Advantages of a Side Loading
Door
The loading and orientation of your horse within a
transportation vehicle has been identified as a potential source of stress to both animal and
handler. The use of a side door eases the loading of an animal into a vehicle. Rather than
having your horse face a dark, small opening, which may be perceived as scary, they walk into a
light airy space.
In the rear facing position, your horse's head is not
constantly carried in an elevated position such that it may use its head and neck to balance
more effectively. It may also be advantageous that the forelegs are placed in the rear because
they may adapt to the swaying motions of braking and acceleration more readily than the hind
legs.
This "buttress" posture adaptation is commonly exhibited during grazing, whereby the shoulder
provides better lateral support than the rear legs. Often, the rear legs engage in a side
stepping action when responding to lateral pressure, such as experienced in a trailer
navigating a sharp corner.
Transporting Horses in a Rear Facing
Position
A study examining the response to travelling forwards or
backwards during a one hour journey showed a significant decrease in heart rate in the horses
travelling backwards.
These horses also tended to rest more often on their rumps in maintaining their balance. The
forward facing horses held their heads in a higher than average position and also moved more
frequently due to difficulty in balancing.
Interestingly, the forward facing horses vocalized more frequently. Heart rates increased at
loading and unloading, and decreased during the journey as the horses became accustomed to the
motion of transport.
The authors concluded that the forward orientation may be more physically demanding due to
efforts implemented to maintain balance.
Above taken from:-Physiology, Balance, and Management of
Horses During Transportation by Dr. Carolyn Stull, Extension Animal Welfare Specialist,
University of CaliforniaEffects of transporting horses facing either forwards or backwards on
their behaviour and heart rate by Dr Natalie K Waran, Institute of Ecology & Resource
Management, University of Edinburgh
