Trailer Troubles

Imagine this: you're loading up for a show at 5:30 in the morning, and running late.  You grab your horse from his stall and as you try to load him in the trailer, he pulls back and refuses to go inside.  The result is a lot of lost time, and both you and your horse arriving at the grounds stressed and unhappy.  This is why trailer training is so important.  It's also commonly overlooked, and shouldn't be.

Luckily, although it will take time like all things, trailer training isn't difficult.  Make sure your trailer is safe, not only in that the horse won't cut or knock itself on anything, but also in that the trailer won't roll at all when the horse starts moving around inside.  A good idea is to hook it up to your truck; that way it won't move, and it will look the same as it will on the morning of a show.  Next make sure the door is open and tied or propped back so it won't swing shut.  Do this with any side doors as well; the idea is to make the trailer less dark and confining.

Make the trailer look as open and
inviting as possible to make things
go more smoothly

Once the trailer is safe, bring your horse out and walk him over to the trailer.  If he is nervous right off about it, treat it as if you were passing it on a trail ride.  Refer back to the exercises in Trail Safety Part 2: Off the Farm to get your horse to relax and accept that the trailer isn't going to eat him.  Once you've done this, walk over and sit down just inside, letting your horse stand outside.  Relax for a bit, rub his nose, maybe give him a carrot.  Once he's totally relaxed (level topline, soft eyes and ears, resting a back foot) stand up and step inside.  Encourage your horse to stick his head into the trailer and look around, and then have him step up with just his front feet.  As soon as he does, have him back out again.  Do this until he's chill with it, and then ask him to step in all the way.  If he gets nervous and wants to back out again, let him.  Holding him in the trailer will just make him spook more.  The goal is to make him want to be in the trailer because he knows nothing will hurt him, then he won't feel the need to back out.

A slant-load trailer

Now things will be different depending on the type of trailer you have.  Let's start with a small, open trailer (or one with a removable center partition) or a slant-load trailer of any size.  Now that your horse is inside, turn him around and walk him out.  Unless he's absolutely huge he should be able to do it.  The reason for turning around is so that when you ask him to walk out, he can walk out forwards, which is easier and more reassuring than backing up.  So turn him around and walk him out.  Practice this a few times, then get him to stand, first facing the door, then standing wherever he will be tied for travel.  If you have a slant-load, make sure the partitions are secured against the wall to make sure they don't swing open and catch your horse, or just limit his space for turning around.

Next, a two horse trailer with a center partition.  This will be very similar to an open trailer, but obviously your horse cannot turn around to walk out.  That and he won't be able to stand facing the door, which is fine. You might need to practice backing out with just his front feet a few more times, and maybe have him stand with his front feet in for a bit.

Lastly, a trailer with two doors (one in the rear, one on the side, usually in the center) is the easiest, because instead of turning around or backing out, you can just walk your horse through the trailer a few times before you let him stop inside, first near the exit door, then wherever he will be tied.
                         

A trailer with two main loading doors.

A two horse trailer with a
center partition.

Now repeat the steps above with all the doors but the loading door closed.  Once your horse is accustomed to the trailer itself, tie him in and step outside with the door open.  If your horse settles right down, you can close the door for a moment, before coming back, untying him and taking him out.  From there on you can gradually increase how long he is tied, and pretty soon you will be sitting and chatting with a friend while your horse naps away.

Happy, relaxed horses in the trailer

Once your horse will stand in the trailer for about ten minutes, you can start going for short drives.  To start just go to a quiet spot where you can take your horse out and let him graze and relax for a bit before going home.  Gradually go out longer and longer and you will find that you have a horse that will jump on the trailer and ride for hours without getting upset.  Now you can go on trail rides, compete in shows and attend clinics without having to worry over how your horse is doing on the way there!

Make sure your horse has access to fresh water and hay while they travel, and always check to make sure your trailer is in good working order.

I've included Rick Gore's take on trailer loading because it's similar to what I wrote above.  Part One  talks about the fight or flight response, has a lot of good points, and starts on the beginning of the sacking out process.  Part Two is more of the actual trailer loading process.  There are a couple bad words so be careful with the kids.

