Hey guys, I need opinions and advice please!
I have a 14yr old TB who has never had a problem trailering before other then the fact that he must have another horse on the trailer with him. He’s been through a rough couple years with medical issues (metabolic disease we’ve been trying to get under control, not soundness) that we finally have under control. He’s been our of the show seen for the last 4 years until the end of last season, beginning of this season. He’s finally back to work and going really well and I’ve been taking him off the property to school and show about twice a week, no problems. Last week we got on the trailer to go off property to school. He loaded fine and stood on the trailer for a good 10 mins no prob. We started to pull out of the driveway when he freaked. Bucking and rearing like crazy. Something happened and I though his hind leg or hip was broken. Thankfully after a sedative and the vet showing up we were able to get him off the trailer and he was completely fine other then some bad cuts and scrapes. The way it looked on the trailer though, we were questioning whether he would walk off the trailer or even get off alive. Vet thought maybe he hit his head and ad something neurological going on and that’s why his leg was funny but all field tests showed no signs of neurological problems. He’s been completely sound since other then some soreness from the bad cute he has on his hip and leg. Vet kind of ruled that maybe something set him off (bee sting, fact that I had put him on the trailer with saddle on which I never do etc) and then had a severe panic attack. I had made the decision at that point that he would stay on the property from now on because it’s not worth it to me to risk his life. I’d rather have him at home healthy and rideable rather then this happening again and not having such a lucky outcome. I’ve been looking at videos from the last few weeks and the progress that he’s made and being upset that he’s come so far since being sick that it sucks that I can’t take him anywhere. I’m trying to decide if choosing to not trailer him anymore and just get another horse to show is my only option or if this was just a freak thing and may never happen again (assuming he’s not scared from the incident and will even get back on a trailer) this horse means the world to me and I’d rather have him stuck at home then dead but I’m so torn. Please help!
Hmmm my thoughts are if he’s fine with a buddy, is he just very unconfident? Is he very spooky in general?
Idk if id say VERY spooky but he’s a very anxious guy, something will bother him and he gets very upset. But usually no prob with trailering. He’s weird I can put a tarp on top of him but he sees something stupid like a floppy hat and he’s a mess. But then another time a hat won’t bother him. He’s a tough case lol
Sounds like you are more spooked than your horse is.
And I don’t blame you–when they panic, it can be very frightening. Makes you appreciate the extent to which they cooperate with us, doesn’t it?
Deciding to just leave your horse home sounds like a great solution, till you start to think about the possibility of actually NEEDING him to get on a trailer due to an emergency, for instance.
The answer here is to take some time to focus on the trailer itself, examine it thoroughly to see if perhaps, there are any wasps/hornets/bees that may have taken up residence in it during the off season, have come out of dormancy now that it’s warmer. Look for other hazards, and ensure that the trailer is in good working order, large enough for your horse, and generally looks like a place you wouldn’t mind standing in for awhile yourself.
Then get help from someone with a LOT of experience and decide how to go about reapproaching the trailer with your horse, in such a way that isn’t going to alarm him. Work on trailering just like you work on other things. A little at a time, don’t overface your horse, or get in over your head, and both you and your horse will be able to relax and accept trailering as just another part of life.
A panicked horse is scary! I also don’t blame you for being nervous, I would be too! I agree with JustJump in that you definitely need to check out that trailer. Along with checking for bees/wasps also check for any sharp metal that may have come loose or anything rough along where your horse stands. He could have cut himself on something and it could have shocked him, then when he tried to move away and couldn’t, it set him into a panic. I suffer from a tad bit of claustrophobia so I completely understand panicking when you can’t move around and I have had a lot of experience with horses panicking when feeling trapped (as most horses do).
As for getting him used to the trailer again, here is my opinion. If it’s at all possible, put the trailer in his paddock/pasture or even in the arena if you can, make sure he is the only one in the area with it and make sure it’s all safe (no way he could get caught or get hurt while checking it out). I have done this with a few horses who will not step foot NEAR a trailer after a scary incident. You need to make him feel like a trailer is just part of life and definitely in this case make sure that he knows he can get in and out as he pleases. I have put my horses feed in there at feeding time and in order for them to eat they have to load up in the trailer, but I don’t tie them or close anything, this allows them to realize that it’s not scary in there, that they can eat and leave. Then once he goes in and out without panic, try leading him in yourself, then lead him back out. When he associates the trailer with positive experiences, he won’t mind hopping right on.
Remember not to push him, thats the quickest way to discourage him. GOOD LUCK! 
I have had similar issues loading my big 17’2 horse. He gets part way in, and flips out, flying backwards out of the trailer. What I did was hitch the trailer to the truck and park it in his field. Initially I took out the divider (2 horse slant warmblood size) and put his hay and supplements in the trailer. I could watch him from the house and Id say he had very little to eat for the first couple of days because he just couldnt manage the courage to get in. Very gradually he began to eat out of the trailer - front feet in the trailer and reaching with his neck as far in as he could. There were lot of two feet in, then horse flying back out of the trailer as fast as he could. We kept this up for about a month. Over time, he got more comfortable with getting in but he’s not ever going to be totally happy in the trailer. When I felt he was somewhat “ok” in the trailer, I closed the back door. Had some minor panic but he lived through it. Its just a long process to get them to trust being in there. I find now that if I dont load him regularly, then we have to go backwards a bit and refresh his memory that being in the trailer is ok. I always make sure that there is something special in there to eat so he has a reason to try.
