Menu

Stay in Touch
Sign up for ENews
Subscribe Now

Unlimited access >

Menu

Ways to deal with trailer loading balking after a trail ride

Endurance and Trail Riding
#1

Hi there, after a lovely spring trail ride today with a friend my QH decided not to get in the trailer. Of course I was in a hurry to go pick up my daughter which never helps, but she’s never done this before. After 15 minutes I’d rather not remember of stuck feet, she went in.

She’s an alpha mare, rather heavy, brave but opinionated, not scared at all of getting in the trailer, just didn’t want to, even when I loaded the other horse first. I’d get two feet in and that was it. The only difference from the usual I can think of is that my friend tried to load her when we were leaving home and she didn’t go in, but did for me, so maybe it flipped a “I don’t hafta if I don’t wanna” switch in her head.

I have a a big, light and airy 2H slant-load, step-up. I was going to take her out again tomorrow, but now I’m worried it’ll be another battle so I need to fill in these training holes first. Any advice would be great.

#2

I’ll be listening in on this thread, as my mare can be a bit like this sometimes for trailering as well. :slight_smile:

#3

the best advice I have gotten for a hesitant loader is to back the horse up quickly and continously. Back them up for as far as you can and do it fast. Be assertive. As soon as they begin to hesitate back them up.

My gelding went through this stage of intermittently deciding not to load a couple years ago and this is the technique a friend taught me to use. I haven’t had to use it since and he trailers several times a week.

After a few times of working his butt off while backing up he soon learned it is much easier and less work to just get on the darn trailer! Make outside the trailer an uncomfortable environment for them and suddenly getting on the trailer doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all!:slight_smile: It’s worth a shot at least and doesn’t require whips, lunge lines or multiple people helping.

#4

My mare periodically decides “no trailer for me today, thank you.” I know this is going to happen because I will have led her to the trailer, stepped in myself, and then signaled her to get in. Instead she’ll raise her head slightly and plant her feet. My response is to come back at her in a forceful manner, verbally scolding and making her take a step or two back. We then stop, take a breath, and try again. She’s never failed to walk right in.

A horse that won’t load in a second try is likely a horse that balks at other things. That suggests a basic training issue, not a “trailer loading issue.”

So ensure that your horse will walk with you through the Gates of Hell if that’s what you want to do. Just how you do this should be IAW your general training program.

Good luck with horse.

G.

#5

[QUOTE=Guilherme;3978003]

So ensure that your horse will walk with you through the Gates of Hell if that’s what you want to do. Just how you do this should be IAW your general training program.

Good luck with horse.

G.[/QUOTE]

Bingo! John Lyons says that reluctance to load in a trailer is a leading issue, not a trailering issue. I would add it’s a trust & leadership issue as well.

One of my pet peeves is a horse that won’t load up. I am usually loading without help, so for inspections, vets, etc. I often have to load up 2 mares with foals at foot or 3 yearlings or what have you. So, even though my horses are not THE best trained in all aspects of their education, by george they all get on a trailer without issue.

Now that almost all of my broodmares are horses I bred, it’s easier.

But I really believe that the horse respects it’s leader, and then will not hesitate. I have a mare that I bred and she was always an easy loader. She was sold as a 4 yr. old to a gal who was pretty non-alpha. When the horse was 6 she started “exploding” when the owner tried to load her. She would get half-way in the trailer and “explode” backwards, pulling the lead rope out of the owners hand.

Obviously this was dangerous for all concerned. She happened to be living near me and asked if I would come over. I did and we walked the mare to the trailer. I watch the woman try to load this mare and saw what she did.

Then I took the lead rope, yelled at the horse (yeah, not too John Lyon-ie, but I bet it brought back memories for the mare <g>…“what’s wrong with you, you cow, you know better than that!!”) and we walked up the ramp. She never hesitated and was good as pie.

I’m no magical horseperson, but that mare, who I owned from birth to age four knew disobeying simply was not an option in this case.

I will say, in the case of the OP’s mare, that horses love routine. So you might take a look back and see if something was out of sequence or “different”. Horses are SO keyed to that sort of thing – they notice and are disturbed by it much more than humans are.

#6

Agreed: usally a reset is all thats needed for a horse that just kind of says… not today.

Had a gelding like that.

Our SOP for trailering, is the if you don’t get in the trailer… someone else will eat your grain. For horses some how ‘jealousy’ is a strong motivator :wink:

This is better to have already practiced with something else say, tarp work (grain on tarp… if you want it, you walk on the tarp to get it drill) that way the concept is clearly understood by said beast.

so said tasty treat is presented. its in the trailer. If you want the treat, you must go in the trailer to get it.

