The Trailer Has Another Purpose?

Well, I'm taking a big chance leaving my truck and trailer parked in the arena with Flyboy all night, but I'm conducting an experiment. The trailer is now a "feed trailer!" Fly's hay net is hanging in the trailer---his only hay net. He and Keno are separated so that Keno can't eat Fly's hay (or destroy my truck and trailer!) Flyboy can eat all the hay he wants, all night long, but only in the trailer. He also got a bucket with pellets this afternoon--in the trailer. See what I'm doing here? The trailer is a good place, a safe place, a rewarding place, a relaxing place, the eating place. We'll see.

Actually this was my sister's idea, or at least she was the first to suggest it to me. I did some reading too, and decided this was worth a try. Flyboy is not afraid to get in the trailer, but he becomes very anxious when he has to stay in the trailer. He anxiety is much worse with the slant panel closed. So maybe by letting him have a different kind of experience he'll relax a little and decide the trailer is a friendly place and we can work up to staying relaxed with the slant closed. I will do some loading games with him tomorrow and hopefully see a difference in his comfort levels after he's been eating in there all night.

The trailer is hitched to the truck for safety (it's a two horse bumper pull,) and the door is open and tied securely in case the wind comes up and tries to blow it closed. The slant panel is collapsed and locked open, so Fly has the whole trailer to load into. I turned him loose to check things out. He was very interested in the bucket with the pellets but was a little suspicious at first; he just couldn't figure out why I had left the trailer in his space! I backed off and just let Fly figure it out. It took him about 30 seconds to load himself in and grab a mouthful of pellets and turn around and  get out! However, he was soon back inside finishing the pellets and backed himself out calmly. Flyboy went in and out 6 or 8 times while I was doing my barn chores and keeping an eye on him. He has plenty of hay to keep him busy through the night so I hope I don't go out in the morning and find that he has stripped the tail lights or eaten the antenna off my truck. Keno would totally take the whole thing apart. I better head out there and check the gate to make sure Keno can't get into the arena!