# Trailering Issues - Loads fine, but freaks soon as it moves?



## PaintedFury (Aug 18, 2010)

Try loading her friend with her next time. Horses that are new to hualing will often haul quietly with a more experienced horse in there with them. You do not need to be riding in the trailer with them, that is WAY too dangerous.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Yeah, I will try that. I was in the trailer encase she did freak, which she did, but we weren't planning on going anywhere, was just around home.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Personally I wouldn't want you in there in case she does freak- I've seen more than a few horses break those barriers and injure themselves on it - I'd hate to see you under one when it happens.

That being said what you should do is fairly often put her on the trailer (I agree if you have an experienced horse put that one with her) and drive once around the block - when she stops freaking out that's when you can stop the trailer and let her stand in it a few minutes still before taking her out. All this assuming the trailer is safe. If it's low enough to hit her head on duct tape foam wherever she could reach. 
A lot of people think horses need things to support themselves on while in a trailer. A guy I know who worked at an old slaughter house told me he knew which horses came from trailers like that because they were all bruised up from being bounced into the walls the whole ride - this happened too when there were too many horses loaded into the same trailer. 
My preference is a large open stock trailer with them tied to a specific spot. This gives them spaceif they stumble a little. Assuming the driver is driving safely and not hauling around and bouncing over stuff at full speed, horses shouldn't fall down completely ever. I've seen some horses fall down completely when they didn't have the room to move over to catch themselves in tight trailers. That's why in tight trailers that keep them propped up many people use all those shipping pads to prevent that bruising. 

When your truck started very likely the horse could have stumbled back, not been able to catch herself on her own feet, bumped herself on a barrier and become very frightened. I can see how that would play out - I've seen it too often.

SO foam up the whole inside of your trailer so she can't get too bruised, if it's possible to open it up to be larger that would be good - then just practice going once around the block. Also feeding her while she's in such a panic may sound good because you'll be calming to her - but feeding a nervous horse is a recipe for a choke. I don't even put hay in with horses who aren't completely comfortable in a trailer. 

Good luck that's a tough situation.


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## loveduffy (Dec 22, 2011)

I had this happen to my first horse the guy did a realy bad job trailing him that every time he got on a trailer he would freak out- It took a long time to retraining after that he was good


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

A calm, older--NOT old and decreped!-- horse can help cut your training time down SO MUCH. I had that in my older horses, who broke my younger horses in to trailering, trail riding, and gunfire.
If you don't own one, find a friend who owns an *assertive,* middle-aged horse to give yours confidence traveling on short trips in your trailer.
This is how the US Cavalry broke in new mounts. They paired experienced horses + green horses. Works every time it's tried. =D
Today, I use my 14yo mare to give confidence to my younger geldings, too.


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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Thanks guys!  Will try with her paddock mate (solid floater) and see how that goes.


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Also, if you were using a "soothing voice" with horse? That is guaranteed to make it worse. Saying "it'ssss allll rightttt" does nothing to calm a horse down, but does much to make one a fool.

Your being in the trailer might have made it worse too?

And check to make sure trailer is secure, and level.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A long experienced rider after a big jumping venue at the Biltmore Estate went into the trailer with her horse and was carried out in a stretcher and was DOA.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

We trailered a horse in a stock trailer, wasn't tied in. Loaded nicely, travelled quietly but as soon as we were stuck at a red light he'd fall down. As soon as we were moving he'd be up. What worked in our case was stopping farther back and letting the truck crawl forward and tap the brakes. He was kept busy trying to keep his balance that he stayed up. It's not that we braked too quickly, we were already sitting there for half a minute or so. I have one horse that likes to travel backwards so he's not tied in in the stock trailer.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

I gotta say, I can empathize with your predicament OP. My mom and I just spent the over a month retraining our mare to load quietly and stand quietly on the trailer. We had her loading without hesitation, standing with the trailer all closed up quiet as could be.

Then we moved the trailer about 10 feet at an absolute crawl -- and she lost her mind. She wouldn't stop kicking and screaming for other horses even after the trailer was sitting there motionless for 20 minutes. Now we're back almost to square one, where she won't load all the way on the trailer and won't stand there anywhere near long enough to close the trailer up. It makes me want to rip my hair out.