And we will offer 2 maybe 3 times… after that the other horse that you have conviently tied near by, gets to go in and eat your grain, while you stand there and watch. Lather rinse repeat over the course of a week…two or three times of that and usually they are fairly motivated to get in. The drill really can’t be performed all at once, it must be done then put to rest, then done again.

My stallion leaps into the trailer now… no questions asked. =) its wonderful.

Of course it won’t work for every horse, because some horse’s simply are not treat horses, but I have seen it work really well on at least half a dozen horses who were relucatant to load.

#7

My geldings are all angels about loading, it’s the one mare that sometimes says ehhh, I don’t know I was thinking maybe uh…

Instantly she gets sent in tiny uncomfortable little lunging circles right there behind the trailer or run backwards 6-10 feet and asked up and sent back and asked up and whoa. She’s instantly reminded she damn well better go where she’s pointed as the alternatives are uncomfortable. I don’t get mad, I just make those feet move and right this instant, please go go go go go and whoa and walk up and good girl shut the gate let’s go.

I agree with G: one hesitant moment is one thing, repeat offenders don’t lead well and need remedial training- lots of the above, as long as it takes, specifically training them they will go where they are pointed and now, thank you.

#8

I agree completely with everyone else about backing them up, circling, etc. Also agree that a persistent loading problem is a leading problem, and has nothing to do with the trailer. I have led my horses through some scary crap that they weren’t “trained to do.”

But just wanted to point out - if your consistently excellent loader suddenly refuses the trailer - listen to your horse and check things out first. I know all the jazz about not letting a horse get away with something, but smart trail horses have a 6th sense about things. I’ve read stories about there being bees in the trailer, and broken floor boards that the handler did not know about, but the horse did.

I got sunk in quick sand (thankfully not higher than knee/hocks!) when I rode my mare to a creek to get a drink. She stopped and snorted, balked, went backwards. I kicked her and said “Get up there!” She never refuses water crossings, so I was a little ticked at her blatantly flipping me the finger on this one. It looked safe to me, and there were other hoof tracks going down to the water, so why not? Water was visibly only a few inches deep and crystal clear. It was a hot day and we’d just ridden 15 miles. I knew she needed a drink.

Well, she “did” go, but with a lot of hesitation. Then she sank. It was the longest 5 seconds of my life while she tried to get out. I was telling the story to another endurance rider who conditions on that same trail and said the SAME thing happened to him a couple days prior. But his horse sank partway up his belly. He said the horse had a major struggle to get out, but he did get out without injury. I called the park headquarters and told her the stories. She sent someone down that day to put up red tape blocking off the creek entrance, and said they’d get a permanent sign put up to warm people, or some type of fence. She said she knew exactly where I was talking about because last year someone had commented that the bank was getting really soft.

So I guess the morale is to balance out the trust you put in your horse to tell you what’s safe and what’s not - and deciding when the horse is just being a stubborn jerk.

#9

So on this trianing note, how do you get your horses to load up on the other side of the divider from where you are? What I mean: My horse loads on the 2nd or 3rd try of following me on (he’ll put two feet on and back off, then go at it again if I turn my back on him with no extra slack allowed (pulling on himself in a rope halter basically) and just wait, he’ll walk up to meet me at the hay)…I end up ducking under the divider to the other side of the trailer where the escape door is/open back end. I have both doors to the trailer open so it isn’t so dark and scary, he always wants to follow me, so I have a feeling if I am walking on the right side, he’ll load that side instead.
I won’t be able to keep ducking under for too much longer (pregnant) so I am looking for training tips too:)

#10

hi – not usually on this forum, but the subject caught my eye. I’ve heard several folks where I board talk about a similar situation to the OPs – horse loads fine a home to hit the trail, but doens’t want to load at the park to come home.
Do you guys consider this the same as if the horse wouldn’t load at home. Just curious…I’d think the horse would WANT to get home, but what do I know? :slight_smile:

#11

My little Arab mare can be a stubborn witch sometimes. It took me longer than I would like, to get her accustomed to loading 100% reliably. I really dont think she was afraid, just didnt want to.
The one funny thing that worked was my husband would start walking up behind her, acting fairly threatening and GROWL at her. That would work every time, as long as he was there of course, LOL. One morning I was trying to get her into the trailer and she didnt want to go- I called the house phone and he stuck his head out the door, barely within earshot, did his yell at the top of his lungs, and even though she couldnt see him, she jumped right in.

