Loading your Horse

So, you want to load your horse into a trailer? If you practice helping your horse get into the trailer, instead of making him get in, loading can be as easy as pointing him toward the back of the trailer and tossing the lead rope over his back!

Sometimes, people think the best way to get a horse into a trailer is to force or scare him in using whips, chains, blindfolds, drugs, ropes and other leverage gimmicks. Either way, you'll probably get him in there. If you can help it become his idea to get in the trailer, the chances of arriving safely are a lot better. A horse that is well-prepared will get in calmly and safely because he understands what you want him to do!

If you horse is well trained--except he doesn't walk calmly into and out of a trailer-- then an important part of his training has been missed. The foundation for loading a horse safely into a trailer is the same foundation you want to have built into your basic halter- breaking and groundwork programs. Begin at the beginning....

Does your horse lead freely and back up easily? These are both important parts of safe trailer loading and unloading. When you start to walk with your horse, do his feet begin to follow you before the slack is out of the rope? Or, do you drag him around? If it feels like you have to pry his feet loose from the ground to get him to walk forward or back up, then he is not ready to get into a trailer.

Think of having your horse's feet "flow" in the direction that you want him to go. You want him to follow a "feel" to lead forward and to back up in a straight line. Take it slowly, one step at a time. Don't rush him. There should be an easiness about this as you handle the rope and the horse. Don't hurry or get upset with your horse if he doesn't seem to understand you at first. Your messag might be unclear or poorly timed.

If he tends to veer off in one direction as you back him up, practice along a fence line. As you work with him, don't push on his shoulders or cluck out loud. Let the lead rope do the "talking". Your horse will learn to pay attention to the "feel". Start fresh with each requset and reward each step with a complete release of pressure. Your horse's steps will begin to flow smoothly forward and back as you wish.

When you're both good at this, start sending him past you, into a stall, or through a corral gate. Get used to smoothly feeding out the lead rope as he travels past you. Then, let him turn around and bring him back by you in the new direction. Remember, you are not reeling in a 600-pound tunafish! He should lead back and forth quietly, without being dragged. Your horse should be soft and supple on the lead, from the tip of his nose, through the poll, neck and shoulder, through the ribcage, the loin area and into the hindquarters. It's up to you to help him stay suppled. When he is, his steps should flow evenly and smoothly right where you want him to go.

When you and your horse are ready to try loading into a trailer--don't be in a hurry. Ask him to take a step in, and then back out, slowly and straight. Do this over and over until he can stop and rest comfortably while he's half in and half out of the trailer. Reassure him with kind, gentle words if you want to, but resist clicking and kissing to him. There's no urgency about this. When he tries to get in, rub his shoulder, his sides or hips, whatever part of him is handy for you to reach.

First, you need to have the horse's attention and the body must be straight. This bay horse, Kali, is looking off at other horses and her body is at an angle.

Anna directs her horse's mind into the trailer by directing the bridge of her nose into the trailer. Notice that Anna changed hands on the rope so she can offer Kali the direction and support she needs to walk in straight

Robin takes a turn with Kali. She feeds the rope out as the mare walks in. If Robin forgot to do this, Kali would get discouraged from trying to load because the lead rope would pull back against her halter. This could cause her to stop, back out, or raise her head and bump the roof of the trailer.

It's a common mistake to forget to release the rope as the horse enters the trailer. This can scare or injure a horse. Notice the extra rope Robin offers to Kali.

Whether you are leading him in or backing him out, take the slack out of the rope slowly. If possible, practice this "feel" with a horse that already loads and unloads slowly and confidently. Once you're comfortable and confident, it will be easier for you to help a horse that doesn't load well to learn how to wait for your "feel" to get in the trailer.

Good, patient preparation will develop a confident horse that loads and unloads willingly. This isn't a simply thing to learn and it takes a lot of practice to do well. As you are learning, be patient with yourself and be patient with your horse.

If your trailer is a slant load, it's designed for you to walk in with your horse. However, it's still important to teach your horse to be sent into the trailer on his own. It's an important part of your horse's training and will make him more confident and easy to work with in other situations.

