To continue our discussion of fear and desensitization with horses, today we discuss a situation where these issues often come up – trailer loading. In this video, I don’t try to address every problem we could face when loading, but rather look to address some of the challenges with loading, as well as share safety tips and stratagies to help you be able to load your horse while decreasing the stress for the horse.
I would love to hear from you in the comments below. What challenges do you have with trailer loading or what advice can you offer others?
See you in the comments!
Callie
Here is the link to an interesting article describing the “fooling around” behavior: www.tellingtonttouch.com/Print/5fs.htm
57 Responses
This is a great trailer video! You show the entire procedure when others cut out the horses acting up.
Love it and thank you!
Excellent very similar problem with my own horse who just backs up rapidly to avoid loading or just plants his feet and refuses to budge.I have been trying a similar approach but not often enough I realise !
Hi! Nice video and many good tips! Another security tip I would recommend is to use gloves. The risk of getting burned in the palm is non existent then 🙂 Thank you Callie for your dedicated work of sharing your knowledge! BR Cindy
Great video. I also like that you picked the “problem” horse and didn’t show only perfect trailer loading.
Using the caveson makes a lot of sense. I will suggest this to a girl at our barn who has a lot of problem loading her Belgian Draft horse who can get away from her with just a halter on. We actually have backed the trailer up to the round pen for the safety of her horse – and it saves us repeatedly chasing her across the field!
We have one trailer that is fairly high for the horses to step in and off of. We try to teach them to understand that we will say “step down” as their cue to reduce their anxiety backing out.
Is their any reason with a smaller horse NOT to just turn them and let them walk straight off the trailer?
Hi Shanna,
Good question – I usually do end up practicing both ways of coming off, however I tend to only turn around at least the first times with the door closed so they don’t learn that they can turn and bolt off. For a horse Bandit’s size he can turn around but it is a tight squeeze and the banging of the trailer can make him anxious – an open door would be a safety concern that way.
Great Callie!
You teach us how to be patient and persistant in catching our goals
thank you !
I am as green as my QH Maybelline, who spent three of the first four years of her life in the field next to my house. Shortly after I got her as a yearling (a surprise birthday present), I bought an old trailer and parked it in the field. Once in a while I would sneak some hay or oats into the front feed bin for her to find on her own. She goes in and out all the time; sometimes I look out there and she is standing inside, facing me out the back of the trailer. Sometimes she is all the way in, and another mare is halfway in, just hanging out together. I suppose as a result of so much familiarity, she now loads to travel, in that or other trailers, without an ounce of anxiety.
Once I was holding a horse in front of a trailer and his level of anxiety rose so fast he stepped on my foot. It was sore for a month. Your way with horses continues to amaze me. Thank you for sharing these exercises!
Great trailering demo. No current trailer problems. Think I have found out why my horse is bolting. B/c my position I tend to lean and wt to right instead of being centered when ask for trot so he has been going into canter and also was sitting too heavy as well. So when he cantered then I would try to bring back to trot which was frustrating him and causing him to get hot and try to run out. This happened thru out ride on Wed. Read about position and put it together with what one author said about continuing to ask for wrong thing. Today only asked for trot after checking my position and wt. he was very good. Also if he happened to go to canter I would just halt and then re ask like nothing was wrong. Hoping this is answer to my problem.
Barbara
Thank you for this one. My wife and I have experanced this with Santana our horse. We are getting a trailer for ourselves and I look to do the training over again. The idea of cavesson is new and we may try it this time. Thank you so much for these videos they are very helpful! Steven Lloyd
I have no experience with trailer loading a horse but have heard lots of horror stories. I found this video extremely interesting to watch. It appears that there are so many opportunities for disaster along the process for both the handler and the horse. You clearly show how important it is to take baby steps along the way and reward the horse for making the decision to go forward. Patience and practice for the horse loading look like they are key to success. I will be interested to hear about others stories about trailer loading. Thanks Callie for another great video!
Nancy
Nancy,
You may want to read my comment below that I commented to Callie about this video clip. It might have some helpful tips you can keep in mind when it comes to trailer loading.
Judy
Great video and tips Callie! I have a mare that has trailering issues as well, and have spent a great deal of time loading & unloading her to desensitize her. She will now load fairly easily into the trailer, but the biggest issue is getting her to stay in. She will rush out like she has been shot out of a cannon, and of course she has thrown her head up and hit it in the past too. 🙁 I now have a bumper hat for her. I would appreciate any ideas of what to do next to stop the backing out. Thank you in advance!
