before i call richard maxwell....

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Ottinmeg

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does anybody have any tips with regard to loading? ive recently bought a trailer and tried to load my mare in it today.she wasnt having any of it! gets 2 feet on the ramp and then shes off again. then swings to the side of the ramp when you try again.i havnt tried many things and did only have her headcollar on. tried leading the pony through it to see if she would follow and she didnt give a monkeys! i know she does load on a trailer and i think she is taking the P and is a bit rusty!
thanks in advance
 
Two of ours are complete cows and do this!!
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But as soon as we try to take them up the front ramp (so they're facing backwards, they IMMEDIATELY walk in!)
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So we do that, walk them through, turn them around and go up the right way. They'll normally go straight in then.
They're just cows though, so yours could be a completely different reason.

Did you have feed?

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i'm sure i'll get shot down in flames for this, but some of them just need one good smack and they go straight in like a lamb... did you try that?
otherwise, it's either lunge lines, or a friend behind with a yard broom, or an easi-loader, or try having a long touchier whip (like a super-long schooling whip) in your left hand and tap her on the bum with it as you walk. can work brilliantly, they can't see where it's coming from, but get the idea that it's forward all the way.
best of luck! bad loaders are such a nightmare.
 
Hey I'd call him - he's really quite sexy :-)

My tips would be just take your time, if she's stressing, then make sure you don't. Do some other stuff with her to distract her, have her back up; move left/right laterally; just generally get her moving around and engaging her brain and then as part of all of that, just keep asking the trailer question.

I really have never needed to drag, beat or bully a horse into a trailer. If she's food orientated you can try that, but it depends on the horse.

I'd love to come help you out, but you're a bit of trip (and like I said RM is much more attractive than me)
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If you can wait a week or so I'll come over and sort her out for you. She has been trained to Maxwell techniques, use a pressure halter, walk and halt her well away from the trailer.

Take out all the partitions, drop the front ramp and the breast bar, and walk her straight through the trailer, expect her to move off as soon as you ask (establish this away from the trailer) Walk well ahead of her and expect her to follow, if you are too close you will be blocking her.

After you have done this 10 or so times, put her away and have a cup of tea!

Put the partition back in, but leave the breast bars down and the front ramp down, walk her through again, at least 10 times, more if you like. Then start telling her to halt at various stages, on the ramp, then on the trailer, until you reach the point where the breast bar will go.

Be positive with praise, never raise your voice, don't look at her, just expect her to follow. I promise if you stick to this she will follow up the ramp with no rope at all. Do NOT bribe with food.

Put her away, and on day 2 do it all again - it has to be totally ingrained. She just hasn't travelled often enough recently and needs a refresher

(if you want to pay me Richard Maxwell rates that is cool too
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but I'll do it for petrol money)

I have used this technique with several horses, from young and nervous to older and resistant - it is tried and tested
 
Know EXACTLY how you feel...my son's pony will NOT go on the lorry on her own..makes a right old song and dance about it all, but if we put another one on first she then waltzes straight up and practically ties herself on, cool as a cucumber!
At pc camp last year, someone got her straight on with a halti (rope halter) and she didn't bat an eyelid. So try a halti!
 
ok, yep i did have her tea and she was only half interested but not enough to actually go in and get it!
kerilli, i had to laugh when you suggested the broom as i have actually done this to her (when trying her on the lorry ) and the cowbag was actually enjoying having a broom run up and down her rear end!!
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she doesnt get stressed ,just being bloody minded about the whole thing!
 
Get a pressure halter, a good friend and a lunge line...Park trailer in an arena or similar area with a soft surface...bandage horses legs, apply over reach boots to all feet and a poll guard...drop both ramps (if it has two) put pressure halter on horse, clip lung line to pressure halter, walk into trailer, into 'jockey compartment'...get friend to stand at jockey door...apply a slightly firm but constant pressure to line...and be prepared to wait a long time.

