I started tying after one of my geldings backed up reached over the divider and started chewing on my other horse's back. The victim kicked at the perpetrator, broke the side window out of my new 3H slant and ended up astraddle the divider. Quite the wreck, I put lead ropes with snaps to prevent future mishaps. Lucky to have smooth welds that didn't injure the horse as he came flying backwards when I released the divider.

Hey. Did the orig. poster get that horse loaded in the trailer? I didn't read EVERY post. Agree with the sending them in. Even a cracked rib would suck. I like Clinton Anderson's method. First time I saw him do his trailer loading bit, it made total sense. Then when I saw him the second time and the person I went with wanted to leave before the trailer loading part (it's at the end), I said I was stayin' t' watch, if you wanna leave, I'll see you at the truck. Pretty cool how Clinton changes the horse's mind about that scary object made of metal. Would always want them to back out. Had a galfriend whose BIG and WIDE gelding tried to turn around and got stuck. This was a two horse straight without the divider in. Don't see any reason why they can't back out. What about tying? Pros and cons galore. What are most preference about tying in trailer or not tying in trailer? I go back and forth on the reasoning. Am leaning towards having the tie ring on the normal setting (or on the next one with a dinker). That way the horse thinks he's tied but if something happens he's not tied hard and fast. Any thoughts? Thanks.

This is an old post, but it seems to be a problem that resurfaces. I had a mare that refused to load one day in a new 3H Alum slant. She is a big strong mare and the trailer isn't made to muscle a horse. She would toss her head when I pulled on the halter and she had been in all kinds of trailers before with no problems. I was in a hurry and knew I wouldn't win a tug of war. Luckily, I teach all my horses to lead with a rope around their pasterns, both front and hind, forward and back up. I do it to try and minimize chances of injury if they get tangled in ropes or fences. This mare was real gentle but if abused or thinks she is abused gets reactive. Anyway, I put a lead rope around each front pastern and lead her into the trailer. Since I didn't put pressure on her halter she didn't toss her head. She didn't fight the pressure on her pasterns and actually had a look on her face like 'how did he get me in here'. It took a few minutes but there were no bad things that happened to her and now she loads in that trailer without hesitation. I used the same technique a few months ago with a 2 yo colt and now he loads with no problem. They have to be halter broke, then teach them to give to pressure on their pasterns, then lead with the rope on their pasterns. I went back and read all the posts after I wrote mine and discovered that fremont said basically the same thing. I have seen horses fed in trailers for months and still wouldn't load when the owners wanted them to go in. I quit using the butt rope after seeing a horse almost break his leg.

I've seen this problem all my life. A horse responds in one of three ways; Respect, Trust and Fear. You must establish respect first! Trust comes with time and Fear is the last way you want them to react. Any horse that has Respect and Trust will do anything for you. My Western trainer, Mac McHugh once told me, “…A horse that trusts you will walk off a cliff for you… Once!” If you say forward, the horse should never question you, ever! Trailering problems are usually the result a bad experience caused by the horse not understanding what's being asked of it, lack of respect and/or, the handler being either/both an idiot/afraid! The trailer is to be the safe zone. However, outside the trailer can become quite unpleasant if, when using a chute, you yell, scream, snap a whip (not on the horse, at first) until they get in. Give them no other place to go. Somebody needs to be on the lead, no lip chains and keeping the head forward. Also, using noise makers the horse is not familiar with such as, wiffle bats, party noise makers and, my favorite, two flexible strips of metal held together that make a terrific noise when shaken. These work well on even the good horse in panic situations such as, fire evacuations when you don’t have time to deal with individual horse quirks. Those left behind, get, ‘well done!’ I recommend using fencing as a guide and part of a chute. Using pipe corral sections works as well in part or exclusively. Chase 'em in! After they calm down, lead them out. Claim a victory and try it again tomorrow. Best of luck! -airwaves END

