Trailer training horses - help please! (quite long)

[galaxy]

Just wondering if anyone has some really good tips....

Background....

Bought new horse (16.1 tbxhann) in October. He had never been in a trailer before, but his owner assured us that he has a lovely attitude about stuff and it wouldn't be a problem. Went to collect him with the trailer. He walked up to it, had a look for a few seconds and walked straight on. Fantastic I thought. I drove REALLY slowly all the way home. Didn't hear a peep out of him.

Entered a dressage competition in February. A couple of weeks before I thought we'd better practise loading. First time, he walked straight in. Fantastic, but I thought I'd better do it again anyway. Second time he starts swinging his bum around and backing up. Coudln't get him in, so we put a lunge line up to keep him staright and he wlked in. However, I'm used to horses loading themselves, so I wasn't 100% happy. When we went to dressage he was the same, but we got him in, he travelled really well. But I decided I was gonna do something. You can't always guarantee you're gonna have someone there with a lunge line.

I had a hand op in March, so there has been a bit of a break. But last week I took the partition out of the trailer and open it all up and decided I was gonna put him in ever day. Feeding him his tea inside the trailer is not an option. He is very stressy and posessive over his food.

Day one. Very calm. I take him out onto the yard and just start pushing him, forwards and back forwards and back. He was perfectly behaved. I do it in front of the trailer and he walks straight in!!! Totally calm! A*

He did it all week. Even loaded himself with me already in the trailer. Stood quietly in the trailer and I gave him a treat and then he quietly walked off.

This morning I decide to put the partition back in. Walks straight in first time. Stands lovely while I put do the partition up, although shoving the person who was holding onto him for me

. We were being very calm and quiet. He then walked off beautifully.

Go to put him in a 2nd time. He walks straight on.

Stands while putting partition up, but I can tell he's not 100% relaxed as he's being ruder with the person holding him. We tried to ignore it and stay calm. He would stop, so we tied him up and walked off just to see if he would chill out. It really didn't and he started tap dancing. After 30 secs or so he stood fine and we left him for another minute. As soon as we went back in he was rude again and tap danced as I undid the partition. He didn't barge out but stood on the spot tap dancing.... As soon as we told him to walk on he exploded out of the trailer.

We did it a 3rd time. It was a bit better. He walked out of the trailer, but a lot of tap dancing was going on...

Afterwards when we did his rugs before putting him out he continued to be rude, pushy and stressy. It's not like him. He really wound himself up.

So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what to do now. We're gonna do it again tomorrow. I've got some ideas of my own, but would like to hear if other peoples suggestions. The tap dancing thing is new, he hasn't done it before. I am so thrilled he is walking straight in without batting an eyelid, I just want everything to be calm and happy! He's never normally rude. I will listen to any suggestions, but I'm afaid travelling him permenently without a partition is not an option as I need to take 2. The fact that I have travelled him already and he hasn't done this before makes me think this is not unreasonable. Thanks very much in advance!

 

[jewel]

what did he do when the other horse is in first?

 

[galaxy]

I haven't put him in with another horse yet. When I took him out in February I took him out by himself because it was his first time and I wanted to be able to concentrate solely on him. But in the future I will need to take 2. I did think about putting another horse in first, but then I wouldn't be able to move the partition over when he walks in to make it more wlecoming. But it is worth a go, I may try it. I was worried though, as he's the biggest, when I have to take the other horse out first, he may kick off and I'd have the same problem.

 

[the watcher]

I think he may be anticipating the trailer moving off and worrying about balancing himself.It sounds to me like you are doing all the right things and need to progress to a short drive at the end so he gets to know that standing in a moving trailer is OK. If you want to train him to stand for a while in the trailer start by doing that at the end of the journey.

 

[galaxy]

That's a good idea. He's only been in a moving trailer three times, maybe he knows when the partition is around him that's what it means...

My other horse doesn't exactly stand quiet when he goes he. He scrapes.... But he looks excited and impatient, whereas this one doesn't. I can't say what he does look like... But then we haven't had him that long.

 

[badgerdog]

Could you not travel him without the partition in or will you be always taking your other horse? I always travel my horse without the partition in as he's much happier. He hates being hemmed in and much prefers to spread himself out and get his own balance.

 

[the watcher]

Another tip. Many can be explosive unloading from the front. Often it is safer to rear unload - not as easy on your own I appreciate but if he gets used to both you can keep swapping over.
Another possibility is that he feels a bit cramped going round the partition on the way out and fears knocking himself, or has knocked himself and is now nervous of that stage. Try putting him on the other side of the trailer.

 

[galaxy]

I nearly always will be taking 2. I also do not have a full length breast bar, and it is a very old trailer (that has been fully restored and is in excellent condition) and I don't think I will be able to get one. This is something he has only done today. He may never do it again. He has travelled very well every time I have taken him out. I would have thought if he had been unhappy I would have heard, especially his first journey home which was very long where he travelled really well.

I may try backing him out the trailer until he calms down. I just worry he'll learn to shoot backwards!

Thanks for all the tips though, I will definitly be giving this a lot of thought!