# Loading in trailer without vehicle attached



## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

I am starting a new guy and teaching him to load on a trailer. My way of doing this is each day he loads a couple of times, does it correctly and then he is put back in the field. This only takes about 10 minutes but the hardest part is constantly hooking up the trailer to the truck. Aligning the hitch.
I decided to forgo the truck and just rig the trailer so I don't need the truck.
I used 4 jack stands, the type most husbands have in their shop or 4 blocks of wood would work just as well.
I park the trailer on the grass so the wheels won't roll, drop the tongue down a bit by cranking the handle and then place 2 stands/blocks under the back of the trailer , at the corners. I then crank the tongue up ontil the rear blocks are loaded.
I then put 2 blocks under the front corners of the railer, against the frame and near the front at the widest point. 
I then lower the tongue again until these blocks are also loaded. 
I then just snug the front jack until it too still retains load.
I now have 4 blocks or supports holding the corners of the trailer and tongue.
I loaded my boy last night and forgot the truck was not attached while working with him. It was very solid since the suspension no longer supports the horses weight.
No movement whatever.

This makes my daily practice alot easier and faster.
I ask him to load twice and if he does the load and unload perfectly that is all I do and put him back.
He is approaching the trailer is enthusism because he knows a treat awaits him once he is loaded, the butt strap done up and tied in the trailer.
Treat time:lol::lol:

Take a few minutes, block the trailer in an out of the way spot and practice away.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

I've seen it and done this way before and it always seems to work well.

I actually have the problem that if I leave the trailer in the pasture, unhook it, and forget to shut the back door, the horses will load themselves up...... I actually saw my 3 yr old one time walk in our 16' trailer all the way to the front, saw there wasn't any food, and backed herself all the way out of the trailer instead of turning around. 

I have used your blocking methods while training to load though, many don't think about it.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

I would never load a horse in a bumper pull trailer without the trailer firmly attached to a vehicle.

The safety of the horse (and me) is more important than spending a few minutes hooking and unhooking the trailer.

But then again - I love my gooseneck trailers. I can hook up in less than five minutes.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I'm lucky enough to use truck only for towing. So I just keep them connected 95% of time.  

Just wondering how do you teach to load horse with the bad experience in trailer in past (if you had any like that before)?


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> I'm lucky enough to use truck only for towing. So I just keep them connected 95% of time.
> 
> Just wondering how do you teach to load horse with the bad experience in trailer in past (if you had any like that before)?


My truck is my daily driver so I need to unhook every time.
I have trailered alot of problem horses. I also ride problem horse. I have trailered hundreds of miles for a pickup, never saw the horse before, I am being paid for the pickup and they can't load the horse. What do you do?? Turn around and go home?? Charge the person anyway???
Or get tough and load that horse quickly???
I have never gone home empty and once I decide to take over the loading at the owners permission the horse goes on regardless.
It is all in how you position the trailer and the options you give the horse.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

RiosDad said:


> It is all in how you position the trailer and the options you give the horse.


Yeah, that was exactly my question, actually...


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> Yeah, that was exactly my question, actually...


Pick a solid wall of a barn or any building. Put the trailer on a slight angle until you are almost touching the building. There is no escape in that direction and the horse can not get between the building and trailer. That leaves the one side and behind the horse. A pair of buggy whips covers that area and make it so the horse chooses to enter the trailer, it is the escape route for him and nothing else.
Never had it fail.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

RiosDad said:


> Pick a solid wall of a barn or any building. Put the trailer on a slight angle until you are almost touching the building. There is no escape in that direction and the horse can not get between the building and trailer. That leaves the one side and behind the horse. A pair of buggy whips covers that area and make it so the horse chooses to enter the trailer, it is the escape route for him and nothing else.
> Never had it fail.


That's an interesting approach. All I've heard about is just working horse like crazy or spend 2 months on in/out one hoof in time.


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

kitten_Val said:


> Just wondering how do you teach to load horse with the bad experience in trailer in past (if you had any like that before)?


Depends on what the bad experience was.

Often the truck driver is the problem. They forget to slow to a stop, pick up a steady speed and take turns wider.

If we need to pick up a horse unsure of loading, we bring our large stock trailer. Very open and airy. It also has mats so it is not noisy and scary.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

kitten_Val said:


> That's an interesting approach. All I've heard about is just working horse like crazy or spend 2 months on in/out one hoof in time.


