Horse has trouble when unloading?

Question

My quarter horse is fine when loading into my step-up, 3 horse, stock trailer, but upon unloading she gets very nervous. Since i have no dividers in the trailer she is able to completely turn around to get out. If i ask her to back up she raises her head very high and if she turns around to get out she wants to run. She is very good at being led on the ground and is otherwise very respectful. The only thing I can equate the nervousness to is when i borrowed a trailer and the escape door came open while driving (i didn't know it was broken). any advice would be great.

Answer 1

Be calm and consistent.

If you're backing a horse out of a stepup, be sure to tell the horse when they're going to put a foot over the edge - I say firmly "Step."  If the horse doesn't seem to hear me, I'll say it again.  After a few times, they'll usually learn what "step" means, and then they'll know they can trust you not to back them off the edge of the world.

Once they trust you, they'll calm down and relax.

I prefer to turn my horses around and let them walk/jump out.  Again, calm, consistent.  Practice stopping the horse right at the edge.  Then, only when they've stopped, continue on.  You may have better luck with this training if you use a bridle or put the chain of the lead through their halter over the nose.  If they leap out, calmly get her stopped, turn her around, and put her back it.  

Its probably more to do with not being used to a step up or not being used to a stock trailer than trauma from an escape door opening.  I'd think that would make them more difficult to load, not unload.

Good Luck with her!

Answer 2

Hey there. I have a thoroughbred who has that problem. Open the escape door if you have it. And try turning her around and letting her out. If you think she is gonna run, try to let her just run out by herself one day to realize that she will be okay. If not.. try backing her out. My horse used to hold his head up also. Just push on his chest and push him out. It may take a few minutes, but he may just build up the courage to do it. The last idea is to blind fold her and back her up. She literally HAS to trust you. That is the idea that helped me. If he stumbles when he gets off its okay. Trial and Error!

Best of Luck!!

Answer 3

your ramp my be slick and she may have slipped in the past and been spooked. Or...angle of ramp might be a lil steep.

Answer 4

keep loading her on and unloading her while the trailer is on its own she will eventually get the hang of this. it might sound simple but its effective.

Answer 5

Goodluck! I would ask the bayequestriannetwork.com :D

Answer 6

I've worked with a few horses who loaded fine, but wanted to fly off backwards.  I think horses who do this have had bad experiences unloading - got scratched up or hit their heads, or whatever, and have just gotten into the habit of flying back.  You said she raises her head, so there's a good chance she's banged her poll and/or face on the door jamb thing at some point.  Here's what I've done..  (First of all, I'd absolutely put on a poll bumper, or equiface saver, which protects the poll and face.  Just make sure you let her get used to it sometime  before you work on the unloading problem).  Ask her to step up on to the trailer, just her front feet, stand a minute or two, and back quietly off.  She may even want to fly backward at this point, but work with her until she backs calmy with whatever your backup cue is (I say "back up" and once the horse is at the point where he's on all the way, say back up and I give a tug on the tail - - I teach them to do this, well ahead of the trailer unloading lessons).  You keep doing this gradually getting to the point where she's loaded in, stands quietly, then backs quietly when you ask her to.  The key is to be very gradual in the process.  It may take 1/2 hour or it may take a  couple of days sessions, depending on how frightened she is of unloading.  She's just come to associate unloading with some big trauma, and she needs t o learn that backing off slowly and calmly is a better idea.  Stay patient..Don't start this at a time when you're on a tight time frame, as she'll pick up on your impatience.

EDIT:  Don't be surprised or get angry at her if she reverts back to flying backwards after she seems like she's learned not to, just be willing to review the lesson.  She just had a flashback, of sorts.  The longer she's been doing this, and/or the more scary the initial incident, the longer it will take to her  to NOT associate unloading with a big traumatic event.

I look forward to reading other poster's solutions.

Answer 7

I would load and unload her over and over. A good tip I found at fuglyhorseoftheday.blogspot was to take one of those foam water noodle things you can get at Walmart for a dollar or two and cut it open. Place on the roof's edge to help protect your horse's head while loading and unloading in case she raises it.Usually when horses run out of the trailer like that they have bumped their noggins or hurt themselves in some way.

Answer 8

i don't think that the escape door coming open is what caused it. she sounds as though she is picking up on your anticipation of her running off. so, she gets excited, and acts up and wonders what is around that she needs to run from. try lounging her into the trailer. i do this with my horses, and it is the safest way of loading and unloading. my gelding quarter horse we bought as a 1 yr old and he wouldn't have anything to do with trailers. so we had a trainer use a different way of loading without a whip. stand on the left side of the trailer at the door latch and lounge her at the trailer. if she stops, don't push, let her stop and sniff the trailer, and step up and down by herself. trailers are very scary things for horses, and even though they have been in it a million times, they do forget getting to come out. but coming off, clip a 20-30 ft rope to her halter and step out of the trailer to the same place you lounged her in.let her stand in the trailer and look out and see where she is. then when she steps off, be ready to hold on if she gathers herself to run, and just practice with her. hope i helped =] ps- ALWAYS hook up to a truck or car before you load. you don't want the trailer to roll!  

Answer 9

I agree with Azeri!  I would take the time to load her one step at a time.  Asking her to load quietly and when one or two feet are in allow her to go back she may fly back but put her back right away!  keep asking her to go in and out.  It is much easier to train them to unload while loading.  They will learn the step this way and will not panic when they unload.  She will eventually wait for you to see if she can turn but you will find that she will eventually choose just to back out.  If she does turn around allow her to.  Let her come out at her own pace but ask her to go in again one step at a time.  She will get worse even after she gets better but the more you practice the easier it will get.  After loading and unloading and she keeps turning ask her to stop at the edge and allow her to stand there and relax.  It is important to do this with not going anywhere let the trailer be a happy place where she can feel comfortable and remember to stay calm yourself for if you expect things to happen they probably will.

Good Luck