The sad thing is, we have no choice but to move her in another week. Our boarding contract ends and she *has* to be moved to another facility. We thought we would be proactive by starting on her trailer training over a month in advance... but at this rate we'll be fortunate just to get her on the trailer, slam the doors closed behind her... and haul her temper tantrum meltdowning self all the way to the new barn. >_<


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## Janna (Apr 19, 2012)

One time we went and got a mustang mare. 
She ran in circles in the trailer the whole 5 hour drive. 
We couldn't tie her because she was barely halter broke. 
That was fun. 

But as for your horse, pad her up and go  
And get out if the trailer or you're Gunna get hurt. 
Dunno how stopping every time she gets nervous or off balance is Gunna help her learn.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> A long experienced rider after a big jumping venue at the Biltmore Estate went into the trailer with her horse and was carried out in a stretcher and was DOA.


IMO, you should link the story and not just make a blanket statement. I went in to load my horses in my trailer for decades without a mishap. ALL you do with this comment is frighten newbies. There are many online/tv trainers with methods to teach your horse to load himself, but it isn't as dangerous as getting in a room with a rabid dog. =/


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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, with the staying in there with her, the door was open and i wasn't right up close to her . 

Corporal - I think she means staying in there with the horse while traveling, not just loading up.


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## Toymanator (Jul 31, 2009)

Throw another horse in the trailer and go for a good drive. The horse will only learn to be comfortable in the trailer if it spends some time in the trailer. It is ok for a horse to situate itself as the trailer begins to move. Drive smoothly and your horse will tow smoothly...


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Agreed. You should drive like you have an open-top bowl of goldfish on the front seat leaning against your leg. Slow starts, stop the cruise and coast to a long, slow stop, and slow, steady turns. I follow the truckers when I travel bc they can't start or stop slowly, either. Also, I let them in when there is construction, and we get to be travel buddies on a trip.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

iloverains said:


> Corporal - I think she means *staying in there with the horse while traveling,* not just loading up.


I've never done that. Might be interesting. =b


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Corporal said:


> IMO, you should link the story and not just make a blanket statement. I went in to load my horses in my trailer for decades without a mishap. ALL you do with this comment is frighten newbies. There are many online/tv trainers with methods to teach your horse to load himself, but it isn't as dangerous as getting in a room with a rabid dog. =/


Rider Trampled, Killed By Horse At Biltmore Estate | digtriad.com

There may be a bit more to this story that wasn't reported. I have a friend who was friends with the deceased woman & though she wasn't there at the time of the accident other friends that were there told her (my friend) what hapened.
I wasn't there but this is how the story was told. The woman was in the trailer with the horse & instead of leaving through a door she climbed on the horse's back & was sliding towards the back doors which were latched but open on the top half. Maybe to get out that way? 

One can only imagine what the horse or the woman were thinking at the time.

I got this 3rd hand but I don't know why or how anyone would make that up.


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## thenrie (Sep 10, 2012)

Eolith said:


> I gotta say, I can empathize with your predicament OP. My mom and I just spent the over a month retraining our mare to load quietly and stand quietly on the trailer. We had her loading without hesitation, standing with the trailer all closed up quiet as could be.
> 
> Then we moved the trailer about 10 feet at an absolute crawl -- and she lost her mind. She wouldn't stop kicking and screaming for other horses even after the trailer was sitting there motionless for 20 minutes. Now we're back almost to square one, where she won't load all the way on the trailer and won't stand there anywhere near long enough to close the trailer up. It makes me want to rip my hair out.
> 
> The sad thing is, we have no choice but to move her in another week. Our boarding contract ends and she *has* to be moved to another facility. We thought we would be proactive by starting on her trailer training over a month in advance... but at this rate we'll be fortunate just to get her on the trailer, slam the doors closed behind her... and haul her temper tantrum meltdowning self all the way to the new barn. >_<


Your horse will probably be completely trailer broke when you get there.


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## iloverains (Apr 1, 2011)

natisha said:


> Rider Trampled, Killed By Horse At Biltmore Estate | digtriad.com
> 
> There may be a bit more to this story that wasn't reported. I have a friend who was friends with the deceased woman & though she wasn't there at the time of the accident other friends that were there told her (my friend) what hapened.
> I wasn't there but this is how the story was told. The woman was in the trailer with the horse & instead of leaving through a door she climbed on the horse's back & was sliding towards the back doors which were latched but open on the top half. Maybe to get out that way?
> ...


That's horrible!! The poor lady. 

I don't think I'd ever go in the same compartment as the other horse, I was in the front area and because ours is extended I was about 2meters away from her, and the door was unlatched so I could get out fast. But thank you for your story, a real eye opener on how easy and quick unlucky things can happen.


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