Uneasy Loader
March 10, 2009
Advice for a horse owner whose horse had a bad trailer experience.
America’s Horse Daily recently received this question from a visitor. We think the answer, from AQHA Professional Horsewoman Julie Goodnight, will help many horse owners get their horses safely and easily into a horse trailer.
Question:
Can you tell me your ideas of re-training a horse that reared up and flipped over two partitions in a three-horse, slant-load trailer?
Bonnie Rae Wright
Answer:
The slant-load trailer is not always the best thing for horses. While it is convenient for us humans, for many horses it is too confining, with their face pressed against the window at the same time their rear is against the wall. On the slant, they have to work to maintain balance on both turns and stop/go, so they never get a rest.
Conversely, with the straight-load trailer, the horse usually has plenty of room around his face and head, and he is set up for good balance on deceleration and acceleration, which happens more often than turning.
Horses are naturally claustrophobic. Confined spaces are not reassuring to flight animals. It’s quite possible that your horse is having a panic attack because of the tight confinement. Each time he has a panic attack and then ends up hurting/frightening himself, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, so the problem gets worse.
Here are some considerations in trying to find a resolution for this horse:
- First, does he stand tied (away from the trailer) or does he fight the restraint? If he has panic attacks when tied in the open, this is probably part of the problem. Although I prefer to have my horses tied in the trailer, if this was the root cause of your horse’s problem, he might haul better untied and in a bigger trailer.
- Secondly, will he walk calmly through a confined area, like between two close trees or a narrow gate? If he rushes off when you try to lead him through a narrow opening, it is another sign of claustrophobia and you would probably benefit from working on this issue outside the trailer first by teaching him to stand calmly in a confined area.
I’d try hauling your horse in an open stock trailer, where he has more room, and see if he will tolerate that better. I know getting a new horse trailer is not the answer you were hoping for, but that might have the highest likelihood of success.
Good luck!
Julie Goodnight
CHA International Spokesperson
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Comments
10 Comments on “Uneasy Loader”
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March 10th, 2009 at 8:57 am
Both of the points above a good answers, but I would think that getting a new trailer would not be a viable option for most people. If it was my horse and I knew he tied, but just has issues with the trailer then I would try loading him in the trailer with no partions in the trailer(Sometimes that can be a pain if you have never taken them out).With horses that are really bad and scared of trailers, I have even parked them out in the pasture and given them their hay and feed in the trailer. Anything basically just to give the horse positive things to relate to the trailer. Once he goes in and out totally relaxed, then I would take him on a short trip, around the block or something. And let him ride loose, without the partitions there is really nothing for them to get hurt on. Eventually start adding things back in such as the rear partition, and when you do start to tie then I would use one of the bungee type ones. But basically its training them over, and making trailer lessons part of daily activity.Its not something that you wait until you have to go somewhere to fix. I hope these are some helpful ideas, they have worked for me in the past.
March 12th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Amber had much better and more constructive advice than Ms Goodnight.
March 16th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
AMEN! Stacia
April 14th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
When hauling only one horse in a slant trailer, do you load him on the drivers side? Or does it matter?
Thanks
Cathy
April 15th, 2009 at 9:29 am
Cathy, we’ll try to get your question answered soon. We recently received advice from Universal Trailer regarding loading a horse in a straight-load trailer. Thought we’d share it again:
Our recommendation is to load the horse on the side from where it is easiest to unload. (This will depend on if there is an unload door.) This is for convenience. As far as load distribution and safety, a single horse can travel safely on either side of a two-horse straight-load Featherlite bumper pull and the tow will not be significantly affected.
John K. Hall
Director of Marketing Communications, Universal Trailer Corporation
June 10th, 2009 at 1:00 am
I have a Mustang who is extremely claustrophobic. I’ve had him a year and started with gentling him, ground working him and getting him to be a good saddle horse. His problem has been the trailer.
He thinks its going to kill him and eat him. I have used the approach and retreat method with success. Once he took baby steps to the ramp and finally up the ramp, I would back him off on my command, not his own backing up. I probably did this 50 times. Finally, we got into the trailer one foot at a time. Again, another 50 loads and unloads. Slowly, we would add a step. More backing up and entering again. This took days. Fortunately, I recently started on an anti-anxiety medicine, so my temper and frustration were not a problem ( :-} ). Once we finally got to the point he could eat alfalfa from the front feed bunker in the trailer I switched up and used the “retreat-approach” method. I would slowly rub him all over and talk to him while he munched. Again several more ins and outs from the trailer on my cue. I would start to concentrate on rubbing his topline and move to the back legs. Finally I would step back away from him. Then I would come back and rub him again. I kept talking to him so he knew where I was. Gradually, I got to the point I could stand outside the trailer without him bolting. Each time I would move away (retreat) and then approach to reassure him everything was OK. He really needed reassurance that he was OK to be in there by himself.
Little bits of no rubbing time became longer as he became comfortable. Part of his problem may be seperation anxiety from me, and the other part is simply claustrophobia of the Mustang variety. Seven is now doing great and is learning to be a great team roping horse. Hope this helps.
July 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
I currently am working on loading my Arab. Over 3 days, she has entered the trailer with all 4 feet, however, when I hooked her in the front, she freaked out and pulled and froze. There was nothing I could do except to pet and comfort her. Finally, she either tired, or felt comfortable and stepped forward so that I could unhook her. Later in the day, I again tried to get her in with grain. She loaded all 4 feet once, with grain as a temptation, but still obviously is fearful. Any other ideas out there? Thanks.
September 14th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
[...] so much of a treat that Emily and her eventing barn mates joke about driving to Montana to get a trailer-load of Quarter Horse “reining rejects” because of their [...]
October 5th, 2010 at 1:03 am
i have panic attacks and my doctor reccomends relaxation exercise”.*
November 9th, 2010 at 11:20 am
my doctor recommends relaxation exercises do help my panic attack _