BARN MANAGERS, STAFF & BOARDERS: Thoughts on Our Individual Responsibilities

It's late afternoon in a busy barn. Stable-hands are bringing horses in from turnout while several students are in the aisles tacking up their horses for lessons. Suddenly, a large warmblood spooks and barges through the door, shoving his young handler in the process and almost knocking her down. In a flash, the girl gives a yank on the lead rope and strikes out, landing a solid backhand to the center of the horse's chest. The horse settles down almost instantly and she leads him calmly to his stall. 

This incident happened several years ago at a barn I was managing. As I happened to be standing by the door, I witnessed the entire thing. So did a brand new boarder. Horrified and concerned, the new boarder pulled me aside to tell me that she didn't want anyone treating her horse in that manner... she didn't want my staff thinking it was okay to smack her horse for any reason. I told her I could understand her concern, but I couldn't guarantee it wouldn't happen.

From my perspective, the young employee handled the incident quite well. She didn't hurt that horse, but she surprised him. She got him to settle down quickly, unemotionally. She prevented him from bolting down the aisle... successfully averting potential injury not only to herself and to him, but to all the students and horses that stood between that horse and its stall. That's something I fervently applaud. 

Would the employee have acted so quickly if she was worried about others' opinions of her? Oh, absolutely not. She would've hesitated... and that's where trouble begins. One of the main reasons stable-hands (or anyone, for that matter) get injured by horses is because they hesitate to correct dangerous behavior for fear someone will think they are mean. That is a load of crap nobody needs to suffer, especially the horses. 

Well-trained horses are smart enough to know what mannerly behavior is. Whether any of us likes it or not, horses get downright anxious when mannerly behavior is not enforced!

On that note, here are some thoughts I shared with that new boarder on the subject:

Barn managers have, in my opinion, a responsibility for training employees on how to get and maintain mannerly behavior from horses...and for having their employees backs on the subject. Specifically, and most importantly, that means educating boarders on the fact that correcting unmannerly behavior is not cruel but necessary for everyone's well-being.

Stable-hands have a responsibility for keeping themselves and others as safe as possible by learning what mannerly behavior is and insisting on it. By all means, they have a right to defend their own bodies by giving a serious reprimand when needed.

Horse-owners should trust that nobody (at least no one I've met) seeks employment at a barn for the opportunity to hit a horse. But every now and then a horse might need a serious reprimand. Somebody better step up for everyone's safety. I truly believe if you can't bear the thought of others correcting your horse in ways they deem necessary, you should take on the responsibility of being the only one to handle it.

That new boarder had every right to question the way I ran that barn... and every right to receive an honest response. I wouldn't have been offended if she decided to leave. Transparency fosters understanding though. I'm happy she chose to stay and trust me and my staff to care for her horses for many years.

Horses fare best when barn staff and horse owners work together to get and maintain mannerly behavior. We humans fare best when we cut each other some slack and remember that we are all in this together for the love of horses. A fact we all should keep in mind is that the more we work together to maintain mannerly behavior, the less likely the need for any of us to have to dole out serious reprimands. 

Those are my thoughts on our individual responsibilities. What are yours?

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-Susan Dudasik

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Good Reason to Get Comfortable Carrying a Whip

Do you hesitate to carry a whip for fear of your horse's reaction to it? If so, I encourage you to get yourself and your horse over it by viewing the whip simply as an extension of your arm. Why bother? Because, my friend, it is infinitely easier to offer clear guidance to horses when you have a really long arm.

To illustrate, here is a progression of pictures in which I'm teaching 10-month old Haven to walk on my right side. As you can see, when we started out she was walking well behind me and to my left. All I had to do was use a little body language to move her to the desired position...easy-peasy because of my super long arm. 

I didn't even have to touch her with the whip, but rather just reach it toward her. How is that, you ask? Well, when these photos were taken, I'd already been working with Haven for a couple of weeks. (She is quite young yet, so we're only focusing on ground manners.)

I introduced the whip in the second session, taking time to get her comfortable with it by letting her sniff it, rubbing her with it, etc. Then, each time we worked on her moving away from pressure from my hand, I made sure the whip was in the asking hand. 

