She load in perfectly, but once she is in there she paws and dances around. By the time we have driven 20 minutes to the trails she is already dripping with sweat. What can I do?
2007-07-02 20:23:08 · 17 answers · asked by Wildfire Ranch Horse Rescue 2 in Pets ➔ Horses
My trailer is a slant three horse stock type. It is open at the top like a stock trailer, but has partitions like any other horse trailer. I am hauling with other horses. She has been in the front and in the middle.
2007-07-03 08:26:30 · update #1
Back in the 80's when we were trailering Horses to the race track almost every day heres what we did for the nervous ones
Take a ration of Oats or feed and pour one Heinekin Dark
beer over it (warm beer) Feed the horse
That usually calms them down quickly and wears off in about
45 mins
also I have seen others put a radio in the trailer and it worked for some horses
2007-07-02 23:00:44 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
If she is that stressed out you may want to ask the vet about giving her small doses of sedatives that will just last long enough for the ride- some people dont believe in this but I think it's a lot nice to the horse than letting them get all worked up and freak out. Plus some horses could injure themselves in situations like this- make sure you always have a head bumper and leg wraps on her (im sure you know this already just a reminder.) Anyways-- if you or your vet dont agree to sedatives you can always try getting her a lickit for in there, it may or may not keep her busy- they are basically like salt licks only they come in treat flavors, like apple and carrot- or maybe you can try a salt lick itself. Always keep fresh hay in there and maybe add a scoop of grain-- the hay should last a good hour or so, so for the shorter rides i'd try that out :]
EDIT--
I agree with what the other person said also, the radio helps a ton!! Put on some classical music so they aren't so lonely- usually my horses get nervous when traveling alone too (maybe you could take another horse along for company??)
2007-07-03 05:39:58 · answer #2 · answered by Sarah C- Equine Help 101 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have observed the normal trailer loading training with the horse (Load her in, unload her, load her in, unload her so she knows that she is not trapped in there indefinitely),
there is little else I can add.
You could perhaps offer some hay to keep her occupied with something other than anxiety while she is in there.
Avoid swerving with the vehicle or going fast over bumpy roads. The bumps are felt much more by the horse in the trailer than by you in the cab.
Consider putting down a deep layer of straw in the trailer bottom so that her stance is more cushioned and she won' t frighten herself even more by the sound of her stamping hooves.
As a last resort, you can ask your vet for something to calm her.
I have heard of pheromone therapy (a scent based, non-invasive, non-drug approach), but I don't know if it works for horses. Ask the vet.
2007-07-02 20:31:40 · answer #3 · answered by flywho 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I've had to tranquilize a horse a few times b/c he did the same thing. He actually almost killed himself onetime in there. I would recommend doing some training with the trailer to get the horse to be more calm. If you have a paddock you can put the trailer in there and feed the horse in there so it realized it won't get hurt in there. Some horses just hate being in trailers. Good luck.
2007-07-02 20:30:02 · answer #4 · answered by Alexis R 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Does she do this if loaded with another horse or by herself?
Ditto the hay feeding during hauling. I also bought a Bizzy Ball out of Valley Vet?? I think. I would hang that outside his window for him to play with. Helped for a minute at most.
If she does this because its a hauling alone thing, depending on your trailer setup, you can get a plexiglass mirror *pricy* and install it on the back of your trailer so the horse thinks she isn't alone. I have heard this helps tremendously.
My mule was a jerk in the trailer. He had ulcers which we didn't know for years, and something with the hauling just aggravated them immensly. He would sling my trailer down the road and weave and paw and kick and rear and you name it. I ended up buying a donkey to haul with him to shows.. That settled him down and then once his ulcers were healed, he hasn't done it since. We still have the donkey and he now gets shown at shows right with the mule.
2007-07-03 00:48:28 · answer #5 · answered by Mulereiner 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
try going on short trips with a good trailering friend for your horse. by having a calm horse right beside her your horse will be more likely to be calm her self. also have some hay for her to eat to keep her occupied. Good Luck
2007-07-05 08:13:12 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We put our horse trailer up to the pen the colts were in and let them go in and out at will. We also fed them in the trailer and after a week or so they were no longer scared of it.
2007-07-05 03:41:56 · answer #7 · answered by Karen 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try throwing hay or grain in the manger, or you can buy a past that calms them down. Also some horse are claustrophobic so put a window down and open vents.
2007-07-03 05:55:42 · answer #8 · answered by Jo 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have a gelding that whinnies the whole time and even while hauling is pawing. Any advice? I have fed while hauling, tried window open, tried it closed. Not able to leave the trailer open to only feed him in the area.
2016-11-11 11:50:59 · answer #9 · answered by Melissa 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what i use is this al natural stuff for horses it is made of herbs and it os around 20$ and will last for 4 uses and i use it all the time and iw works like a dream it is called Less Stress
2007-07-03 03:17:14 · answer #10 · answered by Horse_Lover_Jumping_Crazy 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