# Horse gets on trailer but keeps backing out..



## sewsmarty (Jul 17, 2010)

When I bought my horse I was told he would trailer loaf......well he did but with 4 other horses and he was always last to be loaded...now he needs to load alone still on a straight load...

He does go on with no problem now...finally.....but...once he is on he goes in and backs right out....first of all when I put him on I am leading him on from the other side while I am in the trailer....should I not be doing this.....i get in first and then lead him on....when he gets n, I don't even have a chance to get off and close the door...I know I need to close the door first then tie him....today when I was working with him I tried just that....I clipped him to the tie down and he started backing out he pulled and pulled then finally came back in because of the pressure.....luckily he did come forward from the pressure....so what do I do...I un clipped him so he wouldn't do that again....I rub on him to try to make him comfortable...he keeps turning his head looking back...constantly...I have a step up straight load 2 horse trailer...

Should I definitely be outside the trailer....when I drive him in how do I stop him from backing back out without closing the door on him...I feel like closing the door is not really teaching him to be relaxed and ok...shouldn't he be in and standing there ok with the door still open...otherwise he is not trailer broke....

Thanks for any in put....


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

Sounds like hes scared and doesn't want to be in there, at least not without a companion. The best i can say from your info, is put some apples or grain at the front of the trailer for him to find when he goes in. You may have to show him it's there for the first couple times. Hopefully it'll change his mind from 'I'm scared' to 'This is great! I get food when I'm in here!!!'... It doesn't work on every horse, and not everyone agrees with using food, but some horses are food motivated. So it doesn't hurt to try


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Train him with a butt rope. Lead him in wearing the butt rope (train him to tie and get used to this BEFORE you do it in the trailer) get him in the trailer, tie the butt rope and the lead rope to the tie hook with the butt rope shorter then the lead (as you want the butt rope going snug first if he tries to back up, not the lead) and then when he backs up the butt rope will go snug and he should move forward of it, as he should learn this just around the yard and being tied up outside and inside with one on. They soon learn that when a butt rope goes tight that they have to move forward. 


It is a very handy thing to know how to use and to have your horse trained to one. I have equipped my trailer with one, just for cases when you're one handed like this with a difficult horse. It gives you time to step off the trailer and do up your butt bars and shut the doors.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

I"m not sure what "wearing a butt rope" looks like, so can't comment on Muppetgirl's advice, but I can say that once in a trailer, a horse who's feeling entrapped can go into panic mode when he's hindered from backing out by a butt rope.

I find that baby steps work best to show the horse that he needn't be afraid of going in the trailer: one foot in, back out, then two feet in, back out, etc. & once he'll go all the way in, back him out right away at first instead of entrap him with rope, door, etc. The n let him decide when he wants to back out, until he's at last happy to stay in & get secured with rope & door.

Food can work, as well as trailer being the rest spot (work him outside trailer), or both.


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

I agree with Northern.
And also, if you're doing what they said, and he offers more than the number of steps than you had asked, take it. Stopping him from offering will discourage him from trying


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Northern said:


> I"m not sure what "wearing a butt rope" looks like, so can't comment on Muppetgirl's advice, but I can say that once in a trailer, a horse who's feeling entrapped can go into panic mode when he's hindered from backing out by a butt rope.
> 
> I find that baby steps work best to show the horse that he needn't be afraid of going in the trailer: one foot in, back out, then two feet in, back out, etc. & once he'll go all the way in, back him out right away at first instead of entrap him with rope, door, etc. The n let him decide when he wants to back out, until he's at last happy to stay in & get secured with rope & door.
> 
> Food can work, as well as trailer being the rest spot (work him outside trailer), or both.



The problem is, if you read the Ops original post.....the horse backs out, he has no problem getting in.......I would never let a horse learn he can back out of a trailer 'when he feels like it'....he obviously doesn't explode in the trailer as he would've done that from the get go. Anyone who has handled horses enough should have an idea what a butt rope is and what it is used for.


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

Muppetgirl said:


> The problem is, if you read the Ops original post.....the horse backs out, he has no problem getting in.......I would never let a horse learn he can back out of a trailer 'when he feels like it'....he obviously doesn't explode in the trailer as he would've done that from the get go. Anyone who has handled horses enough should have an idea what a butt rope is and what it is used for.


