foal loading drama...help!!

[pinkypug1]

Ive had a terrible morning trying to load my 8 month old filly. My fault as i should've practiced when she was smaller & with mum but i didnt and so left myself open to the nightmare i found myself in!

I needed to move her as mare who shared field was leaving. I expected a little stand off but not what happened... 1.5 hours of battling ending up in a very distressed foal who reared a number of times & fell over (soft muddy ground so no injuries thank god) 4 of us were on hand to try all sorts from gentle coaxing to company on trailer to lungelines etc we tried every conceiveable method to load her but she was determined she wasnt going on. In the end she was just to freatful and it was doing none of us any good that we had to leave her alone for the 1st time in the field. Ive been to check her a few times today and she settled and fine but i cant leave her alone for long so what should i do re loading??

would sedation work? just to get her home then i can work on loading gradually over a number of weeks?

 

[Spring Feather]

Oh dear. That's not a good introduction for her to trailering I've never had any problems loading youngsters as they are all so used to travelling with their dams to repro centres and inspections etc so when they leave me to go to their new homes they've always loaded fine.

I would never sedate a foal, not unless it was in the case of an absolute emergency injury, and definitely not for trailering. Presumably you had the partition out of the trailer so that it was light and airy and inviting for her? If not then do that next time. Also if you can reverse up to a graduation/slope and put the ramp on the slope so that it's level and she doesn't have to climb up into the trailer that might help. Can you tempt her in with feed or crossed lunge reins behind her and winch her on?

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

How long before you have to load her again - can you leave the trailer in the field safely, with all ramps down, and some feed in it? If not, any buildings in the field, can you back up to the door and hoosh her in like that? Stick a bit of dirty bedding in there so it smells a bit horsey too. We collected a nine month old weanling a couple of weeks ago, he was in a barn, we backed the trailer right up to it and he led straight in, travelled him back loose (and of course with all doors shut tight!) and he arrived calm and only a little sweaty.

 

[air78]

Not a good situation for you or foaly to be in it must have been very stressfull for both of you.

I would seriously reccomend that you get an Intelligent Horsemanship Recomended Associate out ASAP so you can get foaly moved. They will get your foal loaded in no time, with minimal stress. They will teach you and the foal about pressure and release, which stop the rearing/ going over. It will be money so well spent in the long run

http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/specialist-horse-training.html

 

[lornaA]

i did same as spot the risk when we collected my new weanling. Backed trailer right up to barn door so only place he could go was in trailer. Put some bedding in trailer and on ramp and with a bit of patience and encouragment he went in. Travelled him loose with all doors closed and he travelled brilliant.

 

[Fools Motto]

Where abouts are you OP? Maybe some people from here can come and give you a hand?
Not a good 1st experience for the young filly, so you need to make kind gentle positive steps asap. What breed is she?

 

[Reindeer Rider]

I have been doing trailer training this weekend with my 9 month old. I opened trailer front and back and walked foal's mum through a few times, letting her stop and eat ponynuts on the way through from a bowl on the floor (noisily so foal hears). Then tucked foal in behind mum as she walked through. Foal cautiously walked in and ate some nuts. I repeated this over and over and have done more again today with the added noise of breast and tail bar being moved around while she is on board. She is standing quite confidently - no rush to get off. I resolved to not let her have any nuts until she was completely on board, and to let her get off as soon as she wanted.

I realise all foals are different (mine's very greedy) and you probably don't have foal's mum there to give a good demonstration of very casual loading. But you wanted ideas..

 

[DosyMare]

When i collected my foal it started nicely but after 30min tactic changed - one was pulling at the front and two behind with locked arm round his bum. All he did was rear and sit down. They even smacked him with brooms but he wasn't going up. He was to worked up to eat either - he was so hot. I didnt know what to say ordo. In the end they put a jumper over his face and when he reared he landed on the ramp and before I knew it he was bundled in.
When I got him home and once he was settled and knew me I would just feed him on the trailer ramp while I sat on it. He soon started to get interested and wanted to venture in. I just rewarded good behaviour. We have been showing and moved yards too and he a dream.

So stay positive - just time and patience.

 

[kerilli]

i'd borrow a little friend for her asap, one that loads well, stick them together for a few days, and then see if she'll follow her friend in.
have enough experienced people around, stay totally calm and gentle, be prepared for it to take 5 hours (then it'll probably take 5 mins), absolutely don't get into a fight, coax her in gently and calmly... i know that's very easy to say while sitting here unstressed but i've tried both ways and the calm gentle reassuring way works, the fight way doesn't (as you discovered). let her watch the other one walk in and out, that got one of mine loading perfectly after a traumatic first time very like yours (incl going over backwards on the concrete when the headcollar snapped, i was very lucky she didn't break her neck). good luck!
in absolute extremis, blindfolding with a dark teatowel tucked into headcollar USUALLY makes them freeze so you can coax them in a lifted-by-hand, footstep at a time... not for the inexperienced though because if they do panic you have to move fast enough to get it off them, the last thing you want is a blindfolded foal running off...