Hi Janet,
I would try feeding her in the trailer to increase the amount of time she is inside eating. I would also work on lots of in and out so she gets comfortable with the whole process and you are able to ask her forward at about any point in the loading process. After she seems to be getting more comfortable with the process in general, Try to have a whip ready to begin tapping when she starts backing out and keep tapping until she goes forward again – even if this means you end up following her out of the trailer a distance.
Thanks Callie, I actually already do feed her in the trailer, and load the bucket in the corner with lots of her favourite treats. For about two weeks, she had every meal in the trailer… ….I have spent tons of time loading & unloading, and although she is overcoming her fears, she still gets scared and will bolt out. My trailer was a step up, but I purchased a ramp for it to see if that helps her. We’ve only had it a few days, but I think it is making her feel a little more comfortable. It has been suggested to me to just have someone shut the door so that if she starts to back out, she will hit the door. I’m on the fence with that idea because I don’t know whether that might scare her more, and put us back in overcoming her fears. Also, the idea of being locked in the trailer with a panicky horse is a scary one for me! Thanks!
Kudos, Callie. First class video with a lot to think about, rather than cookie cutter approaches that don’t necessarily work with specific horses. As always, it’s reassuring to know we aren’t alone with the problems we face. Questions: what length of lead are you using, and what type of cavesson are you using for more control?
The cavesson is just a basic lungeing cavesson and this is an 10′ lead. I think length of lead is really a matter of personal preference but I don’t care for the really short or long leads.
I have a 23 year old mare who has traveled with me extensively and in the last year has had trailer trauma. The brakes were grabbing once and since then she has not wanted to load. She whirls around with her butt to the trailer. Once i get her turned around to face it I sit on the edge of it so she will relax, but thats as far as we have gotten. Any ideas?
Thank you for the very helpful video. I am wondering why you back him off the trailer instead of waking off. Does it give more control? Also wondering what kind of cavesson you are using. I have a Haflinger that has learned he can drag me to eat grass in a halter (very strong) and I am wondering about using a cavesson instead of the chain (which is still challenging)
Good question, Karen! I actually alternate both backing and walking off because I like them to be able to do both. In this case, I find it safer to back off, as turning around is a a bit tight and the rattling of the trailer may cause Bandit to want to bolt off plus the door wide open would make it a possibility.
Love your demonstration. You explain what you do and why and it is presented in small steps that are doable. Doable even for a less experienced rider. I have a rescue tb mare that does not load well – she walked on but backed off fast, very fast. I did not have the benefit of your trailer loading video when I started working with her. We have gotten to the point where she will stand on the trailer for a few minutes before quietly backing off – I accomplished this with treats. Since I am alone, I will need her to stand on long enough for me to leave her head and put up the ramp. It will take some more time, but we will get there and I will use some of your ideas. She also has a broken tail and scars on both sides of her butt and they may be from a trailer loading experience. So, I am taking it very slow and waiting for her to feel very comfortable and relaxed before I ask for the next level
Terrific video, Callie. Thanks for sharing a realistic and important topic. I’m just learning trailering techniques at my barn, and have only worked with horses that trailer load/unload easily. But I know that may not always be the case, so your demonstration of giving cues, reinforcement, handling, and patience are great training techniques for the future AND for so many training goals when introducing a new experience to a horse. I would be interested in others’ comments or future videos with other trailering issues, such as dealing with problems underway, longer trips (how to properly rest the horses) and other issues.
Thanks for doing a great job!
Thanks for the great trailer loading video. I have had lots of problems with my horse as the trailer is painted a very dark green inside which makes it look like he is walking into a cave. I am thinking about getting the inside painted white to see if that helps but will now try the steps you have suggested in this video. I would like to learn more about clicker training my horse in the future.
Hi Carol, I would love to help you with the basics of clicker training. There are a few videos here on the blog if you search “clicker training.”
Excellent video with some refreshing ideas. I like your use of the cavasson instead of a chain. You are very kind to share all these techniques so freely to everyone. I have sent a link to a friend who is struggling with this very issue .
Thanks for sharing Lois!
