# Difficult horse to load into trailer



## 22wingzero (Oct 2, 2015)

Hello, 
I have an 8 year old Appaloosa, named Cheyenne. I am new to horses and am looking for advice on properly training to load her onto a step up trailer. I try to load her and she absolutely refuses. I walk her to the trailer and she comes to a complete stop, I give her time and try to calmly encourage her to step in. I can be out there for over an hour with no success, I try placing and releasing pressure on the lead rope, but to no avail. I don't rush her but there seems to be no improvement. 

I would like to help her willingly enter the trailer without fighting and also without taking an hour or two to succeed or in most cases, NO progress what-so-ever. I greatly appreciate any advice.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Sadly so far you have taught her that resistance wins! 

Tell me more about her refusal, is she stood there calm as you like refusing to step up, is she scared, bolshy, bored or anxious? Does she come up to the trailer OK then quit? Tell us what struggles you are having


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## 22wingzero (Oct 2, 2015)

She will walk with me to the trailer and stop before entering. Giving her time, she will sniff and look around. I try to give and release pressure but she will pull back or simply root herself to the ground. Once in a while she will put one or two legs in and then back out or I will try and coax her in and she has pulled back hard and banged her head. I have tried backing her out and walking her around and trying again. She sometimes stops right at the trailer with her cannons against the trailer and when she does decide to attempt lifting her legs up she hits her hooves on the trailer and will refuse again even if I try to get her to the trailer and not have her stop her legs so close to it


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

Hopefully you are boarding at a stable where you can continually learn horsemanship. So much is learned by watching that you can't learn over the Internet. people there then can help when needed.


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## 22wingzero (Oct 2, 2015)

I am actually moving her to a stable this weekend. I have to load her and plan on going with plenty of time so that I do not rush her. I do hope for the both of us to be able to improve on not only loading but horsemanship, so that we can become great partners and with a good bond. I really am looking forward to enjoying the trails with her.


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## david in md (Jun 13, 2013)

I had that same problem with an Appaloosa mare several years ago. I sent my kid to the house and proceeded to make it more uncomfortable to stay off the trailer than to get on. Took a little while but I have not had to repeay that lesson. Now my kid can load her. Some other issues were solved as well with that lesson. Be tough or find someone who can.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

22wingzero said:


> I am actually moving her to a stable this weekend. I have to load her and plan on going with plenty of time so that I do not rush her. I do hope for the both of us to be able to improve on not only loading but horsemanship, so that we can become great partners and with a good bond. I really am looking forward to enjoying the trails with her.


I would ask if someone at the stable that is patient and knowledgeable can help you load? Offer to pay them.


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## 22wingzero (Oct 2, 2015)

Thank you all for your advice. I will ask someone and see if they'd be willing to help. I will post on her progress. The number one thing I am hoping for is to do it the right way and the positive way.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

22wingzero said:


> Thank you all for your advice. I will ask someone and see if they'd be willing to help. I will post on her progress. The number one thing I am hoping for is to do it the right way and the positive way.


First of all, your attitude is great.  And I agree that the BEST course of action would be to have someone help you in person. Overall, it sounds like your horse doesn't entirely trust you and/or respect you. 

Ultimately, a trailer loading problem is a ground manners problem. You are asking to lead your horse somewhere (just so happens to be a trailer) and the horse is refusing to do what you ask (lead onto the trailer). Simply working on better ground manners with your horse will often resolve the problem.

I wrote up a long post a while ago about how I go about teaching a horse to load. Again, might not so much be the "loading" aspect, but just good overall ground manners. Gaining control over your horse's feet is also important. You should be able to place the feet where you want; including into a trailer!

This would be a good read for you:
http://www.horseforum.com/horse-training/trailer-loading-101-a-205770/

Remember: When you work on trailer loading with your horse, your goal actually should NOT be to get her into the trailer every time. Your goal should be to gain better and better control over your horse's body. And when you are ready, when the day comes, that will including controlling their body to go onto the trailer.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

A young boarder's horse wouldn't load so I had her lunge him 3 circles at a brisk trot then stand facing the open trailer. As soon as he turned his head, he was lunged 3 more circles. When he'd remain looking in for half a min. he was asked to step up. If he refused, 3 more circles. He then put both feet in, he got a nice rub along his back and rump, then asked to back out. We were teaching him to unload quietly as well as load. We ended it there and put him away. The following day one lunging and he stepped up. Again we groomed and backed him off. He stepped up again and went in another step. I didn't want him loading all the way. Again we put him away, a short effective lesson. The following day he loaded all the way in, I swung the door closed and open a few times then raised and lowered the butt bar. He backed out calmly when asked and was put away. After that he loaded easily and calmly.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

OP, do not worry that becuase you had some difficulty that you've "taught" your horse to do it all wrong. most trailer loading can be solved relatively quickly. if there is a real fear issue, then it may take longer. better to take the time needed than end in a wreck.


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## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

is it a two horse trailer There are some horses that refuse to load into a two horse straight load trailer, yet walk them up to a bigger trailer or stock trailer and they will walk right in.
You might try a different trailer to see how she loads in a bigger one.


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

22wingzero said:


> She will walk with me to the trailer and stop before entering. Giving her time, she will sniff and look around. I try to give and release pressure but she will pull back or simply root herself to the ground. Once in a while she will put one or two legs in and then back out or I will try and coax her in and she has pulled back hard and banged her head. I have tried backing her out and walking her around and trying again. She sometimes stops right at the trailer with her cannons against the trailer and when she does decide to attempt lifting her legs up she hits her hooves on the trailer and will refuse again even if I try to get her to the trailer and not have her stop her legs so close to it


Doesn't sound that scared then, but it is frustrating...as ever leave plenty of time to fix this, when you have a chance...mostly it is easy. 