I've handled horses enough and haven't ever used a butt rope. Also, just because a horse goes in doesn't mean he isn't afraid. My horse goes in but is always afraid. So we always reward them when they go in. Also, horses can be confident going into things, but can quickly build up fear when they're actually in them. If he's looking behind him and possibly trying to turn around, that's a typical sign of at least a little fear or anxiety.
It's hard to tell wether or not it's fear without a video or something to see


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## countrylove (Oct 18, 2012)

I highly recommend Clinton Anderson's technique of trailering a horse. I have seen first hand how it works MULTIPLE times. Google him or YouTube also but the concept is to make the trailer the resting spot and outside work. I've seen CA take a horse he had never met, who reared trying to load her, and was a danger to herself and others. I personally know the mare. In 30 mins he had her loading herself into the trailer. It was amazing 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Kayella (Feb 11, 2012)

I would try lunging him outside the trailer. You first need to get the "sending" method down. Stand to their side and have them walk over to your other side and yield their hindquarters, like half a lunge circle. You should get him confidently sending both ways before stepping towards the trailer. Stand to the side of the entrance and try sending him in by pointing inside the trailer. If he doesn't go, lunge him. And repeat until he does go in. Once he does go in, give him time to settle before shutting the door. If he backs out, let him, but work his butt off again when he does. After a couple times of that, he's going to realize that the trailer means rest and not staying in it means work. 

I had issues with my colt not wanting to load, I would pull him in from inside the trailer like you do and he would plant himself outside. Now with the sending method, I just point and he literally jumps right in without any hesitation.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I had a horse that was a nightmare to load, but brilliant with everything else new that she came across. I fought and fought her until I bought a trailer with a front ramp as well as a back. When the front ramp was open, she'd self load. 

I am English and those trailers seem to be rare here in the US while common back in my mother land. I'd open everything - windows, escape door etc so it's as light as it can be. If there is a divider move it. 

Then park the trailer in your horses field. Feed in the trailer. If the horse misses a meal, oh well, when they are hungry enough they will go in.


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## countrylove (Oct 18, 2012)

Kayella said:


> I would try lunging him outside the trailer. You first need to get the "sending" method down. Stand to their side and have them walk over to your other side and yield their hindquarters, like half a lunge circle. You should get him confidently sending both ways before stepping towards the trailer. Stand to the side of the entrance and try sending him in by pointing inside the trailer. If he doesn't go, lunge him. And repeat until he does go in. Once he does go in, give him time to settle before shutting the door. If he backs out, let him, but work his butt off again when he does. After a couple times of that, he's going to realize that the trailer means rest and not staying in it means work.
> 
> I had issues with my colt not wanting to load, I would pull him in from inside the trailer like you do and he would plant himself outside. Now with the sending method, I just point and he literally jumps right in without any hesitation.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Exactly the method I was talking about. It works well.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

A horse that is learning to back out when it decides? Will be a horse that learns it doesn't even have to get in trailer period.

I'm not a fan of circling horse around and around to get it to load really. While it may work, I think much of that comes from the mindset of the person doing it...horse picks up on that as much as anything.

With straight load, horse needs to self load so butt bar can go up, and door shut and then tie in front.

Bring horse up to trailer, and tell them to load up, fasten butt bar and door. If they try to come out, tap with lash whip lightly on rear and tell them to get up there. 

Pictures of how your trailer is set up would help here. Depending on that? I've also taken rope, tied off to one side, got horse up to trailer, and taken rope around butt to other side and used rope to get horse to load.

Have also used two people with linked hands to place under rump and heave up.

You may also be dragging this out by not getting out after horse loads, keeping rope tight as you come out, get butt bar up and door shut.

And are you opening access door at front so horse can see out?

Also, putting little grain or hay up in feeding manger, if have one, may give you time to get back secured. 

Leaving horse trailer in field to let horse get used to feeding in there? Foolish, as horses will, if given access to it, strip your whole trailer of lights, rub against and bend it, and take of pigtail too. Idiot ex did just that and NOTHING was left on trailer that horses could take off.

Actually I thought it was pretty funny, as I had told him not to leave it in there.

But get butt bar up and door closed, then tie off in front, is what I would do here.