Perfect. So informative. Love the pointers to keep the horse facing the trailer; the maintenance of consistent pressure to stop backing/ get a forward step; the pauses; to shape the responses to expect more; to go by what is appending; the discussion of effective equipment to help the horse and the handler; and the horse munching sounds hitting the jackpot! You worked the horse forward, back and in stand on the line he needed to be on to load and off-load ….no circling / turning away….yahoo! So sensible. And Bandit will gain confidence in that repeatable, predictable pattern. You did this I think but worth pointing out that we find taking only one or steps at a time leading up and on can help establish the go forward pattern with confidence. Great training video. Thank you.
Fabulous video – learned a lot.
I enjoyed this video clip. I am familiar with the clicker method, also very familiar with Linda Tellington Jones’ method, and various other techniques. My comments to maybe help with horses that are distracted (like Bandit), is to give them a job, rather than just talking them down into calmness….reason being: if they panic from something really scary to them, talking in a soothing voice isn’t going to work. I really “put their feet to work” by longeing (because they want to move anyway (especially if they’re scared) so, hustle their feet, change directions frequently, maybe only go 1/2 a circle then reverse, go a full circle and reverse, etc.mixing it up, until they become focused on you instead of their surroundings….or, you can “hustle” their feet backward making it more challenging by directing them in serpentines or other patterns when backing, or you can ask them for lateral movements, etc. (of course you practice these tasks before hand until they are good at it so you can use them in anxiety situations to regain their attention). I also like to use a rope/cowboy halter…it’s constructed of 1/4 inch rope with knots and no hardware but switch into your leather halter before trailering your horse. By lowering it on their nose a couple of inches below where you’d normally put the halter’s nose band, you’ll have more leverage on their head/nose for preventing them turning away from you and running off (your training cavasson uses the same principle/giving you more leverage and is fine, too). I do NOT allow my horses to “look around” when I’m working with them. It should be like they are in school. If they’re looking at all the sights and sounds, they cannot focus on you…just like kids in school looking out the window! How much would they learn?. So I’d bump their face back toward me when they look off somewhere else..you need their Attention! I like rewarding the slightest try, but if they don’t try I go to “moving their feet: so it’s work away from the trailer and rest by the trailer. I’ve found this technique very effective and allows me to teach a horse to want to be in the trailer because all horses would rather rest than work!…and rest and comfort comes inside the trailer. This is just a quick view of another way to load a horse, and I certainly would not expect anyone to go out an do it this way without more explanation and coaching, but I will say it works for me and all the horses I’ve loaded into trailers because owners couldn’t get them in. Just recently I put one in within 10 minutes after they had been trying for hours…they were out of knowledge, so tied the horse up, which gave the horse a chance to rest, and then called me and I got in my car and went to help. This horse already knew the sending routine, which is something I teach along with a few other basic ground exercises, before I try loading a horse. I just want to emphasize that respect and control must come first. With control (and you won’t have control if the horse disrespects you) you take away your fear and the horse’s anxiety/fear, too because he looks to you as his leader and trusts you to keep him safe. I like that you are TEACHING your horse to load…not ever, ever, EVER, FORCING him to load. Callie, you have a gift for explaining things that you teach. You’ve definitely found your ‘niche’. Thank you for doing what you do very well!
Judy
What does it mean: “your comment is awaiting moderation?”
Hi Judy,
With the system I use, we have to go in and approve each new comment. It’s a bit clunky, but that is why you are getting the message!
Hi Judy,
Thanks for adding to the discussion! I have also used the technique of moving the horse and keeping their feet busy, in fact I used to use it almost exclusively too. However, there is always that horse that requires me to expand my skills and my way of thinking and Bandit certainly did that. With Bandit (and a few other really hot horses I was working with) moving them in a “get busy” kind of way only escalated their anxiety. While I do start with the a bit of work making sure he is responding to the simple commands of walk halt and turn, standing in front of the trailer and just working on the simple task of walk foward seemed to be less confusing and less stressful for him.
