Trailer help

All of these ideas are really good. If you don't have time to train him to get in then just get a bucket of food and maybe that would help :)

Thank you so much for all of the ideas.

It was a straight load, but we had already put another horse in the trailer before we loaded him, so our only choice was to go into his stall instead of the other.

I will have to try that next time though.

We did do circles (not because he wouldn't budge, but when he went next to the trailer. If he was facing the trailer and not going anywhere, we would just wait.

I will build or see if my BO has a small wooden bridge I could use with him to get him used to it.

I will also do my best to make a "trailer" out of different things, and get him used to stepping on all sorts of things.

And yes, Arrow, once Montana is in the trailer he's fine. He went right for the hay :) He didn't try to back out or anything. I just know something horrible had to have happened to him to act like that.

I'll let everyone know how he does the next time I trailer him.

Thanks so much for the responses!

My mare, Athena, was terrible about trailers. She still doesn't like to walk by them, and will side-pass when we have to go by one so she can get a good view of it. Lol
It used to take up to 3 hours (!!!) to get her in the trailer, until I finally found a trainer that had a technique that worked.
She had me walk straight up to the trailer, confident, acting like she was going jump right in there. If she did, great. But mostly she would stop right at the edge of the trailer and stretch her neck as far as she could. This was when the trainer (or who ever is with you) took a lunge whip and tapped her hind legs until she took a step forward, and then stop tapping when she did. (So simple, why didn't I think of something like that!) Sometimes Athena would have a hissy fit, do a little half rear, and try to back up. This was when the trainer had me back her up, walk her around the trailer, and try again. Now I know, I didn't think it was a good idea to take her away from the trailer after her hissy fit, (Idk, maybe, since she is a girl, she needed a few seconds to cool off. :P) but after doing this whole thing a few times she has learned to walk right in on her own. So I'm not complaining. I think the whole 'thinking the trailer will attack at random when you walk by it' thing is just a little trust issue that I still have to work with so she realizes that trailer's aren't deadly.

Everyone has already suggested what I would do, however to stop the rearing and turning (an old horse of mine did this) I would use an anti rearing bit (like what race horses are led in) It's not for force, just to have a bit more control over him when he tries to get away.

I tried all possible simulations. I mean, ALL. Wooden bridge, blue tarp, poles, bridge on poles, bridge between the wall of the trailer and the barrels, walk-in/back-out into stall (which was made very narrow by using barrels and tarp), you name it (as well as attempts to feed grain in trailer and all). All I can say NOTHING helped. She perfectly did everything but as long as I get to the trailer it was end of the story - she was scared to death. So I started to use recommended "trailer-specific" trainers. 2 could do absolutely nothing (one cost me lots of money with no result ), 3rd one managed to walk (rather RUN) her in. He actually made her work for 2 hours making her go between him and trailer back and forth till she stopped and looked into the trailer. When she realized trailer is the escape from work he could send her in. Not sure how helpful it is, but just my 2 cents. In any case - good luck and keep yourself calm on every loading session (I'm not always calm, unfortunately)!

Montana didn't do a full rear. He would lift his fronts up a good foot or so and come back down immediately. I honestly think he was more scared of the trailer than anything.

I rather not use a bit or a chain or anything like that to get him in. I want it all to be a nice positive, calm experience for him.
My friend did try the whole whip his heals to get him to move and that didn't work.

I did not have a chance today to work with him in tight quarters, but I hope to soon.
He doesn't have a problem going through a small opening (gate or stall door) but it could be because he knows after that small space it gets larger.
I did not go over any bridges while on the trail, but we did have to squeeze through two trees and posts quite close together. I was obviously more concerned about getting my knee hit (again) than he was about going through there.

I do have a blue tarp I can use, and I'll see what else I can use to help.

I'm probably not going to get help from a trainer because he does load.. it just takes 20-30 min for him to realize there is no monster in there. If for any reason, I feel I am in over my head and have exhausted all my other options, I will get help from a trainer.

Arrow did that little half rear, too.

What I've suggested requires no trainer. Anyone with patience can outwait a horse. You'll be surprised how quickly he gets bored and gives in. If you get bored first...he wins!

My horse had the opposite problem he wouldnt back out of the trailer, and actually pinned my uncle to the side of the trailer once, (my uncle deserved it though I would have done the same thing if that man was pulling on my face like that)
So what I did was loaded him up, got him all relaxed and fed him a cookie rubbed his ears then suggested that he back up, he immediatly threw his head in the air and refused because he thought I was going to force it, so I calmed him down again and suggested again, after a while and alot of cookies he just backed right out like he had been doing it for years
So moral of the story just chill and take your time, I understand you don't have a trailer to practice with but you said your making simulations so that should help, just be patient and make sure you are clear in what you want him to do, it took me a total of 2 hours for my horse to back out of the trailer so just take your time and try not to get frustrated if you do take a minute and try again,
Also has he ever hit his head on the top of the trailer? We had a horse that was a butt to load because he hit his head one time when he loaded in the trailer too fast, I don't remember what we did to help him...ill ask tomorrow though
Good luck!!!

Yep!!!!!! Every year the BO has to transport a Paint gelding that would not load. He has taken 4 hours and 4 people to load him.

Montana is left-brained, correct? If he is, he's not afaid of it...he just does NOT want to go in, so he's pretending to be afraid. That Paint gelding we all thought was right brained, but when we did groundwork we knew he was left-brained, so he was just being dominant.

The squeeze game is kinda like the circling game. But it's really only a half circle. Set up a platform if you have one so he has to step up on it. Send him on it. And then turn him around and send him again.

For the trailer. Stand to the left of the door when you are facing the trailer, and send him into the trailer. DO NOT let him pass between you and the trailor!!!!! All you want to do is the squeeze game not the circle.
Each time he even puts on foot on the trailor...take pressure off, give him a praise, then ask for him to enter again.

Make sure you go through all the phases if necessary. I don't think it's a trust issue or that he's frightened of the trailer....it sounds like a dominance issue

I do believe he's left brain. Still have to do the Horsenality.
The thing that puzzles me the most is that he was actually shaking when my BO loaded him up the first time.
And when we tried loading him again to go home, it was like he just shut down. So that would have meant he went to RBI correct?

Thanks Sonny :)