Things You'll Need:
- Trailer
- Clicker
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Step 1
Teach a horse to trailer load by starting with a walk command. Walk the horse in a circle near the trailer without actually leading the animal up the loading ramp. Praise the animal each time the maneuver has been completed, scratching behind its withers and drawing closer to the trailer ramp each time before stopping.
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Step 2
Have your horse walk up the ramp when you teach it to trailer load. In most cases, the horse will walk partly up the ramp on its own and then retreat slowly each time. Let the horse familiarize itself with the ramp and the trailer through sniffing and careful exploration, and eventually it will not be afraid of the trailer itself.
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Step 3
Be patient yet assertive with your horse when you teach it to trailer load. If you are too pushy, you risk spooking the animal and causing injury to either it or yourself, but if you allow the animal to remain hesitant, the horse will put up a fight every time you try to load it into a trailer. Make your intentions clear to the horse, and repeat the training until the animal complies.
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Step 4
Take the time to praise the horse as it makes progress toward entering the trailer. This can be done through scratching its withers, whispering in its ear and even using a clicker device to recognize the efforts of the horse. Never shove or push a horse forcefully into a trailer, although you may want to give it a playful pat on the hindquarters to encourage the desired behavior.
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Step 5
Load your horse into the trailer at different times of the day and under varying circumstances. This will teach the horse to comply each time you want to load it into a trailer, not just the times when the animal deems it necessary to enter.
