| Moving your horse from one place to another is a | | | | key to getting them loaded. |
| must whether you show your horse or not. Trips | | | | When trailering to go out, start by walking the |
| to the veterinarian hospital or to a park are | | | | animal around or near the trailer in a circle without |
| common place. Loading your horse can be a | | | | actually going inside. Praise him each time he |
| stressful time for the horse as well as the owner | | | | completes the circle and scratch behind his |
| if the horse hasn't been taught correctly from the | | | | withers to relax him. Keep approaching closer to |
| start. Any mishaps can scar the horse for life and | | | | the ramp of the trailer each time. If you have |
| it will be very difficult to change the unpleasant | | | | introduced him to the trailer from a colt he will |
| memory. It is important to remain calm and to | | | | have no problems. If not then keep familiarizing |
| praise the horse whenever possible, making | | | | him with the trailer. Walk him up to the trailer or |
| entering the trailer a pleasant experience. | | | | up the ramp over and over until he feels secure. |
| To begin with, make sure your trailer is in good | | | | Be firm but no pushy when you feel its time to |
| repair. Snug-fitting rubber mats provide the most | | | | proceed further in to the loading process. If you |
| secure footing for the horse and also preserves | | | | are too lax, they will just shy away and not enter. |
| the floorboards of the trailer. | | | | You must make your intentions clear. Praise him |
| Trailers should be introduced to a horse from the | | | | by whispering in his ear and scratching his withers |
| time he is a young colt. Often times feeding them | | | | when he makes progress towards entering the |
| in a trailer that is parked and not going anywhere | | | | trailer. Never force him in, but a pat on the butt |
| at all. You can start with putting the feed on the | | | | when he is close to entering gives him the |
| floor at the back door and gradually as the days | | | | encourangement to move forward. |
| go by, put the food farther and farther up in to | | | | Load the horse at several different times of the |
| the trailer until it is fully inside and completely | | | | day under all conditions to enforce the behavior |
| confident inside. This can work with a fully grown | | | | that he must comply each time he is asked no |
| horse also. Making them familiar with the trailer is | | | | matter what's going on around him. |