Trailer loading problems - advice?

Question

In the 2 years I've owned my horse, Wrangler, I've NEVER had a trailer loading problem with him. He has always loaded fine without hesitation, as far as we know he's fine when we're hauling, and he unloads just fine. Sometimes he's been a little anxious to get out, but he stands when I ask him too.

Yesterday we went to a horse show and he wouldn't load into the trailer. It was a 4 horse slant load, and he was going in last. We finally unloaded the horse in the 3rd stall and put Wrangler in there and he went in after about 30 seconds of hesitating. But it took us 1-2 minutes to get him to step over to close the divider. I rode with my other horse in a different truck/trailer, but from what I've heard he hauled fine. I also wasn't there when he was unloaded. (My cousin was using him so she was with him) But apparently, they took the other horse out, and as soon as they unlatched the divider he started pulling back and rearing. He got his back feet out and then fell and some one....

Answer 1

Well it sound's like you have ur self a problem?Lol

I had a horse that did that all of a suden he was fine then the next week he will do it.....and had to be hand held..well

my mom was going to sale him it was her horse and I wouldnt let her sale him ..well he go to pull free from the trailer.I let him but when you the them make the lunge away from the trailer

then take him back and tie him again if her does it again lunges his but again make him think well if i go away from the Trailer she is going to work my but..Make him think that is a good place to stay......

Which I am 19 and I still have him and he doesnt offer to do any thing..Cause he no's once he rears or brakes free from the trailer that im am going to make him work...

Yeah if it a new trailer some horse are like um this isnt my trailer it will take some time.

Answer 2

Well, my thought on the initial loading problem is that getting into the last stall of a slant can be a little tricky for a horse that doesn't know how to do it when the wasted space tack compartment is in use. They have to go through a narrow space and turn at the same time. He just might not have been able to see or figure out where to go.

My next thought is why, for the love of god, are you unlatching the divider before the horse is untied? That can lead to exactly what happened. He thought he was loose because the divider was open, hit the end of the lead rope, and panicked. Then he hurt his head which panicked him more. And now he sees the trailer as a source of pain.

Its already a tremendous act of trust for a horse to get in a trailer. As prey animals, being confined is very scary for them. As a result, it is very easy for them to panic in there.

BOTH incidents could have been very easily prevented by just untying him first. In the future, untie the horse first and you won't have any problems with his panicking when he hits the end of the lead rope.

Now that these incidents have happened, he may have a fear of loading for some time and it will take some work on your part to work through it. If you can have access to the same or a similar trailer for some training time, you and your horse can practice loading and unloading many times over without the pressure of needing to be somewhere. Take a bucket of feed and spend some time loading and unloading and make it pleasant for him. In order to do this safely, the trailer will need to be hitched up to a tow vehicle to keep it stable. An unhitched trailer can be moved around by the force of a horse stepping in and out.

Good luck.

EDIT - Untie him from outside. You can reach up through the window to do it. You don't have to stand in the stall.

Answer 3

Have you considered calling your vet, a mare of mine exhibited similar behaviour prior to having an aneurysm (sp) in the brain. And a friends horse reared while being lunged prior to having an aneurysm as well.  But hopefully it won't have anything to do with this at all!

On a previous trip, do you think he could have hit his head on the top of the float?

A big mare I owned - we had trouble floating her, before realising she needed a bigger space. She was a terrible rearer as well, for many years - she was the one that died of the aneurysm.

And my hack got an awful fright with a large truck following us one day, he must have hit his head, because he is now hesitant about going in the float, then settles and walks on after running out once.

Could he have had swelling around the brain from his first rear up - and hence been unpredictable at the show?

Or could he have previously had a floating issue and been retrained. This incident may have sparked earlier behaviour?

First I'd call the vet, then a behaviour specialist in horses or someone who you trust that deals with breaking in difficulties etc.

Hard to know - hope I've helped in some way. Wishing you the very best of luck. For persistant pullers they will use a bungy cord to tie to, this often prevents them continuing. Personally, I always used a piece of very fine string for my mare - then if she pulled back, I'd just recatch her a tie her up again (she too would pull a trailer over if given a chance).

Answer 4

There's something about that trailer bothering him.  He wouldn't go in, he paniced and hurt himself coming out, he wouldn't stand tied to it...  but he calmly loaded and rode home in a different trailer.

Look for wasp's nests.  I had this problem once, and finally discovered a wasp nest inside the bars of the partition.  There's a tiny hole, just big enough for a wasp, that lets any moisture out.  The poor horse was being stung.  Some horses will swell up so it's obvious; some don't.  I'd look in the end stall that he wouldn't go in, first, otherwise the other horses might have been stung first.  It's entirely possible only the horse closest to the nest got stung.

I'd also check the air pressure in the tires.  An underinflated tire can make for a very uncomfortable ride.

Was the 2nd trailer another slant load?  I don't like them, as too often a large horse just has insufficient room.  Some horses don't like to ride slantways (though I know most do!) and others like to be able to see their companions.  If the other trailer was a different configuration, he may prefer that.

Were any of the horses in with him mean to him?  This is another thing that frequently causes horses to act this way in the trailer, and with a slant load you just can't tell.

I agree it sounds like he had a rough ride the previous trip...  was it the same trailer?  The same driver?  Some drivers go too fast, do jackrabbit starts or slam on the brakes, or go around turns without regard to their passengers in the back.  If it's the same trailer, he may be remembering that, and be genuinely afraid.

I'd look for problems in and around the trailer before I decided the horse had a major neurological problem.  I've had many horses who hated trailering for these kinds of problems, and a few horses with neurological problems, but NONE of them had both problems at the same time.  It's possible, of course, it's just not as likely.

When you hear hoofbeats, don't look for zebras.  Good Luck!

Answer 5

just try bringing the horse around the trailer so he can get used to his surroundings. if he has never been in that trailer it will not have his sent on the trailer and he will not be used to it and not know what it is. you should start working with him right away because it can take a long time for a horse to get used to his surroundings and it will be better if you start right away. that will require patience and a lot of it, its happened to one of  my mares before he will enter the trailer at his own pace dont pressure him to go in if he in uncomfortable because that wont do any good. when he seems interested in the trailer give him a tug and see if he will make a effort to take any steps forward. if none of that works contact your trainer to see if it is a physiological problem or a behavorial problem and let me know how it goes.