#12

You can accomplish the same thing by teaching the horse the “go forward” cue which is a light tap tap tap tap tap on the point of the hip with a dressage whip until the horse is annoyed enough that they take a step. I taught mine to self load with the go forward cue. Mine also ground drive, so they know all about walking forward from a cue, even though the person is behind them.

You and your husband taught your mare that the growl and threat display means - go forward.

The go forward cue was invaluable when I was working with that young Oldenburg mare. She would NOT follow you through doors or gates at all. She would plant and refuse - terrified of everything. Working with her in the wide open, we perfected the go forward cue to the point she would go forward over tarps, cavaletti, through her stall door, etc.

It was dangerous to lead her through things because she would panic halfway through the stall door and bolt forward, running the person over. It took a few sessions of persistent tap tap tap tap tap on the point of hip but the key is to cease the tapping as soon as the horse makes any effort to move, even if its sideways.

We built on it from there to the point she was reliable to lead.

#13

Take away the battle of wills…

Obviously practicing very specific leading is a good thing, making sure you can move each foot easily on command, but have you practiced “sending” a horse into the trailer instead of leading? We practice this at home, asking the horse to step over ground poles, between barrels, or in and out gates and stall doors, all from beside and facing them. Sometimes if they’re resistant to a specific leading task, they’re more willing to go where pointed and sent. We guide their head forward with a slack leadrope and open arm posture, while sending energy to their hind end and picturing the spot they are standing in to be empty. YMMV, and I realize this sounds nuts, but I prefer it to a tug of war or 1200 pound battle of wills.

This video clip will kind of give you the idea of what I’m talking about…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgOCKzWAHFo

#14

[QUOTE=paintedtrails;3979013]
So on this trianing note, how do you get your horses to load up on the other side of the divider from where you are? What I mean: My horse loads on the 2nd or 3rd try of following me on (he’ll put two feet on and back off, then go at it again if I turn my back on him with no extra slack allowed (pulling on himself in a rope halter basically) and just wait, he’ll walk up to meet me at the hay)…I end up ducking under the divider to the other side of the trailer where the escape door is/open back end. I have both doors to the trailer open so it isn’t so dark and scary, he always wants to follow me, so I have a feeling if I am walking on the right side, he’ll load that side instead.
I won’t be able to keep ducking under for too much longer (pregnant) so I am looking for training tips too:)[/QUOTE]

Teach him to lead about 4’ from you- as though you were lunging him in a very tiny circle -he should stay out there and go where he’s pointed. Walking a straight line, feed him more slack and reinforce ‘stay over there on your track’ with a dressage whip or a hickory stick, anything like that, really- just a little low wave of it between you two and keep walking…if he lugs back/wants to duck behind you- make it noisy where you are- flapping arms a little, flapping that rope a little- that noise gets quieter when he gets back on track. If he shoots a head, you got too noisy too fast and he left, get him back, deep breath, start again…If you google Clinton Anderson’s sending game, and find it on youtube, you can see what I’m saying. Now I normally LOATHE CA but in small, reasonable doses, the way he demos ‘get over there and walk on your track, and go where you’re pointed’, using his hula hoop imagery (you have a hula hoop of whatever size you choose to reinforce around you, the horse can’t come in to it uninvited- it gets noisy if he tries) it’s ok. Horses shouldn’t step into your space unless invited. It’ gets noisy around me when they do. Eventually, you can lead him from walking by his hip if you want- remember the goal- you, horse, go where you’re pointed.

#15

painted trails
I have that issue too. My older horse walks right in, but the minute I start to close the divider in my 2 horse slant, he says Naaaah and backs out. The last time I hauled him, I got a rope around his but and he stopped going backwards. In his case, I dont think he was worried, but just didnt want to go.

My bigger issue is with my young horse who is now (gasp) a little over 17 hands. I have spent hours and hours with him going in and out and in and out. He’s more than happy to do that. But the MINUTE I start to close the divider, he panics and FLIES out. So we are continuing to spend time in the trailer with the dividier and doors open and he eats in there happilly. I just hope that at some point we can make the transition to staying in there…and maybe even going somewhere!

I have a friend with a HUGE trailer that can be made into box stalls. Thats my next idea. Get him in there, bed up the stall so its comfy and he has lots of room. Then go for a drive. Im thinking that the box stall approach wont be as claustrophobic for him as the nearros space in the slant trailer and hopefully it will be less scarey…

#16

I like the idea of sending the horse into the trailer (wouldn’t that be great!), but you need to get life into the horse first and the feet moving. I know I’ve got some leading issues with this heavy on the forehand mare, so will try the backing and circling in the short term and practice the “sending” in the long term.

