People often practice trailer loading shortly before they need to go somewhere – a trip to the vet, meeting friends at the trailhead or hauling to a show. Sometimes, it goes great, but sometimes it doesn’t. Your horse may balk, back out quickly, rear, kick, pull back, run into you or kick the walls of your trailer. Difficulties such as these can lead to negative associations for you and your horse in the future.
Not every horse will view loading the same way. Some horses have no fear or negativity associated with the trailer. It’s important to understand that although every horse is unique, their thoughts revolve around a self-preservation instinct. The trailer is a dimly-lit, confined space with no room to flee – the antithesis of the herd and pasture. It makes sense, therefore, that their self-preservation instinct may kick in and they will try to communicate their fear and desire to escape an uncomfortable situation. As leaders, however, we have the ability to help them.
Trailer loading can be a positive experience. When approached like any other manoeuvre you train your horse for, you open the door to success. Training or retraining a horse takes time. You can’t expect proficiency on the first go, and you must start practicing well in advance of when the manoeuvre you’re training is required.