Hi, Callie;
I understand what you’re saying and everyone should do what works best for them. In my experiences, even hot blooded horses (I work with a lot of Arabians) if taught these “hustle” you feet skills in a quieter setting before using them in a more distracting setting, I’ve not had any problems. In fact, I WANT my horses in ground work training and desensitizing (and it carries over into mounted) to experience a bit of anxiety (not so much as to cause “panic”) because this teaches them how to come back down into relaxation. If you never increase their emotional levels they will never learn how to come back down into “calm”. I think this is very important. Again, this is just my technique (and, as you can see in my “sign up page photo” with my 20 foot tall inflatable) my horse who had never seen this thing got pretty “alert”, but I made sure I was about 30 ft. away when it was inflated so he didn’t feel like panicking. You always find the starting point (where emotions are raised, but not to “panic”) and work toward the scary object from there. It took me 2 sessions of about 10 minutes each to get right up to it…and he’s my “cowardly guy”. With “sending” I’ve NOT YET found anything or any place a horse won’t go. Fun stuff for me…I enjoy ground work to the point of trying to find something that will scare my critters. I’m collecting empty water bottles, liter bottles, milk jugs, etc. to make a box (using four ground rails) with all this stuff in it to send horses over…should be fun! Hope everyone is having FUN with their horse/s, too.
Judy
great stuff your dishing up Callie, and all coming at such a crucial time for me.
Loved reading the 5 F’s from Linda Tellington Jones, was just what I needed to hear after another float loading fiasco.
Looking forward to lesson 4.
cheers
Robyn
Thanks for another fabulous video. It is so kind of you to generously share your knowledge and skills. I love the suggestions in your video and from your viewers.
I think I’ve had nearly every issue! My horse did slip off a wet ramp once with a previous owner so we prefer step up. One thing I learned: don’t be tempted to open the man door to make it more “welcoming”. My girl (16.2) squeezed through there one day and nearly took my arm off, and then was loose obviously. I see a lot of people doing that, also to make it seem brighter inside. She also shoots back out like a cannon when unloading and has hit her head, so I am trying to teach her to back up with her head down in the arena first. Hopefully if she learns the cue for that, she will do it coming off the trailer if I ask??
Jennifer;
When horses “shoot out” of the trailer, they are letting you know that they don’t feel safe in there.
I would check myself to make sure you are not trying to hold her to prevent her from rushing out…horses usually won’t knock their heads on the ceiling if they are not being pulled or held by the lead rope. Let her come out (in a safe place with good footing) at whatever speed she chooses….you can’t physically slow her down…and then put her right back in. You may have to repeat this many times, but eventually she will exit more slowly than when you started. Quit with praise, a nice rub and go on to something else.
Another technique to try is to stop her when she’s half way in and back her out (many repetitions), then 3 feet in and back her out (many reps), then 4 feet just barely inside and back her out (many reps) until you can stop her anywhere in the trailer and bring her either forward or back (sort of rock her back and forth a step or 2 or 3…but make sure you’ve got this rocking task good outside the trailer first! and if she can do this with a soft feel you should be on your way to helping her back slowly and only when you ask for a step at a time… if she does decide to rush at any point don’t try and hold or prevent it…that’s when she will raise her head. Just put her back in (and if you need to reinforce by going to earlier steps… going to just halfway in and then out so be it! You don’t have to do this all in one session or day. Break it into steps and quit on a good note. The goal is to get her confident where she feels safe inside and if she feels safe, she will be prepared to listen to you when you ask her to back up one step at a time. If she trusts you as her leader it will take less time to accomplish these kinds of tasks. Breathe! and put on your confidence face. Hope this helps.
Judy Weinmann
Thanks Judy….she actually does the same thing backing out of a straight stall…would be interesting to try it loose. I am not aware that I am holding her but will have to try again to be sure.
Jennifer;
Do you mean a straight load trailer (with 2 stalls), or a stall in the barn that she goes in to eat? I just thought of another thing you could try…and it’s fun to teach. Back her through a pasture or arena gate (start with a wide one) and work toward a narrower one ( 4 or 5 feet wide). I’m assuming she backs up well in hand when just in the pasture or arena without a trailer present (I teach my horses to back with a slight wiggle of the lead rope (like Parelli teaches). If she can do this backing through a gate “under your control” try backing her over a piece of plywood (walk her forward over it first to check her confidence before backing over it). Then you could challenge her confidence (and your leadership and her trust in you) by putting it in front of your gate opening. Walk her over it and through the gate (start with the wider opening first again) and then see if she will back through the gate and over the plywood. You could substitute a tarp, or pole or some boards, or “swimming pool noodles”, etc…use whatever you’d like that’s safe) to have fun and test her confidence. This should carry over into waiting for your cue to back out of the trailer or straight stall….with her head in a relaxed position and her mind calm. I have a lot of success with these types of ground work “games” that both of us can enjoy playing. If you keep your demeanor “happy” and playful as if it is a game, the horse will also learn to look forward to trying these different tasks with you with a curious mind thinking, “what are we going to do today?” I hope you will give this idea a try and let me know how things turn out. On days I don’t ride I just have fun with ground work: jumping barrels, backing figure 8’s around cones or trees, leading at liberty (no halter or lead rope), sending over, through, or under different obstacles, side passing toward and away from me (like dancing). It really makes a calmer, trusting and happier horse if presented the right way. Plus it’s a great way to desensitize to lots of different obstacles. You want to engage the horse in these tasks using minimal pressure (with clear body language), and the horse must give you a try before you quit (ALWAYS quit on a good note..making sure the horse is calmer than it was when you started). My horses rarely spook at things by the time they’ve done these kinds of games/skills. Have fun! and my wishes for success.
