A question for those who load & travel alone

Just a case of preparation. You need to load her a million times and practice tying her up with a haynet and shutting the ramp / leaving her in before you ever try and go somewhere. I do that, then I go somewhere and come home without loading then I load the horse a million more times (slight exaggeration but repetition is the key) until they feel like they are just being tied up on the yard and no stress. I also don't let them out as soon a I stop and I don't leave as soon as they are loaded.

This afternoon for instance our two horses are stood in the trailer munching til daughter gets home from school for a lesson at 4:30. I loaded them about 3pm. Its only a 15 min drive to the venue. They are quite happy to stand eating their hay.
 
Joyous70 said:
Where do you clip the panic snap onto? sorry if this is a daft question?
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I have a lunge rein through the tie ring and clip that onto the back of the headcollar, I also have a trailer tie with panic snap attached to the tie ring that goes onto the back of the headcollar as well.
 
Hi, when you say she had managed to turn around in the trailer, are you using a double trailer without a central partition? If so what about putting the partition back in to see if that helps.

Also, I second the recommendation of having a lunge line ready that is threaded through the tie ring so you can keep a hold of her whilst you go around to do up the rear bars up.

As a way to distract her, use a small net haynet with a little hay inside, and poke carrots or bits of apple through the holes - this can cause enough of a distraction for your horse to attack whilst you sort out the ramp etc, without having to tie your horse up first.
 
jemima*askin said:
I have a lunge rein through the tie ring and clip that onto the back of the headcollar, I also have a trailer tie with panic snap attached to the tie ring that goes onto the back of the headcollar as well.
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Ah o.k. thank you now i understand.

I am going to have a try with this method and see how we get on. I was discussing this with my instructor last night, we think that possibly this could help, and possibly using the panic ties to cross tie her whilst i do up the ramp and get her secure and then pop on normal ties once she's in and happy.
 
Northern Hare said:
Hi, when you say she had managed to turn around in the trailer, are you using a double trailer without a central partition? If so what about putting the partition back in to see if that helps.

Also, I second the recommendation of having a lunge line ready that is threaded through the tie ring so you can keep a hold of her whilst you go around to do up the rear bars up.

As a way to distract her, use a small net haynet with a little hay inside, and poke carrots or bits of apple through the holes - this can cause enough of a distraction for your horse to attack whilst you sort out the ramp etc, without having to tie your horse up first.
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Yes i have removed the central partition, as although it is a double trailer, she doesn't have a huge amount of space, so i thought being young etc., travelling her with a bit more space to spread her feet out would give her a nicer ride.

She does have a small haynet in the trailer, she mainly ignores it until she's on the move! i may try the carrots or apples in the holes to see if this will help also.
 
Cragrat said:
Mine are trained to load into the trailer in front of me.
I walk with them up the ramp, put lead rope over their neck, they walk up to the breast bar, then I put up the breech bar and go to the front, give them a treat and clip them to the trailer tie, and remove the lead rope.
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This, but it took a lot of practice at home.

If you are at an event, ask someone to put the breech bar\ramp up for you after you have led her in. I've never had the person in the next box say no yet!
 
Shazzababs said:
This, but it took a lot of practice at home.

If you are at an event, ask someone to put the breech bar\ramp up for you after you have led her in. I've never had the person in the next box say no yet!
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I appreciate this and would help anyone myself at an event, the problem i have at the moment is practicing at home, quite often im alone down the yard.
 
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