As with everything this exact process might be too fast or too slow for your particular horse, feel free to tweak it and change it to make it work for you.  Happy trails!                

Get in Touch!

Now you can email me to ask questions or request a topic!  Just address your email to btbhorsemanship@aol.com and I will get back to you as soon as I can!  I think I'll also be creating a Faceboook page, so I will update this post when that is done.  That's all, happy trails!

Update: Back to Basics Horsemanship now has a Facebook page!

Trail Safety Part 2: Off the Farm

Learn to recognize signs of tension
and fear in your horse before it
gets out of hand.

Out on the trail anything can happen, and even the most bombproof horse can get tense and frightened, not to mention rider's nerves getting the better of them.  Luckily there are plenty of things you can do to relax both you and your horse while you're on the trail.

The first thing you have to do is recognize signs of tension and fear in a horse.  Look for a high head, tense back and shoulders and extreme stillness.  Horses will also have their ears either pointed at the source of the fear, or flicking back and forth in some way.  They will stand with weight on all four legs, or dance around and shift their feet.  This is sometimes accompanied by snorting or blowing, and you will usually be able to see the whites of their eyes.

Even if you don't see all the signs mentioned above, you will most likely be able to notice when your horse is nervous, provided you're paying attention.  The first step is to retreat to a spot where your horse is comfortable again, and then take a little personal inventory.  The key here is don't feed into your horse's fear.  Focus on yourself for a moment.  Take some deep breaths, shake out your shoulders and back to relieve any tension, and just hang out for a bit until you feel calm and relaxed.  Tell yourself that you aren't going to fall, that you've got this.  Make sure that you don't tighten the reins when you get scared.  Every rider does it out of instinct, but this will only feed your horse's fear.  Keep your reins loose.

Now that you've relaxed yourself, your horse won't be as tense while you deal with the scary situation.  Ride back towards the scary thing and try to identify it.  Once you know what it is, or at least where it is, you can start to tackle the problem.  Start at the very edge of your horse's comfort zone and work your way towards the fear while doing the following exercises.  Designed to engage your horse's mind and encourage him/her to ignore whatever is frightening them, they also work to keep you relaxed and in control:

1. The first is to make circles.  This is a simple way to distract your horse, and is also helpful for loosening up the neck (and jaw if you've got a bit in) should it (they) have become stiff.  You can make the circle spiral in and out, and reverse direction through the circle, all the time moving towards the fear.  If your horse starts to react again, or if you feel nervous, stay in that area or move a little farther away until it feels good again.

See #2

2. The next thing you can do is what I call Front, Back, Left and Right.  Start standing in the middle of the trail, then walk your horse forward just a few steps, stop and rein-back, then side-pass straight over to the left, and back to the right.  Repeat as necessary.  All of this should be done fairly quickly, and the order can be changed around as desired.  As with all the exercises I will mention, they can be modified to fit what works for you and your horse.  You should still keep moving to the fear.

3. The third thing you can do, space permitting, is make a long zig-zag pattern either staying on one side of the fear and moving towards it or walking past it repeatedly, thus increasing and then releasing pressure, however far away you need to be.  Make sure you get a little closer with each pass unless one of you gets nervous again.  You can also incorporate lateral work like leg-yielding to further focus your horse and you away from the fear.

See #3

4. The last thing you can do, which is good for limited space, is to walk until your horse starts to get nervous, and then simply stand until they relax, then move forward again until you are right up to the scary thing.  This is not as recommended as the other methods, as you have to be careful because getting to stop could reward your horse for being nervous.  Strategy is key here, and the goal is to reward your horse for being brave.

This horse is trotting on the bit, very relaxed.

Something you can do for all the exercises above is to put your horse on the bit to get them supple, relaxed and focused on you.  This can be done in both a bridle and rope halter, though I wouldn't recommend doing it for long periods with a rope halter, as your horse could begin to ignore lighter cues.

This article has more great ways to relax the both of you on the ground, on trail and in the ring.

