"Hi, we have a six-year-old Welsh cob mare who we can't load! She just stands in front of the ramp and refuses to even look into the box. When asked to move up the ramp she rears and she is a powerful lady. Any advice would be great! Debbie."

The answer

An expert team member at H&C blogger and proprietor of Contessa Riding Centre's Tina Layton Elliott BHSI's yard replies: "It sounds as though your mare is saying she does not want to go into the box, perhaps due to a bad experience in the past or even feeling claustrophobic. There is no quick fix, but it is worth investing the time.  It is worth spending time with your mare to let her know that the box is not a scary place and make it a place she comes to like. 

Find a time when you have plenty of time and a place which is quiet.  You are looking to create a calm atmosphere so that your mare will not feel pressurised.  Try and find somewhere which is well lit and plenty of space for you to open up the trailer to make it feel as spacious as possible.  Attach the trailer to a towing vehicle as it is dangerous to load into a trailer without one.

Safety first

You mention that your horse is a powerful lady.  I would advise using a bridle and a lunge rope as she is rears so you are able to keep a safe distance if she does so.  Ensure you have the correct protective clothing - hat, gloves and boots.  Have a small feed prepared ready as a reward, placed inside the trailer where she can see it.  In a calm, yet purposeful way lead her to the ramp and walk up.  Do not turn to face or look at her as this can make your body language seem aggressive and telling her you want her to stop or back up.  However, ensure that you are keeping an eye on her and her body language, so you can get out the way if she rears.  Hopefully by keeping things calm and reading her body language you can take the pressure off before she feels the only way to say no is to rear. If she stops and says no allow her time to think about it and let her see the food.  Give her a few minutes before you firmly encourage her to take a step forward again.  Keep her straight to the ramp as this is what she needs to concentrate on and not to go round the side.  Keep bringing her focus back to the box and quietly enforcing that this is the question being asked of her.  Reward small steps forward.  One foot on the ramp is progress.  Although you are trying to reduce the pressure there is still a question for your mare to address, but it is a matter of achieving a balance.

The process will take time and the aim is to first get her into the trailer and allow her to eat her dinner.  If you repeat this on a number of occasions she will start to associate the trailer with nice things.  It is a matter of taking time.  As she starts to feel comfortable eating in the open trailer gradually close parts of the trailer.  Make sure that this is done in a business like fashion, but without slamming them.

Take a short journey first

Over time you will have her in the trailer ready to transport her.  Do not go for a long trip the first time.  Do a very short journey to begin with.  Drive extra slowly and carefully.  Again reward her.   

If she will not have it at all that she is going in using the method above, it maybe worth trying to load her with a friend already loaded.  Although it will mean that there is not as much space in the trailer for her, the herd instinct may encourage her to join her friend.  Ensure the other horse is a calm horse that is happy to load and be in the trailer.

I hope that this helps you and wish you success in loading your mare and the shows you may then attend.".