My cousin is selling one of her filly to theses people who are moving to TN (we live in TX), this filly has got in are trailer plenty of times without any problems (are trailer is a cattle trailer) But the people who are buying her gave us there trailer to get her to go in it (its a horses box/closed in with a with a divider straight down the middle) she wont go in the trailer which were thinking that mabey she dosnt like it cause its closed in which she isnt familar to. we want her to be really good before they come to get her because sence there moving so far, they would have to take her out to let her walk around somewhere, then put her back up in the trailer.
2007-07-30 19:11:00 · 11 answers · asked by pintohorses22 2 in Pets ➔ Horses
The last time we tried to put her in that trailer she went CRAZY & hurt her self from running into the trailer doors, someone please help us get her in the trailer!
2007-07-30 19:12:30 · update #1
We have put the trailer out in the pasture with her, with the doors open, she has seen her 1/2 brother jump in there like nothing with out a lead rope or halter (he LOVES trailers & will get inside of any if he can), we've put her mom in one side but she still didnt want anything to do with it.
2007-07-30 19:46:59 · update #2
An old timer's trick around here is to park the trailer in the field and put her grain in it, the first time, at the back of the trailer where she only has to put her head in to eat. Ideally, you gradually move the feed further into the trailer over a period of time.
As with any training, doing it gradually and consistantly over a period of time is best...
I also don't recommend leaving the trailer unattended for long periods of time in the fields. "Worse case scenario" keeps popping in my head, it's like I think of awful things that can happen. It's a pain in the butt, but I'd move the trailer in and out unless I was going to be around to keep an eye on things.
2007-07-31 00:58:46 · answer #1 · answered by cnsdubie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I just had this similar situation with my 3 yr old mare. This was her first time in a two horse trailer and our has the bar in the middle also.
Horses are very claustrophobic as you probably know. Going into a small confined area is very scary for them. Open any doors and windows on the trailer before you try to load her. It will look more open to her and brighter.
What we did is took the middle divider out. Take a lunge line and attach it to her halter. Wrap the lunge line around the bar in the front of the inside of the trailer and out the side window, if you have one. This give you plenty of line to work with. Have a whip in one hand and hold onto the lunge line with the other. As you pull on the lunge line, use the whip and smack the ground behind her. She might argue with you at first, but keep the pressure on the line tight and she'll eventually go in. This way you're out of the line of fire. Don't stand inside the trailer and try to pull her in. If you can image trying to pull an 850 pound car, it's the same thing. She won't budge!!
Good luck.
2007-07-31 03:00:10 · answer #2 · answered by sugar♥barrels 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Give her treats everytime you try to load her,and walk her around the trailer with the door open,so she can see it won't hurt her.Put some apples,carrots and sugar,or her favoprite treats in the trailer,and see if she will go in to get them.If you have another horse that she is friends with,try putting it on the other side ,so she can see that it's OK,then ask the people who are buying her to maybe bring a goat or another horse when they come to get her,so it could ride in the other half and calm her down.I know it would be a bit if a hassle,but if it helps the horse,then it's worth it.Other than that,I don't know,unless the vet can prescribe a mild sedative.It would be a shame for the horse to hurt itself and possibly have to be put down. Good luck.
2007-07-30 19:47:28 · answer #3 · answered by Dances With Woofs! 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most horse trailers have a removable divider, not always easy to remove though. If you can get the divider out, I would think she would be more inclined to get in, willingly. She may also ride the long trip better that way too.
Long trips can be tricky- a lot of times even the most seasoned of horses, after spending many hours in a trailer, when they get out at a rest stop to stretch, will not want to get back in out of fear of many more hours of being stuck in the confined trailer. So with the divider out it may be easier on the people hauling her- just a thought.
I didn't read the other answers, but have you tried placing her feed bucket in the trailer at breackfast and dinner time? At first at the edge and slowly moving it further in? I have always had good luck with that.
If nothing else remember patience, patience, patience, (I'm sure you are on a time frame) just keep a calm head to help her keep hers!
Best of luck!
2007-07-31 04:40:13 · answer #4 · answered by Raise It! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take the divider out before working with her.
