11/01/2026
Dear horse owners.
This is going to be an unpopular post, but it needs to be said.
Teaching your horse to load into a horsebox is not optional. Its not a nice to have. Not an added extra...
It is every OWNER's responsibility to train their horse to calmly load into a box. Its not your yard owner's responsibility, its yours.
Being a 'rescue' not an excuse.
Every horse can be taught this skill. But it takes TIME, and patience . Its not something someone else can do. Yes, professionals can teach you how to teach your horse but you have to put in the hours. And hours. And hours.
Start with proper groundwork, leading confidently.
The time to do it is NOT when the fires are raging & you have to evacuate immediately. Or when you need to get to a vet to save your horse's life. It needs to be done with no pressure and no timelines. Regularly.
I know 99.9% of horse owners just want the best for their horses, but not doing this work is causing your horse way more stress than calmly teaching them to box.
Every stressful encounter with a box exponentially increases the problem. So you can bully them in once, but next time you have a bigger problem & when you really need to evacuate ( like we did last night ) you are in deep trouble. And this is harsh, but the stress you put your horse under when the p**p hits the fan? thats on you.
So please dear horse owners, do the responsible thing for your horse. Teach them to calmly load into a box.
There is a lot of help out there. Any yard owner worth their salt should be able to help you get started. There are many professionals who can help you. I can help you.
There are lots of techniques, find what works for you & your horse.
Off the top of my head, here are a few names that can help.
Lara Snyman
Gareth Mare
Louise Collier
Kristi Butler
Janine van der Merwe @ equilibrium equestrian