Trailer Training for Fearful Horses

When I bought Zeke, he was not afraid of trailers.  His previous owner had a bumper pull stock trailer and had no issues loading him into that trailer.  Zeke was used to the open feel of the stock trailer and liked the extra room.  My limited budget could only afford a small two-horse bumper pull trailer that was built sometime in the 70’s.  The ceiling was low, it had very few air vents, and it was a tight fit.  In the beginning, Zeke refused to load in my trailer and I spent the next several weeks working with him.  He eventually learned to load easily and willingly and continued to do so for the next year.

My First Horse Trailer

For some reason, over the next couple of years his trailering anxiety increased to the point that it took 2-3 people to get him loaded and he could actually become dangerous in his desire to get away from the trailer.  Several well-meaning people attempted to help teach him to load, and their more aggressive methods only increased his fear of the trailer.  Thankfully, no one (including him) was every seriously injured while trailering (although I did get my fare share of bruises and rope burns).  This trailering problem eventually caused me to stop going to barrel races because getting him in the trailer was such a hassle and very stressful.

This was taken before Zeke became fearful of the little trailer!

Now, I have a larger trailer that is much less claustrophobic for the horses, but his fear of trailers still remains.  So, I am retraining him to load without having to rely on ropes or other people to get the job done.  I am working to make him load calmly and consistently, without using fear or aggressive methods.  The next several posts will lay out the step-by-step process to retrain a horse to trailer (or give a new horse a positive trailer experience), as well as show how it worked for Zeke.

**Working with fearful horses can be extremely dangerous, especially in the confines of a trailer.  Inexperienced horse owners should seek help from a professional.  Always put your safety first!

Welcome to The Sandy Creek Equestrian

For as long as I can remember, I have had a passion for horses.  The weekends that my family spent at my grandparent’s farm are among my best childhood memories.   My grandpa is an admirer of the working horse and a bit of a horse-lover himself.  In his younger years, he enjoyed doing field work the old-fashioned way—plowing fields or raking hay with his team of Belgians.  Over the years he has had various teams of horses and mules, as well as various other riding horses.  One mare, which he had until her death, was quite popular among the grandchildren.  Every visit, I would beg my dad to saddle up “Dixie” so that I could spend a few minutes on the back of a horse.  She was slow and lazy, but she was dependable, and riding her was always the highlight of the trip.  I spent a good portion of those weekend visits in the barn—shoveling manure, sweeping up loose hay, and grooming the horses—just so I could pretend for a short while that they were mine. 

One of my grandpa's teams of Belgians.

"Dixie"

I was 9-years-old when I had my first taste of horse training.  My brother and I spent a week at my grandparent’s farm.  My grandpa had recently gotten four miniature horses, a pony cart, and a harness.  My brother and I spent the afternoons working with one of the minis, “Socks”, getting her used to the harness and the bit, teaching her to steer, and eventually, to pull the cart.  By the end of the week, we were driving her around the farm.  Training the mini to drive was fun and exciting and it sparked an interest in horse training.

Training Socks to Drive

The next opportunity to work with horses (I was 12 or 13) came when a neighbor was looking to sell one of hers, a cute little POA named Ace.  Ace was extremely head-shy and flighty, unpredictable under saddle, and bolted frequently.  I kept him at my house for the summer and put in a lot of hours with him.  He became a nice little horse and if he had been a little taller, I would have bought him.  When I was finished with him, he was put up for sale and quickly sold.  The neighbor even split the sale money with me 50/50!

I saved my babysitting money and when I was 14 I bought my first horse.  My family had moved to the country, opening the door for me to finally have a horse of my own.  I had a very small budget (probably a quarter of what the average person spent on a “cheap” horse at that time) and all of the horses I saw needed work.  The first time I saw my horse, I fell in love.  He was a well-bred horse with great personality and a lot of spirit.  I got a great deal on him (there may have been a few tears involved) and my journey began as a first-time horse owner.  We have had a lot of fun times together and a lot of frustration.  We have both learned a lot in the process (and are still learning!).  I learned which training methods worked for him and which ones didn’t.  I learned how to be better rider and how to “feel” the horse.  Most importantly, I learned how to keep trying, even when others thought I should give up.

My first horse, Zeke

My passion for horses led me to pursue a degree in Equine Science.  While completing my degree, I have worked with a variety of horses with various personalities and temperaments, at various stages of training.  I have worked with abused horses and spoiled horses.  I have worked with very old horses (30 years old) and very young horses (a few weeks old).  Each horse is unique and presents a new challenge to the horse trainer.  This challenge makes me excited each time I step into the arena and I am eager to help each horse reach their potential.  I hope you will come along with me as I begin my career in the equine industry and document my experiences with my horses in training.