Fwd: Re: RC: Trailering Nervous Horse

[Pam Johnson <pamjohnj@earthlink.net>]

>Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2001 14:48:59 -0400
>To:  Liz.Masters@Citcomm.com
>From: Pam Johnson <pamjohnj@earthlink.net>
>Subject: Re: RC:  Trailering Nervous Horse
>Cc:
>Bcc:
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>
>Liz,
>
>My horse had lots of problems trailering after he had a bad 
>experience in the trailer.  He reared and got his butt stuck under 
>the butt bar in my two horse straight load. He was so nervous that 
>he wouldn't even get into the trailer at first. But with persistence 
>and baby steps, he now trailers fine though he still refuses to 
>self-load.( this is 5 yrs. later) What I did about the kicking was 
>to just continue to trailer him even though he kicked and kicked and 
>kicked, and gradually, he realized that kicking did nothing. I took 
>lots of short trips and made sure there were lots of turns and stops 
>and starts so that he had to brace himself and couldn't constantly 
>kick. The more he traveled in the trailer, the better he got,  the 
>less kicking he did,  til now he only kicks when we've been at a 
>ride and he doesn't want to leave the other horses. Once the trailer 
>starts to move, he stops kicking altogether.
>
>  Turn up the radio and shut the windows of your tow vehicle so you 
>can't hear her as easily and just keep on driving. Hope this helps!
>
>Pam in MA
>
>
>
>
>>Liz Masters Liz.Masters@Citcomm.com
>>I just got this wonderful Arabian mare.  I have been riding her and 
>>she is great!  Nice ground covering trot, level head, P&R's are 
>>low; just a real pleasure.  BUT..... She has a real problem with 
>>the trailer.  If I have her in my 3 horse slant with another horse 
>>and she is loose in the back two slots she is fine.  Just not 
>>always feasable to have another horse with her. She rides quite, no 
>>fuss at all.  But the nightmare begins when I put her in the 
>>trailer by herself.  If I have her loose in the trailer she goes 
>>into a kicking frenzy, kicks the trailer to death.  If I put her in 
>>and put the divider up she tries to go down.  Tried this Sat. and 
>>she got her hip under the bar and tore her hip area to shreds.
>>
>>I have thought about borrowing my friends two horse straight load, 
>>which has a longer divider and then hobbling her back legs to keep 
>>her from kicking.  But I am not too sure about that.  I don't know 
>>if she may feel too claustrophobic and try rearing and stuff.  I 
>>have a feeling she has been through a nasty trailer accident.  She 
>>loads just fine, no fight whatsoever.
>>
>>Does anyone have any suggestions?  Please HELP!  Thought that maybe 
>>I should try an open stock (cattle) trailer.  But I really don't 
>>know.  I really don't want to get rid of her because I have such a 
>>good feel about her.
>>
>>THANK YOU
>>
>>
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