OK I'll try to get to all of the suggestions here - forgive me if I've missed anyone...

HNR83 wrote:
I would explore clicker training if your open to that. Let me know if your interested in more information about it. There are a few published papers out there on how ct'ing actually inhibits a horse's fear response. It's great for building confidence.

Interesting. I've seen this mentioned here several times, but don't know much about it. Clicker training starts with a treat association, though, doesn't it? Would you start with minimal tasks just to get him to understand the concept of the clicker before tackling anything major? I'd love to learn more. Anything is worth a shot at this point.

Enigma wrote:
If you can make the ground poles, logs, the bridge, etc, part of his daily routine. Put the ground poles where he has to walk over them to get to his paddock or to his grain bucket or in and out of the barn, same with a log and the bridge. Make walking past a trailer a "normal" thing too, then eventually open the ramp and walk past it, eventaully try to get him on it. Best to have it hooked to a truck the entire time or at least park a truck so it looks like it is and hook it when you try to load.
This is something I need to get more diligent about. He doesn't mind so much walking past these things, though he certainly reacts if he kicks any dirt against them that would make a sound. My biggest frustration, really, is that I'll get him to used to something for a while (e.g. walking over a log), and then by the end of the ride, he'll freak about it again. I know consistency is key and that's been one of my own failures. He doesn't care about the trailer itself AT ALL. It's the ramp. He'll walk past it, just not on it. We don't load without being hooked to a trailer, ever. Maybe when spring hits I can get the BO to hook up to the lesser-used truck and leave it parked somewhere out of the way for me to practice with. Hmm.

pdj47 wrote:
Stuff around his feet, try this in a stall. Later more jugs were added. For some things a shadow roll for a while might help to use on him. My platform in my loading video might help for the hollow sound on the ramps but I don't like ramps at all. Most all horses don't like them at first & are useless as far as I'm concerned. They spoil many horses for loading & can hurt them by getting a leg caught in under them when they blow back.
KG349 wrote:
I'd put white poles, etc. in his pen and stall where he has no choice but to be around them. I would also get a piece of plywood and set it near his water so he gets used to the sound of his feet on wood (bridges). Hang plastic and/or sleeping bags on his fences.

We've actually tried this. Not as extensive (not as much stuff) but for example....he didn't like a white bucket that was sitting near the arena, yet he had one is his stall that he ate out of. Didn't care about it in his stall, spooked at it near the arena. Same goes for the "bridge": we use a sturdy piece of plywood for the trail-class bridge and I spent two hours one day trying to get him over it with zero success. We ended up putting it in his stall, in front of his food and water buckets. It was in his stall for three weeks and there was MINIMAL improvement. He'd put one foot on it and stretch his neck to eat/drink, then immediately back up off of it and corner himself in the part of his stall where the "bridge" wasn't. He only started accepting it more once it got covered with bedding and he couldn't see/hear it as much.

I'll have to check the loading video to see what platform you're talking about. I really hate ramps, as well, since it doesn't cause them to drop their head like a hop-up load does, but I won't always have the luxury of a stock trailer, so this is something I want him to learn to tolerate, just in case.

I haven't, however, tried the white pole in his stall. We have a small piece of one that was broken that I can probably throw in his stall (barring any sharp edges). He doesn't really mind if blankets or fabric are hanging/flapping. It's more a plastic/tarp thing. Maybe I can start small and work up to larger pieces?

I've actually given a lot of thought to earplugs - I have to wonder how much of this is just the sounds scaring him. I'll have to do an experiment.

lisa71421 wrote:
Does your facility have a roundpen?
Yes, but it's currently being utilized as a mare/foal "stall" and has been for about 6 mos now ugh. Those horses should be leaving soon, though, so hopefully we'll be able to reclaim it and I can work him over logs in there. I've tried on the longe line, but it's too easy for him to just avoid things that way.

HorseHawk wrote:

And I agree about the ramps, as they're just an accident waiting to happen IMO. But you might try giving him his head more when leading him in so he can put his head down & look good as he's walking in. Too many people pull on a horse when loading & get the horse's head out of position where they can's see where their feet are going or where they're stepping.
I don't pull him at all, actually. I walk next to him with a droop in the lead and just keep walking into the trailer as if nothing has changed. He usually stops right at the edge of the ramp, but even if he does walk up, I certainly don't keep pulling either way. I know it's got to be HIS idea to get up there before he'll do it willingly. I'll give little tugs as encouragement if he *does* get a foot or two on the ramp, but no constant pressure or anything like that. *shrug*