horse problems trailering

Question
Hi, I have a yearling POA that will not get in our trailer. He has gone in before and hasn't had a bad experience with it. He hasn't been in all winter and now he won't go. We have a open stock trailer, but it does not have a ramp. He will go up to it and is not afraid of it. He will even let me pick his foot up and set it on the edge. The step up on our trailer isn't even that tall. We have tried the food method and having two people with a rope behind his butt. We have even loaded a horse that trailers first and trying to get him to follow. I know he can go in and don't understand why he won't. I've been working with him to go in for two months now. We need to get him loaded so we can start showing!!!!!! Help

Answer
Trailer loading is about trust and respect.  You say you have been trying to load him for two months, what you taught him is that he is in charge, you can't make him load and that you are not the leader, he is.

Horses are professional people trainers.  I have a section on trailer loading on my web site.  If you follow the steps, he will load in about 30 to 45 mins.  

If you are having this much trouble loading him in a trailer, I would be concerned that he is not accepting you as his leader, this will show up in different ways, it may start with not trailer loading and then move to not moving, bucking, rearing or running off with you. This is not a trailer issue, it is a respect issues between you and your horse.

Read my site and it should help clear it up a little.

Rick