I've also, depending on trailer? Run lunge line through front, come around and used that tension to get horse to step up and did butt bar/door closing.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Nokotaheaven said:


> I've handled horses enough and haven't ever used a butt rope. Also, just because a horse goes in doesn't mean he isn't afraid. My horse goes in but is always afraid. So we always reward them when they go in. Also, horses can be confident going into things, but can quickly build up fear when they're actually in them. If he's looking behind him and possibly trying to turn around, that's a typical sign of at least a little fear or anxiety.
> It's hard to tell wether or not it's fear without a video or something to see



You can also teach a horse to be afraid by rewarding them for being afraid too.

And not always sign of fear or anxiety because he is trying to turn, most of the time it is I don't want to, if it is horse that will load.

Horses do not do something and then get nervous later in middle of it. Their existence depended on them being nervous first, and deciding whether or not to do it.


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## cavallo (Feb 11, 2012)

Do you have or could you loan another horse to be with him ? Even a pony. He certainly needs company.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Nokotaheaven said:


> I've handled horses enough and haven't ever used a butt rope.


I've been handling horses for 40 odd years and I had never used a butt rope until this year, guess what, you are never to old to learn something new, and I was amazed at how well it worked. I now use it for other things other than loading, and used well it is a great help to overcome learned bad behaviour and install new good habits



Kayella said:


> I would try lunging him outside the trailer. You first need to get the "sending" method down. Stand to their side and have them walk over to your other side and yield their hindquarters, like half a lunge circle. You should get him confidently sending both ways before stepping towards the trailer. Stand to the side of the entrance and try sending him in by pointing inside the trailer. If he doesn't go, lunge him. And repeat until he does go in. Once he does go in, give him time to settle before shutting the door. If he backs out, let him, but work his butt off again when he does. After a couple times of that, he's going to realize that the trailer means rest and not staying in it means work.
> 
> I had issues with my colt not wanting to load, I would pull him in from inside the trailer like you do and he would plant himself outside. Now with the sending method, I just point and he literally jumps right in without any hesitation.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I had tried and failed with this method, then a nice cowboy used it to load Ben at the arena one day when I was struggling, guess what, all my horses now load like this. Once again, I have found that you are never to old to learn:wink:



cavallo said:


> Do you have or could you loan another horse to be with him ? Even a pony. He certainly needs company.


Not necessarily, Ben is far far worse if there is someone else in the trailer, worth a try, but not always the answer.

Butt rope and lunging/self load, gets my vote every time, here






A week before this it took 4 of us nearly 2 hours to load him, a couple of days before it took the cowboy nearly an hour to load him like this. The difference it is that this method stuck, on good days he loads like that, bad days takes me 5 mins to get him in.

Try all the ideas, and see what works for your guy.


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## cavallo (Feb 11, 2012)

*It Works*

The Butt rope works. Good to know. The horse had no need to be forced etc. Which is good for him. Result.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

The butt rope just gives you a better chance to control the back end, just think of it like a halter for the back end! No need to use pressure or force, it just helps them to connect the front and back, and for smart horses like Ben, stops him taking advantage of swinging away and evading from back end to front.


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## cavallo (Feb 11, 2012)

Changing the subject slightly. Just a question. Trailers with ramps as opposed to step on. Do you have in U.S (never saw one in 6yrs while in working in U.S ) ? Do you prefer ramp or is it better ? Suppose this is research .


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I was born and raised in the UK, only ever used ramps, I thought step ups looked horrible.

Now I live in Sask, I have steps ups and I love them, wouldn't rush to go back to a ramp, I think I have less issues, a lot of horses hate that hollow sound and the slope of a ramp, going up the step the first step they take they are actually in the trailer, rather than having to do the ramp and then the trailer. The only down side I see is that it us easier for a tall horse to scare himself by taking an enthusiastic leap up the step, then hitting his head, walking up the ramp they are more likely to go up with their head down.

When it comes to it though, neither is better or worse I don't think, it is down to personal preference.


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

Palomine said:


> You can also teach a horse to be afraid by rewarding them for being afraid too.
> 
> And not always sign of fear or anxiety because he is trying to turn, most of the time it is I don't want to, if it is horse that will load.
> 
> Horses do not do something and then get nervous later in middle of it. Their existence depended on them being nervous first, and deciding whether or not to do it.


Yes that is true.
And mine does. If she's in the barn with another horse she's fine, but about a minute after the other horse leaves and she can't see them, she gets nervous and it quickly escalates.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

cavallo said:


> Changing the subject slightly. Just a question. Trailers with ramps as opposed to step on. Do you have in U.S (never saw one in 6yrs while in working in U.S ) ? Do you prefer ramp or is it better ? Suppose this is research .


