Trailer training young 'uns

mini_me · 05-16-2007, 10:00 PM

I'm not sure if anyone else has tried this, but I find it works. I learned it from an old cowboy years ago. When my yearlings are ready to be halter trained and such, I put them in a round pen and work on them daily. I also back my trailer up to the pen, open it, and gradually begin to feed them in it. It's amazing how a horse becomes so used to the idea of loading if they were exposed to a trailer with no pressure at a young age. They grow accustomed to the trailer on their own time, and seem so much easier to load later in life!

Fancy's Mom · 05-16-2007, 10:34 PM

That makes alot of sense....

When i got my mare as a 2 yr old she would not go in a trailer but she trusts me so much now ( she is 4 now) that she hops right in or gets on anything i ask her to ( like a platform or something)..

Now she just loads herself when i open the door and tell her to load up..I love it...

Alaskan Okie · 05-16-2007, 10:38 PM

That is what we do. It sure is a great way to get them used to loading!

Red Gate Farm · 05-16-2007, 10:52 PM

Scotty learned this last year. He got so good at going into the trailer, I was working on the inside sanding and got pushed from behind by a curious equine!

Ours isn't a stock trailer, it is a two horse (side by side) step up. The yearlings, Chip and Charmer, have now learned there's goodies in that there trailer! It took me two hours to coax them in the first day, and they were old pros at it the next day, walking right in with all the scary thump thump thumps it made from their hooves on the floor mats.

The trailer is only open when feeding, and they have learned to back themselves out when they are finished. Then I close it up until the next day's feeding.

So now if I have an unexpected trailer ride to the vet, I'm prepared!

Ghost Rider · 05-17-2007, 01:01 PM

I have found that eventually a horse will just decide he doesn't want to get in. Not hungry that morning or worse not hungry when it's time to go home. So whats the incentive? a horse is a lazy animal by nature and if they don't have an incentive, chances are eventually they will just decide they're done playing along.

I teach "go forward" which is a cue. The same as kicking for forward movement or pulling back on the rein for a stop. Your horse doesn't decide it won't stop today, or go when kicked because these are cues.
The go forward cue, is a cue started from the ground. It's started as a tap, tap tap on the top of the whither with a crop, when the horse takes a step you discontinue. (pressure and release) Then when they are good you just have to point the crop at the spot, then just point your finger to the cue spot to send them forward. Makes trailer loading easy because you don't even have to lead them in, just point at the hip.
The go forward will also work teaching them to go into or over anything including water.

05-16-2007, 10:00 PM
mini_me Halter broke Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta Posts: 55	Trailer training young 'uns I'm not sure if anyone else has tried this, but I find it works. I learned it from an old cowboy years ago. When my yearlings are ready to be halter trained and such, I put them in a round pen and work on them daily. I also back my trailer up to the pen, open it, and gradually begin to feed them in it. It's amazing how a horse becomes so used to the idea of loading if they were exposed to a trailer with no pressure at a young age. They grow accustomed to the trailer on their own time, and seem so much easier to load later in life!

05-16-2007, 10:34 PM
Fancy's Mom Long Yearling Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Newbern, TN Posts: 1,466	That makes alot of sense.... When i got my mare as a 2 yr old she would not go in a trailer but she trusts me so much now ( she is 4 now) that she hops right in or gets on anything i ask her to ( like a platform or something).. Now she just loads herself when i open the door and tell her to load up..I love it... __________________ My horse is a reflection of me, wanna know me, talk to my horse!

05-16-2007, 10:38 PM
Alaskan Okie Weanling Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 352	trailer loading That is what we do. It sure is a great way to get them used to loading! __________________ The truth shall set you free.

05-16-2007, 10:52 PM
Red Gate Farm Long Yearling Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 1,180	Scotty learned this last year. He got so good at going into the trailer, I was working on the inside sanding and got pushed from behind by a curious equine! Ours isn't a stock trailer, it is a two horse (side by side) step up. The yearlings, Chip and Charmer, have now learned there's goodies in that there trailer! It took me two hours to coax them in the first day, and they were old pros at it the next day, walking right in with all the scary thump thump thumps it made from their hooves on the floor mats. The trailer is only open when feeding, and they have learned to back themselves out when they are finished. Then I close it up until the next day's feeding. So now if I have an unexpected trailer ride to the vet, I'm prepared! __________________ Wendi "Humans is sneaky" - Scotty

05-17-2007, 01:01 PM
Ghost Rider Newborn Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 18	I have found that eventually a horse will just decide he doesn't want to get in. Not hungry that morning or worse not hungry when it's time to go home. So whats the incentive? a horse is a lazy animal by nature and if they don't have an incentive, chances are eventually they will just decide they're done playing along. I teach "go forward" which is a cue. The same as kicking for forward movement or pulling back on the rein for a stop. Your horse doesn't decide it won't stop today, or go when kicked because these are cues. The go forward cue, is a cue started from the ground. It's started as a tap, tap tap on the top of the whither with a crop, when the horse takes a step you discontinue. (pressure and release) Then when they are good you just have to point the crop at the spot, then just point your finger to the cue spot to send them forward. Makes trailer loading easy because you don't even have to lead them in, just point at the hip. The go forward will also work teaching them to go into or over anything including water.