Any thoughts on why he suddenly won't load?

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

After loading beautifully first time since the day I started working on it with him, Dex has decided all of a sudden he won't load. He is 4.5yo and this year has been to two in hand shows for one class each, two fun rides, the beach once and an inhand clinic today - so six times total. Never travelled more than 30 mins each way, I try to be super careful when I drive, the trailer was fully serviced 2 months ago when his hesitation first started and brakes completely replaced/tyre pressures done etc. He hasn't had any accidents or issues in the trailer, travels lovely, I give him haylage in there when he only gets hay at home (which he doesn't touch but usually would love), I try to load him 'quietly' with just pressure/release asking, don't use a whip or have people be loud behind him to make it a stressful experience and he had a lameness workup the same time as I had the trailer serviced as I wanted to cover all bases - vet said fully sound and he looks sound to me.

So the first 3 outings he loaded like a dream, instantly and happily and travelled very well. 4th & 5th outings he took about 20 seconds to think about going on the trailer but a bit of encouragement and a hand in my pocket for a treat and he walked straight on. He also stood on the trailer happily at all outings we have been to. Today he just didn't want to know for about 20 minutes - he wouldn't go on at home, or to come home and didn't stand on the trailer well (for him), he isn't being dramatic, he is just putting two feet on and then not moving. He doesn't seem anxious, doesn't rear or run or go down the side of the ramp etc.

Any thoughts on what may have suddenly caused this? I am thinking I'm going to try to practise at home and walk him on/through it and feed him on it, but I just can't think what would be making him unhappy.

 

[southerncomfort]

I wonder if something else has worried him and left him feeling generally a bit insecure.

Fireworks maybe...?

 

[teapot]

You say he's not had any accidents, but one whack of the head (anywhere, not necessarily in situ) could put a bigger horse off.

Also, is flooring level, tyre pressure all equal etc? Even a subtle change underfoot could be enough for him to question it.

 

[maya2008]

In adult horses, many threads of loading issues on here have resulted in a vet finding somewhere. Usually they were less comfy travelling too.

For a young horse that isn’t outside the realms of possibility, but also…he’s young. Regular practice and feeding in the trailer like you suggested should solve any confidence issues. Maybe also try travelling with the partition out if he’s always alone? He’s the age to be growing unevenly and feeling a little less balanced from time to time so that could help.

 

[PurpleSpots]

Has he been assessed for soft tissue discomfort? The amount of bracing they have to do when travelling can cause real issues for them if they are harbouring tightness in their body somewhere already.

 

[Esmae]

Check your trailer/lorry. Only time my old boy wouldn't load, and believe me, he absolutely would not, we had a look round and found a soft place in the floor. Got the floor done and he was fine ever after.

 

[Birker2020]

Sounds tome (by his calm demeanour) that he's taking the pi**.

Bailey would stand with two feet planted on the ramp, ears sidewards, eyes half shut, lower lip relaxed and drooping. Hardly giving the impression of being anxious, or frightened, more like utter disdain!

Have you turned him around lately? I.e is he now in at night and out during the day and therfore with the expectation of being turned out in the morning with his friends, rather than having to go on a boring outing in the trailer with Mum which will entail having to work?

As you've had the brakes replaced, the damper or the brakes aren't snatching at all are they and maybe throwing him off balance a bit? Is the trailer sloping more due to over inflated tyre pressures?

Bailey was fine loading. Same trailer/towing vehicle. 7.5 yrs going out between one and three times a week.

One day we went to one of our usual centres to compete. There was a pet pig I showed her between SJ classes. She started shaking and was very disturbed by the sight of the pigs. That night it took 20 mins to load her, something that was unheard of before that day. From then on she was a nightmare, everytime we went out she'd hesitate, most times it was for 2 or 3 mins, sometimes 8 or 10 mins.
.
Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks saw her on a liading demo. Just said she was claustrophobic but I didn't buy that. Not after 7.5 yrs of literally running into the trailer.

I tried a bute trial. I tried bedding on the mats. I tried travel boots on/off. I resorted to giving her a feed to load her. Never got to the bottom of it, but I swear it was those pigs, that she somehow got it in her head that they were waiting in the trailer to nibble her toes or something !

Increased ventilation and having a radio on whilst she travelled definitely helped!

 

[SEL]

It's quite tiring for them travelling and I think young horses can just start to say Nah, not today.