While I have primarily used open stock type trailers and even stock boxes/racks in a truck but only used a ramp trailer maybe twice, I have found that horses really don't mind jumping in. Even the ones that had to jump a couple of feet up to load into a truck or rack. I have found solidarity in the ramp made the difference with loading and more than anything, the openness and lighting in a trailer for loading a first timer or nervous horse. 
I am all for the biggest stock trailer one can afford for horse hauling
I have rarely had to use a straight load type and it usually involved a butt-rope like Muppet and Golden described.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

Ramps are pain in the **** for me, another thing to lower & raise. I can have my horses, loaded, tied and on the road in 4 minutes, 2 horses. Timed myself because I was late for riding lessons.


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## sewsmarty (Jul 17, 2010)

*Thanks for all the suggestions...*

Well....I have found that it is hard to tell when a horse is scared or trying to get away with something.....he looks like he is scared and that makes me nervous thinking he is going to freak out BUT some history on him...he was a lesson horse and has gotten his way for 7 years.....I have also found that because your horse is taught to load in one location does not mean he will load at the next one.....I took him on a trailering lesson one day with a friend after he ws taught to load by a trainer and he did fairly well BUT she was ther to close the door...I need to be able to load him alone.

I do have Clinton Anderson's trailering DVD and saw it in person several times at his tours....I also recently watched Chris cox trailering DVD and I think his method is how my trainer taught him to get on...I am able to send him from side to side, I taught him that a while ago....when my trainer showed me how to load him at his place it worked like a charm BUT when I took him somewhere it was a different story...with all this I am thinking he is a little nervous but more that he is being stubborn and wants to do what he wants to do.....he also paws some when he is in there..as he does when is is tied from being frustrated....most of the times he stands quietly while tied unless he gets frustrated for some reason and I nip it in the bud immediately.......I really would like for him to load without the food because I won't necessarily always have food to give him AND I have heard of nervous horses colicing and even choking from eating too much too fast from being nervous in a trailer...you give them hay down the road after they have relaxed a little.....

I am going to try the sending and lunging to send him in, then do the butt bar and then door...he backs out great...very slowly....I am probably going to get my trainer to come here for me to load him as he did too.....I have a fairly nice trailer with plenty of room for him...if I took the center divider out he would be all over the place....oh and I do open both the little side doors in the manger to give more light.....my butt bars are chains but I have covered them with insulation piping to be softer...I wasn't going to use them n
But I realized for safety purposes they need to be up if the door did happen to open....I do also think the butt rope is a good idea as well...may have to try it....


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## Nokotaheaven (Apr 11, 2012)

Yep, it is better to give it to them when they have relaxed some. And u don't have to give them food every time, it just sometimes helps at first to show the trailer isn't so scary.


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## cavallo (Feb 11, 2012)

*Ramp vs Step On*

Good answer Golden. They both work or wouldn't be here. Agree the step on does look off putting when you see it at first.


Golden Horse said:


> I was born and raised in the UK, only ever used ramps, I thought step ups looked horrible.
> 
> Now I live in Sask, I have steps ups and I love them, wouldn't rush to go back to a ramp, I think I have less issues, a lot of horses hate that hollow sound and the slope of a ramp, going up the step the first step they take they are actually in the trailer, rather than having to do the ramp and then the trailer. The only down side I see is that it us easier for a tall horse to scare himself by taking an enthusiastic leap up the step, then hitting his head, walking up the ramp they are more likely to go up with their head down.
> 
> When it comes to it though, neither is better or worse I don't think, it is down to personal preference.


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## NaeNae87 (Feb 26, 2013)

My TB used to do this. 
I used to load him with help from a friend. One of us would lead him up and hold him while giving him carrots, the other would do up the bum bar. That worked a treat when I had someone with me. 

When I was by myself, I loaded my other horse first and did the bum bar up, before putting my TB on. I made sure there was hay, apple or carrot for him when he got on. I then took my other horse off and I didn't have a problem. 

My TB now self loads about 98% of the time. He occasionally backs off, but when he does, I make sure the divider is all the way over and he has heaps of room before walking him back on. He is fine after that.

It took a lot of patience and work to get him like that. Good luck.


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