Here, Sarah practices leading Paddy into the trailer. Her right hand offers support and her left hand directs his nose into the trailer. Notice how she keeps his body lined up with the trailer. Paddy loads without hesitation as he enjoys the mouthful of hay he took from the manger on his last trip in.

Anna reassures Kali with a rub on the left hip. It took many tries before Anna and Kali became good at this. Anna's patience and preparation has given Kalie the confidence to stand quietly in the trailer.

UNSAFE DOORS. The hinges on emergency doors, if there are any, often get rusty and won't open and close safely. Sometimes, a horse will even try to follow you out the escape door, with disastrous results for both of you. Although they are intended to be a safety feature, in my experience, the use of these doors leads to trouble. Don't take a chance.

TRAILER TIES. Don't ever tie your horse in the trailer before you have the butt chain up, or the door closed. Likewise, when you're unloading, always untie your horse before opening the back door or unhooking the butt chain. Once an inexperienced horse begins to back out of a trailer, it's hard to stop him. If he's back halfway out and meets with a tight rope...he's likely to pull back and panic!

CLOSING DOORS. Imagine being a young horse--new to trailers and loading. Once you're in, someone slams a noisy door shut behind you--you're locked in! Take plenty of time to get your horse used to the sounds of the door banging closed and the hardware clanking around behind him. This can help your horse be at ease in your world and comfortable with your trailering plans for him.

HAULING. Even though you may not be old enough to drive a truck and trailer yet, you want to help whoever is driving to consider the horse at all times. A horse in a trailer is in a very unnatural and vulnerable position when he's closed into a trailer and going down the highway. Imagine this: Pull the trailer as it has a full glass of water in the back! Promise yourself not to spill a drop as your start, stop and turn. This is a good image to keep in mind and your horse will ride more comfortably because of it.

If you plan to load your horse and hit the road this summer, begin now...the greatest gift you can give yourself and your horse this summer is confidence in one another, and the ability to travel and arrive safely!


