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Kenny Harlow Training Article
April 2005
Trailer Loading Made Safe and Easy: Part 1
*NOTE; The horse in the photos is generally pretty
calm and that is why a bridle was not used during this lesson. It is very
important that if there is any concern on the part of the handler that the
horse may "try to ge the upper hand", a bridle with a full cheek
snaffle is recommended.
Over the past decade, “Blue and I have traveled more than 500,000 miles teaching my Training with Trust™ techniques to horse owners who wish to develop a more effective relationship with their own horse. During this time, I have received thousands of requests from people asking me to help them teach their own horses to trailer load. Many of these folks have had disastrous experiences trying to load a frightened or unruly horse. I have found that trailer-loading problems are relatively common, and I am angered by the many risky, unconventional ways that people use to force a frightened horse onto an unsafe trailer. Depending on the horse’s temperament and the extent of the handler’s patience, a trailer-loading lesson has the potential to become an extremely dangerous assignment for both. Because of the risks involved with training a horse to load safely and easily in the trailer, I have developed a method that any horse owner can use to ensure that their horse has a positive learning experience.
Essentially, there are three basic rules that horse owners must follow to guarantee a successful trailer-loading lesson. First and foremost, the handler must stay safe. Second, the horse must stay safe; and third, the horse must be as calm, or calmer, than it was when the lesson began. Before I begin each trailer-loading lesson, I examine the trailer for any defects or faulty equipment that could injure the horse or handler.
In order to prepare your trailer for the lesson, you should make sure the following conditions exist:
The ramp or back edge of the trailer should be smooth - having no tabs, hinges or hardware sticking out on any side.
The taillights and reflectors should be recessed, and the back corners of the trailer should be smooth.
The trailer floor should be solid without any cracks or rotten areas.
You should have both mats and sawdust on the floor. These are important for a safe and pleasant ride once the horse has been loaded. And,
All bolts, window guards, breast bars and dividers must be sturdy, smooth and rounded so that neither horse nor handler is injured once the horse has
entered the trailer.
Opening the front and side windows will create an airy, inviting feeling inside the trailer. If possible, you should allow the side doors to remain ajar during loading. That way, the horse won’t feel confined once inside the trailer. When you have determined that the trailer is safe and structurally sound, you can begin the trailer-loading lesson.
It is important for your horse to lead both forward and backward correctly before you can safely load the animal on a trailer. Therefore, every trailer-loading class should begin with a leading lesson. I always use a bridle with a full cheek snaffle bit on the horse that I plan to load. This way, I can safely increase the amount of control that I have over the horse’s movements without adding pain or pressure. I attach a cotton lead rope to the side of the bit and place the reins over the horse’s neck.
The Leading Lesson
Step One: Ask the horse to take a step backward.
You can do this by tapping the horse below the knee with a dressage whip. The tap should be firm but not aggressive and should never increase in speed or force. It is important to remember that this tapping action is a cue and not a disciplinary measure. As soon as the horse moves one foot backward, stop tapping immediately and reward the horse by stroking its neck to let it know that it responded correctly to the cue. Never tap above the knee because doing so might provoke the horse to rear or strike. The horse must learn that at no time during the leading lesson is it acceptable to rear or kick. However, any time a horse reacts in a dangerous or aggressive manner, the handler must respond with quick, aggressive discipline. For example, if a horse attempts to kick, rear or “run over” the handler, he or she should quickly strike the horse’s lower front legs with the whip.
When discipline becomes necessary, be sure to never strike a horse more than three times.
Don’t be fooled, horses can count. To a horse, any more than three strikes is abuse. If the horse initially fails to respond to the tapping cue, continue to tap (without increasing speed or force) until the horse responds by taking a step backward. During this part of the lesson, some horses will exhaust even the most patient handler. However, the winner of this contest will be the one who has the most patience. Once the horse correctly understands and responds to the tapping cue, begin tapping the whip on the ground in front of the front hooves as you ask the horse to move back. Soon, you will only need to hold the whip facing the lower front legs to cue the horse back.
During the lesson, never pull, jerk or push on the lead rope, reins or bit.
If you do, you are adding pressure to the request. Then the horse will react against the pressure instead of learning the appropriate cues. The lead rope should always hang loosely in your hand (the rope should never be tense) and is used only in the event that the horse tries to escape.
You should always be positioned at the horse’s nose, not the shoulder.
This is especially important if your horse is pushy on the ground. If you are positioned at the horse’s shoulder, the horse’s head has already passed you and is past the point of your control. Your position during the lesson is crucial in preventing the horse from running over you.
Step Two: Controlling the horse’s forward movement
Once a horse has a reasonable understanding of the “back up” cue, you can begin to ask the horse to move forward by verbally “clicking” or “kissing” to the horse while tapping on the horse’s hip with the dressage whip. Never tap the horse on the back legs, because this might provoke the horse to kick at the whip or, even worse, at you. As soon as the horse makes a forward movement, no matter how slight, you must discontinue tapping and reward or thank the horse for responding correctly. If the horse fails to stop once you have asked it to move forward, use the “back up” cue to return the horse to a position where you can regain control of its movements. As with the backing lesson, if the horse initially fails to respond to tapping on the hip, you must continue the verbal cue and tapping (don’t increase the speed or force) until you see forward movement. Your goal is for the horse to begin moving when you simply “click” and raise the whip toward the hip. For the lesson to be successful, it is important that you can cue the horse without making any physical contact using the whip. Again, this lesson sometimes requires the patience of a saint. Rest assured, the one with the most patience always wins.
A clock or wristwatch can defeat a training lesson.
I often remind my students to forget about time when training a horse. No two horses can learn the same skill in the same amount of time. Once you have begun to teach a particular skill or cue, you must stick with it until you see successful results. If you give up before the horse consistently responds to the cue, you will need to start over in subsequent lessons, beginning at Step One. Once the horse is able to respond correctly and consistently to both forward and backward cues (without physical contact from you or the whip) it is time to head to the trailer for the rest of the lesson.
To be continued in next month’s column
To contact Kenny, or to learn more about his schedule or training programs
visit www.kennyharlow.com.