NCDCTA News/Ask the Experts – April 2010

Q:My horse is a problem shipper. He ‘scrambles’. What can I do to correct this? Sincerely, Driven Crazy

A:Dear Driven,
Shipping a horse on a trailer can be a very stressful situation for both the horse and the person. Success requires a good foundation. To do well, the horse should be good at tying quietly (no pawing or fidgeting), stepping up and down (even for ramp trailers), lowering his head and moving forward, backward and from side to side. The reality is that most people start with the end picture…driving down the road with the horse in the trailer long before the horse is good at the essential fundamentals.

When a horse scrambles in the trailer, it is generally because he is scared and/or unskilled at moving sideways in a small space. The horse stands as long as he can and then panics as he tries to gain his balance. Left unchecked, a scrambler is a danger to himself and other horses in the trailer. Even the safest of horse trailers is not designed to handle a 1000+ horse throwing himself around.

Anytime there is a problem with trailering, the skill of the driver has to be considered. A bad driver can make a good horse trailer poorly and worsen a horse who is already experiencing difficulties. Care should be taken to drive smoothly without abrupt braking and fast acceleration unless avoiding a danger. The driver shouldn’t accelerate out of a turn until the trailer is straight with the pulling vehicle.

In the short term, a scrambler will do better with more space. Ship your horse in a box stall or with the center partition at an angle. Use caution when closing/opening the door or ramp if you use one of these arrangements and the butt bar is down. Remember; NEVER tie a horse when the butt bar is down unless the door is shut.

Since trailering is going to be a part of most horses’ lives. You can incorporate important skills in your riding sessions. Work on lowering your horse’s head each time you halter and bridle. Look for small banks and hilly terrain that you can use to teach your horse to step up and back down. Also, teach your horse to move sideways in small, relaxed steps. You can use jump poles, on the ground, to make a ‘trailer’ box. Start with a comfortable size generally a 7’ x 7’ works for most horses. While in-hand, ask your horse to move in all directions in the space. Gradually make it smaller until it represents the size of the trailer space. You can even try this with the poles raised. Your goal is to have your horse move with relaxation and confidence in the box.

How you horse ties is important too. Your horse needs to learn to stand quietly for long periods. If your horse lacks patience, this will add another layer of emotion to an already stressful situation.

By breaking things into small steps, you can help your horse prepare for putting it all together.

P.S. It’s always a good idea to have a qualified professional, you trust, review the situation, in person, to help develop a custom strategy.

Linda Hoover specializes in helping people develop successful partnerships with their horses in and out of the arena. From her desire to help more people and their horses, she founded the United States Refined Horsemanship Association. The US-RHA is focused on helping people create and compete horses who are the ‘Ultimate Partner…refined and versatile.’ Linda resides at her farm, Cornerstones, in West End, NC. To contact Linda, phone: 910-673-2173 or web: www.US-RHA.com.