Unloading Your Horse

There is an extra component to teaching a horse to load that is frequently ignored. Unloading. Getting in the trailer is important, but getting out of a trailer is also something that has to be taught.

In forty-four years I've learned a lot about how not to get a horse in a trailer. Fortunately I've also learned a lot about getting one in a trailer. Even more importantly I've learned how to get a horse out of a trailer.

I learned about the importance of teaching a horse how to unload as well as load when a friend taught her young horse to get in her trailer and then, eight hours later, had to take the trailer apart to get it out.

After that I developed a method of teaching a horse to get out of a trailer along with getting in a trailer. Coincidently, I discovered a method of making the process of training a horse to load easier.

When analyzing the way I had been taught to train a horse to load I realized the whole process concentrated on getting the horse in the trailer. At no time was anything done to teach the horse to get out of the trailer.

Where to begin to teach a horse to get out of a trailer? At first I waited until the horse had one foot in the trailer before I asked it to remove the foot. I ran into problems when I discovered many horses had not been taught to back up on command. I then began by teaching the horse to back up on command before I asked it to put that first hoof in the trailer.

I found that the process of leading the horse towards the trailer, asking it to stop and then back up before going forward again had a calming effect on the horse. This is called approach and retreat. Using the method of approach and retreat makes it easier to teach the horse to get in the trailer. I now use approach and retreat all through the process of teaching a horse to load.

1. Before beginning it is important to make sure the trailer is stable. It needs to be hitched to a vehicle and the tires blocked so it won't move too much when the horse is getting in. The door needs to be held open so it won't swing into the horse.

2. Unless it is an emergency a horse needs to be prepared before now by teaching it to lead. The horse needs to move forward, backwards and sideways easily before being asked to load in a trailer.

3. Lead the horse to where it can see the trailer. Because horses are observational learners it is a good idea to show it that the trailer is not a horse eating monster. If a horse that loads readily and easily is available, ask it to load and unload a few times so the untrained horse can see it is safe to get in the trailer.

4. Ask the horse to take a few steps towards the trailer. Stop the horse before it stops itself. Ask it to stop. Then ask the horse to back a step or two. Repeat this until the horse is at the trailer.

5. Let the horse smell the trailer and test it. Maintain a calm, relaxed, "no worries" attitude. This reassures the horse that nothing bad is happening. At this point the horse may use one fore hoof to test the trailer by pawing at the floor. Let it, but then ask it to back a step or two and then approach again.

6. Ask the horse to put one foot on the trailer and shift its weight onto it. Some horses will, at this point, automatically, put both fore feet on the trailer floor. Do not get excited and ask it to go forward at this point. Instead ask it to step down and back up again.

7. When the horse is comfortable with putting both fore feet in the trailer and then taking them out you can proceed to asking it to put one hind foot in the trailer and taking it out.

8. Ask for the second hind foot to be put in the trailer. This is where you may have some difficulty getting the horse to back out. It cannot see where to put its foot and it is wholly dependent on you to tell it what to do. I have two separate commands I use. "Back," tells my horses just keep walking back. When they reach a point where the next step is to step out of the trailer I use the word "Down," it usually takes three or more repetitions of this before the horse understands that the word "Down," is telling it that a drop off is coming.

Be very careful at this point because this is where your horse learns whether or not it can trust you. If your horse learns you cannot trust you this will echo through all your relationship with that horse. The process of teaching a horse to load is where you can further prove to your horse you are a reliable leader. Or not.