very stupid question about trailers....

I used to have an ifor williams front unload, it was a heavy rattley thing, I replaced it recently with a bateson derby which is rear unload only and I cannot sing its praises enough, it gives the horses a wonderful ride, it is so lightweight it can easily be moved by hand and the floor never needs to be replaced, its bloomin wonderful !
 
Way back in the days we used to borrow a trailer to get pony to pc training etc, I had to back him out as he would panic if he had to come out the front. He has issues with narrow spaces so would launch out if he did come forwards. He would back out very calmly :-)
 
texas said:
I'm not saying that you shouldn't teach a horse to back out, I'm just saying that I prefer not to back them out as a general course. When backing out, there is more potential for them turning around on the way out or falling off the side of the ramp as they can't see it. Never had one jump the ramp unloading forwards myself. I suspect preference depends on the temperament of the animal involved :)
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My filly likes to leap off the front or did at the weekend when we did some trailer training with her :o i think she is practicing her capriole or similar movements
 
navaho said:
we always back out of any trailers weve had, even when they are front unload. Very rare for us to use the front ramp.
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I agree! I have far too much stuff in the front of my trailer to ever use the front door! Both of mine back out perfectly well but my brother used to have a mare that was awful at backing out - she used to panic and steam out backwards! She even ripped off a shoe once doing this! I have to say though that that is the only horse I have ever known to behave in that way!
 
IMO all horse should be capable of backing up ... and backing up straight - this is simple ground work ...

As to front versus rear unload ....

Think about how horse sees - they can see extremely well every where except directly in front of them.

Front unloads tend to be narrow ramps and the reason horses tend to jump off them is thought to be that they can't see the ramp!
Rear unload lots of vision for them - but we don't like it.
Side unload no issue...

Also consider if buying a front unload trailer which side your front ramp opens - on to the verge or into the road ....
 
Four pages on backing a horse out the back of a trailer???!!

That's amazing.

We really ARE bored.
 
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