I don't have 2 months. I am away from home on a pickup and I am perfectly willing to tour the place for say 1/2 hour while the owner or groom loads the horse and then I am off but after that time and with the owners permission I put the horse on the trailer and I am off.
I have picked up young horses 3 and 4, wild, with no training and had to trailer them to some other farm and so far I have never had a real problem loading them. They were born on the farm and now sold so this is their first experience and my first time being introduced to them.
I can't afford too much time or it isn't worth my time to do a transport.
My trailer is now 23 years old and in mint condition with never having a horse destroy it

Also take the case of a sick horse, one needing to be taken to a medical fascility and the horse is a non loader.,. How else do you get them on the trailer and off to the hospital??
Try it with a problem loader. One side up against a building, no place to go but on. Without the building the horse will just run off to the side and running a lung line will not work.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

mls said:


> Depends on what the bad experience was.
> 
> Often the truck driver is the problem. They forget to slow to a stop, pick up a steady speed and take turns wider.
> 
> If we need to pick up a horse unsure of loading, we bring our large stock trailer. Very open and airy. It also has mats so it is not noisy and scary.


I've run into a few scramblers, one that only scrambled on left turns so I almost come to a stop making a turn. On the straights I will run up to 70 mph but on the corners I take them really slow , same for slowing down, no hard stops and no hard accelerations..
Keep it smooth at all costs.

A stock trailer would be my ideal.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I've loaded my filly into a trailer without it being hooked up. The weight of my weight and my friends about equaled the weight of my filly, so on three we jumped in and prayed the trailer didn't move, haha. It didn't, and we proceeded to let my baby in and out a few times without a problem.

My older horse, however, not a chance in hell. That trailer has to be secured, because she is likely to pitch a big old fit about it. 

I respect RiosDad's advice on a quick load, especially without any time to work with the horse. But I prefer to get the horse in calmly and without a trace of fear. Like I said, my filly loaded like a dream her first time.

My older mare, however, hates the trailer. More specifically, she hates straight loads. At 15'2 and LONG, I don't really blame her. Regardless, the only trailer I have access to is a straight load, so she's going to get in it. I just set up an indefinite amount of time, and our first try, I just walk on up. Ricci's response is to usually stop. Force doesn't work, so I backed her out. Then I let her trot around on the end of her lead right in front of the trailer, slowly bringing the circle closer. When she finally got right up next to it and would continue trotting right on past it, I joined her, trotting in a circle and up into the trailer. I don't know why it worked, but it did. It only took maybe 10 to 20 minutes, and just me, as opposed to the two hours and five people it took to get her in a trailer on our way home from a show. So just a thought. =]

PS. My horse got to the show fine, but the woman drove like crazy, and my horse was nervous, and ended up stomping on her left back foot with her right back foot, and tore off the wraps and tore her leg up. I've never driven a trailer, much less a loaded one, but when I start, I have no problem ****ing people off by taking two minutes to take a turn. =]


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

riccil0ve said:


> , I have no problem ****ing people off by taking two minutes to take a turn. =]


On the straights it is no problem running the speed limit or more but take the corners really slow so the horses are not thrown around. Also brake really easy. Accelerate slowly too.
I also tend to jump stop signs, not a complete stop, a sort of rolling run through.

My idea of a really good trailer horse. _I walk up to the trailer, step to one side, throw the lead line over the back and tell him to go on. Once on I put the butt bar in place and lift the tail gate. Often if the distance is only 5 miles or so I don't bother tying, just close the front door._
_When I arrive I open the side door, drop the loading ramp, undo the butt bar and then take the tail and ask him to back, ONE STEP AT A TIME, he backs only the one step at a time stopping whenever I don't ask for another step. _
_I often just walk him to the back of the truck, ground tie him and saddle._
_Often/most of the time I don't use a halter, just a neck rope/ a rope snapped around the neck and that is all._
_My youngster is loaded twice a day for 2 or 3 weeks and then I will back off if he does it perfectly every time. No compromises._


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

In a dream world, my filly will end up like that. So far, no problems. She's been in the trailer a few times, just getting in, shutting doors, backing out, and on both sides. We even hauled her to my vet twenty minutes away to get her shots and she was just happy-go-lucky the whole trip. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck. =P

Anywho, she unloaded at the vet just fine, and got right back in like she's done it a million times. She was 9 months I think at the time? The trailer I have access to doesn't have a ramp though, but she figured out that "step" means she has to step down or step up. Hopefully with her, she'll continue to just get on in. I'm just going to hide her every time I try working with my older mare. She doesn't need to get any ideas. =]


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

We use a butt-rope. Never had it fail. The end result is the same as riosdad, all our horses self load and calmy back out with a hand on their rump guiding. 

I also agree with riosdad on driving; We roll through stop signs also, super careful on corners and even more so on roundabouts, and brake/accelerate slowly. Giving the horses a good trip is half the battle in creating a good floater/trailerer.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

My horse just kicked at the butt ropes. She just won't be forced into a trailer, so I stopped trying to force. She's an oddball, that mare of mine.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

We don't use it to force, just as a barrier, similar to Riosdads technique of using a wall.


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## RoadRider / Rios Dad (Jul 2, 2009)

wild_spot said:


> We use a butt-rope. Never had it fail. .


