Barging from lorry

[supertramp]

I have a Section D, hes not been the easiest, but his behavior has improved so much in the 18 months I have owned him. The only part of the puzzle with him now is travel. I have had help to get him used to loading on my 3.5 t lorry, he is now happy to go in, will stand still on the lorry, to me he appears relaxed, lots of neck scratches, however once I try and attach the lead rope he gets bargy, there is very little space and he pushes past, large D neck used as leverage to get past me. If i have managed to tie him, he does mini rear, not ideal. This is a pony who when he first arrived i couldn't tie on the yard without him panicking, however a change of yards and he will happily stand tied up, no fuss, ignores other horses. We have been to competitions, he has come off the box slowly, and his behavior in the warm up and dressage arena has been brilliant. I have contacted the lady who helped me thus far, but to get him to stand quietly on the box is proving stressful for him. Any help/ideas would be lovely. Thankyou.

 

[Alibear]

So the lady who helped with loading can't help with this? If you need recommendations Freddy Steele is who I'd use. Part of his standard loading work is get them relaxed whilst tieing up, standing nicely whilst you close partitions etc.

 

[supertramp]

So the lady who helped with loading can't help with this? If you need recommendations Freddy Steele is who I'd use. Part of his standard loading work is get them relaxed whilst tieing up, standing nicely whilst you close partitions etc.

I have contacted her today, and waiting for a reply. I did in the past use someone else but to be honest I found them heavy handed with him.

 

[j1ffy]

I had Michael Peace out a couple of years ago and he also focuses on each stage of loading and travelling, really breaking it down so the horse can load, stand, be tied up, stand with partition closed, then travel well. It helped me to think about loading and travelling differently and considering each building block as a separate training exercise.

Does he stand and relax on the trailer before you tie him up? If not I'd aim to get to the point of true relaxation, which may take days of daily work, then try tying up and repeat until totally relaxed. Then rinse and repeat with closing the partition, closing the ramp, and finally travel. You'll probably find each stage is quicker than the last as he begins to understand the ask. Good luck, it's no fun when you have a bargy one!

 

[supertramp]

I had Michael Peace out a couple of years ago and he also focuses on each stage of loading and travelling, really breaking it down so the horse can load, stand, be tied up, stand with partition closed, then travel well. It helped me to think about loading and travelling differently and considering each building block as a separate training exercise.

Does he stand and relax on the trailer before you tie him up? If not I'd aim to get to the point of true relaxation, which may take days of daily work, then try tying up and repeat until totally relaxed. Then rinse and repeat with closing the partition, closing the ramp, and finally travel. You'll probably find each stage is quicker than the last as he begins to understand the ask. Good luck, it's no fun when you have a bargy one!

He will now walk up the ramp, he may walk up the ramp the first time, or tink about it for a moment, once hes on the lorry he is happy to stand in the correct place, lots of wither scritches, and praise, when I go to tie him up he tries/ succeeds in leaving the box very quickly, Imnot sure its fear, once off he just stands there. I jhave in the past got him m tied up, hubby in the groom area, and shut the doors, he then starts mini rears untill we move off, then settles, we can call in for diesel and he doesnt move.
When I fist got him, he would barge me out of the stabe, bruised arms and legs frequently, thats stopped now, i can leave the door open and he doesnt make a bid for freedom .
This is like the last part of his puzzle, and I really need to get it right.

 

[fredflop]

Have you got a rope already on the ring in the box so you can just clip him up?

 

[cauda equina]

When I was dealing with a bad loader we did lots of standing practice away from the trailer, basically doing ground tying

 

[dorsetladette]

Bargy, bolshy behaviour is a trait of welsh cobs allowed to get away with it. Unfortunately it's where they get their terrible reputation from. Give an inch they take a mile sort of scenario. You've cracked the stable door rushing - well done!! I doubt the unloading issue will be far behind.

What do you do if he manages to bargy off the lorry? I'd get him moving for a few minutes by the lorry and then put him back on. Let him stand for a moment and then go through the process again. Repeat as necessary. It may take a few times of repeating yourself (and a few sessions, hopefully reducing in time with each session) before the penny drops but once he 'gets' it it should stick.

 

[supertramp]

If he barges off the lorry, i make him back up away from me and then represent, have got a plan from the lady who had been helping me, Toda he stood on the lorry for over 10mins, with three of us just chatting. Its when the partition goes over he has a what seems like a moment of panic. To make standing more appealing i do offer a lickit, but he can only have this when on the lorry and nowhere else. He isnt a foodie for hay, and im trying to make it a pleasant place to be.