Happy training!
Judy
Thanks for pointing out the issue with the open man door – I think I forgot to mention that in this video, but I too have seen numerous almost bad accidents from horses trying to get out through this small door. I didn’t witness it but I heard of one horse that had to be euthanized after becoming trapped in the man door and struggling to the point that his injuries were extreme. Big safety concern and I am so glad you mentioned it!
Callie;
Yes, I agree! Many years ago I had a 2 horse straight load with an extra wide “person” escape door and my 9 months pregnant mare went through it. Her belly actually fit through it without injury to her or her 9 month fetus. I used to comment on how nice that door was for people to fit through when we bought the trailer…but after that incident we only opened it when absolutely necessary…and made sure we “body blocked” it on our way out. Today, I “send” all the horses I load so an escape door isn’t necessary.
Callie, maybe your could do a video on “sending”,this versatile exercise…even though it doesn’t exactly go with this particular course of riding in balance…I think it’s one of the top 3 exercises on my “skills all horses should know!” list. Thanks for your replies and comments! Much appreciated!
Judy
Bueno el procedimiento, aunque no me gusto que se motivara con pequeños granos.
Excellent video! I admire your patience and kindness with horses. The only experience I have with loading was watching my Dad and his friend try to load a green “wild” horse that he was afraid of because it bucked like crazy. I see now all the mistakes they made, especially rushing him, which made him even more anxious and jumpy. We ended up keeping him because we couldn’t load him to sell him! I wish my dad had had videos such as these to learn more about handling horses. He would have had such a better time with them.
My wife has a corab that is a very nervous horse. She would walk right in the trailer, wait a minute, then rear up and come flying back out. We had no trailer experience at the time, and had just purchased a straight load trailer. She had a traumatic experience one time while being loaded. As she came flying back out she hit her nose on the center bar where the door closes and got a large gash that required 5-6 stitches. My wife and I decided that we were doing things all wrong, and that this type of trailer was not for us. We immediately sold the trailer, and purchased a nice open-no center bar in the door slant trailer. We then researched many resources, including this video by Callie. In the end we found that what we needed was to go slow, baby steps. Give the horse the time to become comfortable with the process. We approached it calmly, and often. We would take a baby step, then wait until she was ok with that, then ask for the next step. We got to a point that the horse was approaching it much more comely, but she still wanted to back right out, when she decided, and not when we decided. So I got a short whip, tied a bag on the end. My wife led her in, I stood a ways back behind the horse, probably 20 to 30 feet. When she started to back up, I raised the bag and shook it a bit. As soon as the horse moved forward I stopped and lowered it. We did not have to do this very many times before the horse decided backing up was not really an option and completely quit trying. She started getting in, standing quietly, and backing out when asked. We have gone through this many times now, get in, stand, back out on Que. Now the horse follows right up and right in with no hesitation, and stands well. We are working on the next steps of having her respond to moving over when asked, as you have to move them over before closing the center divider. We are also working on getting her more used to movement of the trailer, moving around in there, and the different noises. As she shows us she is comfortable with these things we plan to start introducing the idea of the divider, eventually being latched and tied.
With this kind of hot explosive horse, im not sure if things will always go well, but I feel we are giving her the best chance we can in being successful. If I were too give any advice I would say go slow, understand what it is like for the horse. Give it plenty of time. Small steps, master one then move to the next. All horses are different so find the flow that keeps yours calm but progressing. I truly feel that by taking the time, repeating over and over, and always leaving on a positive, you are really straightening the foundation for the horse.
This is what seems to be working for us with a rather hot, jumpy, nervous, explosive horse.
Nice work, Cory! Thank you for sharing your experience!