I'm going to try the butt rope the next time I have a problem. I never used it before because I worried the horse would freak out and with the rope he would either run off to the side through it or rear and back up and possibly tripping himself?? I will try it as a barrier. I will tie it to the trailer and have a helper hold the other end using it in place of the wall.
I will give it an honest try.
Thanks for planting the idea wild_spot.


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## FlitterBug (May 28, 2009)

Every horse that I own trailers like RiosDad described. They practically play in the trailer if I leave it open, moving around or not. Even if they don't load when I first get them, they just start following the others lead. I've never actually had to teach one of my horses to load, my horses do. I've taught other peoples horses to load, but once I get them home and get them into my routine, they suddenly load, even in my scary little two horse straight load with the midget escape door. The door actually rusted shut at one point because it was never opened.

If a horse is truly ready to load and in the right frame of mind, then loading is never an issue, whether the trailer moves a little or not. If I have the slightest concern in my mind that the horse may flip out and put my safety and their own in jeopardy, then that horse is not ready and something in the basics has been left out.


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## HorseOfCourse (Jul 20, 2009)

I think one of the key parts of loading a horse [if the horse is yours] is a strong bond. The first tiem we loaded my mare [before she and i connected] she literally sat down at the door. Now, she won't get in the trailer unless I'm in there first. [thats how we load our horses, we lead them in]


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## Jillyann (Mar 31, 2009)

RiosDad said:


> I'm going to try the butt rope the next time I have a problem. I never used it before because I worried the horse would freak out and with the rope he would either run off to the side through it or rear and back up and possibly tripping himself?? I will try it as a barrier. I will tie it to the trailer and have a helper hold the other end using it in place of the wall.
> I will give it an honest try.
> Thanks for planting the idea wild_spot.



My trainer did this one time with her horse, and he freaked out over it, and when he backed up very fast, the rope pulled out of my trainers hand and she had 1st degree burns on both her hands because of it. :-( So just be careful!


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

> I'm going to try the butt rope the next time I have a problem. I never used it before because I worried the horse would freak out and with the rope he would either run off to the side through it or rear and back up and possibly tripping himself?? I will try it as a barrier. I will tie it to the trailer and have a helper hold the other end using it in place of the wall.
> I will give it an honest try.:smile:
> Thanks for planting the idea wild_spot.


That's exactly what we do, Riosdad. One end is tied to the trailer, and my dad holds the other end. At first we just sit it lightly against them, just above their hocks. If they start to back up, we strengthen the pressure but still alow them a bit of backward movement. They tend to stop after a few steps. Most horses will walk in as soon as they feel the rope on their butt. If we ever have a horse freak out totally, we just drop the rope, bring them around again and away we go again.

We put a hand on the horses butt as they back out to guide them and keep them steady, so Jillyann, all our horse are fine with things touching their butt. I see it as dangerous having a horse who kicks out at anything touching their butt, so it's something I fix and and also something I know about before trying to load them.

I'm a firm beleiver that most loading problems are leading problems. If you have a horse who is a solid leader, you should be able to lead them anywhere. The rope is just used as a barrier to stop them skipping out the side or running back ward.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I don't disagree with the butt rope idea, it just does not work with Ricci, haha. That's the only thing she's ever kicked at, I can run up behind her, I can grab her butt, I can slide off the back of her, she is not a kicker. My horse just can't think if there isn't open space. And it's okay with me, I guess I'd rather her want to go in the trailer a opposed to going in because she can't go anywhere else.

The first time I tried a butt rope with Ricci, she had much the same reaction that Jillyann was talking about. She didn't want to go forward, and when she tried to go back, she got stuck, and panicked. It is a rather reasonable reaction. 

It's just strange to think about how different my horse is from the "norm," haha.


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## wild_spot (Jan 30, 2008)

^^ That's fair enough. I just want to add that any horse we have had to rope only needed it 1-3 times, and afterwards loaded willingly without any form of barrier.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

Well that's all that really matters. =]


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## MacabreMikolaj (May 9, 2009)

Haha...forgot to check, wrong account...


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## EveningShadows (May 18, 2009)

K so I'm dumb...that ^^^ was me :lol: here's my actual post! LOL

When I first started reading your post I was a little nervous...but having it jacked up and fixed on all corners, I don't see why not. The only experience I've ever had with an unhitched trailer was with my older mare, who loads fine, we were already in when we heard a *thunk* :shock: Apparently I forgot to latch it onto the hitch! I know, beginner error and it hasn't happened since...but we couldn't get it back on without unloading her first. So on the count of three we raced out of there backwards but we were out and clear by the time it made any movement. Ever since, that's the first thing I check! 

As for the butt-rope? MAGIC. I think there was only once where it didn't work for me. We've coaxed a neurotic arab mare in and youngsters...neither with real force, just holding power. It just makes backwards no longer an option. For prior training, I've found it easiest to back the truck up to a round pen and put the hay and water in the front of the trailer...then it becomes an ok place to be. Once there's no fear of it, they've all loaded fine.


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