Once you've worked your way close to the scary thing, loosen your reins and just stand near it for a little while.  Allow your horse to investigate, touching and smelling it, even picking it up (so long as it won't harm the horse, or ruin something important).  Make sure you're sitting steady in the saddle, ready in case your horse scares him/herself, but not tense.  When you're both feeling comfortable, you can go on with your ride, knowing that the two of you are better for the experience.  You should always make things like this into learning experiences for both of you, instead of just avoiding the frightening thing or pushing quickly past it.  That way you know that you'll have one of the best trail horses there is, and your horse will know that no matter what comes up, their  rider will make sure no harm comes to them.  Happy trails!

Trail Safety and Tips for Leaving the Ring

Looks like fun, doesn't it?

Most equestrians dream about going out on long trail rides through meadows and woodlands, or galloping on the beach, or climbing mountains; all without a care in the world.  Unfortunately trail riding is far more dangerous than people think.  However, if the right steps are taken to prevent incidents, and if the rider is equipped both mentally and physically to deal with anything that does come up, trail riding can be a fun and relaxing way to see the world.

So where should you start?  Certainly well before you mount up.  The first thing to do is make sure you have good equipment that can handle the trail.  If you just plan on hacking out for an hour or two, then the saddle you would usually ride in, provided it fits your horse and you well, should do just fine.  If you plan on doing longer rides, or competing in endurance competition however, you might want to invest in an endurance saddle, Australian saddle, or good quality Western trail saddle.

Australian saddle.  Yes they
just smashed a Western
and an English saddle
together, but they're very
comfortable.

A Western trail saddle.  Designed for the
 comfort of both horse and rider.
They can be large and heavy, though.

An English endurance saddle.
The Western variety is, I think, more common.  I would use English because Western stirrup leathers are a mystery to me, but the choice is yours.

Headgear for your horse is a no-brainer.  If you follow the correct steps before you head out on the trail, you should be able to ride just fine in a rope halter, but if you must use a bridle, ride in a regular snaffle setup.

You should dress yourself for the weather when you go out.  As long as you have a helmet and boots that fit well, everything else is up to you.  Just remember that things can change fast out there, and you should always be prepared.

Ok!  You're all tacked up and ready to head out!  Except you're not.  You've still got a ways to go before you can go galloping through a summer field.  Before you can even hack down the driveway, you have to make sure your horse will respond well in the arena.  You should be able to ride in control through at least the first three gaits, as well as be able to stop, back and turn your horse with a slight pressure.  You also need to be able to control the front and back halves of your horse independently, that is, being able to slide the shoulders or the hindquarters over by themselves.  This will be especially helpful if you need to go through a gate and latch it behind you.

Don't let this happen to you!  Sack
out your horse the right way.  

Another thing you must do in the round pen before you set out is sacking out.  You're going to meet lots of new things on the trail, and if your horse doesn't know how to cope with new, scary things, you could both end up getting hurt, or just having a miserable time (as has been my trail experience).  The goal of sacking out
is not to get your horse used to one scary thing, but to give your horse a way to cope that keeps everyone safe.  You want your horse to think "Oh, this is just Mom/Dad testing me again, if I stand still this weird thing will go away."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCWeAUD65ek

The link above is another video from my favorite inappropriate horseman.  Don't watch if there's a little one around, but he makes great points.  If you want to get right to it, skip to 3:08.  The only thing you will miss is how he constructed the bag contraption, and why he cut the bottoms off the bags (more control, less wild flapping in the wind).  It's all about sacking out a horse the right way so they will develop that coping mechanism and stand still when they're frightened instead of bolting or bucking.

Also, make absolutely sure that your horse is accustomed to cars, trucks, motorcycles and bicycles before you hit the trail.  Chances are you will have to walk on the road to reach a trailhead, and having a horse spook at a car on pavement can be disastrous.  Use the pressure and release method at the end of your driveway until your horse is accustomed to whatever vehicles might come down the road.  If you live on a quiet road you might want to have a friend help by driving their car by a few times.  Repeat this for several days until your horse doesn't react to the cars.

The next step in getting ready to hack out is repeating everything you've done so far in several safe locations outside the ring.  Ride all around the farm, practicing your stops, turns, backs etc. as well as sacking out.  Remember to always exercise good common sense and safety while around your horse.