Horses can get claustrophobic also and we have had a couple that would not load with dividers and some actually were scramblers.
How tall is this trailer? Is she hitting her head trying to get in etc?
Once the divider was removed, they hauled fine.
If this is one of those dinky 2 horse trailers, nothing I have will load up in it either. I don't even attempt those things, sorry.
2007-07-31 01:54:20 · answer #5 · answered by Mulereiner 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
take it calm and slow. properly accuiant her with the trailer. let her stand by it. lead her around it and show her the doors. dont push her just wait with her. when i horse freaks out over equipment its an introduciton problem. a horse will grudgingly accept and behave with anything that doesn't hurt them if you introduce it to them correctly. let her smell the floor. throw a little alfalfa in as a treat to help her associate being in the trailer as a good thing (trailer=food/treats=happy horse)
have somebody she knows stand in the trailer maybe a trainer that she has bonded with. have another horse that she knows well stand in the trailer where she can clearly see them. that shows her that it wont hurt her and ill help her come to grips with it. all of these things introduce the prospect of the trailer in a good light. i always show a horse an unfamiliar saddle before i put it on them and let them sniff it and see it its just polite lol.
let her paw at the trailer if she wants just let her spend time wiht it where she is comfortable and she'll get over it.
then comes getting her used to the trailer moving with her in it.while she is in it and is comfortable with you closing the door just barely inch the trailer along. if she freaks open the trailer doors immediately and take her out and calm her down and try again. keep trying and keeping it slow until she lets go of that fear of it.
one way to know if its because its so small is to compare the trailer size to the stall she is in. is it much bigger? if not then its just something new. no foal likes a halter at first. remmeber they never like the saddle to start and they simply hate your for that bridle at first but they get used to it. this is no different. when she does things right give her treats and praise and let her relax before trying it again.
somtimes people sedate a horse for travel but that can cause problems. they can fall down because they arent cordinated anymore, they can panic when they come to and everything they know and love has sudenly dissapeared to be replaced by a strange new environment and much much more can go wrong so dont do that if you dont have to.
2007-07-30 19:33:35 · answer #6 · answered by i.WoNt.SaY.iT. 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
what i would try is give her a bite of her favorite food then put the rest in the back of the trailer let her come out when she wants if she gos in it, then when you do that a couple times and she is ok with it try shutting the door very slow but if she starts to freek just open it and start all new way." like mabie have a stall door thing that is for older horses so they can have there heads out of it". keeping her in so its not a big scary trailer door to her.
2007-07-31 02:58:15 · answer #7 · answered by JUST SOME ADVICE FOR YOU 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are going to have to calm her. You might be best off talking to the vet and see if he or she has any ideas to make it easier on the animal. You need to work on this a lot so that the new people won't have any trouble. Please be really careful. Some friends of mine who were not familiar with horses tried to move a mare and she panicked coming out of the trailer, reared up, fell and broke her neck. Talk to the vet and get some help.
2007-07-30 19:22:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I might just have a suggetion. I'm the avatar girl that says: I LOVE HORSES!!!! Well start by letting her walk near it,that way she can get used to smell and see it won't hurt her. then put her favorite bedding in there(she might feel at home) Then try to put 2 of her fav treats in the trialor(don't go in you might get hurt) then start to lead her in very slowly and comfort her to. If she gets in slowly close the door. Start to drive a little bit around make sure she's calm. yhen take her out and give her just like she's traveling.Drive for about 10 minutes. D this about three times. Make sure you reward and priase her alot!!!! Give her a treat or two.Do this for about three days, only once a day or she may get frustrated. This might work if not try to find an expert trianer or something. Glad to help bye!
2007-07-30 19:24:05 · answer #9 · answered by I LOVE HORSES!!!!!! 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
blinfold her before she's in sight of the trailer. this makes her trust you. i heard it has worked wonders on horses. just lead her right in. if that don't work, put hay in there to encourage her to get in. if there's a window where her head will go that opens, put a LONG lead (or lunge lead) thru that opening, and bring it around behindher butt. when you pull on the lead, it pulls her forward AND puts pressure on her butt. i did it with my horse and it truly works! i hope this helps you tremendously!
2007-07-31 05:13:23 · answer #10 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