Building Communication
Trailer loading success all depends on your preparation.
Before I approach the trailer I want to be able to send the horse to the left and to the right with out taking slack out of the lead rope. Holding the lead rope in my left hand and extending my arm to the left is my cue for the horse to go left. Changing the lead to my right hand and extending my arm to the right is my cue for the horse to change directions and go to the right. The horse should be able to maintain a walk while making the direction changes.
When one hand is directing the horse the other is free to use the tail of the lead rope, the whip or the flag to encourage forward movement. I use these tools as an extension of my arm, they are no more appropriate or inappropriate than I am.
After I give the cue I wait a couple of seconds and if there is no response I do something to get the horse to search for a release. What I do to encourage the horse to search is the most difficult aspect of this blog to describe because every horse is so different. For example, using my flag might be just the thing to encourage forward movement with one horse and it could be too much pressure with another horse or maybe not enough pressure at all.
I do enough to get the horse to feel the need to try to search for the response I want, but not enough to panic the horse. Horses can search in a number of ways. They may stand still, back up, or go the wrong way. Let the horse search in his own way. Don't punish him for doing something you don't want, just continue to help him search until he comes forward and then let him rest. This is the release. The longer it takes to find the answer, the longer the release or rest should be. Usually the longer it takes the horse to find the answer, the more it will mean to him. But, reward the smallest try.
At first I'm grateful for any forward movement and I won't ask for added steps until forward movement comes from the cue alone.
Let's say I ask for the horse to go left and he just stands there. Then I might swing the tail of the lead rope. This could cause him to back up. I will keep swinging until he stops backing and I will continue to swing until he takes a step forward. Then I will stop swinging the rope and pet him. After a few seconds I start the process over again. Don't worry If you don't get this accomplished all in one session, stop on a good note and pick up where you left off in the next session.
Your success in doing this simple exercise away from the trailer, is the key to the success you will have sending your horse into the trailer. This is the foundation for trailer loading and just about everything else that you do with your horse.
