailer, apples in the trailer. That got us to where I could close it up and then we’d open it and back out. Over and over over . Then started moving it and unload. Every.single.day. Eventually to where we’d drive around the barn. Unload. Over and over.
To where, she would self load, stand quietly. Load up and haul out. Even had to go to the dentist multiple times for major dental work. Ah the rescue rehab that has wave mouth and terrible hooks. Costly over the years. But she finally knew it was all good and she was comfortable.
She also came with terrible separation anxiety and that has involved every day taking my other horse away and coming back. Over and over to where we now leave and go around the property and I can hear her calling here but no running. She knows we’re coming back.
It’s a long process of patience and increasing your internal softness. No emotions. Only the thought of helping.
He rides fine with a buddy
