Comments on: Uneasy Loader

By: Round Kitchen ·

Round Kitchen · — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 17:20:10 +0000

my doctor recommends relaxation exercises do help my panic attack _

By: Caden Alexander

Caden Alexander — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:03:36 +0000

i have panic attacks and my doctor reccomends relaxation exercise”.*

By: A David Among Goliaths: Part 2 – America’s Horse Daily

A David Among Goliaths: Part 2 – America’s Horse Daily — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 22:00:45 +0000

[...] 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 [...]

By: Mary

Mary — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:55:26 +0000

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.

By: George

George — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:00:02 +0000

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.

By: Jody

Jody — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:29:23 +0000

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

By: cathy condon

cathy condon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 02:07:53 +0000

When hauling only one horse in a slant trailer, do you load him on the drivers side? Or does it matter?

Thanks

Cathy

By: marsha

marsha — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:04:03 +0000

AMEN! Stacia

By: Stacia Nusbaum

Stacia Nusbaum — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:32:38 +0000

Amber had much better and more constructive advice than Ms Goodnight.

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:57:29 +0000

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.