Trailer Loading

Once you and your horse have practiced all these lessons well, and opposition reflex to your requests has dramatically diminished, you are ready to try trailer loading.

Trouble free trailer loading is the result of respect. The more respect you have from your horse, the more willing he will be to get into the trailer and to trust your decision in putting him there.

Equipment: Halter, 12ft line, Carrot Stick & String

1. Study the Natural Trailer Loading video tape. (hopefully you can find a copy)
2. Trailer loading is no more than the squeeze Game. You are asking the horse to squeeze under the roof, over the floor and between the walls of the trailer.
3. The more claustrophobic and disrespectful the horse, the more trouble you will have. Work on getting through as much of this as you can before attempting the trailer.
4. Have endless patience.
5. Don’t feel that you have to win. This is not a competition between you and the horse, its about confidence.
6. It’s OK if you don’t accomplish this in one session. End on a good note and pick it up again the next day.
7. Always prepare your horse with Games 4,5,6 & 7, and then plenty of Game 7 before approaching the trailer.
8. Keep the trailer gate closed until you can play the Squeeze Game between the trailer gate and you at 3 ft. (you might have to start with a fairly large gap!). What you are looking for is the horse being able to saunter through with confidence and willingness rather than squirt through in fear. Be prepared to do it over and over and over until the horse is calm.
9.  Open the door. If the horse wants to smell anything, patiently allow it without disturbing him. Sometimes they’ll walk right in. If they do, just allow it and also allow them to come off as soon as they want to. If they don’t, this fine too.
10. If your trailer has a ramp, play the Squeeze Game between you and the ramp, both ways until he is calm and you can decrease the distance to 3 ft.
11. Squeeze the horse over the ramp itself. Don’t worry if he jumps it, just keep it up until he will step on it and walk over it. Both ways of course!
12. Once the horse is confident, change your position to standing beside the trailer. Make sure there’s not a big gap between you and the side of the trailer or your horse will try to squeeze through there. You might also check that your Driving Game is zone 1 is working well in case you have to block and drive him if he is coming into your space. Use the “lead it, lift it, swing it, touch it” four phases approach and your horse will try harder to move forward without you having to go to phase 4.
13. Approach and retreat. Every time your horse tries, back him up and start again. This will help him gain confidence. It doesn’t matter if he has one foot in the trailer or on the ramp, no feet our four feet. Back him and approach again.
14. Your goal is not to get him in and shut the gate, its to teach him to confidently get in and out of a tiny space. If you do this, you’ll have a horse that gets in the trailer mentally, emotionally and physically. Most horses are forced in physically and mentally and emotionally they have never accepted it. This is your chance to change it.
15. If the horse tries to back out himself, without being asked, don’t try to prevent or stop it. Allow it. Then send him in again.
16. When the horse does get in, allow him to stand as long as you can, then ask him out by reeling the rope in to you. Make sure this has quite a bit of feel to it so the horse is certain of what you are asking. This will also teach him not to misinterpret little movements of the rope as meaning its time to get off! If the horse comes out before you ask, that’s okay. Just let him finish then ask him in again.
17. Every time the horse introduces a new zone into the trailer (they’ll advance zone by zone as they think it getting safer!) allow him to be comfortable . Quit all stimulation and allow him to think for as long as it takes. Wait until he licks his lips.
18. Don’t ever think of shutting the gate until your horse can stand inside the trailer confidently for 60 seconds without coming out.

Success Tips

• Patience and preparation.
• Understanding the prey animal perspective: this is a metal cave on wheels and horses know they shouldn’t get into caves!
• Repetition.
• Approach and retreat.
• Don’t ask a trying horse to try. Leave him alone!
• Allow the horse to come out unrestricted, it will build confidence. Think of him like a claustrophobic human. You wouldn’t just stuff him into a closet. You’d leave the door open so he could jump out as often as he needed too if feeling threatened, until he was confident and asked you to shut the door.
• To teach a horse to respect a tail gate, or a rope behind him in the trailer, start with a Horseman’s String. Secure it on one side, and wrap it around a point a couple of times on the other side behind the horse. Hold the end. If the horse tries to push back on it, hold on as much as you can. If you can’t hold it or the horse really panic, let it go and allow the horse to come out. Repeat and repeat until the horse is confident. This avoids a sink or swim situation as with a butt bar. In teaching, use something that has an “out” until you don’t need it anymore.

