Advice for horse that rushes out of trailer dangerously quick please!

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happihorse

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I'm out competing most weekends now and whatever I try my horse rushes backwards out of the trailer as soon as the tail bar is removed. He keeps barging backwards at it as soon as the ramp comes down so I have been making him stand in the trailer for a while with the ramp down.

I have tried giving him carrots and a feed to stop him wanting to rush out, but he is just so desperate to get out and see where he is that he won't eat them.

It isn't really a problem as I am used to it, but I don't want him to hurt himself rushing off the ramp etc.

Any ideas?

Thanks
 
only ground work away from the trailer is going to solve this one I am afraid..lots of in hand leading, halting, backing up and moving forward, with huge praise for compliance, maybe supported with somebody next to the ramp for trailer training with a lunge whip laid against him behind to discourage rushing..practice that one at home first!
 
my old pony did this - nearly broke her withers as she didnt wait for anyone to remove the bar before running out backwards - the only soluution is to always unload out the front ramp - it cured our problem.
 
Clicker training would be good to solve that one.

Just groundwork at first, ask him to move back one step and then halt...click and treat. When he's got the idea, start doing it in the trailer.
 
My farrier told me a tale (I think apocryphal!) about a horse who charged out backwards every time he was unloaded until he was a real danger to everyone around him and was an inch away from becoming dog meat. Farrier says they boxed him to a local dock area and backed the lorry right up to the edge of the dock. Opened the ramp...horse charged out backwards...straight over the edge into the sea. Apparently the horse managed to struggle to the shore and NEVER EVER rushed backwards off a lorry again. If true, can't say I blame him!!!
 
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LMAO I love farriers!

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Was probably a big feck off sea terminal wasnt it???!
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I would imagine any kind of shock like that would just make him 100 times worse!
I would persist with the clicker training or some kind of reward based training.
just a thought, would it be possible to travel him backwards so he is unloading forwards, might do the trick?
 
Thanks for all your advice.

I think that we need to do some groundwork and practicing at home!

(Think I'll give the shock therapy a miss - knowing horsey he would probably never go in the trailer again!)
 
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