Site Menu:
This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below: |
HorseAdvice.com » Training, Behavior, & Conditioning Horses » Behavior and Training » Trailer Loading a Horse » |
Discussion on Pawing in trailer | |
Author | Message |
Member: Deedles5 |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 1:42 am: My gelding has come a long way with loading. He was an easy loader into a stock trailer (with four other horses). He was impossible in a two horse slant, just said "No." With a three horse slant, after many hours and one trip to the vet, he became a self loader. He is fine with his pasturemate in the trailer. However, I ride alone a great deal and when I am taking him by himself, he is pawing and sweating. On the ride home he is a bit better, but as soon as we are close to home he starts pawing again.I am afraid for his legs and feet, and for the trailer. He has already dug a hole in the mat, which I have covered over with a truck mudflap screwed down with fender washers. He cannot dig that up, but boy, does he try. I have been taking him anyway, pawing and all, but I want this horse to stand quietly because to really ride I have to trailer every day. Any suggestions. He will stand if I am in the trailer with him, but he cannot handle being by himself. This is driving me crazy. He is a very accommodating horse, otherwise, and is fantastic on the trail. He will ride out alone with no problem but he can't handle being confined in the trailer alone. It is a very nice alumninum three horse slant with padded dividers, To be honest, it is a bit of squeeze for him, but he fits. He does look under the divider a lot if I don't tie his head. And he does pound the hell out of the mats and the sidewalls with his front feet. Any suggestions? |
Member: Tipper |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 10:17 am: I don't remember if it was here or elsewhere but in a discussion of the benefits of mirrors in stalls someone said they used a mirror in their trailer to good effect. Their horse, who wouldn't travel alone, was quite willing to believe his reflection was another horse in the trailer with him.Here's a link to a seller: https://www.shermarenterprises.com/stablemate.htm |
Member: Dres |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 10:20 am: ''To be honest, it is a bit of squeeze for him, but he fits.''Have you ever worn shoes that almost fit? I had a mare that hated my smaller trailer she would go in and DART out fast,she would paw and kick and sway the trailer.. When I upgraded to a larger custom trailer I NEVER HAD A PROBLEM with her.. He might be telling you it does NOT fit.. On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots.. |
Member: Sswiley |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 10:26 am: I had a horse that pawed through the mats. I feel your pain .Things I have tried, none of which worked for me but every horse is different. -ear plugs -open trailer -tapeing windows over so he couldnt see out -sedation, both natural and ace -hobbles -driving slow -driving fast (he did not like truck passing him on the highway) -swinging divider out so he can stand different ways One thing I did not try but others here have, is a mirror so he can see himself in the trailer. People use it for stall bound horses to keep them happy. When I sold him after 5 years(for another reason) I warned the buyer. She was fine with finding a buddy to trailer with but she did not have to. He never pawed with her. The only difference I could find was that she stuffed him (a big TB) into one of those old style 2 horse trailers that are tiny. You know, the short ones with the rounded front and the saddle storage under the tiny manger. I doubt his problem was the same as your horse, he was a fluke. Turns out that he disliked wide open spaces. Sometimes when I would ride him to the top of a hill he would freak out a little. He was happiest in a scary, dark indoor arena. I think that is why he like her trailer so much. I am not going off the subject so much as I am trying to tell you that sometimes the solution is not obvious and is so obtuse that only an owner or someone intimate with the horse can figure it out. Everyone kept telling me I needed a wide open stock type trailer for him, he needed more room, etc. Of course that would have only made it worse. BTW, that was smart putting the mud flap over the hole, I just kept rotating the mats around till they had to be replaced. I always worried he would founder the one foot he pawed with, he would make it almost too hot to touch with all his pawing. He would also make his shoulder sore. What a ding-a-ling. But bless his heart he always loaded like a champ. Good luck and keep looking for those clues. |
Member: Jojo15 |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 11:25 am: Do you have friends with trailers? maybe test a few different sizes? and widths and head heights? This way maybe you can figure out whether or not this is a physical thing that is bothering him.. OR just his pychological fear of something.As my horse used to be a big pawer, the only thing i did was have her hit something when she did. It usually was me holding a stick in such a way that she couldn't see where it was coming from. But that she was hurting herself in these episodes. I think it very hard for them to see down there. She mostly pawed at the wash rack. and cross tieing. Pawing in the stall would warrant an ankle strap with a chain on the end of it. When i wasn't around she would paw and the chain would hit her, again making it seem she was hitting something down there. I wouldn't recommend this in a trailer ever though. Does he paw in a stopped trailer? or only moving? Has his eyes been checked? moving things from a side view are scary. Is everything tight in the trailer? it could be as simple as the tie down hitting the face. constantly. do you put hay in there? Pawing to me means discomfort, somewhere.physical or pychological. My girl just didn't like to stay still. And her being cross tied stopped any movement left or right. And in my case turned into a bad habit. That used to get her the response she wanted, (not sure what i did) but taught her to do it alot. which i had a tough time breaking the habit. She did start to paw when the trailer stopped because she would be given carrots at rest stops. So then even at a stop light she would paw. So i know i created this bad habit there, too. and stopped it quickly. so it also could be something you are reinforcing but don't realize. And the sweating is another. So i do think this horse is physically uncomfortable. If it was pychological i wonder if she would even load at all. |
Member: Gillb |
Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 1:01 pm: Can you try removing a divider? Sometimes horses panic because they can't spread their legs enough to balance. I've heard many times of horses/ponies in a double trailer who travel better when the centre partition is removed and they have room to find their own balance. |