Re: [RC] unloading to fast!! - Carrie Kitley-Jackson
In a perfect world, with the perfect horse, you can stand outside and point into the trailer and your horse will load. Believe me, we tried and tried this, even with a pro trainer when we had our straightload. It wasn't happnin! We finally sold it and bought a slant. My mare will pretty much load herself now and so will my hubby's horse, but no matter what, you still have to get in there and snap the trailer ties. I'm not rolling down the road with "loose" horses in the trailer. I know people do it, but I worry enough about them when they're secure! I'm such a mom, what can I say. My horse does better when I walk in with her anyway. I think I'll stick to that. I have never had an issue with her flyin' out of there though either, thank goodness.
~Carrie <\_~ // \\
"The wind of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears."
~ Old Arabian Proverb
--- On Mon, 9/8/08, sherman <sherman@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
From: sherman <sherman@xxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] unloading to fast!! To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Monday, September 8, 2008, 8:14 AM
Nearly everyone I know gets in the trailer with their horses. I was always taught that this was “bad”, my neighbor even found a person squished and deceased in the trailer with their horse. I suspect that it was generally a bigger problem with 2H straight load trailers though, as there is so much room and some protection from the dividers in the slant loads. I like to send my horse in, but I have a small 2H slant load. I did show my friend recently though that his horse will go in without being lead in. Still, someone has to go in and secure the divider, so there’s no avoiding getting in the trailer.
Kathy
Heidi wrote:
I can help!! My horse Ash did the same thing, backing out so fast that if = you were holding his rope, he'd rip it through your hands! Very dangerous = and I wasn't sure how to fix it, however, I came up wtih this and it worked= most excellently! (If I do say so myself!) I had someone shut the door w= ith me in the trailer with him, then I'd open the slant divider and untie, = he'd back and hit his butt on the door, look at me weird and just stand the= re or try to keep backing again and once more hit the door. It took about = 15 times of someone shutting me in with the door latched and then I noticed= he'd start to just stand without doing the "back up before thinking". he stands nicely, or even comes forward with a small tug, then I'd have t= he person outside open the door for me and then
I'd ask him with a small to= uch to the chest to start backing. A couple of times I'd also mix it up an= d turn him and let him come out forwards. I never really unload this way and prefer backing out, but changing it up confused him and "so f= ar" he's never sure what I'm going to ask and he's been so really good abou= t waiting now for me to ask him to back out first. The rushing out seems t= o be cured! (Yes, I know, I get in with him and some people don't do that,= it's just what works for us!)
