
Loading can be a huge source of stress for horses and a common cause of injury to horses and their handlers. Preparing a horse to travel by familiarising them with the trailer or lorry and practising loading and unloading well in advance – allowing them plenty of time to get used to the idea – can save a huge amount of time in the long run. horses who don’t load or travel well can be dangerous, so it really is important to get your horse used to loading, travelling and unloading safely and calmly. Never be afraid to enlist expert help if you need it – and even if it seems expensive it could be far cheaper than the vets bills if something were to go wrong because your horse hurts itself whilst being loaded!
There are no easy shortcuts to training your horse to load, travel and unload safely, lots of practice and patience really are key. Its good to do some short sessions with your horse or pony when teaching them to load – it’s much better to do a little bit every day over a week or so, than decide on day one that you’re setting out to load your horse today.It’s worth remembering that if your horse or pony doesn’t travel very often they may well need a bit of refresher training before you take them out again.
Calm slow approach is always best keep your horse in a low key mode, dont be afraid to stop and praise as you help your horse to load.