Putting the back bar down on trailers

sundance

sundance

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 July 2006
Messages
149
Location
Warwickshire
Visit site
I am sure others have the same issue. My horse will load on the trailer but this does require 2 people. One to lead him on and another to encourage him from behind and then put the back bar up. I have tried to do this alone and whilst I can generally get him on he will reverse off whilst I go back to put the back bar up. Ideally I need to be able to post him on then put the back bar up, but we are a long way off that at the moment, he doest even like being posted into his stable. I can’t always rely on other people being around to help me load so I need to sort something out
I do recall some gizmo that you could fix to the trailer that put the back bar down from the front, did I dream this? Any advice on how to load alone would be great.
 
Hi there, I can sympathise with you, have been having the same problems as you with my chap and it is very frustrating, I still need help to load him up at home, but, on the way home, have progressed to being able now to lead him in, dont tie up, and walk quietly down through other side of the trailer to put up back bar, then back to his head to tie up and gets a treat! so, am hoping we can build on that as he gets more used to it. all takes a lot of time, oh and by the way I always load with a lunge line so if he does reverse out I just let out the slack, rather than hanging on to him, or losing him, if you see what i mean
!!
The contraption you are speaking about is i think called a TUI bar ?? think they may have a website ?
 
Last edited:
If he is a good loader, could you stand at the side of the ramp and let him walk on without you in front? Then you are there to put the back bar up, then go to the front to tie up.
 
Ah, maybe some of the NH rubbish isn't such rubbish after all, as they tend to do just what you would like to do.
I would work on being able to "lead" your horse from any position. So nothing to do with the trailer, start leading him as normal, then gradually drop back using either voice commands or maybe patting his rump to keep him moving forward. Work up to being able to "lead" him from behind. Once that is established, then lead him into the trailer, but when you get to the top of the ramp you stop and just use whatever signal you've already established to ask him to continue forwards. If you are confident about how he stands once he's in, you should be able to put the back bar up, then go to the front to tie him.
 
There is a thing that raises the back bar by a lever at the front of the trailer, but I can't remember the name.

The other alternative is to have a lunge rein round his back end while you lead him in (you holding it) so that if he tries to go back there is pressure on his rump and he thinks that the bar is there...
 
You are talking about "posting", not sure what this translates as in UK as in UK English.
If the horse is backing out of his trailer, it is because he is not happy and confident in other ways. So maybe you can give us a few more clues, age, breed , temperament, both for horse and for handler!!!
you should always have another person to help you unless the horse is totally bomb proof
 
I thought you meant posting, like posting a letter through a letter box - you just want to direct your horse at the horse box/stable and he goes through, like a well behaved letter! - or have I just missed the point?

I would agree with other posters - try to get him to go with you generally and then start to introduce to the trailer and stable.

Also, can you maybe get someone to help and have them hold his head while you go round the back to do the bar? Or you hold him and someone else do it. Then he might get used to that feeling of being inside with no back bar but someone there to reassure him and keep him in.

Maybe you can also try feeding in the horsebox - so no breast bar or back bar. He might start to become more relaxed being in there.
 
I'm working with mine on this too as he can be a bit cheeky and back out and I'm often on my own at shows and stuff.

I've started clicker training him anyway as he's overly intelligent, gets bored incredibly easily and becomes demotivated. So now I'm spending the time to get him to stand happily on command wherever I put him (ground tie). I'll then gradually translate that to the trailer as well.

Never thought to do that with my previous boy and bought a trailer chain which held him in place long enough to get round and put the back up. He was never happy about it, but it did resolve the immediate issue.

And yes, the TUI bar is what you were thinking of, which sounds fabulous :)
 
Don't know if someone has already said this, but what I normally do is have a lunge line loop it through front of trailer through one of the hooks inside at front then I can pull horse forward and be behind as well, so once loaded do back bar up etc then take lunge line off and tie up with normal rope. Worked fne for one of my horses, other still needed alot of persuasion and with her I now try and have someone to help me load. Coming back she is fine and walks straight in!!

:)
 
sundance said:
I am sure others have the same issue. My horse will load on the trailer but this does require 2 people. One to lead him on and another to encourage him from behind and then put the back bar up. I have tried to do this alone and whilst I can generally get him on he will reverse off whilst I go back to put the back bar up. Ideally I need to be able to post him on then put the back bar up, but we are a long way off that at the moment, he doest even like being posted into his stable. I can’t always rely on other people being around to help me load so I need to sort something out
I do recall some gizmo that you could fix to the trailer that put the back bar down from the front, did I dream this? Any advice on how to load alone would be great.
Click to expand...

This will be thicky question ( from me, never !!!!! :) ) what does posting mean, do you mean tieing up?
 
I had this issue a few years back when I had to load my horse on my own. He flippin knew as well the little toad.

In the end I put him on a lunge line so loaded him jumped out the jockey and was able to go to back end and close it, I don't have bars but chain things covered in rubber so you have to hook it onto the centre partition. He's ok now, he will just stand for me to do it when I've loaded him, I walk him on and stand for a while then I do the back up. He usually trusts me so not sure what happened that day, we were at a yard we hated we only stayed a couple of months and I dont' think he liked the windy lanes and up and down the hills, he was fine when I moved back to the yard I'd moved from !
 
benson21 said:
If he is a good loader, could you stand at the side of the ramp and let him walk on without you in front? Then you are there to put the back bar up, then go to the front to tie up.
Click to expand...

I might try this next time, he does like going ta ta's as we call them, I'm sure he would go on
 
Sorry the "posting" bit does need explaining. What I mean is, get to the top of the ramp and he takes himself on. My other horse does this a treat, but he is retired through health issues and the annoying thing is that he only ever has to go on the trailer to go to the vets and is still happy to post himself!! The one that I am having problems with travels like a dream and is easier to load at home than on the way back.....very odd. I suspect that this is because he has hunted and raced in the past so isn't that happy being alone/leaving the gang. Oddly enough if another horse is travelling with him (e.g. he sees the travel boots go on the other horse) he is much easier. I think that I will try getting him to go in front of me when leading for a while, it just goes against the grain in some respects, but I want to be able to load him (safely) alone. He has broken a headcollar and a trailer tie in the past by reversing off, he doesnt panic, just puts his strength beind it, reverses off just faster than it takes you to get to him!!
 
Think of it in terms that you're leading him from different body positions, not letting him go in front. There is a really important difference and it's about who is making the decisions.
It can come in handy sometimes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top