loading horses into 2 horse trailer

[Hillary_Indiana]

I have two horses who will take me like 2 hours to get them into the two horse trailer. I guess they are afraid of it...I don't know. Any suggestions? I've been trying things like food bribery all the way to putting a lunge rope behind them and forcing them in (i hate to do that). have to load one tomorrow to take to an auction. all help would be appreciated!!!

 

[certherfbeef]

Loads of good advice on this thread. Still have questions...bring them back here. Good luck to ya.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ng+trailer

 

[tapeworm]

Id throw the trailer away if I was you. LOL Ive hauled hunderds of horses thousands of miles and never once in a horse trailer. If youve got another trailer I guess you would have tried it instead...its just that I see some peopel that have stock trailers and such but think that just because its a HORSE trailer that they have to haul there horses in it instead of there other trailer. I really dont have any use for a 2 horse trailer...if you need something small use a 16' bumper pull stock trailer...I wouldnt want to go in a blind hole neither

 

[Anonymous]

Tape - like you, we tossed the horse trailer years ago - we haul our animals loose in the stock trailer - sometimes we divide the trailer up by closing the inside door, but we just open the big door and in they go - on their own.

Pulled our two horses almost 1500 miles one way - about a year and a half ago - I think they enjoyed the ride - being loose in the trailer. I closed a couple of doors to sort of pen them individually - but they had enough room to turn around and so on.

Bez'

 

[cowgirl580]

a two horse can have plenty of room for 1, even if it is divided. not my fav mode of transport, but....... i had a palomino a long time ago and he would turn around backwards in the trailer, 2 horse, as we drove down the road. if you reloaded him he would just do it again.

as for the loading them easier, i would say just practice with them. reward them when they do and let them out after they stand there for a few min. i agree with the others about it being small and most don't like to ride in it. you could always try the back of the pickup if you have a rack in the back. done that before, too. good luck.

 

[Scotty]

I have some horse that won't go into a covered trailer. So I use my stock trailer and sold the horse trailer. Jsut work them slowly and be carefull. On and off , on and off training.


Scotty

 

[erinstenklyft]

I had this same problem with my pony then some one told us to clip 2 lead ropes together then put it around the horses back side and hold the ends tight up by their head and pull when they try to back up its alot faster with 2 people

 

[J]

I've got a mare that will jump into a stock trailer any day of the week but won't ride in a 2 horse. She will load up in a 2 horse easily but as soon as she reaches the front she puts it in reverse and she's out faster than she went in. I recently sold that two horse trailer also and now I only have a 24' gooseneck bartop stock trailer. Works great for horses, cattle or whatever you want to run in there.
As far as a method of teaching a horse to load in one, I'll throw my "2" cents worth in. Just keep working with them.


We one time cut some draft horses off from water because they were just to hard to handle and catch. The only time they got water was when we haltered them and lead them to water. If they would not let us catch them they didn't get water.After a few days of knowing we were there source of water they were easy to catch and handle and turned out to be our best friends. Could pull a heck of alot too! :shock:

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

get a ramp for the trailer or make one or something just for training purposes..... put a haulter on the horse and put a shirt or something over their eyes to blind them but be sure they can not see through the fabric or out of the corner of the object. lead them around the corral like that for a while take it off lead them around with it off then put it on and lead them some more... eventually work them to the trailer and up the ramp.. when you get inside try to have a side gate open if you have one (incase or wreck!) and have someone shut the back gate for you and take the shirt off and leave the horse in the trailer for about 30 minutes. then get the horse and take him out with out blinding him and see if you can get him in without blinding him... might have to blind him again for a while.. tried this with a horse i had last year and he would load great after that! hope this helps and good luck!

Avery :lol:

 

[Wilson_Cattle_Company]

p.s. we use 30 foot aluminum livestock trailer.. we dont need a $30,000 "horse" trailer with living quarters and all that crap...

 

[J]

The problem I have with two horse trailers and horses that don't like them is that if you put one in there as described by Wilson_Cattle_Company and they decide to freak out then getting them out safely is a problem. If you have the butt chain on them or the door closed and they get their weight up against it you will have holy hell trying to get the chain off or the door open. You would probably be bette off to let them fight it out and inspect the damage after it's over.

I haul my horses in my stock trailer not even tied. I went a while back to our secretaries house to break a couple of horses for them.( race horses ) I took my horse just in case something happened and one got away or something like that.

When I got there her husband and son about lost it when they saw my mare wasn't even tied. :shockin the trailer, wasn't like she was going anywhere it a bartop) They got excited about what might happen and were trying to figure out a way to help me.

After they saw her dispostion and I told them thats how I haul her they calmed down some. But truthfully it's just those dang race horses don't have a brain in their head and my mare at least has alittle sense about her.
Sorry to get off the subject here. :roll:

 

[Alan]

J,

I have a two horse slant, fully inclosed, if I'm hauling one of my horses alone I tie the devider back secure and haul the horse loose in the trailer. If I'm hauling a mare and foal in the trailer I haul them loose also. Never a problem just take it a little slower. Horse seem to like to ride facing the back door when they are loose. Hauled a horse from NW Oregon to Tulsa loose.

Also, much to my wifes displeasure, I'll haul cattle in the horse trailer. I just make sure it's cleaned spotless before I tell her. .

Alan

 

[J]

J,

I have a two horse slant, fully inclosed, if I'm hauling one of my horses alone I tie the devider back secure and haul the horse loose in the trailer. If I'm hauling a mare and foal in the trailer I haul them loose also. Never a problem just take it a little slower. Horse seem to like to ride facing the back door when they are loose. Hauled a horse from NW Oregon to Tulsa loose.

Also, much to my wifes displeasure, I'll haul cattle in the horse trailer. I just make sure it's cleaned spotless before I tell her. .

Alan

Yeah I think the horse feels alittle better being free. My mare tends to get nervous if tied up close. She likes to have her head.

P.S. - Watch out for the wife!! ;-)