How do I calm my horse in a trailer?

Question

She's a 17yrold thourghbred. She's been in a trailer accedent and injurd her hip. And now, whenever she sees a trailer she flips out. She'll prance and spook and just hates it. I try to calm her but she looks right though me, and begins to panic. She also lunges into the trailer. And then she'll prance and kick at the trailer... Any advice? Im scared she'll get hurt again.

Answer 1

Since your horse had a bad experience in the trailer, she associates it with negative things.  She needs to learn to associate it with positive things.

I would do like Sarah said and leave it near her for a week or so (in the pasture if you can/have one).  Then I would start feeding her in there.  Just some grain at first so she doesn't have to be in there very long.  Then eventually some hay so she can spend longer in there.  But you have to supervise this so that she doesn't have to be in the trailer for longer than it takes her to eat and just in case she freaks out.  Start with the door open, and eventually close it.  Just do it all very slowly.

Poor thing, that sucks.  It's hard enough to trailer train horses when they DON'T have a bad experience.  I think you'll have a job 10 times harder than just training an inexperienced horse :(

Answer 2

shes been in a accident so shes going to be scared , practice putting her into a trailer , slowly it takes alot of time and patience . talk to her while she is doing so to calm her down.

Answer 3

I like Sarahs answer.

Let the mare get used to it slowly and on her own. Put some hay in the trailer and let her curiosity be her guide.

Answer 4

My mare had a bad experience, then was freaked by trailers altogether. We packed us a lunch and planned to spend our day with her for as many days as it took, then went out and led her into the vicinity of the trailers. Got out her grooming stuff and put down some feed for her. Groomed her, took her back in. Brought her out and tried to get her closer. We started far enough away so she was calm. We stayed calm. If she startled, we longed her lightly, asked for calm amd groomed again. In a short time, this emotional young lady was eating her hay from the trailer floor as we groomed her, then we put her away for the day. Came out next day and repeated, only we were feeding from the trailer quite quickly this time. Moved it farther and farther in and she then had her meals in there for a few days, then went on to driving her about on short trips, unloading and loading her. We had no field to work from at this stable. We also had the trailer hitched to a truck as a trailer can be unsafe if not secured well. She now travels easily in anything with wheels, has even travelled across the U.S. in fine shape.

Answer 5

First, the night before you leave somewhere make sure you can at least get her in the trailer. Okay we have a 2 year old blue roan and he doesnt like the trailer either but if you open the trailers doors where the horse loads in and then just walk her by it a couple of times and then when you are walking you can stop by the doors and just pat her and tell her she is a good girl and then walk on and then when her head is down and she is calm, do a big circle and bring her straight to the trailer doors and just keep talking to her and comforting her and then step into the trailer and if she puts one foot in back her up and do another big circle and then if she puts two feet in back her up and then do another big circle and then three feet and do the same thing and then whole body and back her out and this time make her whole body go inside the trailer and let her just stand there for a second and pet her and tell her she is a good girl and then tie her and stay there for a second and pet her and then slowly walk away but keep talking to her and telling her shes a good girl and shut the door and take her for a little ride in the trailer around the area and then when you go back home take her out and tie her to the trailer and brush her and tell her what a good girl she is and then the next day, you will be ready to go to wherever you are going! Let me know if this helped you and i hope it does!!

Answer 6

you should probably use a calming drug for both your safety and hers. I have a horse with the same problem. We give her a syringe of the quitex paste (not the powder it doesn't have L-triptophan) or 3cc of ACE. Your horse will probably need less ACE. My mare is 17.2 and matabolizes it very quickly. It is all in her head. I would just drug her. I have a horse that would not get on a trailer but after getting on was fine. We backed the trailer up to the door of our indoor arena and just walked her on and off a couple times and then would walk her on, leave her a minute and walk off. Then we tied her and drove away. Alot of horses problems is thinking they cannot get off the "scary" trailer. Once that horse realized she we would let her out she was fine.

Our babies live outside and we leave the trailer outside and put all their food in there so they have to go in the trailer to eat. It desensitizes them early. Sadly it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks. My old mare would rather starve than go on the trailer.

You can seek professional help too. My friend had a guy come out to help with his horse and the trainer poked the horse in the eye with a whip and she almost went blind. I am not to hot to reccomend that either.

Good luck. Calming drugs help alot. Practice several times if you are going to use a different training method before you go to a show.

Answer 7

leave the trailer in the field. for a few days. het her get used to it. make sure that she see's its no threat to her. she will calm down once she realises its not moving, and its all ok.

slowly introducee her to it.

take her close to it.

if you can, try to lead her into it.

she may fight at first, let her go.

eventually she will calm down.

you will have to go through the process of hetting her used to it. she see's it as a predator because it hurt her, especially her hip, in the wild lions and wolves would attah at the feet and back, this is why shes so scared.

hope this helps.

xx

Answer 8

Park it nearby. If you can feed and water in it, it'll help. Have her stand there while another horse goes in and eats, then let her in to eat. Allow her to back out so she doesn't feel trapped. When she's comfy going in, go for a few short spins, hopefully with another horse to keep her relaxed. You have to build up a lot of "good memories" to blot out the bad one

Also remember they pick up on our nervousness and fears. Maybe having someone work with you both will help relax her (and you) more

Answer 9

Theres many methods of doing this.

But you gotta make sure that you don't get frustrated with her.

A typical person, will try and pull her in. Impossible. Horses are too strong.

Or, you'll have someone stand behind her, and scare her in. Probably won't work.

The best way that I have learned is, the approach and retreat method.

Lunge the horse by the trailer. If the horse wants to stop and smell it, let it.

Or, approach the horse to the trailer, and then quickly back up. If the horse backs up on her own, make it your idea to back up.

Keep doing this.

Another way to do this is.... take the whip. Where the front cinch would be, you need to gentlely prod her there. Your waiting for her to step forward. And then you need to get her to step backwards. By doing this, you're gaining control of her feet.

You need to practice this every single day.

Don't do this when you need to leave ASAP.

Good luck!

I suggest you purchase a Clintion Anderson video about this.

And or, watch Ryan Gingerich on RFV.TV. Or maybe even on youtube.

Answer 10

Sarah D. had a good answer about leaving the trailer in the field.  I would add, though, to feed her in the trailer so she has to go inside to eat.  She may refuse for awhile, but will eventually get hungry to go in.  After that, she may realize the trailer will no longer harm her.  Good luck.

Answer 11

I like the trailor in the feild idea and while your at it put her hay close to it and then the next day put it closer till it is like 3 feet away then put it on the trailor somewhere!Then move it close to the inside then farther inside then farther and when you load have a  hay net or something at the back of the trailor to keep her happy.

Answer 12

There are a bunch of things you could do but I would suggest having some type of treat, or feed in there, a horse will love to go in the trailer when they know there is food! lets be honest here... my horse loves it.

Your horse might also be a bit scared to be alone so if you bring another horse in with them for the first time, or for a couple times it might make their nerves that much less.

Hope this helps

Answer 13

It's going to take time and patience.  Your horse is going to need to relearn that the trailer is nothing to be afraid of.  The more she is around it, the more she will get use to is.  If you can, put your hose and the trailer in the same pasture or arena and leave them alone for awhile.  Maybe put some treats or food in the trailer to entice her.  Once she is more confortable, it will be easier.  It also might help, if you have a big enough trailer, to load another horse in their first so she can see it's not harmful.  Persistance and patience will help.