Once she caught on to moving away from pressure, she began moving at just the hint of a touch, rather than an actual touch. Since I'd been carrying the whip the whole time, she naturally began to see it as part of my hand; therefore, she began moving away from just the hint of a touch from it as well.

Horses speak in body language and we must do the same if we're to make any sense to them. Having a super long arm helps make your body language crystal clear. So, begin thinking of your whip as an extension of your arm and you'll be surprised how quickly your horse follows suit.

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"Just got your book and I can't put it down! Packed with knowledge and instruction, can't wait to pass on the gold!"

-Katie Keller Trosclair

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Who Am I To Say, "This Isn't the Right Horse For You?"

Twice in my career I've played a part in convincing riders that their horses were not the right horses for them. Neither incident sat well with me. Both felt "off" somehow. The second one, in particular, changed me dramatically as a professional. It happened several years ago...

A young woman brought in a horse on a pre-purchase trial. In the course of getting to know him, she discovered that the horse was not adverse to striking out at her on the lunge line. When neither she nor her riding instructor could solve the issue, they asked for my help. I gave it a go, but the more pressure I put on the horse to move forward, the more violently he'd strike out with his front hooves.

The riding instructor thought the young woman should search for a different horse, and I agreed. My words to her were something like, "There are a lot of horses that don't have this habit. Go find one of them." She was really disappointed because she already felt some sort of connection with this horse. She decided to pass on him, though, based in part on my advice.

A couple of months later, a different instructor brought that very same horse back to the barn to try him out for one of her young students. I was concerned but, lo and behold, the striking-out was no longer an issue. The parents purchased him and he turned out to be a great horse for their teenage daughter.

It was a thoroughly humbling experience for me...and priceless. Here are just a few things I learned:

• My once poor opinion of that horse was not an accurate reflection of the horse. It was, however, a perfect reflection of where I was at as a trainer at the time. (I remind myself of that every time I even think of forming a negative opinion of a horse.)

• No matter how much I think I know, there is always more for me to learn... so much more. 

• Telling someone "this is not the right horse for you" is really an inaccurate way of saying "I don't know how to help you succeed with this horse." It's inaccurate because it implies there is something lacking in the horse or the rider; whereas, the latter statement places the insufficiency where it truly lies...in my current training/teaching ability. (No wonder both incidents felt "off" somehow.) 

Knowing what I know now, I'm loathe to say a horse "isn't right" or is "too much horse" for anyone. I feel like there is an over-abundance of that going on as it is. It discourages riders from exploring their potential as horse-handlers and trainers, and plenty of good horses fall through the cracks because of it. I prefer to support the "you can succeed with any horse you choose" mindset because it's the truth for every one of us.

I'm grateful things turned out well for that horse. He found a good home because he ran into a better trainer, one that drew out the best in him and got him over that aggressive behavior. He found a good home despite me, but I'm well aware of the fact that he could've wound up in a kill-pen had he kept running into the type of trainer I was at the time. Not my proudest moment, but one that impelled me to check my ego on a regular basis to give every horse a chance... and one that impelled me to up my game big time. 

In the years hence, I've met many horses that presented the same striking-out behavior. I've gotten them all past it simply by being more assertive in asking them to go forward. If I had it to do over again, I would not give up so easily on that horse, or myself.

I'm glad things turned out well for the young woman, too. She wound up purchasing a different horse and is very happy with her decision. Just look at her, though...

Ashley Tittle and Lyon, Hunters Run Horse Trials
(photo credit, here and above: Madison Collier)

... it's not like she's some shrinking violet. How could I have ever doubted she could succeed with any horse? Again, not my proudest moment, but one that makes me strive harder to keep my ego out of the mix... to not saddle others with my own fears or inadequacies. If I ever have to say "I don't know how to help you succeed with this horse," you best believe I will follow up with, "...but I bet someone else does."

I know other professionals have thoughts on this subject, and I look forward to hearing them. How do you go about balancing your responsibility for the safety of your students while encouraging them to extend their boundaries as equestrians? 

