Trailering: The Hidden Challenge

Brandy loads because she trusts me

Note: See links at the end of this article under "Trailer Loading Techniques" for recommendations that build confidence and trust instead of creating anxiety and conflict. Trailering is more than loading. It’s letting yourself be trapped in a little box and taken someplace without knowing where you’re going or when you will come home – or if you ever will. Three of my horses illustrate trailering challenges that cannot be resolved by training. Brandy was found wandering loose, too feral to be caught. Her first trailering experience was being trapped in a round pen and herded into a trailer. After that she was loaded by a trainer who just made himself scarier than the trailer. I earned Brandy’s trust by promising that I would not pressure her into a trailer or anything else scary. How I made that promise, and helped her overcome her fear of trailers is detailed in my book, What Horses Really Want. When I ask her to load now, she always pauses in front of the trailer as if to say, “I’d rather not do this.” I say that I understand, and then I wait. In less than a minute, she walks on - because she trusts me.

Bronzz likes to ride backwards

Bronzz never loaded happily, but he could be persuaded when he was young. Each year he got more resistant. He arrived at our destination sweatier and shakier. We tried different trailers, and adding a companion. Nothing pointed to an explanation until I read that some horses might get motion sick. Why not? Just because they can’t throw up doesn’t mean they can’t feel dizzy or otherwise awful. Two of our dogs got motion sick (they did throw up) until they learned to ride center back seat facing forward. Could Bronzz’s position in the trailer matter? We tried letting him ride loose, something I had resisted because it sounded unsafe, but it seems to be the solution for him. He now rides backwards in the center of the trailer, no longer sweats or trembles, and loads more readily. Independent of motion sickness, it is hard work for horses to adjust to the trailer's motion, as it is for a person standing up in a subway. This article describes a study that demonstrates this.
Note: Bronzz looks especially unhappy in this photo because he has just returned from dental surgery at Cornell's equine hospital. I was relieved to have him home safe!

Sapphire age 33 in retirement

Sapphire was clearly bonded to the teenage girl who sold her to us, and distraught when her beloved owner drove off and left her with us. Over time she bonded with my husband, and became more resistant to loading. Obviously she knew how to load. It seemed that the more she bonded with my husband, the more frightened she was of another one-way trip. Loading her to leave home took time and patience. When she knew it was time to come home, she was eager to get in the trailer and refused to get out! For Bronzz and Sapphire, it is now clear that the hours I spent “training” them to load were a waste of time. They knew perfectly well how to load, and they were quite willing to do it – as long as they didn’t think the trailer was going anywhere. Although we have made traveling more tolerable for Bronzz, we never found a solution for Sapphire. I think she knew we loved her, but when you are owner #4, how do you convince a horse that there will be no more one-way trips? Visibility is another potential issue. My friend's Morgan gelding resisted loading until they installed a window in the front of the trailer. Then he loaded more readily, and traveled with less stress. Installing lighting in the trailer might also help some horses. Remember that horses' eyes adjust more slowly than ours do when going from light to dark.

Trailer Loading Techiques Most trailer loading techniques are based on pressure or work, with obedience as the end result. This does not address the anxiety that is normal for a prey animal asked to get in an enclosed “trap” with no way of knowing what will happen next. Anxiety is often increased with these methods. The Hidden Challenge of trailer loading is that horses are smart enough to worry about what will happen after they get in the trailer. No loading technique can change that. However, any technique that avoids pushing a horse too far out of his comfort zone can build confidence and trust in the handler. This article describes several techniques that fit the bill. Troubleshooting Horse Trailer Loading: One Step at a Time This video by Warwick Schiller demonstrates a technique much like the third one described in the article. Play Video Personally, I also like to let a horse explore the trailer first because curiosity helps overcome fear. For more information, search on “trailering” in thehorse.com, an online magazine with numerous articles reporting research on horse health and behavior.