Perhaps one of the most essential things that a horse must learn to do is trailer. Trailers are an unnatural environment to a horse and training the horse to enter and accept the environment is a major part of a horse’s training. Horses must be able to trailer quickly and smoothly in the event of an emergency or evacuation. Efficient trailering is necessary when a horse that has been injured has to be moved for veterinary care. Training horses to trailer should start early and be completed as soon as possible.
Colts and fillies benefit from learning to trailer at a young age. Practicing with the mare as soon as you can will get the foal comfortable with the trailer while still in the presence of the mare. If the mare is skilled at entering the trailer, the foal will follow without hesitation. Horses that do not receive this training early are quite another matter. Learning to trailer will take time, patience and some safety precautions
It is a wise practice to park a trailer in an area where it is visible to all the horses. This way it becomes familiar and makes first time trailering practice much easier. It is advisable for a handler to be calm and experienced when training a green horse to trailer. Even with a calm and easy horse, the trailer is not their natural environment and can be frightening. A loose lead is a major factor in keeping the horse calm and receptive to a radically different environment. Experience is necessary to safely respond to any negative reactions from the horse during the process. Keeping a calm tone of voice and behaving as if this is an everyday occurrence will help. Horses can read any tension in your voice or change in your posture. A frightened horse, sensing danger, will attempt to flee and can be a serious problem for any handler. Practice sessions including opening and closing doors and gates into the barn are all good sacking out experiences for something that will be a part of the horse’s everyday life.
The horse to be trailered needs time to check out the trailer with a trusted handler. Having several helpers nearby who are familiar to the horse is a good idea. Park the trailer close to the barn or pasture and secure gates just in case the horse bolts and runs off. Making sure the ground is firm, level and dry is a good strategy for sure footing. Let the horse approach and then open and close the door gently so the horse will get used to the large moving object. Most likely the horse will approach and cautiously peer inside. If there is hay inside the aroma will be enticing. This is one occasion where using food as a reward is an acceptable strategy. Most owners usually keep a hay bag installed in the trailer where a horse can easily find it. It also gives a familiar odor to what is a new environment.
Opening windows and turning on a light helps keep fear to a minimum as well. Horses are not natural to enclosed spaces and trailers are no exception. If the opportunity exists to paint the interior of the trailer in a light color it appears less intimidating and foreign. Eliminating barriers that horses normally avoid eases this new experience.
Some horses will step up into the trailer and then move back. Standing to the side for safety is recommended for helpers as the horse may back out quickly and forcefully. The important thing is that the horse has attempted to enter. Here is where patience is a factor. Each time the horse is prompted to enter you will find it advances into the trailer a little farther. The horse is exploring and gaining confidence. If the horse is allowed to accomplish this gradually you can be very confident that soon the horse will enter smoothly and effortlessly. Patience that is practiced now will set the stage for easy trailering in the future. Giving the horse time to check the trailer out is a recommended practice. Horses are curious and their sense of smell alerts them to new things. Let the horse stand outside and look, smell and get used to the new environment. Hold the lead easy and be very relaxed. The horse can sense your confidence and will work off it to accept the new environment. The rest may be slow and steady progress or a quick study. It all depends on the horse and the handler’s attitude.
The next type of trailering experience is somewhat different. Some horses will enter a trailer part of the way and then plant their hooves and refuse to move into the trailer. This seems at first glance stubbornness since there is usually no sign of fear. However, they do have to get in all the way and do it safely. Many barn operators use a gentle method of tapping the horse’s backside with a riding crop as an extension of the hand. This is a gentle application of pressure from the rear to get forward movement.
Having padded partitions with comfortable space between is a safety device for the horse trailer. Slant trailers offer excellent balance for the horses but padded partitions in any trailer will help them adjust to the whole process. Secure ties for leads keep the horse safely in place and are important features inside the trailer. Inspecting the horses’ feet before trailering is another item to be checked. The floor of the trailer is solid and less yielding so any rocks in the hoof will cause discomfort.
Summary: Hauling your horse is an absolute necessity and part of horse ownership. Close confinement, such as the interior of a horse trailer, is foreign to the horse’s natural environment. It is necessary to teach the horse to adapt to the new environment and to trailer safely and quickly. Doing it safely for all concerned is a process that requires patience, practice and thinking ahead. The successful result is an open door to more adventures for both you and your horse.
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