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" I am a huge supporter of your book.  I had been thinking about selling my horse due to her behavior and my fear.  Got to the point where I would have severe anxiety whenever I thought about riding.  Saw an ad for your book on Facebook and thought, "What do I have to lose?"  and purchased it.  I have been working with her ... for a little over a week and the change in myself and her is amazing.  Thank you."

-Shannon Guinan

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SCARED OF YOUR NEW HORSE?

You buy what seems like a perfectly nice horse, but shortly after bringing it home it begins acting spooky, pushy, anxious and aggressive. What's the deal, you wonder, as you begin feeling afraid of your new horse. Were you duped by a less-than-truthful trainer? Was the horse drugged when you went to try it out? Were the folks who sold it to you flat-out lying about the horse's mellow nature? The answer to those questions is probably not. 

Perhaps there are some unscrupulous horse sellers in the world, but from what I can tell, they are far outnumbered by good people seeking good homes for good horses for a variety of reasons. For example:

• riders go off to college and can't afford to take their horses with them;
• they switch disciplines and have to sell in order to buy horses suited to the new disciplines;
• they have come upon hard times financially;
• they can no longer ride due to health problems;
• they simply lose interest in riding; or
• they are trainers who train and sell horses in their everyday course of business.

I'm writing this article on behalf of two young riders who sold their horses because their riding skills outgrew their horses' capabilities. The sales were made through their trainers' assistance. 

Since I personally know the girls, the trainers, and the horses, I know first-hand that both animals were very well-trained and the girls enjoyed riding them safely for years. I witnessed it with my own eyes. The buyers, both adult women, were seasoned riders who had owned horses previously. By all rights, the sales should have gone smoothly, but they didn't.

Within weeks, both buyers were frightened of their new horses, questioning the trainers' ethics, and asking for their money back. One of the buyers, apparently terrified, felt her only option was to put the horse down if a buy-back couldn't be arranged. What should have been win-win situations for all turned into really awful ordeals.

Now, if you are feeling for the buyers because you too are frightened of your new horse, I totally understand. But I'm guessing you never would have bought your new horse if you hadn't seen some proof of its training...with your own eyes...whether on video or in person. Considering this, surely some part of you is thinking there's a chance your issues have nothing to do with the horse. I'm betting there is a 99.99999 percent chance of it. 

It doesn't matter how long you've been riding or how many horses you've owned in the past, if you can't get this horse to behave calmly, chances are you're missing a part of your education... and you're not alone. It is incredibly common for people to learn all kinds of things about riding horses, yet little to nothing about how to keep well-trained horses behaving like well-trained horses. 

Even if you took a bunch of riding lessons, chances are you never received a fundamental leadership education. An unfortunate truth about the riding lesson industry is that most students don't, and that needs to change. I wrote The ALPHA Equestrian Challenge to help facilitate change because far too many riders wind up fearing good horses.

If you're wondering how to get your new horse to behave like the well-trained horse it is supposed to be, this book is for you. Please, before giving up on this horse... before badmouthing the trainer or the former owner... before inciting a distraught teenager to start a GoFundMe campaign to save a beloved first horse from death... I urge you to buy this book and take the The ALPHA Equestrian Challenge for yourself.

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" I am a huge supporter of your book.  I had been thinking about selling my horse due to her behavior and my fear.  Got to the point where I would have severe anxiety whenever I thought about riding.  Saw an ad for your book on Facebook and thought, "What do I have to lose?"  and purchased it.  I have been working with her and the steps for a little over a week and the change in myself and her is amazing.  Thank you."

-Shannon Guinan

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HANDLING HORSES ON STALL-REST: Tips for Keeping it Calm

When extended stall rest is prescribed to help a horse recover from injury, eventually there comes a day when the horse must come out of its stall and get moving again....usually for short periods of limited exercise. This often turns into a time of high anxiety for horse owners. They want their horses to behave calmly so they don't re-injure themselves, but the horses have a bunch of pent-up energy and are itching to blow off steam.

A friend of mine is currently in this stressful predicament. On vet's orders, she is supposed to walk her horse and have him do a few two-minute sessions of trot each day. The walking part goes smoothly, but the horse starts bucking and rearing whenever she asks for trot. Here are some tips I shared with her.