Pitfalls

• Physically forcing the horse in, by pulling and whipping incessantly or using a butt rope, even a pulley system with the rope fed up to the front of the trailer to haul him in! Set it up so he starts to see the inside the trailer is where comfort lies. Convice him its a haven by offering comfort every time he advances!
• Standing in the wrong position. Stand right next to the opening of the trailer so you can send the horse past your shoulder into the trailer just like a Squeeze Game. Too far away gives the horse a hole between you and the trailer to jump through and inside is downright dangerous. You can teach a horse to load in himself this way and become self sufficient when traveling.
• Trying to stop him from coming out. This is asking for trouble and your horse will get worse. Build his confidence by allowing the escape and just putting him back in. Pretty soon he’ll exhaust the behaviour, it will be his decision.

Troubleshooting

Should you put food in the trailer?

Usually not a good idea. Food is not what is going to change the horse’s mind, the perception of comfort is. 

You can’t put the chain across or even touch the gate without the horse coming out.

This means your horse is still not confident. More repetition is required and also don’t be so quiet. Rattle the door, rattle the dividers, jump on the ramp while your horse is standing outside. This will help to desensitise him. Instead of using a chain or stout rope at first, use a piece of twine that will break easily, or attach your Horsemanship string to one side and just hold it. This way you can let it go if he needs to come out. Only when he stops blasting through this, feels the resistance and step forwards of his own accord, will you be ready to do up the chain and shut the door.

Horse rushes out when you open the door.

Again, lack of confidence is the problem. Most horses are put on the trailer to go somewhere, taken off, then put back and taken off again. This may be an annual event, or in some cases a monthly or even weekly thing. By doing the repetitions, instead of it happening just once or twice every now and then, you’ll do a hundred approach and retreat, load and unloads in just a few sessions – sometimes all in one session. This is what gets a horse confident.

Don’t try to stop the horse rushing out or even slow it down. Work on his confidence. Load him up again and again and again until he walks out because he’s not scared anymore.

Another thing that may happen is they throw their heads up in the process and bump it on the roof. All this will go away if you work with loading the horse mentally, emotionally and physically. He’ll think his way through it.

The horse has hurt himself in a trailer

Accidents happen because horses don’t want to be in there. If they go right brained because they feel trapped and panic, they’ll just go berserk without thinking.

The object therefore is not to stuff a reluctant prey animal in against his will. With this method you are learning, the horse will be confident, feel safe, and going because it’s his idea. You’ll set it up that way.

The horse scrambles when traveling

This is a traveling problem and is more apt to happen in trailers where the horse is facing the direction of travel as opposed to being sideways or on an angle. This kind of trailer is not al all comfortable for the horse as it tips him forward a lot. At rest, the horse’s weight is 60% on the front end, so when starting, slowing and stopping weight is thrown more and more on to this front, makes it feel like he’s doing hand stands. To compensate from his the horse will lean on the tail gate which accounts for many a rubbed out tail!

The horse also well seek to regain his balance going around corners by spreading his feet. If in so doing he is prevented by the side of the trailer, he will scramble until his feet literally climb the wall searching for purchase.

Solution? There are trailers that have been made with specially angled walls to allow horses to spread their feet, and some even have extra bars down the side that the horse can lean on with his shoulder and spread his feet. Although these improve his lot, the best solution is to look at what’s most natural for the horse.

If you turn horses or cattle loose in a big space, like on a truck, you’ll find that they’ll stand facing backwards or on an angle. You’ll find horses travel much easier and more comfortably in angle load trailers, or in stock trailers, where they can be turned loose.

Basic safety tips

Here are some things you can check on to make sure your trailer is safe inside:

• No sharp points, hooks or anything sticking out, and no sharp edges anywhere.
• Floor is not slippery. You can put down good fitting mats or even shavings on the floor. The shavings are also good on long journeys to absorb urine.
• Dividers are well secured, cannot fall down or tip sideways.
• There are no bars, latches or bolts sticking out the side of the trailer where the gate does up. This can catch your lead rope, the halter or even just the horse when playing the Squeeze Game. If they are there, wrap them with sponge and tape.
• If you have a ramp, check the nothing is sticking out form the edges like bolts and latches, or even sharp edges. If there are, pad them to protect your horse.
• Instead of having a chain that goes across the hors’s rump (as in the straight up loading trailer” use a rope. If ever a horse gets in an accident or caught up you can cut a rope with a pocket knife, you can’t cut through a chain.

Securing your horse in the trailer

Most people tie their horses up. This is not always necessary, you can leave them loose, they’ll often do better. However, if the horse can turn around, he should be tied.