Pressure and release is so much about timing, with some horses you have to give them a little release if they even think about walking on, every forward movement or thought gets a little release, then the pressure goes on again. Having bought and rehabbed several bad loaders, ALL of who reformed, I would start with the pressure and release, and when the pressure is on it doesn't have to be that much, just a steady 'draw' forward, not enough to provoke a pull back fight, but enough to encourage forward. You can change it up, by asking them to back away when you have been a stalemate for a while, it breaks the tension, and you are still directing traffic, approach and retreat on your terms can be the key.

Next level is slinging a loop around the butt, I found this a great break through with a big and bolshy guy I was working with. He would walk up to the back door all day, stand for a while, then explode. Slinging the rope around him, just gave him the shove he needed










As with most things with horses, there are many many ways to work on this, some work for some horses, some for others, but there is usually one thing that will change their mind about loading.

And I stick by the statement, every time you fail to load, the horse does win, and he stores that away. It makes it a little harder for you to 'win' in the future. Sometimes is is unavoidable, but once I set out to load a horse in a training session, he is getting on the trailer!


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

I had a yearling that would not load. If you pushed or pulled her, she would just collapse to the ground and lay there. I had to move her 13 miles - so I saddled up my go-to boy and that little girl walked 13 miles. When I put her up that night, the trailer was in the turn-out with her, with her hay and grain half-way in. She had to reach in to eat. The next feeding, the hay and grain were a little deeper in, forcing her to step up. By day 3, her food was in the manger and she was waiting in the trailer for dinner by the 4th.


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## Joel Reiter (Feb 9, 2015)

22wingzero said:


> I try placing and releasing pressure on the lead rope, but to no avail.


Please keep in mind that any time you release pressure on the lead rope, you are giving the horse a reward. The goal is to time the release so that the horse associates the reward with something it is doing right. That doesn't have to be getting in the trailer. It could be walking up to the trailer, sniffing inside the trailer, putting a foot into the trailer, etc. But it should be something that is getting you closer to loading, and it should be progress from the previous attempt.

If you pull on a horse and the horse doesn't move, and you release the pressure, you are rewarding the horse for standing still. Most people are too impatient. Either they give up way too early, or they go ballistic way too early. Parelli says take the time it takes so it takes less time. Would you rather take four hours to load your horse the first time and have her step on the trailer instantly from that day forward, or would you prefer to spend 45 angry sweaty dangerous minutes every time you load her for the rest of her life?

Charles Wilhelm, in his book "Building Your Dream Horse" describes teaching horses to give to rein pressure. In one case he recalled waiting an hour and twenty minutes for the horse to give the first time, and then made very rapid progress after that. That's an extreme example, but it shows how we typically give up far too soon.


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

I'd second others suggestion to seek experienced help. You are almost certainly (if surely unintentionally) training your horse that loading is optional, and a mistake that turns into fear can lead to major problems loading for potentially years ahead. 

An experienced horseperson will likely have your Appy loaded in minutes and can teach you how to repeat the process. 

An important part of the process is being direct and firm. Too many people take the "but I don't want to be mean, let's just give him a treat and see if that helps!" approach which is completely backwards. Horses need to know that loading is not an option, and not something to be scared of, and all will be better. It takes someone with experience to teach that process however, assuming your horse has been taught proper ground manners to begin with as others have also touched on.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Chasin Ponies (Dec 25, 2013)

Ok, here is a little technique that I watched someone do at a horse show, it worked with no fuss, no muss and I've successfully used it several times since on bad/reluctant loaders.

It takes 2 people and the horse must be one that understands that whips aren't there to hurt them. One person at the head leading into the trailer, the other person stands _off to the side of the horse_ (not behind!!) and begins a _constant light_ tapping with the whip on top of the haunch. Non stop, never ending tapping. _*Not hard*_ but annoying to the horse. Have patience and continue the tapping until the horse has had enough and moves forward. If the horse stops, continue tapping.

There is something about this tapping technique and the repetition that will get a horse to finally move willingly into that trailer. Make sure that there is a supply of good hay in the manger as a reward. Done enough times and you end up with a good loader!


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## Cowgirlupyup (Jan 31, 2016)

*Okay...*

Alright I had the same problem with my horse. He would go up to the trailer and then stop. What I did is put the trailer in his paddock and put some hay in there and left. Opened the head door and the door that the horse gets in. Also leave move so he could turn around if he wanted and walk out or back out. Make sure the trailer is safe and will not tilt when the horse gets in. He has been great with getting in and out of the trailer! Also if the horse does show a little "slowness" getting in the trailer you can get a whip and show them it and put it behind them and you can lightly tap them. That's what I do. Hope this helps. Also maybe try putting another horse in there, have your horse watch the other horse going in there with no problem. So your horse can see... ( oh that horse want to there with no problem maybe it's not so bad. )


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## Citation (Mar 10, 2016)

Hi

I just posted a trick to get a horse on a a trailer. Pain free. Might work for you, or you horse rather....

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-trailers/get-horse-trailer-trick-686274/


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## Barrelracehard (Mar 19, 2016)

I was watching a Clinton Anderson video and he said that you need to get your horse to move his feet outside the trailer and your horse will think the trailer is a safer place then outside the trailer. I will post the video her. 

video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT4FCaNvX6A


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