A Trailering Thought

I’m always surprised to learn how many folks who own horses that have issues with loading. Trailer loading should be something a young horse is proficient at doing by the time it is 2 years old, not when it is 5 or 8. Folks like to use feed or treats when loading their horse but this only rewards the horse’s resistant behavior. Horses learn by repetition or repeating actions over and over.

Horses that have been loaded using feed and then go to a trainer’s barn to properly learn to load, require longer time frames than a horse that learns this at an early age. The young horse doesn’t have these past experiences and learns easily to just go in the trailer. An older horse that has loaded by being bribed with feed, now wants to balk and not go in until they have had handfuls of feed. If the feed & treat method worked, then why must it be done every single time the horse is loaded? Horses should walk right into a trailer without any hesitation and when trained properly most do it by themselves!

Trailer training is more involved than some folks would like to believe and many of the folks who train a horse to load via the whip don’t understand the details involved. First, the trailer itself plays a major role, a rust bucket that is loud with rotting floors, tracks off while being towed, makes lots of noise or has doors too small ( most older trailers have smaller doors) will not be a “happy” place for your horse. Also the interior color is important. Most major trailer companies now paint the interior white or a light color. This plays into the perception of the eyesight of the horse. Most horses don’t like dark or black objects. If your trailer is dark, consider painting it white or a lighter color. Or even as my friend did, add a sky light in the roof. He took his trailer to a local body repair shop and they cut a hole in the roof of the trailer and then added a plexi glass sky light. It really added a bunch of good light. Consider replacing broken sliding windows with some clear Plexiglas for light to come in.

How you drive is a big factor, sudden stopping and excessive speeding on winding roads are not encompassing of a good trailering experience for the horse if it is “new” to being trailered. For a horse becoming accustomed to being trailered, load it up and go down the road a mile or so and then come back home. The horse has to learn to balance itself and how to “ride the trailer floor” in relation to being towed around. Take your time, slow down and don’t rush things, they will come to be when they are ready. It is up to you as the horse owner to ensure the safety and well being of your horse at all times…and use your common sense!

Many horse owners find their horses have cut themselves on places in their trailers either during loading or while unloading. Consider buying a loading cap for your horse. Most are priced around $25.00 and provide good protection & padding. The trailer lights are important to ensure proper visibility to other motorists while heading down the road. Remember, you’re sitting in the front seat of your truck, your horse is 15 to 35 feet behind you and when crossing intersections, visibility at night is critical.

Other aspects that are often ignored are the brake condition on the trailer itself, have them inspected yearly or more if you’re pulling a lot. The bearings are a critical concern too, these should be checked and re-packed with grease yearly during the inspection of the brakes. And don’t forget to check the air in the tires, this is often overlooked until it is rolling down the road. A properly functioning “brake box” which adjusts the brakes on the trailer to function in conjunction with your truck’s braking system is crucial to good trailering. Only when you understand its use should you be towing a trailer. Have it inspected by a qualified mechanic yearly or when you believe it needs attention.

Also something that is overlooked or not installed properly is the two chains attached from the trailer to the truck, usually to the bed with a gooseneck style trailer. Some hooks to where these chains attach to in the bed of your truck need to be load rated hooks, not the “eye hooks” commonly used for hanging plants. These hooks must bear the tension and torque should the hitch on the truck or trailer fail. That is the purpose of these chains & hooks, they will prevent the trailer from entering thru the rear of the cab and keep the trailer attached to the vehicle towing it. Some folks say they wouldn’t want a free swinging trailer to be attached to their vehicle in the event of a hitch failure, but a trailer that breaks away free and clear will more than likely roll over or impact another vehicle on the road, therefore making the trailer owner liable for any consequences not to mention injury or worse sustained to their beloved horse.

Now, it will be impossible to mention all of the things associated with the care and maintenance with the upkeep of a horse trailer, but we do offer some valuable info in our New Horse Owner Workshops here at Buckaroo Equine Services that addresses issues relating to trailering horses for first time horse owners. As with any sporting event you get involved with, seek out qualified professionals in your area to instruct you in order to safely enjoy your horse and all of the pleasures associated with horse ownership.