This message is from: Marsha Jo Hannah <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > I teach my horses to back out and use the word "step" when they come to the > end of the trailer floor.
One acquaintance would take hold of her Morgan mare's tail, and move it such that the tailbone "pointed" toward the step. As long as her tail was "aimed" backward a bit, she would back confidently; when her tail "pointed" down, she would slow down and start feeling for the drop-off with her hind hooves. The John Lyons magazines point out that, when training a horse to get into the trailer, one should not let the horse load all the way on the first try. It's far better to have them put one foot in, stop, stand, then back out; then two feet, stand, and back out; then 3 feet, etc. Essentially, you need to teach them HOW TO back out as well as how to load, and it's easiest when you break it down into a lot of little sub-behaviors. Marsha Jo Hannah Murphy must have been a horseman-- [EMAIL PROTECTED] anything that can go wrong, will! 15 mi SW of Roseburg, Oregon The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
