Aaarghh!! Loading issue!!!!!!

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Thunderbirds R Gone

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Please, please, please can someone come up with a suggestion for me!!

My 5 year old travels very well on the lorry, he can sweat up a bit, but once he's in he stands quietly and eats his haylage (I have a camera).

The problem is the actual loading but with a difference.

He wears a pressure halter, I can get him to walk up the ramp, step by step, stand on the ramp, back off the ramp, but the minute he steps into the lorry, he turns into the rudest animal you've ever met
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and turns straight back round running right over the top of anyone stood in his way
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and dives back out again
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It makes no difference if I travel him with or without another horse.

His halter work is impeccable, he does all ground work etc and moves away from pressure, circle work etc etc etc but once he gets in the lorry it all goes out of the window. It is only a 2 horse lorry (there is plenty of room for him to travel) so once we are actually in there isn't alot of room to stop him before he's out.

I'm running out of ideas so any suggestions will be more than welcome before I get injured
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Thank you for reading
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Put a chiffney on him, really gets their attention. My grey horse would bugger off with you without one - I don't really have to yank on it, he just knows that I have it if I need it.
 
That has crossed my mind, but I've never used one before and I'm a bit worried about hurting his mouth?? Although he's not worried about hurting me
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Is there a particular way in which I should try it? Do I walk him around a bit in it first? Do I do anything or will he just feel it when he starts pratting about?

Do I take it off once he's all boxed in??

Sorry, sounding really thick, but I've not had any experience of them before
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You won't hurt him but don't be shy with it - make sure he knows you've got it. First time I used it on my grey horse, I walked him round and gave a couple of sharp tugs on it to make sure he knew it was there. He backed off the ramp so I tugged repeatedly and made him back up sharp with it. We kept backing him up for about 20 yards. Then we walked him forward again. If the horse starts to turn to sod off, just give it a good sharp tug and make him turn his head towards you, then continue to make him back up with the chiffney. Only one word of warning, DON'T tie the horse up with the chiffney, use the head collar. You can put the chiffney on over the headcollar.
 
Can you not feed him in there? Load him up, give him his tea several nights on the trot, giving less and less each time - he won't be so keen to dash out then & may relax a bit.
 
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Can you not feed him in there? Load him up, give him his tea several nights on the trot, giving less and less each time - he won't be so keen to dash out then & may relax a bit.

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He's not interested in feed - won't even eat his haylage until we set off. Apples are his absolute favourite and he won't even have one of those.

He is fine once he is tied up - it's getting him on the lorry and standing still to tie him up that's the problem, he just turns round and p**ses off again!!
 
Mine used to do this and tbh the best thing I found was to use a lead rope already in the lorry tied up ready so I just had to clip it on - rather than tie a knot - and also get ramp gates shut REALLY quick!! Although luckily mine isn't huge so I could stop him for long enough by wedging my shoulder into his! Not so practical if a big horse. I'd try the chifney as well I think - rather that than an injury!
 
Definitely use a chifney...i have had some bloody awful loaders, 2 in particular who were beyond dangerous they were so bargy - would just rear up, bugger off, charge down ramp etc and no way on earth would i have held them in either a bridle or pressure halter.

Few good short sharp yanks on a chifney with lunge line attached (so that can't pull leadrope out of your hands) and they were different horses. As soon as they know about it, and know they have it on they tend to not even argue.

I use leadrope attached to headcollar (altho if you have one for tying up in lorry then no need as it is more in your hands), put chifney on over top of headcollar with lunge line attached to chifney and load...get someone to follow horse up ramp so as soon as they start to turn on lorry get the partition closed behind them. Then tie up to headcollar using leadrope either in hand or already in lorry, and once they are tied up then remove chifney for travelling.

Works wonders!
 
i sometimes do think the chiffney will make them worse

http://www.frogpool.com/product-151.html
get one of these
have used this on 3 non loaders (all 5 hours and over) you must be quite tough with it and probably do the first few times with the bridle on as well !!

now the 3 ive tried it on you dont need to hold the rope part just tie it to the headcoller and they know its there they walk on liek angels !!
 
I have a similar problem with one of mine, he gets up the ramp turns sideways and then barges off again. I have used a lunge rein through the tie ring with the clip on the floor so I can reach it as we are going up the ramp. I attach the clip to the head collar and take up the slack on the other end of the lunge rein as we get to the top of the ramp. When he goes to pee of back down the ramp I hang on to the end of the lunge rein and he is now firmly anchored in the lorry. I can now hold him and put the partitions across by myself. In the early days I used to hang on to him and have someone else to do the partitions. I always remove the lunge rein before tieing him up normally for travelling.
 
If he is normally such a good polite boy it sounds, IMO, more like he is panicking than just being bolshy. If that is the case the chifney will only make him worse. Rather unhelpfully I'm afraid I can't offer any quick fixes for a panicky horse, just patience and perserverence in spades
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Mine used to do this and tbh the best thing I found was to use a lead rope already in the lorry tied up ready so I just had to clip it on - rather than tie a knot - and also get ramp gates shut REALLY quick!! Although luckily mine isn't huge so I could stop him for long enough by wedging my shoulder into his! Not so practical if a big horse. I'd try the chifney as well I think - rather that than an injury!

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I second the leadrope already tied - was going to suggest it if no-one else did. If he's not actually panicking, then he'll soon learn there is no point, hopefully. Also, if it's a lorry that he has to turn side on, clip the leadrope while he is still facing forward, then push his bum round using the partition, if possible.
 
make sure you clip chifney to halter as well in case he does get away from you if he stands on lead rope when he p....ses offf they can end up with a broken jaw.
 
Thanks for the replies ...

Emma_C and now_loves_mares - I already do this but he is far too quick and whips round barging me out of the way before I can get anywhere near the tie-up.

StaceyTanglewood - not quite sure what you do with this?

jemima_too - this does sound like quite a good idea, and then he can't pull his head round and bog off
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ali_m - he is quite bargy in general, hence all the halter work, which he is now very good at (but knows it doesn't work on the lorry - he's not daft).

I think I will try the lunge line through the tie ring first and if all else fails it will have to be the chifney.

Thanks everyone - will let you all know how it works
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i agree with the leadrope thing aswell having one already tied and have someone on standby to shut the gates and if possible you get back out the lorry through the living if you have it
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Otherwise a chifney is your next best bet. My horse is a cow to load into a trailer so refuse to load her into a wagon as she would jump off the ramp but when we borrowed a chifney she went in with a lunge line wrapped round her bum which was a big improvement. Good luck!!
 
Hi, my horse used to do the same in the trailer. I fed him everyday on there for weeks and weeks. It takes a lot of commitment but now he stand and loads perfectly. You're best to work him first to get rid of some energy and get him into a routine of having his dinner on there. If he doesn't stand on the trailer and eat - then he doesn't get his dinner. My horse is also quite strongwilled but with him, and sounds like the same with yours, he was genuinely worried by the whole thing.
 
A woman at a yard i was on a few years ago had this trouble- she recruited a few friends with brooms and that did the trick. I'd be wary of the Chifney as others have said too. Have you ever tried two lunge lines either side of the ramp (friends holding each line) get them to cross over and pull the lines across behind your horse so when he goes to turn there is someting to (maybe!!) make him stop and look. If he gets thru it once don't bother trying it again! Parelli demo's always say by not letting the horse in the trailer it makes them want to go in (or something like that!!!) have you looked into that as a possibility? I think the principle is there even if Parelli isn't for you. Good Luck!
 
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