Don’t Wanna Go!

A horse that’s difficult to load and haul is problematic. He’ll make you late to trail rides, lessons, horse shows, and veterinary appointments. Worse, his behavior can also spell disaster. Loading fights can result in injury to you or your horse, and scrambling during transit can create an unsteady trailer, a distracted driver, and, ultimately, an ugly traffic accident.

You can hardly blame a horse for being reluctant to load and haul. Stepping into a box not much larger than his body and riding quietly in bouncy confinement goes directly against his nature. Fortunately, there are methods of improving unwanted trailering behaviors.

I’m going to share some common scenarios related to loading and hauling, explain possible causes of the behaviors, and provide solutions so you can help resolve your horse’s trailering problems.

But First…

First, make sure pain isn’t a factor. If your horse’s behavior changes suddenly—for example, he begins uncharacteristically