[RowdyRio1324]

This looks just like our trailer:
http://www.cuddebacktrailer.com/118-3.jpg

[Blistering Winds]

Is there an open one you might be able to rent or borrow for the day?

See if it is the enclosed spaces. I see a lot of horses FLY out of trailers like that. Even Blister hauls out of them. But he has been calm with my new one.

[Blistering Winds]

Time, Time and more time.

Load her daily. Feed her in there, and unload her. Leave the doors open, be sure ALL windows are open too. Try to make it as nice as possible. Repetition over and over again.

[RowdyRio1324]

All my friend's trailers are very similar to ours, but I may be able to rent one, if I can find some place that rents them..

Originally Posted by Blistering Winds

Is there an open one you might be able to rent or borrow for the day?

See if it is the enclosed spaces. I see a lot of horses FLY out of trailers like that. Even Blister hauls out of them. But he has been calm with my new one.

Thank you for all your help.

[Dusty1979]

By meaning "open", are you wanting one without gates? You should be able to take the gates off the hinges and remove them if you want the entire inside of the trailer to be an open space.

Have you tried "sending" the horse into the trailer? Not trying to lead or force the issue and making the horse tense. This again is ground work - the horse respecting your body language to "move" where you "send" it. Use a riding crop or short whip as an extension of your arm.

And, yes, keeping the windows down and as much light in the trailer as possible. Trailers are like caves to horses and a prey animal would never enter a cave - they would be dead meat for sure. It always amazes me that any horse would ever enter a trailer - just goes to show how much they trust us with their lives. You need to go back to basics and convince this horse that the trailer isn't going to "eat" her/him. A lot of calm reassurance once inside the trailer without being tied (which should never be done before the horse is securely confined with the gate) should eventually have the horse calming down. And, always undo the trailer tie from the outside and clip on the lead rope if you have to at that point before you unlatch the gate. You surely don't want the horse to try backing out before they are untied.

May also want to consider what kind of a ride you are giving the horses in the trailer once going down the road. Being easy on the gas pedal and brake and careful on the cornering can make a difference on how the horse loads and hauls.

We've used a three horse slant load for many years now and have always found that the horses are very comfortable in this type of trailer. I didn't see how old this horse is, how long you've had it, or horse's previous experience with trailers. These are all things to consider when coming at it from the horse's point of view.

Be patient and don't lose your temper - can be hard to do sometimes! Before you know it, you'll be able to walk your horse up to the trailer, unclip the lead, and she/he will crawl right up into that horse eating monster without giving it a second thought - works for me!

Best of luck to you and hang in there. You'll see progress if you take it slow.

[Blistering Winds]

No

not without gates. I mean "OPEN" like in not dark, see the sky.






Nice and open, no "DARK" corners for the boogy monster that eats horses to hide in.

By changing up the "design", you can rule out the CAUSE. Cause there could be many different causes to why a horse will bolt out of a trailer. From unstable on their feet to dark corners.

[RowdyRio1324]

Yes, I have tried sending her in the trailer, she responds quite well when in the arena with her, but as soon as we get to the trailer, she just changes her whole "I'll do whatever you ask" attitude to this wild "no way" attitude.

She's 6 years old, 7 in April. She's rides super nice.

She was born with the people we bought her from, lived them her whole life until we bought her in November of 2007. She has been trailered, and trailered well, but it was in a larger trailer, with more horses(She's used to always having another horse around, she was raised in a barn full of horses, and everywhere she went, there was a horse) She just shakes and is so nervous when she can't see another horse (And when you're in the barn, you can't always seen a horse, the barn in in the middle, and the pastures are around it)

My other horse I spent hours with her, now I just walk up to the trailer (with one door opened, never thought she would do it ) and she jumps in, but I have a lot of trust and a bond with that horse.

I'm patient with them, as can understand why they don't want to load, I don't push them out of their comfort zone, I wait for them to get out of their comfort zone, if that makes sense.

Originally Posted by Dusty1979

By meaning "open", are you wanting one without gates? You should be able to take the gates off the hinges and remove them if you want the entire inside of the trailer to be an open space.

Have you tried "sending" the horse into the trailer? Not trying to lead or force the issue and making the horse tense. This again is ground work - the horse respecting your body language to "move" where you "send" it. Use a riding crop or short whip as an extension of your arm.

And, yes, keeping the windows down and as much light in the trailer as possible. Trailers are like caves to horses and a prey animal would never enter a cave - they would be dead meat for sure. It always amazes me that any horse would ever enter a trailer - just goes to show how much they trust us with their lives. You need to go back to basics and convince this horse that the trailer isn't going to "eat" her/him. A lot of calm reassurance once inside the trailer without being tied (which should never be done before the horse is securely confined with the gate) should eventually have the horse calming down. And, always undo the trailer tie from the outside and clip on the lead rope if you have to at that point before you unlatch the gate. You surely don't want the horse to try backing out before they are untied.

May also want to consider what kind of a ride you are giving the horses in the trailer once going down the road. Being easy on the gas pedal and brake and careful on the cornering can make a difference on how the horse loads and hauls.

We've used a three horse slant load for many years now and have always found that the horses are very comfortable in this type of trailer. I didn't see how old this horse is, how long you've had it, or horse's previous experience with trailers. These are all things to consider when coming at it from the horse's point of view.

Be patient and don't lose your temper - can be hard to do sometimes! Before you know it, you'll be able to walk your horse up to the trailer, unclip the lead, and she/he will crawl right up into that horse eating monster without giving it a second thought - works for me!

Best of luck to you and hang in there. You'll see progress if you take it slow.

[HoneyTheQH]

I personally LOVE Clinton Anderson's method of trailer loading for problem horses. His basic philosophy is make outside the trailer WORK, and inside the trailer relaxing.


So what you do is work them outside the trailer by lunging them and really getting their feet moving, sending them between you and the trailer, switching up directions a lot, anything to make them breathe a little harder.

Then take the horse up to the trailer and calmly ask them to walk in. If they refuse, then back they go to work, work, work.

It doesn't take very long for them to understand if they get IN the trailer, then they don't have to run in circles outside!! And you want them to wait for YOU to ask them to back out, NOT just do it on their own. Once they're inside the trailer, don't close the doors or leave them in alone, just stand there with them and pet them and praise them and they'll be like COOL, mom loves on me when I stand quietly in here!!

It's really worked wonders on all three horses I've tried it on. I definitely recommend it.

Good luck!!