Always encouraging to know others have succeeded by patience and persistence.
My mare has loaded/unloaded herself in my small slant load 2H trailer for the 7 yrears that I’ve had her with no issues until recently. For some reason she doesn’t want to back out on her own so I went in, gently asked her to back out, when she got her back feet out, she flat out resfused to budge. I was baffled! With a lot of coaxing, she finally got out but threw up her head and busted her face at the campground. Vet was hours away, but campground worker helped me patch her up. I was just sick! Went home the next morning and was very nervous about backing her out, taped a pool noodle up to help protect her face. It took a long time, but I got her backed out and she didn’t throw up her head until all four feet were on the ground, so no injury. I’ve loaded her a few times since then (she always willing goes in) but even though she backs out slowly, she still throws up her head. I always tape the noodle on and I’ve been doing some ground work asking her to move forward and back. I’m so worried about loading her again and worried she’ll hurt herself. After watching the video and reading some of these comments, I will try again even if it takes all day to get her out. I’m thinking maybe I’ve not given her enough time to relax before backing out. I’m just baffled as to why she started doing this. Until now, I’ve never had to get in the trailer with her to load or unload. Should I just open the door and let her come out when she gets ready instead of going in and backing her out? I backed her out the time she her hurt herself because she would’t back out on her own….maybe I should have just stayed out of the trailer. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Connie, have you tried taking in her one step, then backing out, then two steps in, two steps out, then three steps, etc.? This would be my first thought as a way to break this problem down.
No, I haven’t tried that, but I will. Thanks for responding!
I know this is late in the years…it is now 2020-but just in case someone is perusing through these…anytime a horse starts a totally unusual behavior out of the blue, when they have always been consistently a different way-I look for pain.
If the horse had pulled a muscle in its back, a bit of hip pain when on the trail ride or whatever-then the drop of backing out-pulls on a lot of those muscles along the topline and hind leg in an “unusual” way (most horses do not naturally back down a step-this is a taught behavior).
Just like us-the horse may have “winced”, thrown up its head and there you are!
I like the thought of going in half way-then back out etc etc-but if it continues-you might consider a ramp or a slant load that the horse can turn around in and come out front ways.
Also get her assessed by a chiropractor. I hope you found the solution before now!
My fjord can outpull me without a chain and will look into a cavesson, great suggestion. He loads when he feels like it and some days reared and flailed at the trailer with font legs. This is on practice and even after getting 2feet in and backing out, then asking forward again. Do you suggest releasing pressure to stop that behavior so doesn’t get hurt, then ask forward again? Or let him have his fit and release when he stops and rest, then ask forward?
Your safety is absolutely the first concern, you don’t want to do anything to put yourself in an unsafe position. It sounds like he has a pretty serious anxiety issue in the trailer! I’m not sure how your trailer is set up but first asking for one step at a time, and you can even corporate food and reward him for moments of relaxation during the process. I would recommend not asking for him to completely load necessarily in the first few sessions and you want it to be a positive experience for him. I hope these tips help!
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
Hello Callie,
I have a 20 y/o mare that has trailered in the past, and one day a couple weeks ago, she started refusing to load. When asked to load at times she rears up or moves her rear end against the trailer to avoid forward movement. I’ve tried food rewards and calming techniques as well as lunging without good success. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks for your blog and helpful videos.
Dan (Banning, CA)
Hi Dan! One thing we have done in the past that is a great approach if you have the ability to do it is actually parking the trailer in the horses pasture and incrementally feeding hay closer and closer to the trailer. For instance we have a dry lot paddock here at the farm and we will turn the horse out individually in that paddock with the horse trailer parked in it and each day feed hay closer and closer to the trailer until the hay is actually in the trailer (doesn’t have to be all the way in, just at the end of the trailer). This can really be a great way to counter condition the horse to have more positive associations with the trailer. I hope that helps!
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
I have done all of things you discussed in your video– my horse can become belligerent with pressure sometimes taking hours to load –help
Victoria, is it available to you to park your trailer in your horse’s pasture? That way he can become more comfortable being just around the trailer, and you can even feed hay in the trailer!
-Julia Burdy, CRK Training Community Manager
I have a horse that had a bad experience. We have a new slant load 2 hore stock trailer and she is large so needs to ride in the back. You said not to tie them until the door is closed but there is no escape door so can you go into what you suggest in this case. I guess we could leave tack room wall open and go through there.