I tried the tapping with the dressage whip for a long time at the incident in question, but I could have tapped all day. This particular horse performs better with one big INYOURFACE and then she’s a believer and one can go back to relative softness. Thanks for all the good advice.

#17

I stand outside the trailer and have the horse walk on. I’m not a fan of leading horses on unless it is an unfamiliar horse and there are two people. I don’t know how well this works for a slant load.

I stand on the ground beside the ramp and have a long enough whip to touch above the tail, the hock, the fetlock, or whatever works best for a particular horse. In a step up, I’d stand on the side closest to the edge of the trailer so the horse can’t swing his hindquarters all the way around until he’s facing backwards. I throw the end of the shank over the back of the horse, and I can always grab it if the horse moves backwards. It’s important to stay out of kicking/striking range.

A relaxed, confident attitude is key. You already realize that your sense of limited time wasn’t helpful. When you take her out next time, allow yourself more time for loading up before coming home.

If I know the horse isn’t scared and he/she just balks, I’ll first signal with the whip, make noise, etc. If they stay stubborn, I’ll smart them above the tail, on the rump, on the hock, or on the fetlock depending on what works for a particular horse. Standing still is not an option, and I’ll work until I figure out what motivates that horse.

Reward any sign of “forward” by stopping the cue and relaxing your body posture. So if the horse stretches her neck forward looking into the trailer, she immediately gets a reward. They catch on to this quickly. If she stands like that without appearing to be thinking about moving forward, resume the cue. Leaning forward also counts, unless the horse stands that way for a long time. Wait a reasonable time and ask for “forward” again. Do not cue at all while the horse is actively moving forward.

Some people circle the horse to point them straight forward. I figure that any time we allow them to turn their front end away from the trailer, they have a sense of winning a battle. It’s counter productive. If a horse isn’t pointed straight in, I ask them to swing the hindquarters around rather than leading them in a circle. Also, if you’ve got a helper on the trailer, it really helps to not allow them to turn their head away–I like to have their heads toward/in the trailer no matter what the feet are doing.

Hopefully, she’ll be absolutely fine after this one episode. However, if she decides she won some kind of battle, it could escalate. Then you need to plan out your tactics, how YOU like to load, and work from there. Horses can learn the same thing in a variety of ways, so the trick is to figure out what works consistently for both of you.

#18

Another thought

Back before I had a trailer, I caught rides a lot of places from a lot of helpful people.

My mare always loaded well on the trip there, but sometimes would give a brief “No” to loading for the trip back. I realized I could absolutely correlate this to the quality of the drive there - if we had rounded a corner fast, or dropped a tire off the road, she would hesitate before getting on for the trip home. If it had been a smooth steady ride there, she would self load at the end of the day.

Certainly we want them leading well and being willing to do what they might not want to do - but worth looking at whether we are unwittlingly making the drive less comfortable for them than we mean to…

#19

I teach mine to self load- I have a two horse bumper pull- and they do catch on pretty quickly. The current two had only ever hauled in basic stock trailers. One way to teach the concept is to ‘load’ them in their stall just as you would in the trailer- get to door, send them on in, and in the case of the stall of course you need enough length on the lead shank that they can get all the way in and then circle back to you to remove halter.

I had one sainted gelding who, at the end of a day’s cubhunting, was enjoying a bit of hand grazing just prior to loading. And thought, hmmm, more grazing, or trailer…and planted his feet at the base of the ramp. I looked him in the eye, reminded him that we were AT the kennels, and gee, maybe the hounds would like to invite him to lunch! He walked right in.:slight_smile:

#20

His new barn will have the trailer stored in their pasture, so I am hoping to get some more practice time in just playing out there. Plus, people haul out almost every weekend for a ride so we’ll have lots of opportunities as long I can do it for this summer.
He’s never been afraid of the trailer, and only popped up once when we left our camping trip (because his buddy was still on the picket line freaking out that we were walking away–the buddy needed major coaxing to get on, so we load my guy first). I figure patience is a virtue with horses at times, and he’s been great loading the way we’ve done it. Now I just need to make it easier on me! :slight_smile:

I know a lot of horses that self load, and I would love to get to that point!

Get your Digital Subscription here - only $21.95 / year

Subscribe here
See gift options

Sign up to our monthly newsletter!

By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.

Copyright © 2023 The Chronicle of the Horse