Collier
Had the same issue a number of years ago. I could get him in the trailer if someone would push him from behind by waving their arms. All the methods that I have seen say to make loading in the trailer the horses idea. Take lots of practice but leading the horse around the trailer and stopping by the trailer but not letting the horse load. Do this a number of times and pretty soon you can let him go part way into the trailer As you progress the horse will want to load then repeat the loading on and off the trailer. Do this at home not at the trailhead. After you are sure the horse really loads by himself take him in the trailer a couple of miles away and do the same thing. Does he load ok now, if not go through the same routine of letting him see the trailer but not load or if he loads the first time take him out and walk him around and see if he will load on his own. Once you have your horse loading away from home try taking him to the trailhead and unload and load him there. If he has a problem at the trailhead, it my not be the trailer loading but something about the trailhead location. The process would still be the same. Make it his idea to load

Good luck and be careful

Thank you Dennis. I appreciate your input. I will try your idea. Ivan is a tough one. He is very good at backing away from the trailer at lightening speed when he doesn't want to go in. This is another issue I have. Sometimes it takes 2 hours just to get him to come up to the trailer and stand at the door. I know I need to work on my leadership skills with this horse. I think this is a big part of my problem. I also know horses are pattern animals and he has now developed a new pattern that he "does not go in the trailer" when we're away from home. I have to break this pattern and establish the new pattern of always going in the trailer no matter where we are. Thanks again for your suggestions.

Hi Colier

Just a thought, could it be the trailer he is unsure of? Have you ever been in the back without a horse to see what kind of rattles etc there are? If he is having a worrying journey he may not be too keen to get back in? Are you able to practise in different safe places, do you do any tarpaulin work with him and backing up through L shapes to get him aware of his feet, work on backing up and asking to move one leg at a time (it seems easier for them to move the off front and the near back) Good Luck x

Are you using the dually halter when you are attempting to load him? It will really help especially for the pulling backwards. You also need to make it fairly uncomfortable for him outside the float when he refuses to load - smacking on the neck with the end of the halter lead, backing him up with the dually, making him move around you in small circles until he is fed up with it - nothing too harsh or angry just consistent, persistent, uncomfortable experiences until he decides that the float seems like a good place to be. Whenever he chooses to move towards the trailer make a huge fuss of him with a good reward - I use carrots here but I know most people frown on this (including Monty) so just a good rub on the forehead should do and a gentle "good boy" voice. Have a nice hay bale or bucket of feed in the float for him as a reward once he goes in or some carrots. Once he does enter the trailer successfully allow him to stay there for a short time and then move him out again and do it all again until he willingly goes on without hesitation. The fewer "helpers" you have with this the better and ideally it should be just you and your horse with no other distractions. It seems that he may have had a bad fright in the trailer or a bad loading experience away from home. Once the rangers roped a horse of mine and dragged him onto a cattle truck. That totally terrified him from loading onto a float for the rest of his life. I could get him on but it took ages each time and tons of patience. Plus I lost control of my float once and it slid back into a gutter with my QH inside. This upset him for reloading for quite some time too.