Hedge your bets beforehand by keeping your horse's mind and body as active as possible the entire time he's on stall rest. Spend lots of time grooming him. Move him to a stall that allows him to see the activity going on in the barn. Spend time teaching him something, like various stretches or an easy trick. Perhaps get him a toy and teach him how to play with it.

Provide as much company for your horse as possible. Rotate other horses into an adjoining stall. Clean your tack next to his stall, or pull up a chair and read a book.

Don't give up asking for mannerly behavior from your horse during this time. I can't stress that enough because it happens a lot when folks start feeling sorry for horses. Bear in mind that your horse needs your attention, care and guidance, not your pity. By all means, correct his behavior if he starts crowding your space, nipping at you, etc.

Make a conscious effort to chill out about the idea of your horse re-injuring himself if he blows up. Sure, there's a chance of it happening, but there's also a chance of it not happening. There is a chance he can blow up like crazy and be just fine. Think about that and give up worrying. It creates nervous energy in you, which is completely unhelpful. Besides, if worse comes to worse and your horse does wind up hurting himself, you are perfectly capable of handling the situation at that time...at that moment in the future.  The best you can offer your horse in this moment is as much calm, confident energy as you can muster.

Choose ahead of time to face any blow-ups with an "oh well" attitude.  You can do your very best to keep your horse calm, but understand that's ALL you can do. Come to terms with that, and make an agreement with yourself that if your horse happens to lose his sh**, you won't lose yours.

Insist on mannerly behavior exiting the stall. If your horse starts to fire up just because you put his halter on, take it off and put it on again a few times, and then just stand there until he relaxes. When you begin leading your horse out of the stall, correct him if he tries to push past you. If he does manage to push past you, take him back into the stall and start over.

Once you get going, insist that your horse walk 3 or 4 feet behind you.  I've found this to be one of the easiest ways to settle an excited horse. Use your body language and flicks of the lead rope to keep him back, and be as assertive as necessary. Ask nothing else of your horse until he relaxes into this, has lowered his head, and is consistently maintaining a respectful distance behind you. Only then should you move on to the next step.

Do as much as your vet allows to engage your horse's mind and body at the walk. Shoulder-fore, shoulder-in, leg yield, counter-flexion through the corners, whoa to walk transitions, and stepping over ground poles are just a few examples of the things you can ask for at the walk. All of them require the horse to focus and use more energy than simply walking around...thus, they help dissipate excess, excited energy.

We put this theory to test with my friends horse and it proved helpful, although he still presented a couple of little bucks and a rear when asked to trot. While not perfect, it was a huge improvement over the bucking and rearing she'd been dealing with...and that's a good start.

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"Just got your book and I can't put it down! Packed with knowledge and instruction, can't wait to pass on the gold!"

-Katie Keller Trosclair

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GETTING MORE JOY OUT OF YOUR JOURNEY

Beau enjoying green pastures...

Greetings, friends! I'm back after a refreshing hiatus that lasted longer than planned. Although I've periodically posted to my Facebook page, my last blog entry was in March. Since then, I sold my house in Michigan and moved to Illinois just in time for summer to steam up. And up, and UP! I prefer not to ride in hell-degree temperatures, so I let Beau settle into the routine at his new barn while I did some traveling and other fun stuff. l'm sharing some pics but promise not to torture you with an essay on how I spent my summer vacation. This is a blog about horses after all, with the intention of helping you enjoy your journey with yours. Are you?

That's a question worth asking yourself on a regular basis because you probably got into horses specifically to increase the joy in your life. I'm all for helping horse people increase their joy because it increases positive energy in barns. That benefits us all, and our horses even more so. After all, they're the ones spending the most time there... living within the energy we create.

...and making new friends. (Photo by Birgit Spears)

So, if you're not enjoying your journey as much as you'd like... whether at the barn, work, home, or wherever... here's a little tip. Stop thinking you have to learn how to control your emotions. Just give it up. It's an exercise in futility.

Emotions are like wild horses that refuse to be tamed. That's because they were never meant to be. And, like horses, they are too big to overpower. You can try to suppress them, which so many people do, but it's the same as sticking a herd of wild horses in a barn in which they refuse to stay. They'll just start kicking the walls and eventually destroy the building from the inside out. 