She'll pull back, sidewards, up, down...keep the pressure until she gives into it and steps on the ramp...have the friend take the line and make a fuss of her when she gets this far. She'll have 100 strops before she gives in...let her get on with it, just ignore her (it might be difficult but do try!) Gently pick up the pressure again...and wait...it shouldn't be such a long wait this time.

If she's a jumper (repeatedly jumps off the side of the ramp...park as close to a barrier (gate, fence, wall etc) and then build a make-shift one on the other side (add something slightly spooky or something she dislikes to discourage her from ploughing through it!!)

If you manage to get her all the way in, give her a good rub and coo nice things at her...and unload her.

Personally, i'd leave it there for Day one.

Repeat frequently until you don't even need to apply pressure and allow more time being stood in the trailer.
 
My mare is a Bu**er to load!! After lots experiments etc...I can now load her on my own without too much stress. I always use a chifney and she does not take the P*ss out of me now half as much anymore. I also took the partition out and just use a breast bar to travel her. She does like to stand on the ramp with her front legs and just stand still i let her do this then encourage her to come in when she is settled and she usually does after a few mins. Her fav trick is at the last sec duck out and stand across the ramp with all 4 feet but facing the wrong direction!!.
Just leave yourself lots of time, ive been known by the end of last season to arrive at a showground and be the only one there!! as she loaded in seconds but at the start of the season arriving after my classes as it took so long to load her, its frustrating i know but patience and time is usually the answer.
Goodluck
 
just seen the other posts after i replied! the watcher ,would appreciate it if you could come down, (i didnt want to bother you so posted here). bribing her with food doesnt work anyway!
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anthea, my daughters pony gets so fed up with waiting for the muppets to get on that she takes herself up the ramp. we used her today to get the big fella in as he hasnt been in a trailer before and as soon as she went in so did he.
 
thanks the watcher - i am going to try that for my mare! any tips on when they get in she stamps around nervy as hell until we go when she settles? (have found out as only travelled in box until she came to us without a breast bar) thks
 
For the ones that tend to stamp and fuss, once they are tied up we keep them entertained with a bucket of soaked food until we are ready to move off, then the helper jumps out and closes up the jockey door and leaps into the car as it is moving off. You only have to do this a few times and they get the idea. Ignore the stamping if you can.
 
I would just take some time, a pressure halter (just a rope halter will do or normal if you prefer) and a bucket of food.
Just stand on the ramp, with your food and the pressure halter. When she steps forward, give her some food and release pressure. And so on. Once she is on don't immediately put up the bar but take her off and do so again. Ideally if you have a front offload take her off it there so she isn't backing off.
I have found with all our difficult loaders that if someone is behind them they tend to watch and worry about them (probably rightly so!!) so I send everyone away and the pressure/release and food works well.
If you get stuck at a show-lunge lines round the bum!
I did train my pony to go through himself no headcollar etc. with the use of food-when he doesn't like something he can still refuse to load (new trailer etc). but it was 2-3yrs ago I did the training and he hasn't had any refreshers since.
The key I think is to pick a time when you dont have to get her on.
 
We have that stamping about getting a bit agitated once he's on - he always walks straight up so can't complain. We just make sure to load him once absolutely everything is ready and in the car and chuck him up the ramp, feed him a carrot while we are tying him up and putting the ramp up, leap out the jockey door and into the car. Once we set off he's fine....I think he just gets a bit excited as he knows we are off to a party.
 
My old mare was a cowbag to load. You couldn't use a whip or get strong with her as she paniced and got worse. I had Grant Bazin out (uses Monty Roberts techniques and rides for him) and i was so impressed i ened up working for him for a few months. He gave me a few things that really helped.

The first has already been mentioned, a dually (or pressure halter) really helped my mare think forward. Be careful not to 'hold' onto the contact - release as soon as you get a forward movement. Use a long line so you can manuvre the horse.

