Your First Trip With Your New Trailer

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Your First Trip With Your New Trailer

by: w. h. ingle

So, you have a new trailer? There are many things to consider about your first trip with your horses or other livestock.
First, try to remember to look at this new trailer the same way your horse will. If "ol Buck", no matter how many times he's been trailered, sees something strange to him. He might just walk on up into it. And then again, he may not.
To make the transition to the new trailer as easy and uneventful as possible try to prepare in advance. Load this new trailer with a few familiar things. Stow his saddle and tack in the storage area ahead of time to let the trailer start absorbing his smell. After all, the trailer probably smells like nothing but paint, new lumber and/or metal to him. Get a shovel full of manure out of his stall and throw it in there. Nothing lends the proper smells better than that. You could even take one of Buck's blankets and rub it all over the interior. Whatever can lend his odors to the trailer are important.
Another good preparation is to start tying him to the outside of the trailer as soon as possible. Let him get a close up view. This is especially important for an animal that hasn't been trailered before. It let's him familiarize himself before he gets in for the first time.
Now, assuming you have made all the preparations, let's load him for the first time. Use the halter he is most accustomed to wearing. Walk him around to the trailer and line him up with the opening. Using a firm tone and with a purposeful walk enter the trailer leading him. You will enter the empty side on a two horse trailer (or sectioned). If you are hauling two horses, load the side without the escape door first. If he balks, don't try to force the issue. Examine the reasons that may be present. If you aren't using a ramp, then is the step too high? If you feel that is the case, you might want to reposition the trailer in a low spot to facilitate easier entry for the animal. Some people even put the front stand down further to lower the rear of the trailer. Now, I am not going to try to tell you how to handle your animal. Some will just go ahead
and couple hands with another person behind the horses haunches and urge him in and indeed, I myself have had stubborn horses that just wouldn't load any other way. However, the majority of horses will load well if the simple steps are followed. Just treat the animal the way you would want to be treated.
Once the horse is loaded, everything else is to your preferences. Some people will tie them and others won't. And everybody has an opinion as to what is safer. Just remember to give the horse enough slack to move his head around. If your trailer is equipped with a feed or water trough, be sure he can reach it. Fill it before you load him and see how quick he goes in. Another thing to remember to pack is a first aid kit. Make sure you have plenty of supplies to treat the horse as well. If you are on the road it could be quite a while till you can get to a vet.
Now Ol Buck is loaded and it is time to head out. But before you go, take one last look around. Is everything stowed properly? Nothing to roll around? Make sure one more time that nothing is on the floor that can bump him or roll under him. Nothing sharp around that he can come in contact with? Look everywhere. An ounce of prevention...Happy trailering!

Anyone is welcome to copy, disburse or otherwise use this article if they keep the header and credits in place and a link to our website is in the article.
Thanks,
The staff and management,
Longhorn Motors, Ltd
http://www.longhornsales.com

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