Julie Goodnight offers what seems like some great advice on her Web site. She suggests starting far, far away from the trailer and leading up to it slowly, stopping to soothe and let the horse relax. If the horse tries to go backwards, she says to use a plastic bag rattles to keep the horse moving forward in the direction of the trailer. She said this can take a LONG time, but once you get the horse into the trailer, have some hay and some grain in the feed bunk so the horse can associate the experience with something good. Does that ring true to you?
I don't agree with that. I don't think you should let her get close enough that she starts to back so that you have to scare her forward. She's been scared and that is part of her problem.

I did teach one of mine to (first time) load using clicker training, and that worked very well. It is something you can try, too.

I haven't tried what I am going to suggest, because my horses have been pretty easy to load. But it probably would work, and it's the way I would try first if I had a horse to teach and enough time.

Walk her towards the trailer, just to the point where she gets a little bit stressed (try to catch it before she starts getting really nervous.)
Stop. Wait until she relaxes. Don't pet or praise her until after she relaxes. You can talk to her.
Walk her away from the trailer.

Keep repeating this until you can get her closer and closer to the trailer. It may take a while.

Have her put her nose in the trailer. Stop, wait until she relaxes, back her up and walk away.
Keep doing this in order of 1) head, then back out of the trailer and walk away (you may not have to go as far as you were before) 2) neck, out of the trailer and away 3) one foot, out of the trailer and away 4) two feet, out of the trailer and away 5) more of her body (maybe in stages), out of the trailer and away 6) three feet, out of the trailer and away 7) all four feet, out of the trailer and away 8.) butt chain, out of the trailer and away 9) shutting the door, out of the trailer and away.

If you run out of time, you can stop at any point (provided she is RELAXED) and start over the next day. Even if she has to start at the point she started at the previous day, she should progress back to where you ended faster than she did the day before.

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I was at a show with my mare, and the lady we rode with had a horse who decided not to load. We loaded my mare first, and then she tried to load her mare. It was a ramp trailer and her mare rushed out, reared up and flipped over backwards off the ramp. My mare (very, very calm) never twitched a muscle. Thank Goodness! I was scared.....

Last Edited By: 4Horses and Holding Mar 14 08 4:22 PM. Edited 2 times.