Advice needed on troublesome loader in a difficult horsebox

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KatenCoco

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I know there have probably been loads of threads on this so sorry if anyone has to repeat themselves.

I cannot afford my own transport, and at my old yard i used catch lifts to shows in my friend's trailer and coco loaded fine - slowly but fine. She's not scared just a little bit confused sometimes.

Anyway at my new yard my friend Sam owns a horse lorry that her uneducated in horses grandad bought for her.. it's a very strange lorry, very steep and has a partition in the middle so it holds two horses facing forwards. Coco has been in this lorry once to go xc and it took us an incredibly long time to load on the way home..

The lorry doesn't have front unload so coco had to come out backwards on a very steep ramp and i think she really didn't like it.. so on the way home i took the over option in unloading from the lorry and walked her forwards and turned her round and walked out frontwards (don't know if that makes sense) but the lorry is quite narrow and she bumped her bum.. overall next time i tried to get her on it for practice she wouldn't go on.

I'm going to spend a lot of time this summer practising cause i really would like to compete this seasons but i just wanted some advice on how to do it? Would you advise unloading backwards and getting her used to it or turning round and going frontwards?? Also PLEASE any tips for getting her on in a nice way (no lunge lines please)

she doesn't rear etc she'll just put her front feet on the ramp and not want to come forwards?

thanks so much
 
Is it a very small lorry - like a transit van only taller?

If so it will not give a very nice ride. I used to own something like this, although it was a side load with two forward facing, but when my OH drove it and I followed in the car I was alarmed at how much it swayed from side to side, being tall and narrow. I have seen others similar and they all do the same.

So that may be one problem.

Re the loading. Whatever works! I always find that reluctant loaders are helped by food and patience. I don't mean terrified loaders.

Even if she normally doesn;t get much in the way of food, get her somethig nice (a mix goes down well, carrot pieces etc) and have them in a feed scoop. Get as far as you can then when she stops offer her the food just beyond reach. For some reason, if you hold it almost on the floor/ramp this seems to work better. Only let her have some if she has moved forward. And even then only a little bit (not eating out of the scoop, one nibble then move it again)

Give yourself plenty of time and keep at it. If she goes on, stand and let her eat the feed. I used to regularly give nigt feed to one of mine in the box. Then take off. Plenty pf practice when you are not going anywhere and plenty of praise.

I know people pften don;t believe in treats and tit bits but if it works why not?

My ex reluctant loader now goes on pretty much straight away, but I always ahve something in my hand just in case, and he always gets a treat once he's on.

If she is small enough then turning round if fine - presumably with partitiion removed.

Good luck.
 
iv seen a lorry similar to what this one sound like i had to have help walking up the ramp as i almost fell backwards, to be fair it was parked on a hill but still!! And please please dont let anyone "do you want me to get you a bucket of feed" do you want me to put a rope round his bum ect... my advise would be to borrow the parelli loading dvd off somebody if you can, my mare would NEVER load she was terrible i STUPIDLY tried all the stupid little tricks that may work once but that's bout it, you shouldn't trick horses to load, bribe them or try to force them. Id never seen parelli before, never seen the 7 games etc, my only experience is of this dvd, i watched it and thought well that's amazing but how the hell will i be able to do that!! turns out quite easily! but you have to do what it says not well ill throw the rope over his back and if it doesn't work maybe ill just get somebody to push him in from behind, its all about telling them in a way they understand whilst not giving of signals that say don't come near me (most people are suprised at how easy it is to do that) and one thing the guy says is never start loading when your going somewhere or have a time limit. So my mare who was taking 3 hours to load and in the end just had to go back in her stable i went up one morning at about 10.00 when people wouldnt be up untill around 4 (all silly people giving me advise from the stoneage..) and after an hour she was walking quite happily in and out. with practise and practise we perfected it. (regarding feed never use it to tempt into a trailer but i occasionally will feed n a trailer as its just nice for her to happily walk in have everything closed up get her tea, have a bit of a haynet and then come out.) I think its great that your willing to practise, half the people i know just want a quick fix for when they are going somewhere even if it results in s sweated up, unhappy and confused horse (rolls eyes) good luck :)

BTW reading the above post i think treats are great, love them infact, but not bribes.
 
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I can see why your horse is a bit put off, not the most open airy light type of box at all, with practise im sure youll be ok :)
 
I would agree with the parelli training, although im not very familiar with how they teach loading, only the groundwork.
It can be so frutrating when they dont want to load, so you have to have the patience of a saint.
Maybe try walking him up to the ramp, if he stops ask him to back away from it, reward and go forward again. The release of pressure is very important here so that you release when he does the right thing ie go forward.
Keep at this and see if you can gradually build up to getting a foot, then 2 onto the ramp. The aim here isnt to get him onto the ramp, its to get him to understand that its safe and that he can trust you. I think too many people concentrate on getting onto the box, instead of really working at all the basics required first.
You want to be able to get him walking up steep things, into tight dark spaces without worrying, but building his confidence would be your best bet i think. And time. Dont worry so much about the end result, just enjoy the training and you wont get disheartened if its moving slowly.
The page wouldnt work so im not sure what the ramp is like, but what can help is walking them up over the ramp from the sides, but if you have a very steep ramp, this may not work.
 
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