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Actually, I can see the horse blasting backward hard enough to shove  
the partition (and you) out of his way if you just try to crack it  
open to teach him to slow down.  That works if the horse is calm, but  
if he is focused on backing out as fast as he can, the handler could  
get hurt.

I just got done acclimatizing my horse to a new trailer -- like his  
old one, it is a straight load with ramp, but much nicer :).  Still,  
as far as he was concerned, it was ***different***.  I took 3 weekends  
to work with him on it.  There were a couple of episodes where he  
loaded part way in, seemed calm, and then investigated something,  
decided it was ****different**** so he blasted out full speed.   I  
didn't try securing anything until he had rattled and banged and  
investigated everything, and was comfortable enough to stand in the  
trailer for at least a minute or two, then back out calmly.

Of course, once he was comfortable enough to actually load and go for  
a short trailer ride, everything was fine - "oh -- its a **trailer**!   
OK, no big!"   Sigh.  Horses.


On Apr 16, 2009, at 4:45 AM, Born Country wrote:

> Hmmm.... I can see a lot for potential disasters using the "closed  
> in with the horse" method.  What I've taught my horses, was not to  
> back out until I cue them to.  Untie from the window, open the back  
> door (and leave open), unlatch the partition of the slant, but don't  
> open fully.  Just kinda crack it.   When they start to back out,  
> push the partition back and tell your horse "no" and "stand".  Do  
> this until he stands and you can fully open the partition.  Then go  
> to his head and back him out yourself.
>
> This method also works for the horse that likes to turn around in  
> the trailer and come out front-wards.  I've taught both my older  
> gelding and my young filly like this.  By extension, if they are in  
> the last stall next to the outer door, they don't move until cued.
>
> This is much safer for both of us.
>
> Esther and Chagalle, who now looks and waits to be backed out of his  
> trailer


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