I'd just work at home encouraging him on, huge reward, then off again - don't go anywhere for a while

 

[Hackback]

This happened with my now 18 year old when he was young. He loaded fine until one day I took him to a x country farm ride and asked him to go in the water. He hated water and was scared enough to refuse point blank to go in. I think this triggered a realisation in his head that actually he could say 'no' and he started to say no when I asked him to go in the trailer. Time and practice overcame the issue and in a few months he was fine again.

I hope it's something just as innocuous with Dex.

 

[Fred66]

Ours refused to load and it turned out that one of the bars on the A-Frame at the front sheared.

I would certainly get the trailer checked thoroughly as it’s amazing what they can sense that we don’t.

 

[catembi]

I will PM you.

 

[Pedantic]

Is he in a field with Mares ?

 

[HopOnTrot]

Pain?

 

[Dave's Mam]

My friend's pony suddenly stopped loading. In the middle of one sessin, he knocked a trim off the ramp. The ramp was rotting. Only seen when the trim was off.

 

[ponynutz]

Mine stopped loading because (I presume) she didn't like facing forwards and was very used to travelling sideways.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Definitely get the trailer rechecked, one tyre that's gone soft could cause it. If trailer is good, then vet but trailer is easier and cheaper to check!

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Thank you all, lots of food for thought on here!

I don't think something has unsettled him as it's been progressively getting worse over a couple of months (we don't go out super often) but we have changed routine and I do think part of it is that he's got the hump that he's not out in the field. He's not had any injuries recently, and he's not bashed his head in the trailer as I have the camera on him but it is a possibility.

In adult horses, many threads of loading issues on here have resulted in a vet finding somewhere. Usually they were less comfy travelling too.

For a young horse that isn’t outside the realms of possibility, but also…he’s young. Regular practice and feeding in the trailer like you suggested should solve any confidence issues. Maybe also try travelling with the partition out if he’s always alone? He’s the age to be growing unevenly and feeling a little less balanced from time to time so that could help.

Has he been assessed for soft tissue discomfort? The amount of bracing they have to do when travelling can cause real issues for them if they are harbouring tightness in their body somewhere already.

I have seen this too, but he had a full lameness workup about 6 weeks ago and the vet said sound as a pound, he also then has had 2 bodywork sessions since then and has had some tightness but nothing acute or out of the ordinary, he is also on devils claw and has been for a while as he had a couple growth spurts and I thought he was a little wonky/sore at times - although perhaps I should re-measure and see if he's had a growth spurt. His work at home is better than it's ever been, which would be at odds with him having pain somewhere but you never know! My lameness work up was 'only' £150 or so, so I am not against having another to cover all bases.

Check your trailer/lorry. Only time my old boy wouldn't load, and believe me, he absolutely would not, we had a look round and found a soft place in the floor. Got the floor done and he was fine ever after.

The trailer has had a full service and check as soon as he hesitate the first time, with videos sent to me from the repair man (who is very well recommended and trustworthy). We replaced full breaks, floor checked, all panels checked, all tyres checked, the spare was replaced, typre pressures checked etc. I can get him out to have another look and make sure nothings changed - it's worth a try.

It's quite tiring for them travelling and I think young horses can just start to say Nah, not today.

I'd just work at home encouraging him on, huge reward, then off again - don't go anywhere for a while

I am happy to check all bases, but I do think that this is part of it, the first time he started to say no was when I was rushing and had forgotten to give him his breakfast (terrible owner guilt!). I suppose I'll see if it resolves with a little cajoling and positive reinforcement, and if he goes back then it is likely to be trailer or pain.

Is he in a field with Mares ?

No mares in his field, but 2 in each of the fields next door - he was seen having a gallop up the fence line with them the day before? No really strong in season mares though and he doesn't seem all that bothered by them

Mine stopped loading because (I presume) she didn't like facing forwards and was very used to travelling sideways.

I don't think it will be this as he's only ever travelled in the trailer - other than when he came over from Ireland which was herringbone and then backwards. Do you think he could change his mind on it after a while of being fine with it?

 

[MuddyMonster]

Assuming he is fine physically & the trailer is fine, I know they can 'seem fine' but has he been a bit overawed by what he's done the other side? I think with younger horse's it's really easy without knowing to push them over their threshold.