• Use a quick release know (John Wayne Knot)
• Use rope halters only (they are light and comfortable, and you can also cut it with a pocket knife in the even of anything going wrong).
• Tie high. Make sure the horse can’t get his feet over the rope, but leave enough slack for the horse to be able to stand with his head a little lower than level without any tension in the line. This is especially important on long hauls so the horse can relax.

Traveling Tips

• Stop at least every 3 to 4 hours to allow horses to stand, urinate and rest for at least 10 minutes. It isn’t necessary for them to unload. After 10 hours traveling, a good minimum of one to two hours of rest would be welcome.
• Hay is nice for them to be able to eat en route.
• Beware of dehydration. Horses often will not bring foreign water. Adding molasses to the water will make it more palatable and utilisable by the horse.
• Horses can get to really like their trailer. They’ll feel safe in there, its familiar, and there’s even food!

Having a horse that loads himself into a trailer takes a lot of stress and pressure off!

Remember to four things not to do:

1. Don’t wait until you are late for the show! (This means prior and proper preparation, weeks in advance!)
2. Don’t open the door and prove that he won’t load! (Play the 7 Games and squeeze across the ramp, etc. first).
3. Don’t ask a trying horse to try. (Recongize when a horse is trying and leave him alone at this point. When he’s not trying is when you ask more).
4. When he finally gets in, don’t shut the gate. (Load him in and out several times and know that he’s mentally, emotionally and physically settled before you shut the gate).

Summary

Trailer loading is more about respect than anything else.

Once you have greatly alleviated opposition reflex with all the other tasks and challenges. Try trailer loading. This is the ultimate test!

Trailer loading is all about the Squeeze Game: over, under and between.

Endless patience is essential, especially when all this is new to you.

Proper and prior preparation is critical. This is in the form of the four purpose games.

Don’t even open the door until you can play these games without resistance.

If the trailer has a ramp, play the Squeeze Game thoroughly with the ramp first.

Use the ramp until the horse can walk calmly over it.

Once the horse is confident, you can change your position and squeeze him into the trailer itself.

Lead it, lift it, swing it, touch it, stop. Then repeat.

Approach and retreat.

When he gets in, don’t shut the gate.

If the horse wants to come straight out, allow it freely, then send him in again until its his idea to stay in there. Never try to keep him in!

Horses will advance zone by zone. Observe this so you know he keeps making progress.

If the horse can stand in there by himself for 60 seconds.

Think like a horse for this!

Horses are claustrophobic by nature. Don’t shut him in the trailer until he is mentally, emotionally and physically sure.

Use simulation to teach the horse to respect the tail gate or butt bar.

Physical force is not effective. This is forcing the horse in against his will. Allow him to find out its more comfortable in the trailer than out of it.

Your position is important to convey the right message to the horse.

Allow the horse to come out as often as he wants. Just send him back in until he realises its not only fruitless, but its safe.

Food is not the key, safety and comfort is.

Repetition is very important. Its like a year of trailer loading can happen in an hour or so.

A reactive horse will need desensitisation to the door, the butt rope, the ramp, any noises, you moving around, etc.

Simulate.

Rushing out of the trailer is an indication that the horse does not perceive the trailer is safe. it may also be a backing up problem, the horse is not confident and able to do it in his left brain.

Allow the horse to rush out until he exhausts the behaviour.

Even a horse that’s been in a trailering accident can learn to regain confidence quickly through this method.

Scrambling: getting into a trailer and traveling are two different things.

Horses travel the most naturally on an angle, sideways or backwards.

People who think like people design trailers that travel a horse in a forwards direction. This enhances and even cause traveling problems.

There are some solutions for this but the best solution is to have a trailer the is designed for the nature of the horse.

Make sure your trailer is safe for your horse. Check it out thoroughly.

Apart form the obvious mechanical safety features (wheels, tires, axels, etc.) make sure nothing is sharp, sticking out, able to catch the halter or rope, and that the floor is not slippery.

A chain or fixed bar behind the horse is dangerous. Use a rope.

You don’t necessarily have to tie the horse up, only if he can turn around or bites other horses next to him.

Use only rope halters and leads, things that can be cut to release a horse if anything goes wrong.

Horses travelling need a short rest every three to four horses.

Dehydration can be a problem. Molasses in the water can help utilisation and acceptability.

There are four things to make sure you always do:

1. Prepare your horse now so he’s ready for whenever you want to put him in the trailer.
2. Load him only when he is prepared by the Games.
3. When the horse is trying, leave him alone.
4. Don’t shut the gate until he is mentally, emotionally and physically in.

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