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If you practice helping your horse get into the trailer, instead of making him get in, loading can be as easy as pointing him toward the back of the trailer and tossing the lead rope over his back! Sometimes, people think the best way to get a horse into a trailer is to force or scare him in using whips, chains, blindfolds, drugs, ropes and other leverage gimmicks. Either way, you'll probably get him in there. If you can help it become his idea to get in the trailer, the chances of arriving safely are a lot better. A horse that is well-prepared will get in calmly and safely because he understands what you want him to do! If you horse is well trained--except he doesn't walk calmly into and out of a trailer-- then an important part of his training has been missed. The foundation for loading a horse safely into a trailer is the same foundation you want to have built into your basic halter- breaking and groundwork programs. Begin at the beginning.... Does your horse lead freely and back up easily? These are both important parts of safe trailer loading and unloading. When you start to walk with your horse, do his feet begin to follow you before the slack is out of the rope? Or, do you drag him around? If it feels like you have to pry his feet loose from the ground to get him to walk forward or back up, then he is not ready to get into a trailer. Think of having your horse's feet "flow" in the direction that you want him to go. You want him to follow a "feel" to lead forward and to back up in a straight line. Take it slowly, one step at a time. Don't rush him. There should be an easiness about this as you handle the rope and the horse. Don't hurry or get upset with your horse if he doesn't seem to understand you at first. Your messag might be unclear or poorly timed. If he tends to veer off in one direction as you back him up, practice along a fence line. As you work with him, don't push on his shoulders or cluck out loud. Let the lead rope do the "talking". Your horse will learn to pay attention to the "feel". Start fresh with each requset and reward each step with a complete release of pressure. Your horse's steps will begin to flow smoothly forward and back as you wish. When you're both good at this, start sending him past you, into a stall, or through a corral gate. Get used to smoothly feeding out the lead rope as he travels past you. Then, let him turn around and bring him back by you in the new direction. Remember, you are not reeling in a 600-pound tunafish! He should lead back and forth quietly, without being dragged. Your horse should be soft and supple on the lead, from the tip of his nose, through the poll, neck and shoulder, through the ribcage, the loin area and into the hindquarters. It's up to you to help him stay suppled. When he is, his steps should flow evenly and smoothly right where you want him to go. When you and your horse are ready to try loading into a trailer--don't be in a hurry. Ask him to take a step in, and then back out, slowly and straight. Do this over and over until he can stop and rest comfortably while he's half in and half out of the trailer. Reassure him with kind, gentle words if you want to, but resist clicking and kissing to him. There's no urgency about this. When he tries to get in, rub his shoulder, his sides or hips, whatever part of him is handy for you to reach. First, you need to have the horse's attention and the body must be straight. This bay horse, Kali, is looking off at other horses and her body is at an angle. Anna directs her horse's mind into the trailer by directing the bridge of her nose into the trailer. Notice that Anna changed hands on the rope so she can offer Kali the direction and support she needs to walk in straight Robin takes a turn with Kali. She feeds the rope out as the mare walks in. If Robin forgot to do this, Kali would get discouraged from trying to load because the lead rope would pull back against her halter. This could cause her to stop, back out, or raise her head and bump the roof of the trailer. It's a common mistake to forget to release the rope as the horse enters the trailer. This can scare or injure a horse. Notice the extra rope Robin offers to Kali. Whether you are leading him in or backing him out, take the slack out of the rope slowly. If possible, practice this "feel" with a horse that already loads and unloads slowly and confidently. Once you're comfortable and confident, it will be easier for you to help a horse that doesn't load well to learn how to wait for your "feel" to get in the trailer. Good, patient preparation will develop a confident horse that loads and unloads willingly. This isn't a simply thing to learn and it takes a lot of practice to do well. As you are learning, be patient with yourself and be patient with your horse. If your trailer is a slant load, it's designed for you to walk in with your horse. However, it's still important to teach your horse to be sent into the trailer on his own. It's an important part of your horse's training and will make him more confident and easy to work with in other situations. Here, Sarah practices leading Paddy into the trailer. Her right hand offers support and her left hand directs his nose into the trailer. Notice how she keeps his body lined up with the trailer. Paddy loads without hesitation as he enjoys the mouthful of hay he took from the manger on his last trip in. If Kali needs to back out again, Anna helps her keep her body straight. Anna always lets Kali rest a moment between tries Anna reassures Kali with a rub on the left hip. It took many tries before Anna and Kali became good at this. Anna's patience and preparation has given Kalie the confidence to stand quietly in the trailer. TIPS TO CINSIDER TRAPPED. Don't lead your horse into a two horse trailer by getting in front of him. It's not a safe place to be. UNSAFE DOORS. The hinges on emergency doors, if there are any, often get rusty and won't open and close safely. Sometimes, a horse will even try to follow you out the escape door, with disastrous results for both of you. Although they are intended to be a safety feature, in my experience, the use of these doors leads to trouble. Don't take a chance. TRAILER TIES. Don't ever tie your horse in the trailer before you have the butt chain up, or the door closed. Likewise, when you're unloading, always untie your horse before opening the back door or unhooking the butt chain. Once an inexperienced horse begins to back out of a trailer, it's hard to stop him. If he's back halfway out and meets with a tight rope...he's likely to pull back and panic! CLOSING DOORS. Imagine being a young horse--new to trailers and loading. Once you're in, someone slams a noisy door shut behind you--you're locked in! Take plenty of time to get your horse used to the sounds of the door banging closed and the hardware clanking around behind him. This can help your horse be at ease in your world and comfortable with your trailering plans for him. HAULING. Even though you may not be old enough to drive a truck and trailer yet, you want to help whoever is driving to consider the horse at all times. A horse in a trailer is in a very unnatural and vulnerable position when he's closed into a trailer and going down the highway. Imagine this: Pull the trailer as it has a full glass of water in the back! Promise yourself not to spill a drop as your start, stop and turn. This is a good image to keep in mind and your horse will ride more comfortably because of it. If you plan to load your horse and hit the road this summer, begin now...the greatest gift you can give yourself and your horse this summer is confidence in one another, and the ability to travel and arrive safely! Published in the May 1997 issue of Stable kids magazine.