Every last trick in the book for problem loader....

[lottiepony]

Seems to be anything where she's required to 'turn' so lorries and equitreks which is a pity as my friend has one of the big gorgeous equitreks and we cant get her on like i said before her ground manners are good and turns on the spot when asked just will not apply the same logic when it comes to lorries. Also even though she loads into a trailer I always walk through completely at least 3 time before we shut her in to go, just to reinforce good behaviour I need to film it or offer her as a 'bad loader' for a magazine article

 

[bonbeau]

Seems to be anything where she's required to 'turn' so lorries and equitreks which is a pity as my friend has one of the big gorgeous equitreks and we cant get her on like i said before her ground manners are good and turns on the spot when asked just will not apply the same logic when it comes to lorries. Also even though she loads into a trailer I always walk through completely at least 3 time before we shut her in to go, just to reinforce good behaviour I need to film it or offer her as a 'bad loader' for a magazine article

I have just come on here with the same problem, my mare is SO stubborn I have tried nearly everything and she will not load, I'm at the end of my tether with it so will be interested to see if and how you manage to load her and if it's something I haven't tried I will give it a go. It's so frustrating!!! Good luck

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Seems to be anything where she's required to 'turn' so lorries and equitreks which is a pity as my friend has one of the big gorgeous equitreks and we cant get her on like i said before her ground manners are good and turns on the spot when asked just will not apply the same logic when it comes to lorries. Also even though she loads into a trailer I always walk through completely at least 3 time before we shut her in to go, just to reinforce good behaviour I need to film it or offer her as a 'bad loader' for a magazine article

She may be feeling 'blocked' by the wall (side of the lorry) ahead of her. Have you tried walking her onto and off the ramp in a semi circle (rather than asking her to load), just keep her moving forward and when she is confident make the semi circle deeper. On most 3.5t boxes and equitreks you can even ask the horse to step onto the ramp from the side walk across and back off, so they just walk a straight line initially.

Also some get confused if they have always be asked to turn right, then are asked to load on a lorry where they have to turn left.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Just to add I like to load on my own with a lunge whip (with the lash removed), so I can us the whip to tap a hind leg whilst still remaining facing forwards. I like to be in control of when the horse is reassured and when a little pressure is applied, I feel sometimes assistance don't always get the timing right.

 

[michelleyork]

I am not sure how 'politically' correct this answer is, but I was shown in about 6 months ago.

Had a show at the yard where I used to keep pony, and I was just heading out for a hack and saw a lady struggling to load her quite large horse into her trailer. Came back from hack - 45mins ish and lady still trying to load horse. put my pony away, cleaned tack etc and went out to the car to head home and poor lady still trying to load the horse!

Asked her if she wanted an extra pair of hands to help, and she said horse was stubborn and would go on eventually!! Well stayed and helped for another hour and near enough all of the other competitors had gone home and just one lorry left and the girl came over and said she had a horse that used to be horrific to load and she found a way that worked and would owner of naughty horse like her to try.

Well girl took hold of horse at the bottom of the ramp and just kept turning really really tight circles in walk - litteraly hand on lead rope near head collar and then other hand touching horses bum to push it round - so yes very tight circles. When horse was getting to the point of being fed up with this she made it turn another couple of circles and when it was heading towards the trailer let it walk forwards!! Said naughty horse walked straight up the ramp and into the trailer and just stood there looking a bit shocked with the whole experience! The girl said that way of loading had never failed her, as long as you wait for the horse to be pulling to get out of the circle and make sure the circles are really really tight the horse just wants to walk forwards - I can only really see this method working on the stubborn ones as obviously if they are scared in any way you are just going to aggrivate the situation!

 

[doonrocket]

I once took 'em on a riding holiday to Dartmoor. At the end of the week Jeff point blank refused to get on. Put our other on first and he still wouldn't go. So I closed the ramp and drove off up the car park.

(naughty boy being held by other half).

Stopped, let down the ramp and he piled on in there at warp factor snot. I guess he wanted to go home after all!