Questions & Answers with Richard Winters Trailer Loading Question

Hi Richard,

   My name is Charles Mount and I have an 11 year old thoroughbred mare that I just bought. She will load fine in a six horse trailer but I own a two horse trailer and she will not load. When she gets her head in the trailer she pulls back every time. She is a pretty good size horse. Do you think the trailer may be too small for her? What can I do to get her to load in this trailer for me?
Thank you,
Charles

Good Afternoon Charles,
Your small two horse trailer can often times be the most difficult for a horse to load into, the smaller and more confined the trailer is the more claustrophobic your horse will feel. However, before larger slant load trailers became popular we hauled all breeds and sizes of horses, millions of miles, in the trailer that you’ve described. It is doubtful that your horse is physically too big for your trailer. Your horse simply needs greater understanding of how to yield to pressure and follow your lead. She also needs her confidence built up and not shattered in regard to the trailer loading experience. One of the simplest ways to build your horse’s confidence is to make this trailer your horse’s new “manger”. In other words, you would back this trailer into her pen, in a safe secure way, and this is where she would eat all of her meals. Curiosity and appetite will probably get the best of her as she begins to step farther into the trailer for something to eat. This system generally allows the horse to feel comfortable and confident about going into the trailer but does not guarantee that they will step in when we ask them to.
You mentioned that she pulls back when inside the trailer. Be careful you don’t try to hold her with the rope if she tries to back out. This almost always causes them to hit their head on the top of the trailer. Once her head is clear of the trailer you can hold pressure until she steps forward again. She needs to realize that the release of pressure takes place when she yields and steps forward. This might mean holding the rope firm as she backs up for quite a few steps. As soon as she steps forward - release all the pressure. You are simply trying to make the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy.
Here is another method which can be effective: With the help of another person; one of you will lead the horse into the trailer and the other will drive the horse from behind. It’s important that the leader does not attempt to pull the horse into the trailer. The leader’s job is to simply keep the horse’s head straight and pointed into the trailer. The person in back will create some irritation from behind, using a rope, flag, broom, or any other objects as an extension of their arm. They should begin to tap with rhythm, starting from a few feet away and rhythmically stepping closer to the horse’s hind end. Your helper can begin by tapping the ground. With a very sensitive horse, this might be enough. If there is no response, the helper can keep the same rhythm and begin tapping the horse on the butt. The person holding the lead rope is the director. The individual behind is the driver. When you get a positive response you should release all of the pressure from behind. The director can then take a moment to rub the horse, reinforcing the correct response. Consistency here is important. Taping with rhythm and then releasing when you get any step forward. I certainly haven’t exhausted this subject of trailer loading but I hope this helps.

You can get more information from our DVD Course “Making the Equine Connection.” This six hour course has two segments devoted strictly to trailer loading. You can call us direct at 805-640-0956 or order online at www.wintersranch.com.