New VocationsRacehorse Adoption Program

05-15-08 (view all Training Tips)

Basic Techniques for Easy Loading and Shipping

 

The following procedures are outlined to assist in teaching unwilling horses to load. It is assumed these horses have been in a trailer and understand what is asked, but refuse to comply. If the horse has never been shipped before these same methods are appropriate, but a gentler, more patient approach is utilized.

The root of most loading problems is shipping horses in trailers too small to comfortably accommodate their size or from inexperienced people making mistakes during the loading process. These problems can usually be corrected in short order, if the stage for success is properly set.

First: Large, bright, roomy trailers with moveable or half partitions are inviting. Small, dark, narrow trailers with immovable, floor-length partitions are claustrophobic.

Second: Block escape routes. Back the trailer up to the aisle-way in a barn or pull it along side a building or fence. Removing escape options on both sides of the trailer, initially, is the best, but just blocking one is certainly better than none.

Third: Two strong confident horse people.

Fourth: A common heavy-duty straw broom.

Fifth: A strong chain lead shank. An additional long rope may be beneficial.

Sixth: Don’t begin the task until you know you can finish it!

 

How to Put the Horse in the Trailer!The trailer needs to be at least 7′ tall. This isn’t always possible, but it’s a worthy goal. Most trailers have a bar down the center of the back. This limits entrance space. For difficult loaders this bar is threatening. Stock trailers are the easiest for a horse to accept; open and roomy. Most would rather step up into a trailer than walk up a ramp. If there’s a partition and its movable, tie it off to the side to initially give the horse more room. Back the trailer up to an aisle-way or along the side of a fence or barn.

The strongest person is on the broom. The other leads the horse to the trailer with a chain over its nose. If there is plenty of room in the front of the trailer, walk on in. If it’s narrow and doesn’t offer an escape door, position the horse to load on the left with the person on the lead shank standing in the right side encouraging the horse to step forward.

Using a broom to coax the horse along allows that person to stay out of range of flying hooves. The broom is not painful, but it is intimidating. The broom person clucks and taps the horse lightly on the rump while the one at the head keeps the horse focused on the correct entry. The “Whap” of the broom when applied with increasing speed, pressure, and repetition is more menacing than the thought of entering the trailer. It is this driving force from the rear, not the pulling from the front that should propel the horse into the trailer.

Wenching a horse into the trailer is man “forcing” the horse to obey. The relentless swat of the broom stimulates the horse to “decide” to obey. Wenchers usually have to wench the horse every time it’s loaded. Horses that have decided to obey seldom need more stimulus than the sight of the broom for the next few loadings, and quite soon can be loaded without difficulty by a single person.

The key to success is doing it properly and not fainting the first time. The strong man on the broom needs to be prepared to keep swatting fifteen or twenty times. Badly spoiled horses that have repeatedly refused to load may rear up and fall down more than once during this process, but the swatting needs to continue without hesitation. If it’s dangerous for the handler at the horse’s head, then use the long rope leveraged around a bar in the front of the trailer to keep the horse pointed in the right direction. As the pressure from behind increases, the horse will, suddenly, make the decision, and walk right in. Once these problem loaders find out you can put them in the trailer, the battle is over. Usually, the horse loads fine thereafter, but it’s best to have the trailer properly placed and broom in hand the next few times as a precaution.

Once the horse is loaded, immediately, block the rear escape by shutting the back door, raising the ramp, or fastening the butt bar! Do not tie the horse’s head until the back is firmly secured. When it’s time to unload, always free the horse’s head before opening the back of the trailer. Many tragic accidents and bad habits can be avoided by following these simple steps. A horse that starts to back out of the trailer and finds its head still tied will often panic, break its halter, and come flying out. A single terrifying episode can create a bad habit for life.