Help!! Trailering Issues...

^ you took my next idea right out of my head :) make it suck outside the trailer and be wonderful inside the trailer

My previous mare refused to load. We bought her at an auction - don't know how they got her in the trailer to get her there, but we had to use a chute to load her to bring her home. Thank heaven we just use a stock trailer!

Unfortunately, on the way home, the truck broke down - this was long before cell phones!. We were about a mile and a half from the nearest house. Unloaded Sugar, saddled her and rode to a friend's house to call for help. Rode her back to the trailer and only then remembered how bad she was to load. I'm so glad I took my saddle off of her before we tried to load her. She reared up and threw herself over backward, got back up, pinned her ears, cow kicked at my father in law (nearly got him!) and generally pitched a huge hissy fit.

Hubby and I wondered what the heck we got ourselves into. Sugar rode great - she was by far the best horse I've ever had. She just would not load when we first got her. We all stepped back and scratched our heads. Father in law will be the first person to admit he knows nothing about horses. We were beginning to think I was going to have to saddle her back up and ride her back to their house - about six miles or so - not a big deal. They also have a chute we could use to load her back into the trailer once the truck was fixed.

Father in law got the idea that maybe I could load her if they stayed completely away... and it worked! I have no idea why - but she followed me in with very little hesitation. All I can think of was maybe she decided I was boss after our little ride (she was a bit stubborn in spots, but I was stubborner - if there is such a word.) I never had any trouble after that - but it was months before she would load for my husband.

My current mare, Dancer is almost the exact same way. Unfortunately, her previous owner was pretty scared of her and at the same time was too much of a softy, so getting her loaded was a real pain. (Plus, that stock trailer wasn't ours and was actually too small). Now that we again have our own stock trailer, all of our horses, even baby Rain, are going to learn how to load!

Dee- Hmm, that's interesting!! I've tried loading him with just me, and that failed.. And the girl who owned him from when he was 3-15 couldn't get him in the trailer without a hearty fight beforehand.

Kchfuller- Yeah! That sounds like a good idea too... Making the hesitation completely unpleasent. Though I will have to find something other than lunging.. he finds lunging so much fun. He is very muchly a go go go horse... so he would definitely love the running in circles.

What about backing?

Also I am sure after 10-15 min of HARD work lunging he may not think it's so fun :)
Posted via Mobile Device

Or wht about just taking your time? Like literally get him up to the trailer and then just hangout there till he walks in? You go in the trailer and make sure you have a lead long enough that you can be all the way in ... Maybe he will decide to go in eventually
Posted via Mobile Device

When I can't get mine in the trailer and I start to loose patience and get frustrated I get out my secret weapon. My herding dog and 2 seconds later we are loaded. :)

^ lol I love it!

Kch- just chillin does work! But everyone would get sick of it, because he takes two hours to get in. Next time we load, two more hours. Next time, two more hours. I don't have the scheduale to fit in four hours of loading per event. With 4-h and my high school equestrian team, that won't due :/

Churumbeque- Never thought of that... My friend has a border collie! Yayy! Haha.

I took my horse to a trainer and when loading they led them up to the trailer tied them as far forward as the lead rope would comfortable reach and then the guy got behind the horse and swatted him with his ball cap. That was also very effective as no one was in front of the horse which I think bothers them but he was being pushed from behind. Many times when loading by myself I just think if I was behind and driving him forward he would go in. It was a stock trailer so not sure how well it would work with a different style

Yeah totally agree ... have you thought about sending your horse to a trainer to have this worked on without you there?