Preparation
for Competition
By Cathy Hanson
Copyright©2014
Lesson Four
The Horse
Trailer
TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE SHOW
If you are
planning a one day show close to home or planning to travel a long distance,
your horse trailer needs to be safe and in good repair before departing for the
show.
Floors need to
be checked yearly. If the floors are
wood, over a period of time wet boards will rot and could spell disaster for
your horse. Aluminum floors also can deteriorate. The ammonia in urine can cause a chemical
reaction to the aluminum and cause the floor to turn to powder.
To protect your
floors, always clean shavings out of your trailer after a show. Leaving wet shavings sitting on the floor
for long periods of time will damage the floor.
Hosing the trailer out is a good idea as well. While you are washing the inside, go over
side walls and panels to make sure they are structurally safe and keep your
horse well protected.
As steel
trailers begin to rust, sharp edges pop up that can cut your horse. Check the dividers and the latches to make
sure they are working. Sometimes a
little W-D40 is in order if things are a little stiff.
Make sure the
snaps are in good shape for tying the horse.
Inspect the mats on the floor, check for rough edges that could possibly
catch on the horse’s shoe. Trim any excess, hanging rubber away, making the
floor smooth.
Clean out the
feeders and remove any old, moldy hay or other feed that was left. Moldy hay and grains turn toxic and can
poison your horse. Be sure all feed bins
and bags are completely clean and fresh.
Check the outside of the trailer.
Begin with the lights. Lights are
commonly and constantly in need of repair.
Even if you are not using the trailer often, small creatures can eat
away the wires and cause the lights to fail.
When having the trailer serviced, always have the lights checked--inside
and outside.
Other service
areas include the axles, tires, brakes and wheel bearings.
A spare tire is
a must have item. Carry blocks of wood
in the trailer to drive the trailer up onto if needing to repair a flat. (You can buy special “drive on jacks” for
lifting trailer wheels off the ground to change a tire.) Drive on jacks are much easier than using a
conventional jack with a full load of horses.
The hitch and
the ball, of course, need to be checked.
Periodically grease the ball.
This will decrease the friction of metal on metal. It also helps to quiet squeaking. While
you’re in the area, check the safety chains as well.
Stocking
the Trailer
There are some
things that can be stored permanently inside the tack room. A spare halter and lead are a must.
Have a water
bucket that always stays in the trailer.
Extra pairs of
reins are good to keep in the trailer.
Reins frequently get stepped on and broken, ruining the opportunity to
show.
Rain gear can
easily be stored in a corner. Include a
couple of hat covers. (I am always
lending one to someone who doesn’t have one).
Have a rain jacket or coat and an umbrella. You will be glad to have it when caught in an
unexpected rain shower.
Keep a notebook
with a copy of all of your horse’s registration papers and association
membership cards. Some breed shows will not allow you to show if you are unable
to provide them with a current ownership copy of a horse’s registration
papers. If you own more than one
trailer, this may be an item that you will store in the truck.
You will want
to have a well-stocked toolbox. Inside
the tool box, a few must items are: screwdriver, pliers, hammer, nails, wrench,
electrical tape, knife capable of cutting a lead rope, wiring supplies, duct
tape, flashlight, staple gun and staples, various snaps, eye bolts, Chicago
screws, zip ties, locks and key’s, several pieces of chain in different lengths
(to lock tack rooms), leather ties to repair saddles, reins etc.
This toolbox
will be used at horse shows or on the road for repairs.
Carry flares
and/or reflectors in case you need to pull over on the side of the road. The cones that you carry to practice patterns
can work for this as well.
Tools for
changing tires need to be kept in the trailer.
Jumper cables are great to have.
(If the inside trailer lights or tack room lights get left on, by the
end of the day your truck could have a dead battery.)
Horse trailering
Being prepared
to trailer your horse includes the horse being prepared as well.
There is
nothing worse than getting up very early, working in the dark, and then
discovering your horse refuses to load in the trailer. This is not a good way to start the day.
Know well in
advance if your horse is a happy hauler.
If he or she is not, start teaching trailer loading two months ahead of
your show schedule.
Some people are
fortunate to own a horse that is used to being hauled. Sometimes this will work against you,
however, if the experience has been negative.
The following
procedure will apply to teaching a horse to load in the trailer or re-schooling
a horse to load in the trailer.
