This is one of the most common problems among horse owners, and is usually easy to correct if you have enough time and patience. You must first remember the following items:

The easiest trailer to load a horse into is a stock trailer. Horses are more willing to enter a large trailer with a wide door and high roof. You can make a small trailer appear larger by opening windows and escape doors to allow more light.

Only practice loading into a trailer hooked to a parked vehicle, or into a trailer with blocked wheels and stabilized blocks placed under the back bumper.

It is easier to load a horse into a trailer which has been backed up to an alley. This way the horse cannot dodge from side to side, and move ahead into the trailer.

Load on ground that has firm footing with a minimal step-up. While ramps are handy, horses are often nervous about their hollow sound and feelings of instability.

NEVER enter a trailer with a horse unless you have an escape route. Never enter a trailer to "rescue" a thrashing horse. No matter how bad the situation, all thrashing eventually stops. Only then is it okay to approach the horse.

A horse will never load in a critical situation. You must practice, practice, practice so that loading the horse into the trailer will be the routine, not the emergency.

When you are properly prepared to load your horse, you must now consider why the horse will not load. Most horse resist doing anything which is not routine, and are reluctant to enter a small, dark box which moves and doesn’t sound solid when they step in it. Few horses refuse to load out of spite. If you use brute force, many horses will remember loading as a negative experience and behave even worse on the next occasion.

It is easiest to begin teaching a horse to load when it is a foal. The trailer should be included in your halter breaking lessons. You may or may not want to include the mare in the process, depending on how she leads.

Many horses are taught to load by confining them in an enclosed paddock with their trailer. The only source of feed is placed first on the trailer ramp, then moved inside so he has to place his front feet in the trailer, etc. The benefit of this method is that it is a relatively stress free way of desensitizing your horse, however, it does take a couple of weeks before the horse overcomes all apprehension. There is risk of injuring themselves with this method.

A second method of trailer loading focuses on convincing the horse he would rather be inside the trailer, then facing nonthreatening irritations outside. Recommended equipment includes a long, soft lead rope and a 6 foot crop or fishing pole with a plastic sack attached. The horse is led to the trailer, then allowed to face the trailer and look around. The horse is then asked to step into the trailer by giving a gentle tug on the lead rope. NEVER pull on the rope constantly attempting to drag the horse inside. the plastic sack on a stick is used to aggravate (not beat) the horse any time he tries to avoid the trailer. The aggravation should cease when he attempts to load, looks towards the trailer, lowers his head to examine the floor, or does anything positive. The aggravation should be continuous whenever he moves side to side, or avoids moving at all. If the horse attempts to back, back him for about 20 feet more than he wants. If the horse gets in the trailer and then quickly backs out, aggravate him as he backs out until he stops backing and moves forward. At that time quit aggravating him (thus rewarding him for the forward movement) for a moment, then ask him to load again.

As long as you are patient, this method works extremely well. Allow at least one hour for the initial lesson, but only a short time for loading thereafter.