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Sandra K. Jacobsen
Member
Username: Sandy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005 - 11:28 am: |   |
I bought a new horse and have been working very hard teaching him to load and unload in the trailer. He now jumps right in when asked and has been perfect each day when we practice. Yesterday I loaded him and closed the slats for the first time. I gave him hay and decided to see what would happen if I left him in the trailer for a few minutes. He began kicking the trailer with all of his might. I decided to give him a few minutes to calm down when the unthinkable happened. He somehow managed to kick high enough to kick out the trailer window. I did not think this was even possible. He bent the bars and smashed out the glass. Fortunately he was not hurt but my trailer suffered several hundred dollars in damage. I am not sure how to proceed at this point. I do not want him hurt or anymore damage done to my trailer. Does anyone have any suggestions how to approach this problem? Over all he is a very calm quarter horse with a sweet personality. Thanks to anyone who can help. |
Alden Chamberlain
Member
Username: Alden
Post Number: 151
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005 - 1:55 pm: | |
Hello Sandra,
The approach I'd take depends on the training of the horse. If he stands quiet and still tied outside the trailer then I use the work/rest method to teach him to stand quiet in the trailer. If he doesn't know how to stand quiet outside the trailer I'd tie him to a high line every day. At first for short periods until you see him standing still, even just a few seconds at first, and then longer as he gets the idea, then up to several hours at a time.
Using work and rest you can teach him pretty quickly that being in the trailer is about the best thing in the world. I have a six year old gelding that had nothing but bad experiences with trailers before I got him. He had fallen under the panels and had been dragged into the trailer with ropes. We use work/rest and in just a couple hours he couldn't wait to get in the trailer. Even now years down the road you have to hold him back if he sees the trailer doors open.
There are several videos out there showing how to do the work and rest training. It boils down to working them outside the trailer, I find things that need worked anyhow and train on them, and letting them rest only in the trailer. I work until I see a sign that they would like to stop and rest, whe you see that send them into the trailer. Watch closely, when you see him getting restless at all back him out and go back to work. I like it to be real clear for the horse so there isn't any food, rubbing or anything else while their inside, it is to be quiet rest time.
Good day,
Alden |
Leilani Clark
Member
Username: Leilani
Post Number: 75
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 4, 2005 - 3:17 pm: | |
Sandra,
Clinton Anderson has good information on the work/rest method Alden refers to. Good luck, but be patient and consistent.
Leilani |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: Dro
Post Number: 11778
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2005 - 6:36 am: | |
Until he stands quietly I think I would install a stall mat on the wall behind this horse.
DrO |
Sandra K. Jacobsen
Member
Username: Sandy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2005 - 11:46 am: | |
Thanks to everyone for the advise. I will try the work/rest method and get a taller stall mat for the wall of the trailer.
Sandy |
Christos Axis
Member
Username: Christos
Post Number: 568
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 5, 2005 - 2:02 pm: | |
Some horses feel trapped by things behind them when in a corner or in a trailer, and they may react very strongly and persistently. Any attempt to interfere is usually perceived as an extra threat and makes things worse.
An old matress works well to correct this thinking. The cotton stuffed ones are ideal.
You either cover the trailer door before closing it or you can suspend it from the stall roof so that it lightly touches the horse's rump, horse tied in the corner.
You can let him kick all he wants, and it can take quite some kicking before he quits, may be half hour or more. But once he quits it is for life, as far as I know.
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Laura Dwyer
Member
Username: longhorn
Post Number: 62
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 24, 2007 - 1:44 am: | |
I have to resurrect this thread for a similar but not quite exact situation.
Both my horses are older more experienced horses, 15 and 16 years old. They both leap into the trailer with no problem. The trouble is with the horse with more attitude, Bennie. When he gets mad or frustrated, he kicks out, little pissy kicks at the fence, at the air, whatever. He's never directed a kick at a person.
I haven't trailered them for about three years now so, the day before yesterday I let 'em go in and out of the trailer to snack and hang out and get used to being in it again. Good experience, went well. Today I trailered both horses about two miles down the road. No problems. They leapt into the trailer, stood still to close the doors and were quiet all the way to the trail head down the road. At the trail head I unloaded them, gave them some snacks and let them stand and "air out" for about ten minutes. They loaded same as before, leapt into the trailer, let me get them settled in and then on the way back home, the Attitude Boy, Bennie, kicked the crap out of the side of the trailer. No pawing, no thrashing around, just this pissy KICK! wait, KICK! wait, KICK, KICK! wait all the way home. I mean he really whacks that thing so people along the road on the way back would look up at us passing.
I could pad the trailer, but it's an evil vice and if I ever want to trailer him in someone else's trailer, I have to break him of it.
BTW, the other guy, Strat, is a real sweetie. Just stands there, very quiet, very willing, loves the trailer. I can see Brat Bennie spoiling him with bad trailer behavior. I gotta fix this issue. Any ideas? |
Tina Caldara
Member
Username: martina
Post Number: 34
Registered: 12-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 24, 2007 - 6:12 pm: | |
Hi Laura. I have a gelding who "pissy kicks" too. So I know exactly what you're talking about! The only thing I can imagine is that there was something either on your horse or in the trailer that bothered him. For example, if I sponge my guy with water before loading him, if the water drips under his belly, he throws a kick. Did you look at him or in the trailer after unloading? Maybe he was hungry and you didn't give him hay in the trailer? I would wait until the next time to see if this is a new behavior pattern or just if it's "Bennie being Bennie." |
Erika L
Member
Username: erika
Post Number: 933
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jul 24, 2007 - 9:18 pm: | |
Maybe a horse fly in the trailer? |
Laura Dwyer
Member
Username: longhorn
Post Number: 63
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jul 25, 2007 - 12:29 am: | |
You guys must be psychic! While I was cleaning out the trailer after this last little issue, I opened the storage compartment in the front of the trailer and remembered I had stored two winter blankets and two plastic 5-gallon water buckets in there. The buckets had fallen over. My guess is the buckets fell over and started bumping and rolling around in there and every time they made some noise, Bennie kicked. Why they didn't create a problem on our way out to the trail head is a mystery, but otherwise, it makes perfect sense. When we stopped at a stop sign, it got quiet back there. When we started up, there he went again.
It's still not an excuse for bad behavior, pissy kicking anywhere is a no no, but now I have something to work on while he's in the trailer. I just don't want to spoil it and end up spooking him about the whole thing.
My first step is to enforce a "No Tolerance" policy on any kind of pissy, bratty behavior, squealing, head shaking, air kicking, etc. He sounds like a devil incarnate, but he's actually a wonderful horse. He is, however, in trouble now...!
Very good observations, thank you! |
