When Your Horse Is Nervous In The Trailer
Maybe your horse is hesitant about loading in the trailer. Or maybe he walks in just fine, but even after a short ride, you find him lathered in sweat. He could physically shake, with the whites of his eyes showing as he looks all around.
No one ever wants to see their horse under stress, or create a stressful situation for them. But sometimes it takes time to work through that stress to convince a horse that something as simple as going for a ride in the trailer can be a safe and comfortable experience for them.
Heels Down Mag cobbled together some tips on how to make trailering a safe and easy experience for your horse. Here they are:
Take a ride in the trailer
Not the horse, but you. Hitch up and have someone drive the truck while you hang out in the back where your horse would be. It’s good to understand what the experience is like for your horse. Horse trailers tend to be dark and can make all kinds of noise. It can help you decide where and what to grease, joint wise. You’ll want to make sure your trailer is safe and a halter banging against the wall isn’t causing any additional stress for your horse.
Consider your rig and their preferences
Maybe your horse loads and travels better in a slant-load versus a straight-load. Every animal has their own preference. Some require more space than others. Trying to squeeze a large horse in a trailer that is just too small for them could be compounding issues or creating more stress for your horse.
Practice often
Load and unload your horse as often as you can. Take them for a spin just around the neighborhood and to a variety of outings. Don’t just take them to places which they can associate with extra work or stress, like a horse show. Mix it up. While at home, you can also feed your horse in the trailer a few times. It helps for the horse to associate the trailer with good experiences, like dinner time.
Pre-exercise before a ride
Lunging a horse for a short time, either near the trailer or away from it, can help them settle their nerves and also warm up their muscles. A little bit of exercise can go a long way in getting them to settle.
Consider additional tools
Some people sedate or provide calming supplements to their nervous haulers before a trailer ride. A nervous horse may be prone to developing gastric ulcers, so adding a preventative medication like UlcerGuard a few days before a haul could help. Ear plugs or quiet bonnets could help limit what they hear inside a creaky trailer.