How does Pat Parelli approach a horse that refuses to load and what are the seven keys he applies?

Pat Parelli's approach to trailer loading sits entirely within his Natural Horsemanship philosophy, and he would tell you that a horse refusing to load is not a trailer problem — it is a relationship and confidence problem that shows up at the trailer. Before Parelli ever points a horse at a trailer, he evaluates where the horse sits on what he calls the Horsenality spectrum, because a Left Brain Extrovert horse that refuses is being dominant and needs to understand it's not his idea, while a Right Brain Introvert horse that refuses is genuinely scared and needs time and retreat allowed. For the Right Brain horse — the most common trailer refuser — Parelli uses approach and retreat relentlessly and patiently. He brings the horse close enough to look at the trailer, lets it process and relax, then asks it to come closer, then retreats again before the horse decides to leave on its own. This teaches the horse that the human will always give it a way out, which paradoxically removes the need to find one. The horse stops bracing because the brace is never met with force. For the Left Brain horse that is simply being dominant, Parelli makes standing near the trailer effortful and making progress toward the trailer rewarding — circles, direction changes, and lateral work away from the trailer until the horse starts volunteering toward it. Parelli specifically avoids the common mistake of releasing when the horse pulls back, which rewards the wrong behavior. He follows with the pressure, keeping the energy alive, and only releases when the horse moves forward. His Seven Keys — Attitude, Knowledge, Tools, Techniques, Time, Imagination, and Support — all apply, but Attitude is first, meaning the human must never be emotional or mechanical about the process.