LOADING
This section is for the “how to” of loading, if you need help with a difficult loader, please go to the problem solving section of my site.
Before you even think of loading your horse you must check your vehicle is safe and fit for purpose. Please watch the video as I go over some safety points. Your trailer or lorry will be very different so you must look over it yourself, remember your horses safety is your responsibility. He is going to trust you and enter this scary box, which completely goes against his natural instincts. Therefore you must make sure it is safe for him to do so.
Before loading
Check your vehicle has the correct documents in place, for example, in the UK it will need tax and insurance.
Check the oil, water and fuel of your vehicle.
Check your vehicle and trailer are safe. This includes- tyres, floor partitions, wall panels and ramps.
Check you have all your relevant paperwork, for example, your horse’s passport in the UK, and all your entry forms if competing.
Load your tack including stirrups, girth numnah and bridle. Your riding clothes, whips, grooming and first aid kit, poo picking equipment, feed and water, including a bucket, are just a few bits you must also remember.
It is a good idea to have a list on your phone or in your glovebox, so that you can easily check you have everything before leaving, or when returning.
If using a trailer, check the weight is not too heavy for the vehicle. This can be very complicated and you will need to go to the government web site to help. There are many horse forums that discuss this, but check the information given carefully.
Make sure nothing in the area where the horse is, or outside it, can get loose or rattle.
You and your assistant should wear: strong footwear, with a good anti slip sole, gloves and hat.
WHAT YOUR HORSE SHOULD WEAR
LEG PROTECTION
TRAVEL BOOTS
I will not use travel boots as twice I have known them to be trodden on by the opposite foot, causing the horse to be unable to move and therefore panic. One of our lovely horses ended up with massive bruising on her hip and the trailer partition collapsed on the other horse, who luckily escaped with no injuries.
Try putting the boots on and treading on the bottom of one with the other foot. You will automatically move your foot off the boot as you are used to having things stuck on your feet, our lovely horses are not. They have no idea what this is on their leg and will not automatically move their foot off. They will just keep trying to pull the stuck foot out causing stress and panic, especially in a trailer as they need free movement of their legs to stay up.
I do understand they appear to offer the leg complete protection and are very easy to apply, so I have included this section on what to look out for and how to fit them. I would strongly recommend you use brushing boots or bandages instead though.
CHECK
They have very wide fastenings, so that they spread the pressure over a wide area.
They do not restrict movement in any way. Always flex the leg after you have put the boots on to double check.
Only use the boots that have a firm section that goes over the hoof. This stops the boots slipping down as well as adding extra protection.
HOW TO PUT TRAVEL BOOTS ON AND TAKE THEM OFF
Make sure you have a helper there if your horse has not worn them before.
I always put the front boot on first as it is the easiest boot and you have time to gauge how the horse is feeling.
Place the boot around the leg so the straps tighten towards the back of the horse.
Do up the middle strap first to hold it in place. It should be tight enough so the boot does not slip, but loose enough for you to be able to easily slide your finger in.
I then do up the bottom strap and lastly the top, as you may need to do the top strap up loosely so it does not impair the horse’s movement.
Reset the middle strap.
All the straps should lay flat and apply equal pressure.
Check the horse can easily move and flex their leg.
To remove, undo the bottom, top and then the middle strap last. This is so that the boots are secure until the last strap is undone. Make sure you then massage the leg in case there has been any pressure points.
I use brushing boots and over reach boots on all 4 legs, that slip off or break if the horse treads on them. The velcro on the over reach boots shown will just undo if the boot is
trodden on and the horse panics
TAIL PROTECTION
It is important to protect the tail as your horse generally leans on this to balance themselves as the trailer moves.
I have covered your options and how to fit them in detail in a separate section.
HEAD PRTECTION
Head Collar
The head collar should have padding around the head and nose. Make sure the clip faces inwards so it does not get caught on anything. A control headcollar or bridle can be used to load and then swapped for traveling.
POLL GUARD
This should be used if you think your horse will rear and risk banging their head.
RUGS
Use your common sense as this is dependant on the time of year.
Make sure that any rug worn has the straps well tucked in, with no sections that could easily get caught.
I generally travel my horse’s with no rugs as they are warm enough with the stress. If they are clipped or it is a cold day, I use a fleece rug with a wick- away action to keep the sweat off them if they do over heat.