Re-schooling can be more difficult, as the horse is already afraid or
has learned how to avoid loading, so expect to spend more time.
Luckily for us, horses don’t
try to figure out what we are going to do with them. If they ever realized we were putting them in
a little box so we could speed down the highway at 60 miles an hour, they would
never load. It is a demonstration of a
horse’s courage that he will follow you when he has no idea what the final
outcome may be. All the horse knows is
that he follows you when asked, he is comfortable, and has something to
eat. If that is the extent of his
trailer experience, then everything is okay with him. Try your best to be sure that is his total
experience.
Horses usually
don’t like to get into cramped areas, so make sure your trailer will
accommodate the size of your horse.
The trailer
will either have a ramp, or it will be a step up. Horses learn either way and are happy with
both.
If a ramp is
used, it should have a rubber mat or ridges on it, so the horse will not slip
when backing out. (Backing out of a
trailer is often the major trailering problem!) Starting early, you should be able to solve
this problem, as you have to get the horse out as often as you get him in.
If the trailer has drop down
windows or doors, be sure to have screens installed. When traveling in hot weather, it’s nice to
drop the windows, so more air moves through the trailer. Screens must be in place so the horse cannot
stick his head out the window. He could
be spooked and jerk his head back in, injuring himself. Or a rock or piece of debris from another
vehicle can hit the horse in the head or the eye.
The roof of the
trailer needs to be high enough so the horse does not have to duck when loading
or unloading. The horse should be able
to elevate his head comfortably, when in the trailer.
To begin teaching the loading
process, park your trailer in an open area.
If the trailer is not attached to your truck, be sure the wheels are
blocked so there is no rolling movement while the horse is learning.
Open all the
doors and windows. Put some hay in the feeder and you are ready to start.
Halter the
horse and approach the trailer. Do not
become attached to the idea your horse will go in today. This is a progressive learning
experience. It is important to wait
until you know the horse is ready and relaxed.
It will take as along as it takes.
Walk into the
back of the trailer giving the horse plenty of room to step in if he wants
to. The first day is just to approach
the trailer and stand there, sniff it, taste it and be relaxed about being
around it.
If the horse
has had a bad experience, and won’t approach the trailer, you will need to
change your tactic a bit.
A stud chain
should be used under the chin, so that you are able to control the horse. It is important you establish the rule: “I am
in control; we are walking up to the trailer.”
Turning and leaving is not acceptable.
Again, do not be attached to the idea you will solve all problems
today. The only thing you need to
accomplish is having the horse walk with you to the trailer and stand
there. If the horse is very afraid, but
you are patient, the horse may give the trailer a sniff. That’s plenty for today.
The horse will
need to learn that you asked him to walk to the trailer and he did. You are in control. Praise the horse and be done with this
session, however, plan on repeating this lesson each day for awhile. The first accomplishment is to walk to the
trailer and stand quietly. When this happens and the horse is becoming more
curious instead of afraid, you are making progress.
Step into the
trailer and ask the horse to take a look inside. Don’t keep asking the horse to step
inside. Horses which do not fear the trailer
at this stage often simply step inside and are good to go.
When the horse
steps inside, be sure to give the horse plenty of room, by stepping partially
out the escape door.
Be ready,
however, to step back inside the trailer and then out with the horse if he
starts to back out. You don’t want to
let loose of a horse and have him get away. They learn to flee more rapidly
than they learn to get in a trailer.
Once you get
the horse into the trailer, don’t tie him.
Let him have some hay, praise him, and then back him out.
Loading and
unloading a few times is fine; then call it a day.
When
progressing this quickly, a few more days of loading and unloading, and the
horse will have mastered this simple maneuver.
WARNING: Never tie the horse without first hooking the butt chain or bar and
closing the door.
Always untie
the horse first, and then open the trailer door. Having a horse attempt to back out while tied
is extremely dangerous. The horse
usually panics and then fights to get out, resulting in injury, possibly
serious injury. Adding to the insult is
the fact the horse will often refuse to get back in a trailer.
With the
“difficult loader”, it is important to establish in the first session that you
are in charge.
The secret is to never ask the horse to
do something you cannot
get him to do.
When your ego
gets involved and you decide to force the horse – you’ll soon discover he is
bigger, stronger and can be very stubborn.
