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Location: Texas | I have a filly who apperantly was never taught to back out of a trailer.
She lunges, backs up, disengages the hind end and anything you could think of on the ground, but WILL not back out of a trailer!
It seems like I've tried it all and she gets to the edge, sulls up and that's that. I've worked with her all day, and the more you try to "out wait" her the more upset she becomes.
When she gets upset she will lunge forward and run you over to get to the corner of the trailer to turn around, She is a big girl too. we've tried stock trailers, trailers with dividers, solid open door, single door; she just plain refuses! Someone's going to get hurt, I need suggestions!
Never had a filly this hardheaded ;( |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| F1NoniStephenville - 2013-12-17 10:26 AM
I have a filly who apperantly was never taught to back out of a trailer.
She lunges, backs up, disengages the hind end and anything you could think of on the ground, but WILL not back out of a trailer!
It seems like I've tried it all and she gets to the edge, sulls up and that's that. I've worked with her all day, and the more you try to "out wait" her the more upset she becomes.
When she gets upset she will lunge forward and run you over to get to the corner of the trailer to turn around, She is a big girl too. we've tried stock trailers, trailers with dividers, solid open door, single door; she just plain refuses! Someone's going to get hurt, I need suggestions!
Never had a filly this hardheaded ;(
I have had 2 that no one could get backing out.
I send mine back to my trainer for a day so he can teach all my young ones to back out.
Try draw reins, like when ground driving, and back her out from behind, this way you won't get hurt, I would try an angle haul first so it is more like an alley |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
Location: oklahoma | back her on the ground with drive lines, maybe one step back at a time and move on to doing that in the trailer. One hoof inside and back her off. Takes a lot of time and patience. I had to do this with my last horse except he was little enough to turn around and expected to each time. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2276
Location: ohio-in my own little world with pretty ponies :) | I have a mare that wouldn't come out. For awhile I would put a bridle on her with long reins and come behind her and make her back. Now she does just fine. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 187
| I had a yearling or 2 year old (dont remember how old he was) that we raised that would NOT back in the trailer. He wouldn't even back to the back of the trailer. We fought and fought. Always just ended up turning him around so he wouldn't get hurt at a show. I had him in the front part of a stock trailer with a divider, so he had to back at least a horse lenght. He was a smaller horse, I knew he wouldn't hurt me and I was getting ****ed. I just got under his neck and pushed of the manger, I actually lifted his front end up and just shoved him out! Never had a problem after that!! This I know is not the most feasable way of doing it, but it worked!
My husband's ranch gelding has never backed off a trailer. He wasn't ours, and so he never worried about it. When we moved they gave him to my husband and we have worked on it, and he just flat refuses! We only haul him in a stock trailer, so if we ever haul him in our horse trailer, we will have to haul him in the front so he has room to turn around. |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | My mare is 7 now and still needs to turn around to get out of the trailer. I have given up on her backing out. We tried many different things over the years, and at times she would back out for a week of so... then she would freak out and we would be back to where we started from. I trailer every day in order to get to the public arena to ride. I have always been worried to make too big of a deal out fo it out fo fear she would decide not to get in the trailer anymore either.
Good Luck! I hope yours will learn. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 816
| do it in baby steps.
Ask her to load, when she gets to the trailer door ask her to back up and then ask her to load and when she get one foot on immediately ask her to back up, then ask her to load and when she gets both fronts up ask her to back up and step off. Continue this until she relaxes and responds with little force. then ask her to get her back end in and do the same thing. The hardest part for them is trusting you enough to step the hind legs off blindly. I always put my hand on the rear when the next step is going to be off the trailer. It gives them a little pre-warning. |
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 Regular
Posts: 99
| Our filly was doing the same thing. She would get to the edge and then try and run me over and go all the way back in. This is what we did, not sure if it will work for you or not but worth a try. We tied a Walmart bag on the end of a english crop. Everytime she tried to run me over I would shake that at her. Only took a few times and she finally backed out. Now she backs out on her own. |
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Member
Posts: 49
| I have a two horse trailer, so all my horses have to back out. This is what I do with every horse I get. I keep everything relaxed, low pressure, no rush, then I ask for them to only take one step with their front foot in the trailer. Wait a moment, then back them out. Next ask for both front feet to step up in trailer, don't let them completely load all the way. Wait a bit, then ask to back out again. Repeat this process several times. When the horse is good with this, then ask for them to step in with both fronts and one back leg. And yes, it's hard to stop them from completely coming all the way in the trailer, but it's important not to let them, so ask for everything real slow. Now, again wait a moment and back out. When they are calm about backing out and you've repeated this process over and over, then allow them to load all the way in the trailer and then back out slowly. If they get tired of practicing and get stubborn about loading, you can reward them for doing what you ask with a bite of feed or treat of some sort, I use alfalfa cubes. Sometimes, a little bribery keeps them interested. Sounds like your biggest problem will be keeping your horse from pushing into you. Practice groundwork geared towards establishing personal space. These things should help. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 928
