I have a mare that refuses to load, and I am out of ideas. Can someone help me?

Question

We have tried many things & I don't know what else to do.

right now the trailer is at the edge of her stall with feed in it. We started this last night, but she won't do in. We have tied her & left her alone with feed in front of her, but not working. She is 17. We just bought her & she loaded to come home, but not sense. We have a 3-horse slant. I have loaded our other horse multiple times before her, but that doesn't work either. She isn't acting scared. She is acting stubborn. We are kicking around the possibly she needs to be aligned. What do y'all think?

Answer 1

alot depends on yer trailer .try loading her on an open stock trailer.most of the times they have a problem with the roof of a normal horse trailer.mostlly if its a young horse or one thats still green

Good LUCK!!

Answer 2

I've had every kind of loader imaginable. The great, the bad, and downright mean. If you have time, start fresh, pick one of the choices above and just work with her. If you don't have time, most horses will figure out the butt rope, and in fact can be dangerous for the two people involved on the rope end. Whips usually cause resentment. I have the best luck making a chute, either by using a corner in a fence or using panels. Plywood makes for the best panel as long as they aren't kickers. It's relatively stress free, and I only use if for emergency purposes.
Simply tie the trailer door open, if it snaps or moves in anyway they will naturally go into flight mode. Also be sure and leave no gaps for the horse to think it can squeeze through as that's a recipe for disaster. You can use the fence line as one side, and your panels and trailer door as the other side. With the panels surrounding the back end gently walk towards the horse, slowly pushing it forward. They should naturally feel the need to move away from the panels and if done calmly and smoothly... they will walk up into the trailer without having to get within a few feet of them.

Also teaching your horse to properly unload IS as important as loading. Make sure their tail doesn't drag the ground when the back out as that can't create all kinds of drama. Remember safety first too. Always, always, always use shipping boots and the padded head thing if you know you have a fit thrower. Never tie a horse with anything that can't be undone in an emergency, and remember safety first!

Answer 3

Most of these answers make sense if you have time to work with her, but if you are in a hurry and MUSt load a horse that is unwilling, you need three people. One to lead her in and two to use a butt rope.
Take a long rope, one person at each end, and bring it to where it touches the horse just above the hocks. Have the two helpers put pressure with the rope on the horse as if they are pulling her in with the rope. This works, and is not violent or cruel. It helps to have feed in the trailer to lure her, and if it is dark, lights are good - even having truck headlights shine inside the trailer.
Feeding her in the trailer is a help, if you have time. Sooner or later she is going to go into the trailer to eat her grain. If you can corral her by herself and leave the trailer there, start feeding her inside the trailer. Soon she will go in all by herself.

Answer 4

I would recomend first to move the trailer outside. With it being in the barn there is probably little light entering the trailer, which makes it appear as the great black hole of doom. The rest is just time and patience. You will probably need a few hands to help you with this. There are many different ways so I'll give you a few that might help. If you can get her to walk to the base of the trailer just not on the trailer, then get her there. You lead her too it and walk straight in she will most likely stop. Do not turn to face her, facing the horse tells it to stop, so you will be giving her mixed signals. Have a few people there to help. Either you or one of your helpers pick up her front foot (as you would for cleaning) and place it on the trailer. Stop there and praise. You can do this a few times just so she gets the picture that any forward movement gets praise. Then its a battle of making the trailer the easier more comfortable option. If you have panels (like for a round pen) and can create a chute going to the trailer that you could close together to make a very tight space around her (making the open 3 horse trailer look very nice. If not (heck I don't have extra panels lying around), have two strong people get behind (preferable with a strap or rope) the horse and try to push her in. You've seen this method with trying to load race horses into starting gates. Still you are at the front praising and encouraging her forward (and not facing her, facing into the trailer). Hopefully from the force of two people (best if strong men) pushing/pulling her into the trailer she will realize that the more comfortable place is in the trailer. As soon as she begins to move forward lots of praise, but don't let up pressure until she is on the trailer. Once she is on there, give her feed, and an abundance of praise. Make her stand on there for a minute and then walk her back off. Do Not slam the door and drive anywhere or else you have taken 6 steps back in the process. Walk her off and then go right back on. You may have to start back from square one with everyone pushing and picking her feet up. But just keep doing this until she will walk on with no problems.
Other methods I've seen (but don't necessarily recomend for you) were using a herding dog to help the horses load, and we used a polo mallet. Never actually had to hit them, they were just very afraid of it and would just right on. Also make sure the floor is not slick, put shavings down in the trailer if necessary. We once had a horse slip trying to load after a muddy day at the show, and it took us 3 hours to finally get him on the trailer. This is how we discoverd the polo mallet trick. Best of luck and be patient!