You will also find, that at times such as these, it is too easy to lose
one’s temper. You never want to lose you
temper. You want to be aggressive
without being angry.
The horse must
learn you are in charge and that when you ask, he must respond
appropriately. Make sure the horse
learns this by asking for things which are easy for him to accomplish.
For example:
you may want to pick up a front foot and set it on the ramp or step. Trust is being developed here, and it is
worth a little extra time. Do not
attempt force. This is a learning
process for the horse.
If the horse does
not appear to be afraid, but is simply stuck without knowing what to do, a
little extra push is needed. Two people
can lock hands behind the horse and sort of pull him toward the front of the
trailer.
Once the horse
is in, close the door, let the horse stay in for a while, eat and relax. When you’re ready, teach him to back out.
The trailer
loading routine should be repeated the next day.
The only time
to discipline the horse is when he is disrespectful of you and not attempting to respond to your request.
This is
different than refusing to go into the trailer.
I see frustrated people jerking, yelling and whipping the horse because
the horse won’t load. The problem is not
that the horse won’t load; the problem is the horse has not been taught to move
forward when the handler applies pressure to the lead rope.
It is your
responsibility to teach the horse the basic commands. Stay focused on what you are asking the horse
to do, and expect him to do only that. Don’t
ask the horse to do something you are not able to accomplish. If you know in advance you are asking
something the horse is not willing to do, then the
horse will not accept your request. So
avoid that situation.
Teaching a
horse to load in a trailer, is really only teaching a horse to trust you, and
then move forward with you. Do not
violate his trust by attempting force, and do not ask him to do anything more
than move forward with you.
You will discover it really is
worth the effort to properly “teach” so you have a happy horse in the trailer.
If the horse
arrives at the show upset, sweaty and mad – it makes the whole show experience
bad. And, in the long run, you will
spend more time re-schooling than it would take to properly school in the first
place. Even worse, you’ll be wasting
time that could be spent moving forward with your horse’s education for
competition.
Leg
protection while traveling
Many people
like to protect the horse’s legs while traveling. Some people don’t. It is really personal preference.
Some horses
will scramble while traveling, and protecting their legs is one way to ensure
they arrive safely.
Different types of wraps can
be used. The standing bandage is one
common type of traveling wrap. The
standing bandage provides support, warmth and protects the leg. This type of wrap is good when hauling a long
distance, because it gives the leg some support and helps fight off muscle
fatigue.
This wrap must
be applied correctly to the leg. If it
is not wrapped evenly in pressure, is too tight or has wrinkles in the quilt
next to the horse’s leg, it can cause injury to the horse.
Shipping wraps
are usually a quilted type of bandage with Velcro straps. They protect the leg, but don’t provide
support for the leg. They offer some
warmth and are easy to apply. This type
needs to fit the horse as well, but takes little talent to apply. If it is two big, it is difficult to fit the
wrap snug enough around the leg. The
wrap will slide down around the foot and be annoying to the horse.
Some horses do not like wearing bandages and they will paw and fuss to
get them off. In this case it is better
not to insist they wear bandages. The
horse will often cause himself more harm trying to get rid of the bandages than
would occur without the bandages.
It is important any type of
shipping protection be clean. If wraps
or boots are dirty, they will cause sores.
If you have a horse which
tosses his head, a head bumper may be a good investment. This is a piece of leather that is padded and
fits over the top of the horse’s head.
There are two holes for the ears.
The crown piece of the halter slides through a sleeve to secure the
bumper and prevent it from sliding.
Horses can get
hurt in the trailer.
Accidents
happen.
Being prepared,
maintaining the trailer properly and protecting your horse with shipping wraps
etc. will turn the odds of arriving at the show safe, sound and happy in your
favor.
Health
papers
When traveling with your horse across state
lines, you are required to carry a current Coggins report and current health
papers. A Coggins report requires a
blood test taken by a veterinarian. A
Coggins report is good for 6 months to a year, depending on the state, so you
will have time to have the test taken in advance of your show. It usually takes about a week to receive the
results, although you can pay extra and have it rushed. The Coggins test must be negative, and the
original test report from your vet must be carried with you. The Coggins report will have your horse’s
registered name and description, so you must have the correct papers to go with
each horse.
The health
papers simply state your horse is in good health. Health papers are good for 30 days.
Load ‘em
up, you are ready to roll!