Trailering Preferences: Part 1

PART 1: Trailering preferences, straight from the horse's mouth? mind? energy? ...From conversations with horses  

- Horses prefer straight loads (forward or backward riding) or box stalls over slant loads. I honestly can’t even remember the last time a horse “requested” a slant load. This preference seems more important than a step up or ramp. (They also seem to have less of a break from road noise and wind in a slant load)

- A lot of loading anxiety actually has to do with unloading, especially backing off of trailers where the horse was riding in a slant load.

    - Horses seem to prefer a vocal cue when backing off and are going to meet the change in footing at the threshold (understandably).

- I can’t remember any specific preferences over tied/not tied but I do know that sometimes they are tied too tight and they need to be able to lower their head low enough to cough and sneeze naturally (again, more of an issue in a slant trailer usually in my experience).

- Actually just kidding, some horses mention that when the tie is up near the eye it’s uncomfortable. Most will ask for the tie to be at the chin rather than up near the eye because of the way it hits when they turn their heads and because of constant vibrations on their nerves under the eye.

- They do NOT like when the tongue of the trailer sits high in both bumper pull and gooseneck trailers. Understandably this is a big point of anxiety or frustration with horses and hauling… it’s already hard work, and hauling at an incline is much harder.

- A typically thin soled or foot sore horse will more often than not ask for cloud boots or a lot of additional shavings.

Hmm.. this is all I can think of for now!

PS: I am one person and this is my experience as a communicator, it's ok if it's not yours! Every horse is an individual, and they will communicate with you what they need if you're open to listening!