My horse panics inside trailer

by Tammy Lamphere
(Hopkinton,RI)

She loads quietly and she unloads quietly but when I shut the door (stock trailer) she spins out of control and seems to shut down until I open the door..she will stand inside quietly as long as I keep the door open...we have been dealing with a huge trailer fear and after months this is what is left but I feel like I don't know what to do from here.

This mare is so difficult...I love her but she says no to everything first then I have to give these long patient explanations and then she says maybe. Everything has been uphill, even brushing her mane was torture to her, feet, tying, halter, catching in field, vet, farrier, clippers, trailering, riding...all of it..it's been 3 years and we are finally riding but even that(we are endurance junkies) the first 2-3 miles are work!


Hi Tammy,

Horses are claustrophobic by nature. Going inside a closed space is not natural to them and can produce extreme fear. When running away from danger horses do not run into a closed space like a cave to escape. That is why it can be a challenge for us to teach horses that a trailer is a safe comfortable place to be not a scary one.

I would like to know much more history about this mare. How old, what bred, living environment etc. Has she suffered from “bad” experiences? It seems so. Undoing bad experiences is much more difficult than imputing good experiences the first time around.


When we have established “trust” with horses then, brushing, picking up feet, tying, catching etc should not be the struggle you describe. She may be very strong willed, meaning her survival instincts are huge and freedom is her only wanting. With these kinds of reactions then an entirely new method of communicating is necessary.

Positive reinforcement methods are the way to this mare’s heart. She demonstrates a lot of confusion which has created her wanting to say “No” first and her fighting you every step of the way. Please see our page on Clicker Training for an explanation on what positive and negative reinforcement is. Then to get started, see our Clicker Training ebook Guide to walk you through it step by step.

Timing is the most important component when teaching horses anything. They learn when we release the pressure, not when we are applying pressure. So watch your release of pressure closely, if you’re timing is good, she will learn. If you’re timing is off (even a second) she will not learn and show this.

Horses are not endurance junkies, people are! You may need to reconsider if she is mentally capable and suitable for this thing you wish to do.

Elaine