Trailering problems HELP!

Thanks you guys....always very generous with your responses

Can I ask you......is it better to be in the trailer asking the horse to come towards you, or be at the horses side asking to move forward?

I think I might have been in error by standing in the trailer asking for him to come to me......what do you think? 

I believe the other two times I had loaded him previously without any problems, the first time we walked together up the ramp into the trailer without incident....and the second time, I he walked in while at my side......

Never thought of this, but the ranch who raised him might have been entering him into the trailers by his side.  I was watching Clinton Anderson's trailer episode of the reiner that would rush backwards out of the trailer each time causing a horrible wreck....he fixed that horse pronto!  He had the horse entering at his side....as if leading him into the trailer with just body language.....

E

For safety's sake, don't get in!!  You can always run a lunge line through the window to keep him aimed the right direction while you walk at his side and send him in.

Making progress....I got him in the trailer using pressure/release, and he went in and out fine about 7 times.
 
Next day, got him to walk in again, and he was pretty good. 
 
Tried to tie him, but he blew up as soon as I tied him.  Which really sucked because I was standing right next to him at his head....nowhere to go!  That was when I closed my eyes, held his halter tightley and trying to calmly say whoa.........!!!!!  Ended up fine....but scary!
 
I am thinking........ground work on pulling down on his lead rope, until he releases at the poll.......gotta teach him not to panic when he feels the tight rope.......suggestions?????  He will panic at the rail too....but stops if the rope halter and clip hold up.  If I give him just two wraps of the lead rope on the rail, he will stand all day.  He just wants to know he can pull and there's some slack....kinda like what the Aussie tie ring does.....but in the trailer, I am not sure it's safe if he pulls slack in the rope.
 
I do have a four horse stock trailer that has the middle door....which I will close from now on.  I can have someone at the front window holding his lead rope while I leave his side and close the door behind him.....then we can tie him from the window. 
 
What about a bunji rope as a tie?  What about a Aussie tie ring as a tie?  What about just letting him stand freely in the trailer with his door closed as a stall?
 
Thoughts?
 
Eric

I have an escape door but that's the only way I'd want to get in there with them. 

Also,  no one in the world probably does this but me anymore, but when I lead whether into the trailer or whatever, I never turn and face the horse.  I turn my back to them, don't look at them and apply some pressure, give verbal cues, etc.  Not sure if that makes sense. 

Bully pulled so hard when tied in the trailer, his back legs stepped down and his neck was stretched so far.  The quick release was useless with all that weight on it.  Then, to make matters horrendous, his back legs slipped under the trailer and he was sitting down!  I nearly had a stroke.  I screamed for my son to try to get his head loose and I ran in for scissors.  By the time I got back my son got his head loose and he was standing okay, but I was nearly hysterical.  I cried so hard.  I'll always think about what our poor forum friend went through when her horse lost his life pulling while tied up.  But I don't think he was IN the trailer but I think he was tied to the outside.  ANYWAY I don't tie them inside anymore.  Well, Dani I do because I'm afraid she will try to turn around and get wedged.

You can practice sending exercises.  Zag expects treats now to be waiting for him - fresh hay, breakfast SOMETHING so he hops right in.

I worked with my horse last night on some softness at the poll exercises and he obviously didn't know how to release to pressure when it's applied to his poll.  That's his issue for sure I believe.....that and his age
 
So....after 15 minutes, he stopped pulling back when I applied downward pressure to his lead rope, and started to take a half step forward to release.....and drop his head.
 
After my ride with him....about 1 1/2 hours on the trail, we tried the same exercise again, and he was better again.  Softer, and more drop of his head, and a bigger step forward. 
 
Not sure I want a step, but I will take it for now and keep working on it.  I think he just never knew that he could step into the pressure to release it.......
 
Even when I started with him last night, he was lifting his head, rearing and backing up when I would pull down on his halter.......so big difference in 15 minutes
 
I also am considering just letting him walk around his little staff that the trailer can make instead of tying him, but since he has been tied before (six hours on our way home when I bought him), I think the bunji rope I will set up in the future.....but not until I work on him on the release exercise for another week or so.
 
Thanks....keep the comments commin
 
Eric

Glad to hear you got him in.  Do you put up the butt bar or close the back door before you tie him up?  That's a big rule in trailering is to never tie them until you've closed off the exit so they can't step off the back and freak out.  If you can, have someone hold him at his head until you've got the back closed.  Once they bump their rear on the door or bar, they generally stop pulling.
 
Good job on the giving to release   Had to teach my Cody that so I can halter and bridle him.

Dana,
 
The "Big Rule to Trailering" I knew and didn't dew   So my bad!  I do have the door, and I know I should close the door before I tie him.......but didn't to see what would happen....and I guess I knew before I found out!  DOH!
 
I am hoping the exercise I am working with him on will stop him from pulling.  I should also just ask someone to help me when loading, so they can hold his rope while I back out and close the door behind me....then come around and tie....I am going to use the bunji cord with the safety release.
 
I can say that I am pretty sore today from the exciting events that happened in the confines of the trailer this weekend.  My forearm is really sore from holding him with a GI Joe vice grip and my other arm from being slammed a bit into the corner during the blow up. 
 
Having fun yet?
 
Eric

Sorry you are sore   Glad it wasn't worse though   Soon as my back has recovered, I'm going to be going through trailering bootcamp with my "little" girl.  She gets all excited when we take other horses away in the trailer.  I keep telling her she could go if she will hop in the trailer!