Give up trying to control your emotions. Set your wild horses free to do their job, which is to serve as guides to your happiness. The joy comes when you steer your thoughts in the direction they are pulling you.

My pups enjoying the porch at our
new home.

When you think positive thoughts about yourself, a situation or other people, you feel positive emotion, correct? Of course you do because your wild horses are saying, "Yes, yes, yes! Come this way to happiness." Conversely, when you think negatively about anything your wild horses give you a kick. Doubt, anger, worry, guilt, fear, etc...negative emotion is nothing more than your herd saying, "Knock it off! Turn your thoughts in a better feeling direction." 

It might seem like it's other people doing the kicking, and that's because most of the world's population think people ought to feel bad for all kinds of reasons. That's the kind of thinking that gets people doubting their emotional guidance systems in the first place. For the sake of your own happiness, give up worrying about what other people think and start caring more about what you think.

And here I am enjoying Garden of
the Gods in Colorado Springs.

Your own thoughts, on every subject, matter to your happiness more than anything else. Your wild horses will always let you know if you are thinking in alignment with your own happiness. They are your direct link to your inner-being... 

...the divine part of you that knows you are meant to feel good about yourself all the time. You feel bad only when you think otherwise. (Kick!) 

...the part of you that knows you are capable of doing, being and having whatever you want. You feel bad only when you think differently. (Kick, kick!) 

...the part of you that knows others are meant to feel good about themselves as well. You feel bad about other people only when you think in opposition. (Kick, kick, kick!)

To truly enjoy every step of your journey, it's imperative you think about how your thoughts make you feel, and train yourself to reach for thoughts that make you feel better. It's not always easy, but it is always possible. Practice enough and you'll see. Get in the habit of thinking about things the way your inner-being does and you'll discover so much happiness wild horses couldn't drag you back to thinking any other way. 

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Enjoy your journey to the fullest by learning how to get calm, cooperative behavior from your horse! 

"Just got your book and I can't put it down! Packed with knowledge and instruction, can't wait to pass on the gold!"

-Katie Keller Trosclair

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QUICK TIPS FOR SAFE, CALM HORSE-SHOWING

If you are traveling to horse shows this year and have even the slightest inkling that your horse might be nervous coming off the trailer, get out ahead of that situation now. Don't just wait to see how your horse will handle the show environment. Plan on helping him handle it calmly. Here are a few tips.

Up until the show:

1. Give up habits that don't work in your favor, such as thinking and talking about either you or your horse being nervous at shows in the past. The past is in the past. It means nothing. Let it go.
2. Remind yourself daily that it is up to you as the leader to set the tone at horse shows by staying calm yourself. That's your number one job. Everything else comes secondary to that.
3. Create momentum in your favor by thinking and talking about how calm you are going to be at the show, how you are going to breathe deeply and not overreact to anything. Your horse is going to feed off your energy, so talk about how you are going to provide all the cool, calm energy he could possibly need.
4. Most importantly, take your horse through some bomb-proofing exercises to prepare the both of you for sights and sounds at horse shows, such as tents, flags, loud noises, etc. Bear in mind that the purpose of bomb-proofing not to desensitize your horse to sights and sounds, but rather to get yourself in the habit of getting your horse to pay attention to you despite sights and sounds. (My book provides clear, concise instruction if you need help getting started.)

Day of the show:

1. Arrive at the show early to give yourself plenty of time to help your horse relax.
2. Once you get your horse off the trailer, take him for a walk around the show grounds keeping this important point in mind: for your walk to settle your horse's nerves, you must walk with that purpose and provide guidance toward that purpose. (That's the part many people don't get.) A simple but effective way to provide that guidance is to ask your horse to halt and back up whenever he crowds your space, pulls on the lead rope, or just seems to be paying attention to everything but you. Whether you have to ask for the halt/back-up five, ten, or one hundred times, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you calmly, consistently, unemotionally keep on asking until your horse is walking calmly by your side.

Allowing your horse to come into a state of calmness before warming up or asking any more of him will get your show experience off on a wonderful note. Good luck! I wish you fun and safety this show season.

