Help, My Horse Won’t Get Out of the Trailer!

A Facebook fan asks for help with his horse, who’s become a reluctant unloader.
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Help! My Horse Won
Be sure to have your trailer placed to maximize ease of unloading. Make sure the footing both on the ramp (if there is one) and the terrain is solid and not slippery. | Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt/The Horse

Q: My horse suddenly doesn’t like unloading from the trailer. How do I assure him that it’s okay?—Scotty Ulch, via Facebook

A: We always worry about getting horses on to a trailer but often forget that getting off the trailer can be a learning process, too.

You say that your horse’s reluctance to get off the trailer is a new thing. One thing to consider is whether your horse has a physical problem. Unloading from a trailer, whether backing or going forward off a ramp or a step, is going to stress the back and limbs a little differently than getting on, so pain might be an issue. You might want to have a veterinarian examine him

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Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Nancy Diehl completed a master’s degree in animal science while studying stallion sexual behavior. Later, she completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and worked in equine practices in Missouri and Pennsylvania. Diehl also spent six years on faculty at Penn State, where she taught equine science and behavior courses and advised graduate students completing equine behavior research. Additionally, Diehl has co-authored scientific papers on stallion behavior, early intensive handling of foals, and feral horse contraception. Currently she is a practicing veterinarian in central Pennsylvania.

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