Location: Bigfoot Country | Not sure how old she is, but a friend of mine had one that wouldn't back out and she put a snaffle bridle on her and she was fine. Weird, but it worked! |
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 Forever Young
Posts: 6768
Location: relocated to Texas | Sometimes, especially with young horses, that step down out of the trailer scares them to death. Trying to teach them in the trailer is a mistake, someone is going to get hurt. What you need to do is create a situation on the ground that simulates backing out of the trailer. Get some long driving lines and first teach your horse to drive forward. Then, back them up with the long lines. When she is backing on a flat surface, find some small inclines, a ditch, whatever and back her up that with the long lines, then turn her around and make her back down that incline. If you can build a step down out of wood or something and back her down that, that would be good too. Once she is backing good on the ground, go back to the trailer. Load her up with a bit in her mouth (something that will get her to bend at the pole) and the long lines attached. First ask her to back out of the trailer normally. If she refuses, go outside and back her out using the long lines, just make sure you are back and out of the way as she may fall on her rear the first time. You have to be consistent with this and make her back out. Bump the lines back and forth, do not pull on them both at once. Be gentle but firm with your cues. Once she comes out, load her up and do it again, each time asking for her to back out before you go to the long lines. It usually takes two or three times, but the horse will get it if prepared correctly on the ground prior to the trailer work. If have fixed a few this way. |
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Location: Texas | Thanks guys!! I appreciate it! |
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 Famous for Not Complaining
Posts: 8848
Location: Broxton, Ga | I might would get one of the Clinton Anderson halters also....helps apply to pressure points as well helps get them back off you if they try to lunge............agree with the baby steps loading.....as in loading half way then asking to get off.... |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 830
Location: Paradise , tx | JRC - 2013-12-17 10:53 AM do it in baby steps. Ask her to load, when she gets to the trailer door ask her to back up and then ask her to load and when she get one foot on immediately ask her to back up, then ask her to load and when she gets both fronts up ask her to back up and step off. Continue this until she relaxes and responds with little force. then ask her to get her back end in and do the same thing. The hardest part for them is trusting you enough to step the hind legs off blindly. I always put my hand on the rear when the next step is going to be off the trailer. It gives them a little pre-warning.
This is basiclly how I taught one of my mares to load. Just a little at a time. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 830
Location: Paradise , tx | GoMistyGo - 2013-12-17 10:41 AM My mare is 7 now and still needs to turn around to get out of the trailer. I have given up on her backing out. We tried many different things over the years, and at times she would back out for a week of so... then she would freak out and we would be back to where we started from. I trailer every day in order to get to the public arena to ride. I have always been worried to make too big of a deal out fo it out fo fear she would decide not to get in the trailer anymore either.
Good Luck! I hope yours will learn.
The mare I have now is that way. I also gave up and just let her turn around |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | Had a horse that used to do this... The lady who owned him had a huge trailer and always just turned him around.....I literally had to put my butt into him and PUSH him out!!! Nothing else would work but that did.... probably not the safest thing but once I PUSHED him out once, he had it... never again had a problem with it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 189
| First I'd make sure she backs well away from the trailer. Then if she loads up fine I'd get her to the trailer make her back away from it. Lead her up to the back doors and back her up without loading her. Once she masters that without getting upset I'd let her put her front feet in the trailer then back her out do that until she is comfortable with it. Then progress to all 4 feet in and back out. A lot of times people are so worried about getting them in the trailer they forget to teach them to come out! I hate a horse that comes shooting out like a rocket. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 208
| Had 3 different 2 yr olds in the last year that hadn't ever backed out. I put a chain across their nose and the pressure of it was enough to get them to back off. I took it slow and easy and didn't rush them. The last step I had to literally push them on their chest while applying enough pressure to the chain lead rope to get them to back off. Sometimes it gets ugly, but once they do it one time they figure it out. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1454
Location: kellyville ok | I had one that loved butt scratches, I would scratch his butt and stop and back up and he would look behind and back up to my hands to get more butt scratching. He learned to get out that way. My new colt that we bought in Sept had no idea how to back out. He is broke to pieces, but putting a bridle on him and trying to back him out didn't work. I think it's making the little 'angle' out of the slant load that confuses him. We've basically had to get up under his neck like someone else posted and shove him out. He's getting the idea now and it's much easier. |
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Expert
Posts: 1454
Location: kellyville ok | Adding that when we shove him out it's never with anger or even rushed. We just talk to him, telling him to back up and calmly get up under him, put my back up against him and push. |
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