| Trying to load a horse into a horse trailer their first time | | | | You need to practice loading a nervous horse way |
| can be quite an intimidating process. So many owners | | | | before you might be required to transport him |
| hope that their horse will easily cooperate and load | | | | somewhere. Don't wait until the last moment to |
| effortlessly. This is usually when the animal starts | | | | expose him to something frightening when you're |
| behaving defiantly, but it doesn't have to be that way | | | | under the gun. |
| at all. | | | | The biggest key to keep in mind is that you absolutely |
| You need to know that there's quite a difference | | | | must take things slow. This is not the time to try and |
| between a horse that is nervous and one that is | | | | force them into the horse trailer. Make sure you have |
| defiant. If you use the wrong techniques on them, you | | | | ample time to practice loading so that when they do in |
| may get him into the horse trailer, but you aren't doing | | | | fact load, they did so by choice rather than being |
| yourself any favors in the long run. | | | | forced. |
| The two main reasons they are apprehensive when | | | | If you're horse backs away from the trailer, that is OK, |
| loading onto a trailer is that the horse has either had no | | | | let him. Oftentimes owners think that by allowing the |
| previous experience with trailers, or that the horse has | | | | horse to shy away from the horse trailer this makes |
| had a bad experience loading onto a trailer. | | | | the horse worse. If your horse was being defiant, then |
| Their main goal with a scared horse is not so much to | | | | this might be the correct way to go. But if your horse |
| get him into the trailer, but to show him that he doesn't | | | | is afraid, you need to let him warm up over time. Give |
| need to fear the horse trailer. This runs contrary to | | | | your horse the time necessary to gain confidence and |
| what many horse owners believe. | | | | it will make loading him that much easier. |