A pig loads calmly when the route does the persuading: a short, solid-sided race, a destination that looks and smells inviting, and people who stay quiet and patient. Pigs are strong, clever and quick to refuse a route that looks wrong, and a chase raises stress and body heat fast. Prepare everything first, then run the load in order.
Prepare Every Item Before the Pig Moves
Position the trailer at the end of the race, lower the ramp, and spread bedding across the ramp and trailer floor so the surface looks and feels continuous with the ground. Build the race from solid boards or panels on both sides, from pen gate to ramp, leaving no gap a pig can squeeze through and no opening that invites a turn. Lay non-slip matting or a layer of earth over any concrete or metal stretch of the route. Set a board, sized to walk behind and guide with, at the pen gate. Fill a feed bucket with the pig's usual ration and place it with a helper at the trailer. Walk the finished route yourself and remove what makes pigs balk: sharp shadows across the path, a loose sheet that flaps, a shiny wet patch, a draught blowing through the race, and any dead end the pig might choose. Only when every item stands ready do you open the pen gate.
Run the Load in Order
Open the pen gate and let the pig enter the race at its own pace, with the board held behind as a moving wall rather than a pusher. Keep your body quiet and your voice low; the pig should follow the sound of the feed bucket, which the helper rattles gently ahead at the trailer, scattering a little feed on the ramp as the pig approaches. Close each section behind the pig as it commits, so retreat stops being an option and forward stays the easy direction. If the pig stops to inspect something, stop with it, keep the board still, and wait — a pause of a minute feels long and usually ends with the pig walking on. Walk the pig up the bedded ramp, let it step into the trailer and begin eating, then close the ramp promptly and smoothly before the pig turns to leave.
Handle a Refusal Without a Chase
If the pig turns or plants its feet, resist shouting, striking or crowding, each of which teaches the pig that loading means conflict. Hold position, let the pig settle, and re-present the route: check for a new shadow, a moved board or a noise that started mid-load, and fix that cause. Scatter feed a short distance ahead and wait again. A pig that has loaded quietly once, using the same race and the same board, usually loads more willingly next time, because the routine carries no bad memory. Practise on ordinary days by walking the pig through the race to a feed bucket in the pen, with no trailer involved, so the boards and channel mean routine long before a journey depends on them.
Finish the Job Calmly
Once the ramp is closed, check the pig through the trailer vent: standing, breathing steadily, and eating are the signs of a settled load. Offer water at stops on longer journeys where facilities allow, and keep the trailer shaded and ventilated while parked. Note what worked — race length, feed used, any balk point — while the details stay fresh, and share the note with whoever helps next time. KinsLe's Care Pass gives each helper that written plan under temporary access, covering gate order, feed, balk points and contacts, so the next load runs the same quiet way.