By Jessica Crouch
You load your happy horse into your trailer and off you drive - to a wonderful trail ride? A fun show? Maybe a great clinic? In real life though, horses often worry about the trailer. A lot. Some arrive soaked with sweat. Some bang their heads or legs in their haste to get off the trailer. Some simply won't go in at all. But it doesn't have to be that way. Training (or re-training) a horse to trailer can be just another relaxed progression in his education. How you approach it makes all the difference in the world. The key lies in developing trust, communication and confidence AWAY from the actual trailer. Each piece of the trailer loading equation can be broken down. I'll be sharing an exercise each month that will help your horse learn the skills and confidence he'll need when you finally do ask him to load.
Exercise #1: Step on an object.
GOAL: Be able to send your horse PAST you and direct him to put his feet on an object. He then needs to be comfortable standing there as you walk up to him, rub him, then go back to where you were standing while he remains on his object. Remember to do it from either side of your horse.
A large plastic bucketlid can work as a starting place, but if you have a rough piece of plywood to progress to, so much the better. Being able to load all four feet on your obstacle is ideal. From there you can move on to a tire filled with dirt, or a wooden platform or raised bridge. Remember: it's really not about making a fancy obstacle - it's about the communication. You want to ask your horse to move onto the obstacle while you remain BEHIND his driveline (the point where you would hang a necklace on him) as he moves forward to the obstacle and confidently places his feet on it.
Don't get stuck on the lid (or whatever) itself as the goal. The eventual goal is to SEND the horse forward to the object, but it's totally okay to cheat! This is about getting your horse confident placing his feet on something while you are behind his driveline. But even within that seemingly simple task there are so many pieces that might worry the horse. He could be worried about placing his feet on something. He could be worried about walking past you and voluntarily presenting his ribcage too you. He might not understand that it's okay to stop on the obstacle without turning and facing you. These are all things you will work out as you try to figure out how to accomplish this one little exercise.
Feel free to ask for help from someone more experienced if you get at all stuck or frustrated. Mary's groundwork classes Friday morning are a great resource. Have fun, get creative and approach the puzzle from all directions!
Next month we'll talk about ways to prepare your horse to back off a trailer.
(Originally published February 2014)
