If you have the horse in a corral and don't mind leaving the trailor
outside,consider parking the trailor in the corral for him to go
check out at his will. Or possilblt have another horse load before
him multiple times so that he can follow the leader (buddy system) or
see that he's not going to get trapped. Also spend time just putting
him in the trailor at home without going anywhere. Trailor doesn't
have to equal work or road trip. Good Luck! Mike

--- In training-horses@yahoogroups.com, "Vivian_Richelsen"
<vivian_richelsen@...> wrote:
>
> I have a question on trailer loading. My gelding is 17 hands, and
is a
> freisian saddlebred cross. I have a two horse, ramp load trailer
with
> a removeable/moveable partiton in the center. It is definitely
tall
> enough for him, but I feel like he's a bit claustrophobic inside of
> it. I can walk him right up into it, but as soon as someone tries
to
> secure the butt bar, he goes flying out of it in a panic. Can
anyone
> help me figure out how to make him feel comfortable in this
trailer?
> He's broken a bungee trailer tie in his rush to escape, but he has
not
> hurt himself on or around this trailer. I've only been able to do
the
> butt bar once and put the ramp up - do you think that is what he is
> fearing? Should I not lead him onto the trailer, but rather train
him
> to load while I ask him from the side? Are these type of trailers
safe
> if the partition is removed, thus not having use of the butt bar?
I
> just didn't know if the absence of the partition would give him the
> impression of a larger space and slightly more comfortable. I have
> trailered him in my friends step up stock trailer with no
partitions -
> but he doesn't load as easily as he will get into the ramp load.
Any
> suggestions, training advice, etc., would be helpful! I'm not
willing
> to rush him and/or "trap" him into the trailer - I want him to be
> willing to do it without making him fearful. Thank you so much!
Vivian
>