Boston doors and no ramp

[scruffyponies]

A note for anyone who wonders how horses load with no ramp:

It would seem that even a mini shetland has no trouble navigating the step. Tried it for the first time yesterday, and he hopped up without hesitation, there and back.
He is 9hh and 25yrs old.

 

[rabatsa]

I have found them really good for bad loaders. Psychologically once the head is in the trailer, more often than not so is the horse. They can walk right up to the trailer and the head is inside and not a ramp away.

 

[sbloom]

They don't have ramps in the US, so I'm pretty sure most horses deal with them fine.

 

[Sprig]

Absolutely, so much better than a ramp, particularly for scaredy horses.

 

[dixie]

My mother’s trailer is like this - back and front.
I really like the back and her horse steps out really well out the front - always amazes me.

 

[HorseMaid]

I looked at one of these but was worried about injuries as my mare liked to shoot out backwards at speed once or twice before committing to staying on the trailer - I realise this was probably unfounded but I couldn't get my head around her flying off the back with no ramp there!

 

[rabatsa]

I looked at one of these but was worried about injuries as my mare liked to shoot out backwards at speed once or twice before committing to staying on the trailer - I realise this was probably unfounded but I couldn't get my head around her flying off the back with no ramp there!

This may stop with a door instead of a ramp. A lot of horses will not back down a step without training to do so.

 

[scruffyponies]

I have found that they are quite happy to step off. Goodness knows they've stepped off the side of a ramp often enough when unloading backwards from a conventional trailer, and didn't want to go straight.