Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Trailer Training for Problem Horses

Horses survive in the wild thanks to their fight
or flight instinct. Horses were never cave
dwellers and this made sense from a horse's point
of view because being trapped in a cave meant
death. A trailer is as dark and ominous to a
horse as a cave, so be patient when trailer
training your horse, you are asking him to do the
exact opposite of what his instincts are telling
him: to enter a dark and enclosed area!

Many horses are initially fearful of being led
into a trailer so it's best to breakdown the
experience in order not to overwhelm the horse. A
good way to do this is to introduce the horse to
a thick sheet of plywood on the ground and have
him walk over it. Allow him to look at the
plywood and smell it and don't force him over it.
A lot of coaxing helps relax the horse. Try this
several times until the horse is comfortable
walking over it.

In the next step of the exercise try raising the
sheet over some 4x4s but make sure it is strong
enough to safely bear the weight of the horse
otherwise it may break and scare the horse. Place
some grain or hay onto the raised plywood to
encourage the horse to step onto it and to
reinforce the idea that this is a pleasant
experience.

Enlist the help of some friends to hold plastic
sheets in order to fashion a chute or tunnel for
the horse to walk through. Making it wider at one
end will simulate a trailer. Again, ease the
horse calmly and help him through this makeshift.
Once the horse is comfortable doing this, you can
try creating a tent like tunnel using a plastic
sheet for the horse to walk under. Your helpers
can stand on hay bates to reach the desired
height.

These exercises should help the most difficult to
load horses become more comfortable with the
whole loading experience as you have broken down
the ordeal for them. Breaking down any exercise
in this way makes the horse less prone to being
overwhelmed by a situation and more accepting.

Work with your horse at his own pace and never
lose your temper. A lot of gentle encouraging
goes a long way and patience is definitely a
virtue with horses. Once your horse is going
through the above mentioned exercises confidently
it's time to introduce the actual trailer.

Use a lead rope and lead the horse into the
trailer confidently, if you display any sign of
hesitation your horse will sense it. If the horse
refuses to load, turn him around and try again.
Keep doing this in a firm and calm manner until
the horse loads. Once you've managed to coax the
horse into the trailer make sure you reward him
amply for a job well done.

Lead him out calmly and repeat again, feed him in
the trailer then unload him. Don't leave the
horse in the trailer for long periods of time
initially; your goal is to make him comfortable
being led into the trailer.

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Stal Amani is a top equestrian centre based in
Belgium within 2 hours drive of most of the top
jumping and dressage competitions in Europe. We
regularly host national and international
competitions. For more information please visit
http://www.stalamani.com

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