Thankyou to everyone for your replies.

 

[AppyLover1996]

If he barges off the lorry, i make him back up away from me and then represent, have got a plan from the lady who had been helping me, Toda he stood on the lorry for over 10mins, with three of us just chatting. Its when the partition goes over he has a what seems like a moment of panic. To make standing more appealing i do offer a lickit, but he can only have this when on the lorry and nowhere else. He isnt a foodie for hay, and im trying to make it a pleasant place to be.

Thankyou to everyone for your replies.

Seeing as he seems to get worried when the partition goes over and this is where the barging etc potentially comes from, is there any way that you can safely reproduce this kind of environment in a larger space and then work it to the stage where the space is the same size as the trailer/lorry space?

My retired lad Baggs was an absolute sod for barging off the lorry/trailer - turns out he hates small spaces and using the above method worked wonders for him x

 

[tda]

If there is just him, do you even need the partition?

 

[supertramp]

Seeing as he seems to get worried when the partition goes over and this is where the barging etc potentially comes from, is there any way that you can safely reproduce this kind of environment in a larger space and then work it to the stage where the space is the same size as the trailer/lorry space?

My retired lad Baggs was an absolute sod for barging off the lorry/trailer - turns out he hates small spaces and using the above method worked wonders for him x

This sounds a very good idea, will try at the weekend, hes a sensitive soul, and has been through a lot.

 

[supertramp]

If there is just him, do you even need the partition?

I my look into this as well, thankyou

 

[AppyLover1996]

This sounds a very good idea, will try at the weekend, hes a sensitive soul, and has been through a lot.

Oh bless him - he does sound like a sweet boy who just needs his hoof holding a bit x

 

[supertramp]

Oh bless him - he does sound like a sweet boy who just needs his hoof holding a bit x

He does bless him. He was the first horse I saw after I retired my native after 17 years together. As soon as I got on him I felt safe. However when he arrived at the yard he was full of anxiety, hated horses moving between fields, even if he was never left on his own, difficult to bridle, didnt ride him for 8 weeks, couldn't het a bridle on. Barged me out of the stable , barged through a gate and took the girth straps off, was told he had been shod in the past, however my farrier felt he had never seen a shoe in his life. We were then asked to leave the yard... Went back to an old yard, as he got off thr lorry he took a deep breath as if to say "yep, this will do me!" has never worried since about horses coming or going, stands tied up on his own, and is generally relaxed. I have stuck with him, he didnt need another home, it would have been dreadful for him.
To add, he arrived from his first home, covered in mud, a torn rug, a saddle that wasnt the one i trialed him in, the wrong girth, and looked uncared for.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

Have you stolen my horse? He sounds just like my part-Welsh D .

I’m currently working with a trainer on this very issue. We’ve been using a target (improvised stick with a bit of pipe lagging wrapped in duct tape and a vet-wrap) to encourage him to turn and then relax and stand on the lorry and and then not rush off. It’s working really well but we’ve been taking time over it. Not got to shutting partition properly yet. I’ve moved it as wide as it will go (only ever travel one) and still able to shut but I wouldn’t want him leaning on directly on the ramp.

He’s an absolute rhino and it’s been a long hard road to get him to lead at all without barging off or rearing and taking off and if I take him in the school I have to rope off a smaller section otherwise he’ll just bog off and there is no chance of holding him. It’s not been fun.

 

[supertramp]

Have you stolen my horse? He sounds just like my part-Welsh D .

I’m currently working with a trainer on this very issue. We’ve been using a target (improvised stick with a bit of pipe lagging wrapped in duct tape and a vet-wrap) to encourage him to turn and then relax and stand on the lorry and and then not rush off. It’s working really well but we’ve been taking time over it. Not got to shutting partition properly yet. I’ve moved it as wide as it will go (only ever travel one) and still able to shut but I wouldn’t want him leaning on directly on the ramp.

He’s an absolute rhino and it’s been a long hard road to get him to lead at all without barging off or rearing and taking off and if I take him in the school I have to rope off a smaller section otherwise he’ll just bog off and there is no chance of holding him. It’s not been fun.

I feel your pain, I have a behaviorist coming out again in a week, and she's all about positive reinforcement. so he stands quietly he gets what she calls a jackpot reward, a lickit, only when hes in the lorry, he will stand there quiet and relaxed, the minute the partition goes over its anpther matter, hes bargy, and the neck is like a weapon, he doesnt bugger off once hes made his exit, just stands there waiting for the next round!