Having lost the battle once after a 5 hour loading issue; I gave in and grabbed another horse as the Expo was now open and I was paying $$ for empty stalls. (yes this horse usually walked right in) I have heard horror stories of the "force in" methods. Horses rearing up and scalping themselve, broken legs, etc... All of my horses are trained to load at home in the same trailer, but it never fails that one of them always decides not to load. I have loaded coming home from the Expo and State Fair in storms, under the midway with concerts going on. I'm sure the extra noices are what causes the issues. My most prefered method is me (or someone the horse is comfortable with) in the trailer hold the lead tight while the other person is lightly tapping the butt with a whip. Notice I said lightly. When the horse moves forward, give them slack in lead and wait a minute. Repeat as many times as needed. This way the horse is going in on their own or so they think. The longest it's taken me with this method is about 10 minutes. The last time it took me 2 taps and Grace walked right in. I cannot image what it sounds like inside that trailer under the midway with the concert blaring; I'd probably hesitate also. I now always have a stick of some type in my tack area. I don't haul my horses enough to make it habbit, but I have the truck/trailer parked by the round pen, and we go in and out 3 times every day I train. Good luck to all, and I really hope they got that horse to load many times since this orginal post! AAA Apps Been there, done that....

Hi, Have you taken the time to load this horse and unload him one step at a time? Get him to step up and then step back out. Two feet in then two feet back out and so on. Get him to think about where his feet are going by controling the feet one at at time. (You are really controlling his mind, it takes care of his feet.) Can you do one step forward and back, two steps forward and back etc just during normal ground work? I am inclined to start there. I really think trailer loading has so much more to do than with just the trailer. I think trailers can be scary for some horses no doubt. I have a young horse that use to be a trailer spazz, really afraid of them. Recently I went to load him and realized his forward cue button on his rump was broken.;-) I mean when I tapped on his rump or behind his stifle to ask him to go forward the final steps into the trailer it had no meaning. So back out away from the trailer we cleared up what that meant, go means go. I just would tap him on the rump and if he ignored it I tapped really hard until he went, kinda surprised him because he was pretty sure he could tune out the annoying tap tap tap, so instead I whacked and then I immediately rubbed him with the stick. A few more times and a light tickle was all it took to get him thinking forward. Took a breather and went back to the trailer. He went right in and was thinking of stepping out and I tapped him and asked for a forward step and he stepped forward and then settled. Getting that response worked out AWAY from the trailer made the trailer loading much easier and less stressful. I have seen too many training "holes" show up in a horse when he is asked to go in the trailer. I got to see one of my very own just recently! But it was a quick fix. Take your time and work on it when you have a plan but you don't have an agenda. Agenda's have emotional attachments, horses can sense that. Good luck! Kathy

Wow, Dean-na, you asked some tough questions. I have hauled in stock trailers and had that happen, but that was with older horses and they just got in and out anyway. That head-banging makes it hard on a colt. All I can do now is tell you what works for me. I have an older 4H aluminum, and keep it for one horse in particular since it is wider in the horse area than the new trailers. He hates to back out, too, due to sore hocks, bumped back legs, etc. I allow him to turn around and lead out, it is easier on both of us. I never stop walking out until all his feet are on the ground, or he will step on himself. He has not hurt himself this way in years, since the first time or two we did it. After hauling my 3yo filly several times and scaring herself backing out, she balked & I had to push her out backwards. I took the time to load and unload her several times one day, each time standing in the trailer until she got bored and wanted to back out. She improved and is not much of a problem anymore. I am sure you will get lots of responses here, from all the great ES people. Good luck!

Wow...this is a long lived post...and thank goodness. I am newly returned to the horse world and didn't know "that much" 20 yrs ago. I have a delema that has not been discussed here. I use a stock trailer, so there is plenty of room. My gelding (2 y/o) goes in pretty good, but coming out gets interesting. He banged his head the first time he backed out of this trailer (farther down than he anticipated) and now he won't back out. He wants to turn and go out face forward. I know the dangers this presents (broken legs?) so am asking if anyone has an idea to help me teach him not to turn AND to teach him not to throw his head up on the down-step? Thanks.... Dean-na

I have the lead rope in my left hand and lift the "silly orange carrot stick" with my right hand over her back end and in she goes! I took the time to get my horse to load that way.....and now she just steps in! Actually I never had problems leading her in until one time she was worried about her buddy not loaded yet and she quickly turned to get back out of the trailer and squeezed me against the side of the trailer. Thank God I only ended up with a cracked rib!! So....now I will not lead a horse in no matter how big the trailer... I have seen horses rear and bang their heads coming out! Accidents can happen so fast! Take the time to train your horse so that it can be a safe event for you and your horse. Safe loading.... Buffy

I hope that after 3 yrs they got the gelding loaded. If not they have more patience then I would.... that and I would be hungry, thirsty and tired. Cause all trainers say don't stop until the horse has done what you are asking.