Rear unload only trailers..

karenjj

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I have seen one (Bateson Derby) that I was thinking of buying but I've only ever travelled my horse in one with a front ramp, what are the pros and cons of this type of trailer, your experiences please?! It's quite a jump in price to one with a front ramp.
 

MardyMare

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We bought the IW front unload trailer (brand new) and my mare was a nightmare coming out. To cut a long story short she jumps out clean over the ramp. Tried all sorts - even a horse behaviourist. Everything just made it worse. Now to just avoid all issues we back her out the trailer and she is perfect. She doesnt even get agitated now when we have stopped. She waits for back ramp to go down and she comes out nice and calmly backwards
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we get a few odd stares and I have even found myself explaining why we unload her backwards when it looks perfectly obviously that we could and should use the front ramp lol
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1275gta

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Most trailers used to be rear unload only, we travelled our ponies in them for years with no problems.
 

Mickey02

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I just know when I was younger and we only had trailers without front ramps we had a lot of horses that would throw themselves out backwards either when you had just got them in or when you went to get them out whereas my current pony loves his ifor williams with the front ramp and doesn't even understand that you can go backwards out of it - the exit is forwards isn't it!!!

I just helps when I'm loading on my own and I can just tie him up and I know he will stay there until I have shut the back.

I guess I would just worry about it if your horse is a bit dodgy to load in the first place.
 

Enfys

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I have a rear unload now, front unloads just are not that common here. Mine has a ramp, but a lot are just step-ups, wish mine was, I much prefer them. Most horses manage really well, just a question of training, training, training until they get it right.

Like MM2 I had a horse that rushed like mad through a front ramp, he was downright dangerous coming out forwards, so I only ever reversed him out, got strange looks, but what the hell? My horse, my box, my business.
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I can't think of anything I personally dislike about a rear unload, at all.
 

Bosworth

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I always reverse my horses out of my IW510. Far safer than letting them leap out forwards. I teach them to load by walking them forwards then reversing, then forwards then reverse. Eventually they learn to walk in on their own with me standing behind to put up the bar. Then when I take them out I untie, walk to the back - drop the back bar and ask them to reverse. Then I grab the rope as they get level with me and we walk off quietly. Works with all the horses I have ever had.
 

TarrSteps

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As Enfys said, front unload 2 horse trailers are very not at all common in North America. (Larger trailers almost always have side as well as rear ramps/steps to load and unload although one person I worked for had an 8 horse rear loading step up!)

The vast majority of horse manage just fine BUT you do have to train them to unload properly and watch they don't have a bad experience. (Which can also happen with front unloads, for that matter.) I've seem many people get the horse on then figure their work is done then end up having a struggle on the other end of the trip and leave the horse with a problem. Easily avoided with a little sense.
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The only small catch can be loading and unloading if you're completely alone. It's not safe to leave the horse tied while you have the ramp down without the butt chain done up, incase the horse tries to get off while still tied. With one horse it's not a problem because you can go in the empty side to tie/untie but if you have two on it gets more tricky. So most people train their horses to "shotgun load", which means they go on and come off by themselves, with the rope looped over their necks. So the handler stands behind, sends the horse on, does up the chain and puts up the ramp, then goes up front and ties the horse up. Unloading, they untie first then the horse is trained to only start backing up when given the signal, usually a voice command or a tug on the tail. I've certainly travelled two by myself (not the most sensible plan but sometimes you can't choose) and managed to load and unload them safely by myself.
 

Theresa_F

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I adore my little Derby - tows very well, gives lovely ride, well made, so light and easy to park by hand - we have a very tight corner it goes in.

At first my chap was fine with the partition in but he is now just over 15 hands and a chunky traditional so now goes in cross tied with partition out and I bought the rear solid bar.

The Derby can take up to one 16 hand horse or two 14.2 ponies.

For me the rear unload is not a problem. My chap is trained to stand whilst I undo the cross ties, then the ramp and rear bar and will only come out when told "back up". The pony I also sometimes travel is as good.

You can train them to back up nicely, starting on the ground and when they are doing this, then progress to the trailer, ideally with two people at first until they learn "wait" and "back up".

To be honest, even when I have had a trailer with a front ramp, I rarely use it as I am so used to backing my horses out, and having taken time to train them first, for me, not been a problem.
 

karenjj

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Thanks everyone! Jasper is quite good at going back on the ground when I ask him but I guess once you have your own trailer, you can spend time practicing at home!
 

Tinypony

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I like those trailers with the two "barn" doors, makes things a lot easier if you are on your own I think. I always reverse my horses off trailers, whether or not there is a front ramp. It feels safer to me somehow. I did teach them properly, in and out one foot at a time, not all the way in at the first attempt and then discovering that reverse had vanished.
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