Julie Goodnight - Trailering: Loading Up Calmly
Q: Hi Julie.
I just recently purchased a horse in October. This is my first horse and, boy, I am not starting off very well. I cannot for the life of me get him in a trailer. It takes me about 1 to 1-1/2 hours. But, once he’s in, he’s fine. I am now at the point where I am putting grain and hay in the trailer but he will not go in for it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Vickki
A: Dear Vickki,
Thanks for your email. My first question is, did he load well when you got him? If so, he may have just learned to be disobedient. In that case, what you’ll need to do is basic groundwork to establish yourself as the leader of your horse.
If your horse did not load well when you got him, he needs to be retrained. There are many good techniques for training horses to load, and I will share with you the technique I have found the most success with. However, it will be difficult to explain this process thoroughly enough in a single letter and address all the variances that can occur with an individual horse.
You may be better off enlisting some help from a qualified trainer; perhaps some of the things I mention may help you determine if the techniques you or the trainer use are effective.
Don’ts
First, let me mention the things I would definitely not do.
• Do not use butt ropes, whips, or chains--or hit him on the rear with any objects. Most horses do not load because they are afraid of the confinement. Forceful techniques generally increase the horse’s anxiety, not alleviate it. Also, when you start forcing a horse with such things as ropes, whips, or chains, the chances of his getting hurt are greatly increased. If he does get hurt in the process of loading, you’ll have a big job ahead of you because you’ll never be able to undo the memory that was logged in his brain (this is documented research).
• Do not put pressure on the horse’s rear end in any way. You want his attention focused forward. If you start hitting him or putting a butt rope on him, his attention is focused back and he is thinking about defending himself, not moving forward. What you want the horse to do is move forward, willingly and calmly.
Do’s
• Do use a rope halter with a 12-foot training lead for trailer training because it gives you much better control. You can order a rope halter and lead from my Web site, if you need one. Do not use a chain on the horse’s nose or chin, as it will add to his anxiety and it is much more difficult to release the pressure on his face.
• Do keep total control over your horse’s nose and make certain it is pointed toward the trailer at all times when you are asking him to load. Keep in mind that the right thing for the horse to do is to move forward when asked; the wrong thing is to move backward. Then make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. This is one of the fundamental principles of natural horsemanship. If you have done good groundwork with your horse in advance, you should have control over his nose. If not, you may need to work on some more basic things first. See my Web site for more information on groundwork.
• Do make it clear that there is only one option for him—to get in the trailer. Once you begin to approach the trailer, do not lead the horse away until he has loaded. Eliminate as many escape routes as possible by backing the trailer into an enclosure or up close to a fence.
• Do ask an assistant to help you by waving a flag when necessary to keep your horse moving forward toward the trailer. The flag is simply a stick of some sort with a plastic bag or piece of tarp attached to the end. The assistant stands very quietly behind the horse, some distance away so as not to distract the horse or get kicked. The assistant watches the horse’s feet very closely, and the instant the horse begins to move backward, the helper vigorously shakes the flag and then stops the instant the horse moves forward. The assistant needs a lot of concentration and excellent timing. The shaking and rattling plastic is an aversive stimulus to the horse and it will scare him. But he will learn quickly that he can make the scary thing go away by moving forward and that he can avoid it altogether by not moving back. Moving back is not an option, only moving forward is. Do not use the flag to make him move forward. The flag is used only to discourage backward movement.
• Do take whatever time you need when you train your horse. Don’t hurry yourself; the horse needs to know you will outlast him.
• Do put grain in the trailer for your horse before working on a loading lesson. The grain rewards him for his efforts. Do not, however, hold out grain to your horse to coax him into the trailer.
Training steps
1. Start. Approach the trailer with the horse, asking him to move a few steps forward. At no time is he allowed to turn his nose even slightly to the side.
2. Stop. After just a few steps, ask him to stop. It is important to ask him to stop before he stops himself so you maintain control. If you ask the horse to move too close to the trailer too soon and he balks and slams on the brakes, he is no longer in an obedient frame of mind. Every horse is different; for some, you may be stopping 100 feet away, others won’t get nervous until they are closer to the trailer.
3. Rest. Reward him with a rub on the neck and give him a moment to relax and look at the trailer. Give him all the time he needs to be comfortable where he is.
4. Move again. Only when he is calm, ask him to step forward again.
5. Shake flag, if needed. If your assistant has to shake the flag because your horse steps backward, be aware that the first time this happens, your horse is likely to explode forward. Be prepared and make sure you keep your horse’s nose pointed toward the trailer. Let your horse stop and settle before you ask him to move forward again. After he has stepped back a few times and gotten the fright of the flag, he should quit backing up and start thinking about what his other options are.
6. Load. Your horse should give in and load up when he figures out that backwards and sideways are not options , and that you will remain persistent but patient.
7. Reward. When your horse gets in the trailer, he should find the grain reward you put there earlier.
8. Practice. Keep loading your horse a few times a day, making sure he finds a grain reward. Soon, he should see the trailer and trot right in.
I want to stress that this is dangerous stuff and it is very easy for you or your horse to get hurt. I advise that you get qualified help, but do not let anyone beat or force your horse into the trailer.
When you employ the techniques described in this article, the horse decides on his own that getting into the trailer is his best option. When you can train this way, you will have a calmer and more cooperative horse.
Enjoy the ride!
About the author
In this series, master trainer and clinician Julie Goodnight helps riders solve problems with their own horses.
Look for “Horse Master with Julie Goodnight” on RFD-TV—Direct TV channel 379 or Dish Network channel 231.