Are you able to load him at all? If so, is there any improvement if you just load to feed dinner without going anywhere? Then just a short trip out without going anywhere and return straight to the yard? Rinse and repeat a few times. If there's an association with the trailer being a part of stuff happening they might not be sure about this can help reduce that (with my boy it was changing homes as he'd been through quite a few guardians as a youngster and once he realised it wasn't always a change and I was always going to be there the other side, he was much happier)

I don't think they need to be dramatic in saying no they aren't comfortable as some horse's just shut down and go into themselves - mine's one - and unlike Birker's suggestion, I don't think he was ever taking the mickey. I find it really sad that in 2024 with all that we know about horse's they are still dismissed as mickey taking. Just as not all humans have loud hysterics when life gets too much or they don't like something.

 

[nikkimariet]

Given age and a few nice outings under his belt I’d assume trying it on?

Rooni can be a bugger to load and it is only if he is going somewhere by himself after going somewhere with company.

 

[littleshetland]

One of mine was always reluctant to load in the trailer. He would refuse politely and always took a couple of minutes to get him in. At the time, the trailer was partitioned in to two.
One day the partition was unavailable (i think I'd leant it out to someone else) so I put the big bars in, cross tied him and off we went. When we arrived at our destination he'd arranged himself diagonally across the trailer - nose in the right front corner, bum in the rear left corner. For the first time ever he'd actually eaten some hay en route and although had always travelled well before, he did seem very relaxed. Since then Ive always travelled him without the partition and he practically trots up the ramp to get in.

 

[irishdraft]

It sounds like he hasnt been keen on previous couple of outings but has loaded and has now said no. As you have covered all bases it could be he simply needs more room so I would try without the partition see how he gets on with more room. I think people sometimes forget horses do think for themselves and whilst we should check for pain etc they can decide they don't want to do something, sometimes there is no obvious logic for it. Loading issues are one of the commonest things that people go to experienced handlers for, as I did myself with the result I now have a horse that loads, so personally I would seek help if you cannot get to the bottom of it as it ends up spoiling outings.

 

[Fransurrey]

Mine went through a phase like this after a few outings, aged 6. At first I put it down to him sharing a trailer with a horse that wouldn't leave him alone (the first time he wouldn't load was coming home from a ride when he'd shared the trailer for the journey). I moved to travelling with a full width breast bar and after an initial reluctance, he started loading himself again. He did turn out to have PSSM1, though, and I'd noticed that especially when tired, he was having trouble balancing (I had a camera on him and asked the passenger to report what he was doing in real time). Even with the full width, I am very careful when cornering.

 

[Annagain]

This sounds a bit like Charlie and I think he was sore. He turned out to have kissing spine - albeit mild. He went from loading perfectly, to stopping to have a little think but going on, to being a bit reluctant, then putting up a proper fight. He never actually said a flat out no, I always got him on and had a pro to work with us, which helped lots but it started up again a few weeks later. Initially I put it down to him realising that going somewhere meant working harder but it became increasingly obvious something wasn't right. He then starting putting in a buck going into canter and getting very funny about picking up his back legs so it was time for a check up. He wasn't lame at all and it took a bit of finding but it was there. I don't say this to scare you and you're obviously alive to the possibility of something physical but I just wanted you to be aware that the workup can rule out a lot of things but not everything.

Could you do a bute trial to see if he's happier to go on then? Of course, it could be just that he's realising that trailer = work at the other end, although judging by your videos, he's eager to please so I doubt that's the case with him.

 

[buzzles]

My young ID suddenly did this, l just took it back a step to loading at home every day -walking through first, then built up to standing with a haynet for few minutes, to bit longer and then a short trip. No time pressure and didn't make a big deal, just some food and patience and he loaded again soon, a bit quicker every day. I don't really know why but l think maybe he had been doing a few more outings etc and it was a little bit much for him mentally to process and just needed to take a few steps back to get him comfortable again in the trailer. It did the trick and he was fine again after couple weeks. Unless he had a fright or is lame l wouldn't over analyze it to be honest, just a minor training issue that needs some work.

 

[lme]

Are you going out during what would usually be his field time? If so, it could just be that.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

This sounds a bit like Charlie and I think he was sore. He turned out to have kissing spine - albeit mild.

Could you do a bute trial to see if he's happier to go on then? Of course, it could be just that he's realising that trailer = work at the other end, although judging by your videos, he's eager to please so I doubt that's the case with him.

