Trailer-Loading Guidelines

Fall’s cool days enhance hauling comfort for both you and your horse, opening up endless equestrian-adventure opportunities. Fall also means trailering to year-end shows. As you enter this busy hauling season, it’s good to follow a checklist so you don’t skip important safety steps.

If the loading and unloading process isn’t done in the right order, even the calmest horse can spook, step back, or slip, causing a harmful chain reaction. For instance, if your horse is tied in your trailer, but knows the back door is open for escape, he might pull back and panic when he can’t get free. The panic session will compound when he hears the loud echo as he slips and scrambles on a metal floor. Follow this checklist from top trainer/ clinician Julie Goodnight for safe loading and unloading every time.

Loading Your Horse

■ Prepare your trailer. Leave your horse in his pen. Hitch your trailer to your tow vehicle. (As you do, check all lights and blinkers, brake connections, and tire pressure.) Drive your trailer to a flat, open area clear of debris. Securely close all trailer doors and windows. Close the manger windows and escape doors.

■ Open the stock-compartment door. While your horse is still in his pen, open the stock-compartment door, and prepare footing and feed.

■ Load your horse. Outfit your horse in a leather or breakaway safety halter, lead him from his pen to your trailer, and load him in.

■ Shut the stock-compartment door. Shut this door immediately, before tying your horse. If you have a slant-load trailer, it’s safe to secure the compartment’s partition before you shut the door. But when the compartment door is open, don’t tie your horse. If he tries to back out (a likely scenario) and finds that he’s tied, he may panic and injure himself (and you).

■ Secure your horse. When the compartment door is closed and secured, tie your horse, then use the escape door to exit your trailer. Or, if your trailer allows for it, tie your horse while you stand safely outside your trailer.

Unloading Your Horse

■ Untie your horse. After you arrive at your destination, park at a level area, and begin the unloading process. Untie your horse first, before you open the trailer door.

■ Open the stock-compartment door. Double check to make sure your horse is completely untied, then open the stock-compartment door.

■ Lead him out. Lead your horse out of your trailer.

— Heidi Melocco with Julie Goodnight

After you load your horse, shut the stock-compartment door immediately, cautions top trainer/ clinician Julie Goodnight. If your horse is tied in your trailer, but knows the back door is open for escape, he might pull back and panic when he can’t get free.

Tie your horse inside your trailer only after the stock-compartment door is closed. Use the human escape door to exit your trailer.