Going it alone.

[Sossigpoker]

My boy is great to load fortunately. I walk him up the ramp. Whilst he is heading to the front I come out and put the breach bar up, then back ramp. Then round to the jockey door, I take lead rope off and attach him to the quick release rope that's always tied in the front.

I think that's how I'll do it as he knows now that there's hay for him (and especially if I add a door manger to the breast bar as an added treat )

 

[Annagain]

No I personally wouldn't. If the horse tries to reverse back and finds itself restrained all hell could let loose.
I used to put a feed in a rubber skip on the floor and Bailey used to eat that whilst I shot round to do up the back.

Years ago some clever person made a device that fitted along the length of the trailer. It was a single bar that had a breast bar and a breach bar attached to either end. When you had just loaded your horse in the trailer you just rotated the breast bar which had the effect of also rotating the breach bar for one slick operation. What a fantastic idea. I did think about buying one but have never found it since and I'm trying to keep the weight of my trailer down anyway.

If anyone can find this let me know!

It was called a Tui bar but the company went bust quite a long time ago. I was going to get one for Archie as his favourite thing in the world was backing off as I went round the back to put the breaching bar up. Only ever on the way out and if I was on my own though, he'd load himself to come home or if I had a helper . I solved it in the end with one of those buckets that hang over stable doors, I'd hang it on the breast bar, put something tasty in it and it would give me just enough time to get round to the back. I also had him on a lunge line so I could keep hold of him if he did go backwards as once he got away from he he'd run to the field gate and roll. He thought he was hilarious. Once he'd realised he couldn't get away he rarely tried but I always had the lunge line just in case. Of course now he hardly ever goes on the trailer - usually just to keep another horse company or to pop to the vet, he saunters on without a care in the world!

There is a make of trailer that has some sort of built in system that does the same, the breaching bar opens like a barrier at a supermarket till - you pull a lever at the front and the breaching bar closes. I can't remember which one now though. Maybe Bockmann?

ETA - it's Fautras: https://www.fautras.com/en/fautras-s-advantages

 

[Ali27]

So you don't tie up before you put back breach bar on?
Just trying to work out if tying or not tying is safest /the way to go !

Nope! She whizzes in by herself! I let go of her as she goes in and put breech bar up and ramp before going round to front to tie up! My 3 year old does exactly the same even though she has only travelled in the trailer 4 times! Only took a few sessions to get her self loading