Perhaps the best thing i was taught is the use of a gate. This is the best loading techneque i have ever learnt! Park the trailer in a gate way (preferably in a narrow space if possible, like between fencing, to stop the horse going off the side). Make sure the bottom of the ramp is by the gate (when the gate is closed). Have the gate open and as the horse walks through it towards the ramp, have someone slowly close it behind. The results (for me at least) are amazing. My mare reaslised she HAD to go forward, as there isnt any room for her to stand off the ramp.... it helps with forward thought too. You have to get the timing right, but basically your aiming to close the gate behind the horse.

Its worth a try! Good luck!
 
All I can say is I'm mighty pleased I'm not one of your horses.

I had a bad loader & I did the sensible thing & got Max out. I now have a horse that loads perfectly every time & no one had to shove a broom up her bum, wrap lunge lines round her, pin her down with a lunge line through a jockey door or even open the trailer up other than the rear ramp of course. A little time, patience & sensible methods did the trick.

I'd seriously save your horse the stress & trauma & call Max
 
I wouldn't worry too much Maislow - this particular mare has been trained by a Maxwell student in the past,she knows what she has to do and is just taking the mickey - she will be getting a refresher next week!
 
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hmmmmm a Maxwell student

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Do you think that techniques and understanding can't be passed on? Would be a bit pointless Max doing all those books and videos if that was the case, wouldn't it.
 
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hmmmmm a Maxwell student

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Do you think that techniques and understanding can't be passed on? Would be a bit pointless Max doing all those books and videos if that was the case, wouldn't it.

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Hi there,you helped my friend Emma _C with her arab a while back and she was singing your praises! Can you give me any advice on a my are,the last time and the first time she had travelled for a while was on her way to me from Cornwall on a 8 hr trip wearing nothing,she came off in a state with no tail and very distressed,i moved her yards before xmas and discovered she loads fine but once she's in she goes mental! thrashing around,rearing,trying to barge out,and then just stamps and winnies the whole time,very upsetting for me as she is genuinely nervous now,spoke to her breeder and she used to travel like a dream,poor girl.I'm wanting to get out and about with her now that she ready but not sure how best to approach the loading again
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That is a very different problem as she has a very genuine reason for fearing transport. The obvious one to try would be to load her, fuss her, unload her - do that several days, then take her on a very short gentle trip - no more than 2 or 3 minutes, and fuss her and see how she copes with that, you could build the trips up very gently over a period of weeks or months.

it will take her a very long time to forget that bad experience, she may never forget it, but if you can rebuild her confidence she might travel more calmly.

If you can bring yourself not to react to the stamping and jumping about, and just praise the quieter behaviour that is probably the best approach.
 
My boys the same, will load first time, wasnt totally happy in the trailer looking behind him constantly but try to put the ramp up and he freaks and runs out backwards, whacking his head on the way. After practicing for about a month Ive given up and sold the trailer
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. Its really funny as he had a fantastic first journey in a trailer (always been in a wagon) he loaded, took him on a short trip and that was that, wouldnt have it next time. We were so so careful towing him. He was really nervous loading into a wagon when we tried him and he use to be great.
 
You could ask someone else to load her and see if they get same reaction. I'd also leave front ramp open so it looks roomy and then even if she just walks through it's a start. Other things you could try. See if she'll follow another horse in or park trailer near wall so she can only escape off one side, you could then ask someone to gently encourage her with a lunge line behind her bum. Really depends if she's trying it on or really worried about going in. Good luck.
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My mare is a total cow when it comes to loading and mean a TOTAL cow - nothing works at all including rpessure halters, having a lead, brooms etc. She isn't scared just stubborn. The only thing that works with her is sugar lumps. She adores them but the only time she gets any it when she's loaded
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Hi Maislow, i soo agree with your first line. I had Max out about the same time as you, and 'his rates', I would pay twice over to get where I am now.

Poor horses, no wonder they won't load.

Coffee Bean, your horse in not a cowbag to load, you need to practice and play with the trailer. She won't wake up one morning and run up the ramp! YOU need to put the work in.
 
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