44 SIDELINES NOVEMBER 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
to respect my space. Thanks, Michelle H.
Answer:
Owners must learn how to create a boundary with the
horse in order to educate a pushy horse. Just as they would ask
another person to respect his or her personal space, the owner
must ask their horses to respect it as well. The worst thing an owner
can do with a pushy horse is not react. If the owner is experiencing
a horse that refuses to respect one’s personal space, it is essential
to correct the horse as quickly as possible. This means backing
the horse up, bumping the lead rope or side passing the horse
away from you. A mistake a lot of owners seem to make is to hit
the horse on the head to make the horse stop crowding or pushing
past them. Over time this will only make the horse more and more
head shy. If you need to reprimand
the horse go back to basic ground
control exercises. Teaching your
horse to respect your space on the
ground is essential to a safe and
productive partnership.
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By Dan Steers, of Double
Dan Horsemanship
Question: I recently
purchased a seven-year-
old Arabian gelding. I have
been having trouble loading
him in my trailer. I have
been hauling him regularly
to go trail riding and he
seems to be getting worse.
I would like to work on his
loading and unloading
problem at home, but I am
unsure how to start. Please
help me make travelling a
better experience for him.
Thank you, Jennifer B.
Answer:
Tackling the
problem at the trailer is the
most common mistake that
horse owners make when
training or dealing with horses
that are difficult to load. The
key to successful trailer
training starts away from the
trailer, with first establishing
ground control with the horse.
When attempting to load the horse, he only has four directions
in which his body can move: left, right, forwards and backwards.
Therefore, to successfully load the horse we must have control
over his body in all four directions. To achieve this, the horse
must be taught hindquarter control, where the horse learns to
yield his hindquarters to whip pressure. The horse must also be
established in coming forward to whip pressure and be proficient
in circling around the handler and being driven to the fence from
a circle. Only once these ground control basics are established
should the handler approach the trailer. I would advise you to go
back to basics and establish control of your horse on the ground,
once you have sufficient ground control you may begin to work
your horse around the trailer, and then finally work on loading and
unloading.
Question: My two-year-old Quarter Horse gelding
crowds me when I am leading him from the barn to the
pasture. I am worried one day he may spook and bump
into me. I don’t mind him being friendly, but I need him
About Double Dan: Since their debut as “The Dan and Dan Show” in 2008, Double Dan Horsemanship,
made up of Dan Steers and Dan James, is quickly becoming a household name in the equine industry.
The duo have been noted for performing at every major Royal show in Australia and many large equine
events in the United States, earning championships at the “Way of the Horse” at Equitana Asia Pacific
in 2008, Road to the Horse International 2012 and the Mane Event 2012 Trainer’s Challenge. They
have been crowd favorites in the opening ceremonies of the World Equestrian Games, Australia’s Got
Talent, Australian National Cutting Horse Futurities, Equine Affaire and many others.
Dan James side passes a pushy horse away from him and out of his personal space. It is essential to
correct the horse as quickly as possible. This means backing the horse up, bumping the lead rope or
side passing the horse away from you.
Trailer Loading and Pushy Horses
Questions Answered
Dan Steers
