Trailering issue

Come on in and talk about anything equestrian related

Moderator: EC

Trailering issue

Postby aw333 » Mon Mar 15, 2010 9:41 am

Hoping someone can help me with this. I already lost my very detailed post so I'm going to post the basics and add as people have questions.

My 20ish mare has never had a lot of trailering experience in the 10 years i have owned her. I bought a 2 horse strait load last summer only to find that she acts up in the trailer (while in transit) to the point of falling/laying down. I did countless hours of work with her (clicker training, lots of rewards), only to find that she trailers much better with the divider out and box stall style (facing backwards). I did so much work to this trailer to make it safer for her including new divider that goes to the floor, new rubber with better drainage/grip. Vents, windows. Even new back doors. As she got more experience in the box stall, I decided that I should give it another go with the strait load. It was horrible. She panics and lays down before I can even get into the truck. My mother in law bought a big, bright, spacious 2 horse slant load. She should (I thought) do much better in the slant because of more room, brighter, less movement ect. Lo and behold she gets on just fine - even egar to look out the big window that I had open so she could hang her head out. She liked it (I thought). I had the divider closed (it scared her at first, but I worked and worked desensitizing her to it and rewarding her for being calm.) Then all of a sudden - no apparent reason she starts the leaning and scrambling thing that she does before she falls/lays down. I was looking at her through the window and called her and she stopped - egar to look out again. When she relaxed I let her off, then went on again twice more without closing her in and called it a day.

I'm feeling a little defeated. I don't want to give up on the slant load just yet - but how do you deal with a horse that panics in the trailer unattended but loads like a champ? Lots of articles on how to load, not many on how to deal with issues standing in there.
aw333
Newbies
Newbies
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:13 am

Re: Trailering issue

Postby chenders01 » Fri Mar 19, 2010 8:33 am

If you know that she will trailer fine in a big box (ie. no dividers) then why not just do that??

My horse will not get onto a straight load trailer but he'll travel fine in a slant and also an open stock trailer. I think he just feels too constrained in a straight load.
User avatar
chenders01
Friends Of EC
Friends Of EC
 
Posts: 5425
Joined: Sun Apr 11, 2004 8:21 am
Location: Canada

Re: Trailering issue

Postby aw333 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 7:44 pm

Ah - just noticed that I didn't explain myself.

Yes, she travels fine in a box. But in that case I can only fit one horse. There are lots of times I would like to travel with my mother-in-law (who owns half of the trailer).

However, since my last very frustrated post I have discovered a few things. First, I can fold my tack room away to make the back half of the slant a box stall. Second, if needed I have been able to back her up the ramp with little trouble. Been out there everyday this week getting on and off the trailer and having her stay in it for progressively longer and longer. So far so good. Will keep anyone who is interested posted.

A
aw333
Newbies
Newbies
 
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2010 11:13 am

Re: Trailering issue

Postby *Giddy Up* » Sun Mar 21, 2010 9:23 pm

Definitely keep us posted. I'm interested to know how you fare- because I had no idea what to tell you at all when I read this except for keeping trying to get her used to it.
*God forbid I go to any heaven where there are no horses*
User avatar
*Giddy Up*
Friends Of EC
Friends Of EC
 
Posts: 8968
Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2003 10:44 pm
Location: Canada

Re: Trailering issue

Postby naughty by nature » Mon Mar 29, 2010 7:39 pm

AW333, I had a mare before that had this same problem and found out that it was as simple as tying her head to tight she couldn't balance her self with her neck and would end up scrambling and falling all over the trailer. We stopped tying her head and she was fine after that.

it's a proven fact that horses if given a choice will face backwards and on a slant in a trailer thats why companies have reverse slant loads.

Hope this helps we also had a custom divider that went all the way to the floor made for my mare which didn't work it was all in letting her head loose. she got like this from my 1 horse trailer as it was so small she didn't have to balance herself at all she just leaned of the walls so with the two horse she couldnt' do that her feet would slip out from under her
User avatar
naughty by nature
Senior Member
Senior Member
 
Posts: 825
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 9:13 pm
Location: ns


Return to General

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 5 guests