If you've done all this and you feel comfortable, then you can start to hack out.  Start off slow and simple, just walking down the road or on the trails near your farm, and as you and your horse feel more comfortable, you can start going out longer and farther.  You might want to take your horse out in hand for the first few times, just to see how he/she might react.  Also consider going out with a friend who has a lot of trail experience, and who's horse won't spook at much.

Hard to miss this!

If you're riding in an area with heavy traffic, or going out near sunrise or sunset, you should consider reflective gear for you and your horse.  They make vest and armbands for people, as well as blankets, boots and saddlepads for your horse.  There is also reflective tape that can be stuck to just about anything.

If you are going to trailer your horse to trail ride, make sure he/she is accustomed to the trailer to avoid injury, and arriving at the trailhead with a nervous horse.  Check out Trailer Troubles for my take on how to properly accustom your horse to a trailer.  Happy trails!

Why Rope Halters are Cool

What is the weakest point on any halter? Believe it or not it's the points where the halter material connects with the metal buckles and rings.  This is true for any halter, whether it be nylon or leather; however rope halters for the most part don't have any metal parts.  Sure there are some these days with a metal ring or two, but for the most part a rope halter is still one piece of rope knotted at certain points to make an incredibly strong and durable product.  I prefer rope halters over leather or nylon because of that strength, and also for their simplicity and versatility.

       

A basic rope halter

                                     
Not only do I lead and tie off with a rope halter, but I also ride and lunge with them.  By doing this I can do all my training for the day with just one piece of equipment, instead of needing a halter, lead rope, lunge line and bridle.  My ropes stay on my halters so all I really need to grab is one thing.

"But do your horses respect the rope halter when you're riding in it?  My horse is very headstrong and I think he would run through a rope halter."

Start in the round pen the first time you ride in rope.  Before you even get on, make sure your horse will give to pressure readily on the ground; flexing to both sides and backing with just a light touch.  When you ask your horse to stop the first few times, turn him into the fence.  Make sure you keep a loose rein so that when you pick up on one rein your horse doesn't get mixed signals.  Always start slow and small.  Keep it to a walk and stay in the round pen for the first few rides, until you get your horse stopping and turning consistently.  If you do that, your horse should learn not to run through the halter.  I personally have only had one horse run through the halter, and it was because I didn't prepare her correctly.  Totally my fault.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NFJbTutrKo

The above link is really good for learning how to make reins on a rope halter.  If you want to get right to how to tie the knot you can skip to 3:23, but I would recommend watching the full video as there are some good points said.  This guy's horses also give to pressure incredibly well, so watch for that and let it be your example for when you are teaching your own horse to give to pressure.  There is like, half of an almost curse word said at the beginning, so parents might want to watch before kids, but it's really not bad.  A little kid probably wouldn't pick it up anyways.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s-KZWOssak

A properly fitted rope halter

This other link is really good for learning how to properly secure your rope halter on your horse.  The video also shows how the halter should sit on your horse.  The noseband should sit about halfway between the eyes and the nostrils (a little higher is also acceptable) and the throatlatch should tuck behind the jaw to prevent the halter from sliding off.  The throatlatch should also be tight enough to keep the halter on, but loose enough so that nothing is restricted.  It is much tighter than a bridle throatlatch, but don't worry: rope halters are designed to be tighter, and if fitted properly shouldn't restrict breathing or swallowing.  No naughty words in this one, so kids can watch and learn.

So that't the basic stuff on rope halters and why I like them and why you should like them too.  Good luck with your horses and happy trails!

P.S.
I would recommend going to your local tack shop to get a halter so you can really look at them and feel them and get one that's right for you and your horse.  If you really want to buy online here are some links:

Clinton Anderson's rope halter is mentioned in the first video.  A good simple halter.

Double Diamond has a large selection of halters, however they are wholesale only and you'll have to find a store that sells their stuff.  Also make sure to wrap the metal end in duct tape or electrical tape to prevent possible eye injury.

B&H gives you a ton of options for a more customized feel.  They're not wholesale so you can order a halter straight from the site.