Loading tips – Guest blog by Millie Martin
Top tips for loading a claustrophobic horse using positive reinforcement that YOU can try at home!
Nature has wired horses to be naturally claustrophobic to protect them from predators. By travelling them, we take away their ability to flight and it is our responsibility as owners to make that ‘scary’ trailer a relaxing, positive place to be.
There are numerous reasons why some horses may refuse to load onto horse lorries or trailers. Horses are instinctively wary of confined spaces and new environments, which can make them uneasy. previous negative experiences such as feeling trapped, being injured during transport, poor driving or handling skills of the driver can all cause discomfort and anxiety. Horses can also be hesitant to load if they suffer from separation anxiety when leaving their herd.
My top tips to helping your horse feel comfortable when loading are:
Familiarise your horse with small spaces.
Get your horse familiarised with small spaces and turning into those small spaces. For this I use jump wings and poles to make a ‘replica’ of a horse box. This gives you a chance to practise teaching a horse to turn in a small space without the added anxiety of the box or trailer. Teach your horse to walk into the box and turn. This can be challenging for a tricky loader but be patient, ask for their head round to you and hindquarters away to turn into the box area. Click and reward for any positive progress made.
Break it down
When practicing on a trailer, break your training sessions down into simple steps. Start with all partitions removed, front and back bars removed and all doors open. This will make your horse feel much less claustrophobic and panicked. Allow your horse to take its time, click and reward for any step forward into the trailer and when on the trailer allow them to walk straight out the other side. DO NOT make any attempt to stop your horse in the trailer for the first few practices or they may panic in the confined space and be too anxious to try again.
Increase time in trailer
When you feel your horse is totally relaxed walking in and out of the trailer, start to increase the time spend in the trailer by giving them some dinner or hay but still allowing them to leave the trailer if they feel uncomfortable BEFORE adding any partitions etc. use these same tools for a horse box.
When travelling your horse for the first time, take them for slow short journeys with minimal twists and turns, this will help them to get used to the feel of the moving trailer. Remember for a prey animal it must be very scary having all 4 feet lifted off the floor, taking away their flight response!
By Millie Martin ( Equus With Millie )
