advice pls on introducing young horse to loading..

[texansunrise]

Hi all, i would be really grateful for some ideas and advice that may help me, to introduce my horse to loading...

He has never travelled in a trailer before ( once previously in lorry long time ago ) so, took my trailer to yard tonight and put it in the outdoor school - front and back ramps down etc took out central partition.

Got my boy kitted out and on long lunge line..

began by walking him around the car and trailer letting him have got look and sniff .. he was very interested and got front feet on ramp - so far so good..pawed at ramp even tried biting it!
Still not keen to walk in but didnt push him or worry him.. I let him have his rope and just let him have a good look and sniff...
after 10 mins he gets back legs on the ramp... then 5 more mins he wants to try walking through ..

Now my problem
trouble is ..he gets mid way and then charges off as quick as he can..i walked him on another 3 times and he walked in the mid way he charges out launching him self off the ramp!

Im not sure how to deal with this with out getting flattened or putting him off!

Do you think i should be stopping this rushing now ..or do i let him keep going through like this and hope that he will get used to the movement and noise of trailer as he goes in and out?
Im just worried that this may become a habit - but dont want to make an issue out of it as was thrilled he even walked through...any tips ideas, experiences, most appreciated !! Just dont want to discourage him but not sure what is the right thing to do next

Thank you for reading x x

 

[LaurenM]

I watched the downunder horsemanship programme once and they were loading a non loader. He did it by removing the pressure rather than increasing it. Basically when the horse showed an interest he'd walk the horse away.

My friend would feed her horse in the box as well.

Not much use though sorry!

 

[texansunrise]

thanks for your input..i did try bribing him with carrots i think he will load ok eventually ..but its just the rushing through im not sure how to handle..maybe i could try feeding him in there...hmmm ?!..!! x x

 

[JenHunt]

does he reverse when you ask him to?
I would try a game of yoyo in front of the ramp... ask him to walk toward you then away several times. then stand on the ramp and do the same until he;ll happily come up for a head rub and back off to where you want him.
Then do it across the ramp (so he's got to walk over it to get the head rub) - might be easiest to reverse the trailer up to a fence for this one, or use the side ramp, but he has to have no option but to cross the ramp.
Then again, with you in the trailer and him coming up the ramp for a head rub, and reversing a few steps down it.
Then you move a bit further into the trailer, so he just has to get his shoulders into the trailer and back out again.
Then you move further in, so his hip comes almost to the entrance when he's up to you.
Then, put the breast bar up and he has to walk up to it to get a head rub, and stand for 10, 15, 20 seconds or so.
Keep on repeating it until he's happy to come in, have a rub, wait and reverse when YOU tell him to.
It might takes lots and lots of goes. Don't rush, don't panic. If he starts getting pushy, panicky or stroppy, go back to the previous stage until he's happy again. Each time start from the beginning until he'll do each one twice with no fuss. Then start taking out the earliest stages one at a time.
at this point you can start getting someone to put the back bar up, but not fastening it, for 30 seconds (shouldn't be a problem as he's waiting for your signal to move).
once he's happy with this try fastening it for 30 seconds at a time.
once he's happy with this you can try shutting the ramp(s)
once he'll stand with the ramps shut you can try going somewhere.

it's not a short process, but it will mean a happy loader.

I've found that once they know the only way to a reward is to do as they're told they become great to load. And, once they go do things, have fun, come home and get fed, it gets even easier. Ron loads himself, Tom loads happily, but gets too easily distracted if you don't lead him in!

ETA - sounds like he's rushing through as he feels a bit panicky, so doing it this way should eliminate that fear for him, as everytime he stands quietly, he's a)not getting eaten by the scary trailer monster, and b)he's getting a cuddle.

 

[Bosworth]

with my youngster (3 years) who has only every been in a trailer once, and that was when we collected him from stud and we had to physically lift him in (4 men - 1 yearling) we simply got my old horse who he has bonded with, walked the old horse in his side, then let the youngster follow in on his own side and left them to it. My old boy thinks a trailer is meals on wheels and the youngster will follow him to the end of the earth. The first few times will be done just like that - left in there together to have their tea ( with their partitions in) then we will switch on the engine and drive round the block then back for tea.

Don't make a big thing of it - advance and retreat is great and don't bother using the front door - with all the horses i have ever trailer trained I have not bothered with the front door as the one horse I tried it with would simply leap out pushing past the handler.

 

[Biscuit]

We introduced our youngster to the trailer in the field, by then her ground training was pretty good and basically we had her lose. That way it was not a problem that she wanted to go a bit fast out the front door the first couple of times. First, she followed a more experienced horse, she followed me when I walked through while eating my sandwich (to the side, so she had plenty of time to pass next to me), afterwards it was enough to point her to the trailer and she would walk through on her own. It was all a fun game

I reckon the number one thing for loading success is groundwork. So if it isn't 100% it may be a good idea to work on it a bit before going further with the loading - just to make sure the horse follows you, stops, backs etc with very slight pressure on the lead rope. I have found it very useful to practice over "obstacles" - tarpaulin, poles, if you can get hold of a big wood plate etc. so the horse is used to different surfaces. Also, if you are not going to use the front door I think it is essential that backing the horse is very established before even thinking about the trailer.