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Moving a horse to a new barn - trailer question

2K views 16 replies 12 participants last post by  Woodhaven 
#1 ·
Moving to a new barn and my horse is used to a trailer with a ramp to walk up on. The new barn manager asked if my horse has ever been on a walk-up trailer. As far as I know she has not. Does a horse have to be trained on a walk-up trailer or will they just get on if they have never been on one before. Are they dangerous in any way??? :cry:
 
#2 ·
Accidents can happen no matter what kind of trailer but I don't think they're dangerous, I prefer step ups over ramps. It may require a little coaxing if she's never had to step up into a trailer but as long as she loads well with a ramp it may just be a matter of leading her up to it and letting her check it out for a minute before she figures out she needs to lift her feet.
 
#3 ·
In my experience, I've had more trouble getting the horses to walk up a ramp than I have getting them to step up. The ramp is nice for backing out though, no sudden drops!
 
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#8 ·
Just be sure you back them up straight! :)
I was a newbie and under my trainer's guidance backed my horse out of her ramped trailer. (I had walked her in to get on, exiting via the human door at the front).
As I backed her off, I didn't realize she was able to set her butt sideways, since I was at her head, and she almost went off the side of the ramp when she was at the top-middle part still. Could have really messed up a leg rubbing on the ramp. My trainer saw it and had me ask her back on and go back straighter.
I think it was part inexperience for me, a bit for my young mare (that was maybe her 3rd trailering?), and also that she was a skinny barely 14hh horse on a huge warmblood trailer, so plenty of space to go wonky. And she is like me, we tend to touch anything near as we walk, almost like security to know where it it so we don't hit it.

We have a rampless 3h slant load that I like better. Our 3 have never had issues stepping up, other than laziness. I love watching her search with a back foot for the edge of the trailer floor when I tell her 'back, back, step down' to denote 'you are there, step down.' Smart animals.

Now training the 2 geldings to back off, not turn around to exit. That's a whole 'nother ball game lol.
 
#4 ·
^I agree, usually I found they don't like the ramps as much as step-up ones. Just see how it goes, may have to coax her onto it, grab some treats. Just be patient, she may not get it the first time.
Hopefully it all goes well!
 
#5 ·
I got some good advice when I asked a similar question before moving my horse last fall: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/prepping-trailer-no-trailer-practice-729802/

When we moved, she hadn't been on any trailer for at least 6 years, and I didn't know if our hauler was going to have a ramp or step up. I was slightly panicked because I had no trailer to give her a refresher before moving day arrived and didn't want it to go badly. I ended up practicing asking her to step up on weird things. We had a heavy duty wood ramp at our previous barn because it was a therapeutic riding facility, and it was strong enough for her to walk up and back down. We used a wooden "bridge" like they have in trail classes. There were other suggestions over on my old thread about how to create a "tunnel" effect to help them get used to stepping up into a big cave-like space, though I didn't manage to put that together.

Thankfully, my mare has a great foundation (which I can take no credit for, I got her when she was 18) and even though I had never trailered her anywhere, she jumped on the trailer after being given the chance to take a quick sniff and look inside. As most people in the thread I posted said, if your horse truly leads well, they're (probably) going to walk onto the trailer. It was a step-up, and she did absolutely fine.

 
#6 ·
We had a ramp trailer and when I sold a horse he had to load into a step up and he was a little uncertain but I picked up his front left foot and placed it in the trailer and he stepped right in then.
Where there might be a problem is with unloading if he has to back out, he will back easily but when he feels no ramp behind him he might just jump forward and then not want to back out.
When I have backed a horse out of a step up for the first time I will watch and when he steps back off the trailer I will encourage him to keep backing with my hand on the chest and some pressure on the halter and if they don't hesitate they will have one hind foot on the ground before they realize they have a drop there, a little good timing is necessary here. Once they understand about the drop off the back they are usually good with it.

Egrogan has a good suggestion about stepping up on a bridge and backing off, if you have something like that at your stable.
 
#7 ·
just get a walking start and don't stop walk on leading and hopefully the horse will follow like its walking over an object on the ground. That's how I get mine to load if I stop at the trailer he doesn't, but if I make a circle and walk straight onto the trailer and keep going and he hops right in
 
#9 ·
There are pro's and con's to both step-ups and ramps. If your horse is a good loader, there shouldn't be a problem.

I agree that it often is "scarier" for horses to load with a ramp. So if she's used to a ramp, she'll probably have no problem with a step-up. Just when you unload her, let her take her time to "feel" if you back off the trailer since she won't have the ramp she's used to.

She should be just fine.
 
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#11 ·
I would suggest that when you first load her, back out after just getting her front feet on, then again just as she is stepping up with her hinds. It will be easier for her to to negotiate backing out while she is half way on and will make her more confident at unloading time. But of course you might not feel comfortable doing that while someone is standing around waiting for you.
 
#13 ·
What Joel suggested is what I did with my young horses just learning to go in the trailer, gives them a chance to feel what backing out is like.
the only thing is, the person coming to pick up the horse may not want to do this as they might think it will give the horse the idea of not going in the next time asked to go in the trailer.
Good Luck and I hope all goes well with the move.
 
#14 ·
I have found 99% of trailering is just expect the horse to walk right in. Even more than anything else you do with horses mindset is so important. Make sure the horse trusts you and leads well and they will follow you ANYWHERE. I feel like most cases of loading issues come down to that.

Agree to be slow going back off too, that's the hard part!
 
#16 ·
Well, my horse loaded fairly well. However, it was a slant trailer and she decided she didn't like that at all. I don't think she had ever been in one. She started complaining by stomping her feet a lot. We arrived at the new barn without any trouble and she stepped down successfully but it seemed that she was kinda stressed out because she had been sweating a lot. It was a relatively warm day and she had no blanket on. I'm just glad that she arrived safely at the new barn and is adjusting well to the new place. She has a friend in the field and seems to like it there! Phewwwwww.......moving is stressful!!!:runpony:
 
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