Horse people will all face a time where they can't get their horse in the trailer.
For at least a year after I got Rusty, we had so many problems getting him to load in the trailer. In fact, I don't even know how we got him home. He'd rear up, pull back, and once he was loaded, he'd refuse to back out. Every time I had excitement about riding off the property, it was always marred by Rusty's insistence that he stay out of the trailer.
Today, although Rusty isn't a willing participant, I can usually get him on the trailer in under five minutes. I believe the key to getting reluctant loaders on the trailer is finding out what makes them tick. For example, Rusty has always been very respectful of anyone that has a lunge whip. We found out eventually that Rusty loads very easily if you put a lunge whip behind him. In fact, he expects it now, so if anyone comes up behind him when we're loading him, he'll jump in really fast! Casper, on the other hand, works off of being backed sternly when he refuses to go in. We do that only once, and he'll get right in. Finding these strategies out early on really helps, even if your horse usually loads easily. When Rusty hurt his leg, it was very painful for him to step up. He didn't want to load, and for a good reason. However, we had to get him to the vet hospital for x-rays, and using a trailer was the only way we could get that done. We got out the lunge whip and Rusty went in without too much fuss.
Another thing I suggest is getting either a stock trailer or a slant load trailer. Some people really like straight loads, but I don't. From my experience, horses tend to load easier in slants. Even though Rusty loads very nicely now, I think he would be a huge hassle to get into a straight load. Sometimes, the straight loads have escape doors for you or the horse, but when they don't, you have to find a way out of the stall or lead your horse in the from the opposite stall. Some people suggest teaching a horse to load on its own for that. Also, getting out of a straight load is scary for a horse that doesn't like to back off a trailer, especially if there's no ramp. However, straight loads have been said to be roomier for the horses and a lot of them do have those escape doors in case there's an emergency.
Stock trailers seem to work well for horses that don't want to load. There's plenty of room, taking away that fear of being cornered that many horses have. The horse can turn around and walk off the trailer, and there's plenty of room for you to maneuver around as well. That being said, an antsy horse is given a lot of room to move around in, making the drive rather unnerving for you if the horse is bouncing around the trailer. Also, stock trailers generally are open, giving the horse a draft at colder times of the year. If you were to haul more than one horse, you would have to make sure you had a stock trailer with dividers as not all of them have dividers. Also, many stock trailers lack a front tack room, meaning you will have to put your equipment in the back of the pickup or in the pickup with you.
Slant load trailers are my favorite, just because I can haul multiple horses in mine, can shut the horses in if there's cold weather, and confine them so they can't move around as much. Most horses seem to load in a slant trailer better than a straight load. The trailer appears very open to the horse when he or she gets in, but then you are able to confine the horse with a divider. The few drawbacks to a slant load are that you don't have an emergency exit for the horses, the dividers can be scary, and depending on the size of the trailer, some horses do not fit comfortably in a slant. Also, I recommend getting one with a tack room in the front -- a tack room in the back of the trailer often makes it so the last horse has to back out of the trailer. It's also just easier to access from the front.Regardless of the trailer you have, you have to get your horse to load in it. If you can't find what makes the horse tick, I have had many people suggest that you put the trailer out in the paddock and feed and water the horse inside it. That way, the horse is forced to get into the trailer and will become acclimated to it. Bribes can often work for a quick fix but usually will not solve the problem. If all else fails, sometimes putting your horse's favorite buddy in the trailer first will make your horse hop right in.
Lastly, when you get the horse in, make sure the horse is secure before you clip it to the trailer tie. Some horses will try to fly backwards while tied. Never duck under the dividers to access your horse either. It's a good way to get kicked (I would know). Try to train your horse to come off the trailer calmly instead of flying out - that can be dangerous.
Hopefully these tips helped you with your trailer loading.
Happy trailering,
Kelsey
