Every horse can load and travel happily and stress-free. It’s all about the preparation and approach.
In this mini training, I’ll explain the steps I go through to teach my horses to be confident relaxed in and around the trailer.
At the bottom of the page, you’ll also find a guide to take with you to the stables, to have all the steps at hand whenever you need them.
There are certain prerequisites we need before we start the training.
The most important thing is that your horse needs to be relaxed before you even get close to the trailer. The easiest and most reliable way to achieve this is through tension release points and the groundwork patterns as taught in the TRT Method program.
If you start from a relaxed state, it will be easier to notice subtle signs of tension, which you can address and resolve at the very moment. This will give your horse faith and understanding that he doesn’t have to feel nervous in and around the trailer. This will prevent common problems such as horses running out of the trailer, or horses that load willingly but get stressed once inside.
It’s not about getting your horse on the trailer. That’s the furthest from what your mindset should be. It’s about explaining all the steps of the trailer so your horse feels comfortable with the entire process.
If that means that for one (or two or three) sessions that you’re not even nearing the trailer, that’s okay. Your horse needs to feel comfortable with the entire process, which means that he needs to understand every step of trailer loading.
It’s important that you learn to read your horse and understand when he needs an extra moment before you’re taking the next step.
It’s also important to know when your horse has done well and reward him by going away from the trailer.
Don’t start the training in front of the trailer. Instead, find a place where your horse is naturally relaxed, like the stable or the paddock, and move your way to the trailer from there.
If your horse is not relaxed anywhere, first:
• Spend time with your horse, doing nothing;
• Check your own mindset (are you focusing on the end result or on the here and now?);
• Go through the tension release points and groundwork patterns.
It’s important that you have full control over your horse’s feet, outside and inside the trailer. This ensures that you can also take the training step by step and help your horse find their point of rest again when it gets a little too hard for them.
1. Don’t start when your horse is not relaxed;
2. Don’t park the trailer when you’re just arriving with your horse.
Put the trailer in place before you’re taking your horse to the training spot;
3. Don’t train in a place where there are many distractions.
Allow yourself and your horse the rest and quiet to fully focus on your training;
4. Don’t start when you’re feeling stressed or anxious yourself.
Your own mindset will affect your horse.
5. Do treat it as a training. Take the time and do not be disheartened by little process.
Don’t tie your horse down in the beginning.
You’re only locking them in and forcing them to be there, taking away the option for the horse to manage themselves.
Your horse has to make the decision to stay in the trailer themselves.
Really think about your horse's mental state. Make sure that you're giving him the skills to feel comfortable in the trailer.
You want the trailer to become the safe space, the place where your horse chooses to stay to feel comfortable.
It’s important to know what you’re going to do before you’re going to do it.
In this video, I’m explaining my approach without a horse first, so you can envision the steps and come up with a way that works for your trailer.
Keep in mind that the approach to the trailer (this starts as soon as your horse sees it!) is just as important as the first steps on the ramp.
Take your time and don't push your horse. Focus on a correct and confident approach.
The most important thing is that you can find rest at any time while entering or exiting the trailer. This also means that you can take it step by step, and that your horse can move one step at a time.
I’ll explain more about that in this video:
We’ve outlined all the steps for you in a useful guide that you can take to your horse!
Tired of constantly having problems with trailer loading and traveling?
Not knowing how long it will take ór if he’ll even get on the trailer?
Solve all your trailer loading problems with my NEW step-by-step Trailer Loading Course.
Tired of constantly having problems with trailer loading and traveling?
Not knowing how long it will take ór if he’ll even get on the trailer?
Solve all your trailer loading problems with my NEW step-by-step Trailer Loading Course.
Tired of constantly having problems with trailer loading and traveling?
Not knowing how long it will take ór if he’ll even get on the trailer?
Solve all your trailer loading problems with my NEW step-by-step Trailer Loading Course.