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"Just got your book and I can't put it down! Packed with knowledge and instruction, can't wait to pass on the gold!"

-Katie Keller Trosclair

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SEEING HUMANS THROUGH HORSES' EYES: It's a Life Changer!

In a lunging session a few weeks ago, one of my students was allowing her horse to crowd her space. I pointed out the issue but before she could get it resolved, the mare wheeled around and kicked her smack dab in the ribs. Turns out her coat absorbed pretty much the entire impact (shout out to Carhartt!), but it was a scary scene for a few minutes. Since her mom and sister were there, it was a frightening family experience, permeated by shock, fear, panic, doubt, worry... you name it. Later on that evening, it struck me that the one awful emotion none of them felt was anger toward the horse. I found that heartwarming, quite normal, and very interesting. If we can let animals off the hook that easily, why not each other?

Come on, I've seen horses bite, step on, and drag folks around without anyone getting offended. Yet people just have to look at each other the wrong way for feelings to get hurt... and drama, anger, disappointment, resentment, blah, blah, blah to ensue. When it ensues in barns, it sucks the fun right out of the places we go to primarily to have fun. Why do we do that to ourselves?

I was pondering that question when I happened upon a quote that read, "The greatest challenge in life is to find someone who knows all your flaws, differences, and mistakes, and yet still sees the best in you." Well, there's a clue. Surely that very mindset gets us looking for flaws and mistakes, which gets us thinking we need to fix them. For what purpose? To be better people? Who's to say we're not all perfectly fine just as we are at any given moment? At every given moment?

When I'm working with horses, I can tell they know this about themselves. They never look for my approval or disapproval. In fact, they make it pretty clear that my opinion of them means diddly squat to them. I never see horses trying to be better horses. I see us trying to get them to do things in a better way, yet those who have the most success carry the belief that the horse are perfectly fine as is every step along the way.

I can tell horses know we are, too. While horses constantly challenge us to get better at what we're doing, they never offer approval or disapproval of any of us personally no matter what we're doing. It wouldn't occur to them to do so because they are too in tune with who they are. They are too approving of themselves to be disapproving of us. No wonder it's so easy for us to let them off the hook. They do the same for us all the time, which is what makes being around them quite pleasant.

In the interest of living a joyful life, I'm following their lead on this one. I have to admit that, to me, the only thing that's worse than feeling offended by other humans is the feeling that I am offensive to others for some reason. And we humans come up with plenty of reasons... an infinite, exhausting, never-ending number of reasons.

There's no getting to the bottom of that bottomless pit, although there is humor in attempting it. On the same day I found that first quote, I saw another that read, "Don't be an asshole to me because then I'll have to be an asshole to you, and I'm better at being an asshole than you are." I'm not going to lie, it made me laugh.

Still, I can't help but wonder who dreams of growing up to become an asshole? Nobody, that's who...and yet we all somehow seem to meet our fair share. And then we sort of have to become assholes to stick up for ourselves, or we have to become the "bigger person." What does that even mean? That we're better than somebody else? Seems like thinking that would make us the biggest assholes of all...at least until somebody who's better at it comes along. This is the maniacal merry-go-round that keeps on spinning, leaving the people on board feeling underwhelmed with...well, the people on board.

You can't expect anybody on that ride to save you, but you can jump off to save yourself. I feel like horses pushed me off that carousel, and I couldn't be more grateful. The way they see themselves has me looking at myself and other humans as perfectly fine as is all the time. Knowing I have nothing to fix, it's so easy to let people off the hook... and so freeing I don't even care if anyone returns the favor.

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"Just got your book and I can't put it down! Packed with knowledge and instruction, can't wait to pass on the gold!"

-Katie Keller Trosclair

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR

COPY TODAY AND SAVE 15%!

TIPS ON TRAILER LOADING

When Jackie Krygier called for some trailer-loading advice, she already knew the trailer wasn't the problem. She just couldn't pinpoint what she needed to do differently. Throughout our conversation, I could tell she had already spent plenty of time laying the foundation for a wonderful relationship with her horse Beau. I got the feeling Jackie didn't need to do things differently...she just needed to do more of what she'd already been doing. More building of more trust and of more cooperation. Here are some tips I shared with her. 