Answer 5

Do you have the time and room to put the trailer where ever the horse is at and feed only in the trailer?

Do you have another horse your horse follows around? Put that horse in first and yours may follow..our little girl does this.

Something good like sweet grain to get her in?

Work her in the round pen a little while so she is tired and the fight has gone from her? My guy hates it when he gets stubborn and I make him go round and round!

Check the floor of the trailer to make sure there is no soft spot?

Some horses will not load in a little two horse trailer but will load in a stock trailer or a four horse trailer, do you have excess to a bigger trailer?

She has loaded before, right? Maybe someone got out the whip or made it not a good experience, horses have really good memories....

Practice, practice practise.... when that is she finally goes in. Hopefully you are not in a hurry to go somewhere?

All the ideas I have right now...good luck!

Answer 6

All of these suggestions are good, but it sounds like you have tried the other horse and using feed as a motivator without success. Longing does work if you have the time. Some things to consider, does she get her feet in and then back out, if so is the trailer moving with her wieght? Is she used to being loaded in an enclosed trailer? These have been some factors for me in the past. The most effective method for me is to take a long longe line and daly it around the tie in the trailer and the come back out to where you are standing beside the horse. This puts pressure on the halter to go forward but also allows you to be beside her to encourage her to go forward. You are also out of harms way if she decides to pull back or jump in on top of you. A lot of times when a horse is successful at balking and not getting in the trailer, they make a habit of it. With this method, you can wait out their stubborness and not be jerked around by them balking at the edge of the trailer, a lot easier on your arms, plus with every step forward the slack in the rope is taken up encouraging them to continue moving forward. If someone else is handy, they can pick the feet up and plant them in the trailer. And if you are alone, you can encourge them forward with tapping them on the rear, never use fear to get them in, it will just be worse next time. Hope this helps. I have had to wait anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, but has always worked. Once successful, repeat frequently, and she will get better.

Answer 7

I would go and work her out a good bit until she's tired. Then with a longer lead line stand with her at the edge of your trailer and tap her on the butt with a carrot stick or cattle prod. Start out soft and then get harder until you think she can feel it but it's still not hurting her.Pretty soon she'll think the constant tapping is so annoying she'll start to move forward away from the pressure. When she puts her feet in reward her by rubbing her and if she wants to back out let her- otherwise let her stand there so she know's this is a safe place of rest. Also if you have lights in the trailer I'd turn them on. Since she's an older horse she may be having some sight problems and be scared of the dark scary cave you want her to go into.

Answer 8

A mare I ride has this same problem. In matter fact she was terrified to even go within about 3 or 4 metres of a horsebox. If your horse is afraid of loading I suggest that you take things slowly and nver force her to load as this causes more harm than good. Each day work with her for about an hour. Walk her (in a halter) towards the horsebox. If she starts backing off let her back away as much as she wants to. When she stops attempt to get her to walk forward by putting slight pressure on the lead rein, do thiscalmly and patiently-never forcefully. Every time she makes an effort to move forward release the pressure on the lead rein and reward her. Remember that even a shift of weight must be rewarded. Do this every day until she goes right up to the horse box. When she walks right up to the horse box confidently try getting her to put her front legs on the ramp and then reward. Then try getting her hind legs on the ramp. Reward her and then walk away and let her think for a minute or two about what she's done. Then do this again until she gets the hang of it. Then attempt to get her to put her front then hind legs in the horsebox. Also remember to practice unloading.

Answer 9

easiest way is to park the trailer in her pasture (attached to your truck so it doesn't tip) and put some hay and grain inside. Do not put any food in the rest of the pasture. It may take a couple hours, but she should climb right on, on her own accord. That way she associated it with food, not with you dragging and yelling at her.
We train all our horses in a version of this- we put the lead rope on and put them as close to the trailer as they will go. We then take a huge grain bucket and set it just out of her reach. When she takes a step, give her a little mouthful and move it forward again. Pretty soon, she will want the grain so much that she will step right in- make the trailer a positive experience, not a negative one.

Answer 10

This is not going to solve your immediate problem but I found this on the internet:

Monty Roberts Educational Series: Load-Up™

This informative video brings you Monty's methods of schooling horses to load into trailers. Gain valuable insight into the psychology of trailer loading while watching Monty utilize both a step-up and a ramp trailer, while dealing with a Thoroughbred filly who has a deep-seated fear of loading. In addition, you will see several of the horses Monty has worked with in front of audiences at demonstration events; each of them was confirmed to be virtually impossible to load. Watch and be amazed how quickly and effectively Monty has these horses following him freely into the trailer. (90 minutes)