How to Teach Your Horse to Load in a Trailer [VIDEO]

Even the best-trained horses have days where they don't respond the way you'd hope for whatever reason. I've had horses all my life (well since I was 8). And since I've never made very much money, I could never afford horse trainers. So, I had to learn what works by my own trial and error!

My horse Galeron is 16 years old now. I've had him since he was 4 mos old. Most often I can point to an open trailer and he will walk in. But, every now and then he just doesn't want to.

In that case, I normally ask him to move his feet and I do a process of lateral lunging and working him outside the trailer. Soon he realizes that he is able to totally relax and rest when he is INSIDE the trailer and he walks in. But, If I'm in a huge hurry or if there isn't room to work him around the trailer or the trailer is parked on pavement, I use this other little trick that I am trying to demonstrate in this video.

Safety is the main priority and if you are by yourself and need to position yourself where you can ask your horse to move forward up into the trailer that he is avoiding, then this extra trick in your bag can help save the day!

Remember never to pull your horse in the trailer. The lunge line is only used to help you keep his head facing forward. It also gives you a position to stand to the side with a carrot stick to shake behind or to the side of him if he begins to move in the opposite direction that you are wanting him to go. You will see this in the video.