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Load With Less Risk By Tom Scheve and Neva Kittrell Scheve
If your trailer has a stepup entry, load and unload your horse on dry, flat ground where he has good footing. Avoid wet grass, concrete, blacktop, gravel, and loose sand or dirt, which can be slippery. PHOTO BY HEIDI MELOCCO
Your tow vehicle has been serviced. You’ve inspected your tow vehicle, hitch, and trailer using a thorough checklist. You’ve packed all your tack and equipment. You’ve haltered your horse in a breakaway halter and have applied any necessary safety gear. Finally, it’s time to load! Before continuing, take a few moments now to relax, concentrate, and focus. You’re in a vulnerable position, because you’re working near or behind your horse’s hind legs while asking him to walk forward into a strange environment. To stay safe, have the right trailer, train your horse to load easily, follow basic safety rules, and pay attention. Well before you leave, open your trailer’s windows and doors to ventilate your trailer, especially if it’s a
hot day. Stand back and view your trailer’s rear entrance from your horse’s point of view. Is the trailer stall dark and scary or light and airy? Is there anything that might look threatening to your horse? Before you load, fix any problems your trailer might have in terms of sight, sound, smell, or feel from your horse’s point of view. Keep in mind that horses react rather than respond. They have a flight response to threats, making them react instantly. With the right training on your horse, good focus, awareness, and the right trailer, you can raise your comfort level and free yourself from the stress that often comes with loading and unloading. Here are some tips and suggestions on how to safely load with
USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion
6
step-up and ramp styles of rear entrances.
Step-Up Entry The risk: With a step-up entry (fullheight rear doors without a ramp or Dutch doors), your horse could stumble and slide under the rear of your trailer. How to minimize the risk: If you have a straight-load trailer, quickly load your horse and secure the latch. Avoid standing behind your horse in case he decides to suddenly back off (and possibly slip). If you have a slant load-trailer, turn your horse around and lead him out frontward, or take him out a side-unload ramp, if available. Load and unload your horse on dry, flat ground where he has good footing. Avoid wet grass, concrete, Summer 2022
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