Retraining the Problem Unloader

For anyone with a horse that doesn’t load well, you know how difficult this issue can be. But the reverse of that situation, the problem unloader, can be just as complicated to deal with and to resolve.

Horses that want to race off a trailer before the butt bar or ramp is down are dangers to themselves and to their handlers, as well as the horse that walks into the trailer only to blast right back out. The best remedy for this quandary is to go back to square one and retrain the horse.

Interestingly, horses who suffer from this problem do appear to be truly fearful of backing out of a trailer. Typically, horses with this phobia unload fine when allowed to turn around and walk out of a trailer, such as when exiting a stock trailer.

So what to do? Begin by retraining the horse to walk forward, halt, stand quietly, and back up. Practice these commands first in an open area away from the horse trailer. The focus of these initial sessions is obedience and calmness. Reward your horse with a treat each time he responds positively to your commands. When he reacts easily to only voice commands, you’ll want to move to the next step, which involves the horse trailer.

Once again, calmness and obedience is what you’re after. The goal is for your horse to walk quietly into the trailer, stand there for a bit, and then calmly back out on your command. How long it takes to achieve these results depends entirely on your horse, so patience on your part is imperative.

Break this exercise into small chunks, always rewarding your horse with a treat for the right response. If he slips up and relapses to his old, unwanted behavior, don’t punish him. But don’t reward him either. Just try again.

In addition, make sure you’re working with a lead rope long enough to allow him to back out of the horse trailer. Trying to restrain your horse by pulling on his halter only reinforces his anxiety, so if he feels the need to bolt don’t let the lead rope restrict him.

Don’t expect your horse to recover from his fear of unloading overnight. He won’t. But with enough time, practice, and patience, you should be able to correct the problem.

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