First things first, don't overthink things about horses and trailers. Keep it simple by thinking your horse is happy to give you what you want, you just have to be very clear about what you want. Of course you want your horse to get in the trailer, but if you make it all about the trailer you'll lose focus and confuse your horse. Keep the communication between you and your horse... not your horse and the trailer. Try looking at it like this: you want your horse to step forward in a straight line, calmly and cooperatively, despite the fact that a trailer happens to be sitting there.

Jackie had access to a stock trailer, so she
practiced loading Beau in it first before moving
on to her own two-horse straight-load.

As the leader, it is your job to set the tone. To get calmness from your horse, you must remain calm. So pay attention to how you feel. Beau presented Jackie with an arsenal of challenges, so she had to get really good at keeping her emotions in check. Each time she felt frustration rising, she quit what she was doing, walked away from the trailer and took some deep calming breaths.

To get cooperation from your horse, you must offer cooperation. For example, as you approach the trailer, your horse will let you know when he's getting uncomfortable by coming to a halt. Offer cooperation by letting him stand there for a few seconds. If he moves his shoulders or haunches, line him back up in a straight line and relax. Proceed only when he is calm too. 

A good way to proceed is by asking your horse to take one step forward and two steps backward, then two steps forward and two steps backward, etc. This gets your horse paying more attention to you and less attention to the trailer. Keep in mind you're asking for straight steps. So if your horse moves his shoulders or haunches out of line, use your whip as an extension of your body (like a really long arm) to move him back into place.

Jackie reaches the whip to Beau's far side, and then his near
side...moving it back and forth as needed to remind him
to keep his body in a straight line.

Beau was a bit insensitive to the whip in the beginning, so we tied a plastic bag to the end of it (pictured above) to get his attention. It gave Jackie the edge she needed to prevent him from barreling his shoulder into her when she asked him to step toward the trailer. (Whatever it takes, make your horse understand that running into you is not an option.)

Once that challenge was solved, Beau began backing away from the whip instead of moving forward from it. Since horses prefer to walk forward instead of backward, asking your horse to back up more than he originally wanted to often solves that challenge. You can also guide your horse to back into something (a tree, a fence line, etc.) to get him to stop.

Not to be outsmarted, Beau then tried rearing a few times to get Jackie to back off. While rearing is a very normal, natural behavior for a horse, it can be pretty intimidating the first few times you're faced with it. But rearing can only hurt you if hooves come into contact with your body. So keep a safe distance and if the rearing frightens you, try to act like it doesn't. Jackie handled Beau's rearing like a champ. Each time, she calmly waited out his drama, and then asked him again to move forward from the whip. Her perseverance paid off. Beau eventually started moving forward cooperatively, which is something Jackie had to get before she could get him to step toward the trailer.

Jackie places a firm hand on Beau's rear to encourage him
to stay at the whoa...but she cautiously keeps her feet out of
harm's way in case he decides to back up before she asks.

Once you get your horse near the trailer, allow him to sniff it for a few seconds... and then walk away to allow him time to process the fact that it didn't hurt him. Repeat until your horse is comfortable sticking his head and entire neck inside the trailer. At this point, the odds of getting him to step a hoof onto the trailer are pretty good. When he steps the hoof on, again back him up and walk away. Then ask him to step two hooves onto the trailer, then three, etc. 

If your horse starts backing up before you ask him to, don't make a big deal of it and it won't become a big deal. But do start incorporating the word "whoa" into your practice... e.g., take a step forward, "whoa", back up. As you proceed, encourage your horse to hold the whoa for longer and longer periods of time. 
  
Make being in the trailer a pleasant experience for your horse. Give him some hay to much on, or perhaps some treats, and lots and lots of praise. Before attempting to fasten the butt bar, get your horse used to you moving it around, making noise with it, pretending to fasten it, etc. 

Take your time in your trailer loading practice. Sure, the ultimate goal is to get your horse on the trailer, but the joy lies in developing confidence in your leadership skills and in building a calm, cooperative relationship with your horse. 

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