Have you tried different configurations with the windows? I have one who needs a lot of the doors open for loading but otherwise doesn’t put up much of a fuss with that. He tends to get upset as soon as closed in. Unlike yours, he will eventually calm down en route. He will fuss some with a friend but is much better with friends. I took a lot of short trips this winter, and I discovered that if I could leave the front box window open it helped some, but having the windows over the rear ramp open as well was even better for him. I don’t haul like this typically because of the traffic and speeds of the roads we are usually on. But it was ok for some of these shorter, backroads hauls. Mine does not get attached to others or exhibit much separation anxiety. And I don’t think he actually cares that much about the trailer buddy more so that maybe he feels less claustrophobic than being alone in the dark, closed up trailer. I dunno.
That sounds true dedication and a lot of work.
My mustang I had out of the wild… I tied her to the trailer, threw some hay in there and figured she would load herself when she felt like it. Went inside for 10 minutes and came back out and she was in the trailer eating. Never had a problem loading her after that…
The day I took her home from the BLM, she refused to get in and the handlers nearly beat her to get her on. I very nearly refused taking her. She was kicking and rearing so much. If you can remove the stess from the situation, she was a different horse.
Have you tried having extra yummy hay available in the trailer, only in the trailer?
It will clearly not change the fact that he is alone, but it might make him comfortable enough that he will stress less about being alone.