I know he hasn't got kissing spine as I had his back xrayed when he got stuffy with his saddle (see previous comment about being a big neurotic ), he also displays no other signs of PSSM or any pain related issues - he's going the best he ever has ridden in the school and hacking. I understand it's not bute but he's been on devils claw, which is a competition banned anti inflammatory, so I would have thought that would have a similar effect. He is incredibly willing, but he's also not silly and he has a real sense of when he should be eating and when not!

He's not ever travelled with another horse or met a horse that he knows out and about so it's not that. He is also having no problem at all balancing in the box, he's travelling like a lamb once in, albeit he is looking out the window rather than eating so I suppose likely a little worry in there - he doesn't ever rush off the box though, and to date has been happy to chill on there whilst out (other than at the clinic this weekend just before leaving to come home but I think that was a bad day for us both).

Thinking about it @lme - it has semi-coincided with us changing from overnight turnout to daytime turnout so perhaps it is as simple as him being aggrieved that he's either been brought in, or not gone out with his mates. I am also hacking slightly less as it's dark now when I get to the yard, so weekends only. Plus he has been such an easy 3/early 4yo that he is slightly learning what it means to say no in some other respects.

My young ID suddenly did this, l just took it back a step to loading at home every day -walking through first, then built up to standing with a haynet for few minutes, to bit longer and then a short trip. No time pressure and didn't make a big deal, just some food and patience and he loaded again soon, a bit quicker every day. I don't really know why but l think maybe he had been doing a few more outings etc and it was a little bit much for him mentally to process and just needed to take a few steps back to get him comfortable again in the trailer. It did the trick and he was fine again after couple weeks. Unless he had a fright or is lame l wouldn't over analyze it to be honest, just a minor training issue that needs some work.

This sounds like it could be very similar, he hasn't been out enough to be fully relaxed, it's still rather 'exciting/a lot to take in' and I do sometimes get complacent with him forgetting he's so young as he is so fab and usually I can read him like a book, so I think I'm going to do exacrtly what you did. Annoyingly I can't daily practise as the trailer part of the yard isn't lit, so a) I don't think he'd be inclined to get in a dark or shadowy trailer and b) I can't see to reverse it back into my spot - but I think if I do a couple weekends I'll get an idea pretty quick.

So I think my plan of action is going to be:
- next month or so load and feed in it at weekends, after he's been out for the day. Walk through, then stop on the box and see if he gets any happier over time, then if he does progress to a drive around the block
- Not book in an outings for a couple months at least depending on how the above goes, give him mentally some down time (I don't think I have done too much with him, but perhaps he needs a break anyway?)
- get the service guy out to come and give it a once over just in case something has happened
- if step 1 doesn't help then I'll buy a full length breastbar, I'm not convinced he'll be better as I think he'll fidget once he's bored/try and turn around to look out the back but worth a try as you never know.
- get someone professional out if all else fails
- get the vet out if the above fails/do a bute trial (may do this before the step above, not sure)

 

[SEL]

Are you going out during what would usually be his field time? If so, it could just be that.

I created a problem when I was moving the strip grazing in the morning. Asking him to load when he knew the fence had been moved but he hadn't eaten anything equalled a cob shaped monster

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Havnt read all replies so sorry if this is a repeat. I would first of all said trailer, but you've had that check. My second thought was that he is a big boy, still maturing. He may be going through a growth spurt and it actually hurts to travel, as it does with horses with bad backs, hocks etc.

 

[GinaGeo]

I would certainly start with checking the trailer and Dex for any issues, but if none found then treat it as a training issue.

In my experience young horses, especially when they’re approaching the 5yr old mark, begin to test what they can say ‘no’ to. They sort of become aware that it’s an option. Especially if he thinks he ought to be going in the field with his mates.

I wouldn’t make a big deal if it, but I would calmly and quietly keep his feet moving and make the easier option him just walking in.

It doesn’t usually take very long for them to get the idea.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You posted elsewhere, I think, that recently the breast bar dropped down while he was in transit. That shouldn’t happen if it was properly secured with the pin clip. I have had it happen in a thankfully empty trailer when I’d forgotten to put the clip through.

I’d defintely double check the trailer including riding in it yourself empty (not on a public road) to check for rattles. My Ifor has come back from servicing with a new metal on metal rattle and I’m going to have to find out where the rattle coming from. I can hear it when driving with my car with the window down, so it would be very loud inside the trailer. I can’t replicate the rattle by shaking the trailer standing parked up, so a moving test it is.

The central partition pole used to rattle badly where it is secured to the roof, but I solved that by baffling it with old cycle inner tube off cuts .