HOW TO LOAD
Everyone has different opinions about this. I have loaded hundreds of horses, many of which have severe loading issues, but this is just my opinion. You must look at it and make your own choices. Make sure you have thoroughly considered that you are putting half a tone of muscle, fuelled by fear, in a noisy scary box, with no knowledge of why they need to go in, as it is a lot safer to stay outside.
I cover loading a difficult loader in the problem section of my site, so please go to that section if it is yours or your horses first time, or the horse has issues.
Try to park making the ramp as level as possible, in an enclosed area so the horse can not escape.
Make sure the trailer is hitched correctly by checking:
It has securely clipped on the tow hitch.
the jockey wheel is securely fastened.
the lights are connected and working correctly.
the hand break cord, highlighted by the arrow, is around a solid piece of the car.
Any chains or clips are secured so they do not bang as the trailer is moving.
Open the box as much as possible. If it has a front unload then open that ramp as well.
Make sure the breast bar is up.
Walk the horse up the ramp. Remember the heaviest horse should be on the side nearest the middle of the road, so on the right in the UK. Make sure to duck under the breast bar but hold the horse’s head up so he does not try to go under as well (very common and scary).
If in a lorry turn the horse.
Get your assistant to close the partition and put the back bar up, making sure they talk to the horse first so they do not get a surprise. If in a lorry your assistant will close the partition.
Once the back bar is up or the partition across you can tie your horse up. Make sure it is loose enough so he can eat, but tight enough so he can not turn or bite the horse next to him. I always leave the quick release ropes in, at the right length, and just clip up and take my
leadrope off.
Put the ramps up slowly and quietly making sure you turn your horse’s head so he can see it coming up and it does not surprise him.
I close the top door closest to the centre of the road, again making sure your horse looks as it is closing so it does not surprise him. I do this so when lorries overtake, the horse can not see how close they are. I leave the other door open so it allows ventilation and light.
Tie up the haynet securely
Put up the front ramp and top door slowly and carefully. If in a lorry, have a final check and close the ramp as quietly as possible.
Have a check in through the window or jockey door to make sure everything is okay.
I leave straight away as I have found just staying still can upset your horse as he can still hear his stable mates. When you start moving, they seem to quieten and settle.
WHILST TRAVELING
The cameras are an excellent
idea but, I must admit, I do become slightly distracted by the antics of my horse. I find it best to give the screen to my passenger.
Plan your route carefully. Sat-nav takes you on the quickest route but this is not always the case when towing. Many times I have turned off the lovely straight main road and ended up on nightmare single lane roads, at sat-navs request.
Make turns very slowly, accelerating once you have turned.
Accelerate and break very slowly, planning your actions well in advance.
Pull in and let people pass as often as you can. Frustrated drivers on time pressure do not make good decisions about overtaking, especially as you have a long vehicle.
If there is noise, or you are worried, pull in as soon as you can where it is safe to do so.
UNLOADING
Park in a spot that makes the ramp as level as possible and in an enclosed area.
Check the horse before opening any ramps by cameras, window or jockey door. This is in case the breast bar has come down or the horse is untied, so you can plan to make it as safe as possible.
If everything is safe, open the top door and take down the front ramp.
Take down the haynet and put it somewhere safe so the horse will not get caught in it.
Untie your horse and take down the front bar and push it back out of the way. If possible. try to pin it back, so it does not swing across and hit your horse as you walk out. If you have a lorry untie your horse before opening the partition.
let the horse take in his surroundings and walk slowly down the ramp.
If you have another horse in the box as well, do not go out of sight until that horse is out. This is so the remaining horse does not stress about being on his own.
Once the horse is in and settled, make sure the trailer or lorry is cleaned out thoroughly as soon as possible. This is so the waste does not rot the box.
Final Thoughts
I can not stress enough how important it is to keep calm and quiet while loading and unloading, making sure adrenaline levels, yours and your horse’s, stay as low as possible.
Remember it is against your horse’s every instinct to go into this small, scary, noisy box, so he is really trusting you.
The saying “practice makes perfect” is very true, so if you are not traveling for a while, it is a good idea to have a practice session every now and again.
If for any reason your horse refuses to load, do not allow anyone to do anything to your horse you are not happy with. You will find everyone is an “expert” and has opinions on what you should do, but you know your horse the best and you are his protector.
Do not be pressured.
Take your time and keep calm.
Some Pictures used with permission from Derby House / INTERNET FUSION LTD. Any views or opinions presented on this page are solely those of the publisher and do not necessarily represent those of the company.