 

[imafluffybunny]

I would agree with above, if you can get a mini or a friend that is a good loader it may help.
With my babies I make sure we are not short on time, I hold the end of the lead rope and I stand on the ramp with a bucket of food. I hold the bucket just out of reach until they put a foot on the ramp but I let them do it in their own time under no pressure. I usually find that once the front feet are on they walk on quite quickly after that.
I did have a big yearling who would panic so I parked my trailer in the field, tied my mini in the back and let the yearling walk in loose after a bucket of food. He soon realised if he wanted to back out he could do but actually once in was quite happy. The next time he travelled he walked straight in by himself with no fuss.

 

[AMH]

We did the shoo-ing on approach - it wasn't helped that mum's not the happiest loader, and certainly didn't want to go in without baby. Admittedly we had a barn to help us, but maybe if you could get enough helpers, back the trailer into a corner and then close in on the foal until it's got nowhere to go but in the trailer - have someone she knows in there, maybe with feed if she's used to rattley buckets.

It's really tough, but if this is a one-off, necessary move then so be it - you'll have plenty of time for 'doing it properly' in the future. I don't think that one unpleasant experience when they're this young has to set the pattern for ever more, as long as it's addressed once she's settled elsewhere.

Good luck - it took 3 attempts to move my mare and foal, so I know excatly how stressful it can be! x

 

[pinkypug1]

Thanks for all your advice and help!
I would try leaving the horse box in the field however there have been some recent thefts from local farms so OH would be unwilling to risk losing the trailer! She is very happy and relaxed on her own at the min which has surprised me so im not in a huge rush but would like to move her this weekend as dont want her being alone too long.

The field is literally a field no buildings etc so I was thinking perhaps using 2 sections of security fencng and just coaxing her on with a barrier behind as then she would have nowhere but the trailer to go.... does this sound fessable?? I will then of course spend lots of time when i have her at the yard walking on & off trailer and getting her used to it slowly. I do need her moved as grass is very poor now and land needs rested for later in the year.

 

[lilly1]

It might be the ramp. Have you tried walking her over various things on the floor. This was the problem with my yearling. Once he had learnt to walk over a wooden board he went up fine.

 

[lilly1]

Would add I would definitely not use security fencing. It’s really not safe for horses, especially if hooves are flying about.

 

[henryhorn]

The secret is in the approach to the trailer . Block off all possible exit routes (remember how high a foal can leap!) back up to an enclosed place and using a couple of burly blokes simply bundle her in. The easiest way is someone holds the front end with a lunge line taught and the two helpers link arms behind her and literally push/ lift her in. The trailer needs no partition if you feel worried re the front tie two straw bales at the front to provide a safe barrier. If they end up lifting her bum a bit off the ground it's even easier.
No I'm not advocating this as a method as you should have fed/led her inside of course, but if she is likely to injure herself left on her own needs must I'm afraid. Travel her loose.

 

[kerilli]

Thanks for all your advice and help!
I would try leaving the horse box in the field however there have been some recent thefts from local farms so OH would be unwilling to risk losing the trailer! She is very happy and relaxed on her own at the min which has surprised me so im not in a huge rush but would like to move her this weekend as dont want her being alone too long.

The field is literally a field no buildings etc so I was thinking perhaps using 2 sections of security fencng and just coaxing her on with a barrier behind as then she would have nowhere but the trailer to go.... does this sound fessable?? I will then of course spend lots of time when i have her at the yard walking on & off trailer and getting her used to it slowly. I do need her moved as grass is very poor now and land needs rested for later in the year.

I'm sorry but did you actually read any of the really good advice you were given by all sorts of experienced people?
Using security fencing panels behind her really is NOT a good idea, for so many reasons that I can't even be bothered to start...
coaxing her in calmly and patiently (without security fencing!) is the answer.
I wouldn't leave the trailer in the field, theft risk or not. She could seriously hurt herself on it. Youngsters have NO sense...

 

[AmyMay]

Some brilliant advice on here as ever.

And of course, daily practice, with plenty of time set aside is they key.....

 

[Maesfen]

I cant understand why four of you faffed about for so long and failed. Why on earth didn't you just bodily scoop her up and in? Job done with minimal hassle and upset.

Meant to add that one of the best things I've seen to help with loading anything but especially foals are the rubber dog toys that are like a figure eight so has two 'handles'; they are far easier to grip than the other person's wrist when you want to 'scoop in'.

 

[skint1]

My mare's a bad loader (our fault as she wasnt like it when we got her) and I've often thought what I'd do about it if she had a foal. I reckon I would not load the foal until it was weaned off and living with our pony (who has "nursed" young stock before and is a good loader) and then let him teach the foal the ropes, I reckon.

 

[Maesfen]

Providing your foal was still small you could scoop foal up and mare should follow straight in but you'd need 3 people at least to do this safely. Most transporters use this method as it is safer, saves time and upset to both animals because most mares don't like leaving a foal at the bottom of the ramp and can get very strong and stroppy if it's done that way rather than load foal first.

 

[Tinks81]

I cant understand why four of you faffed about for so long and failed. Why on earth didn't you just bodily scoop her up and in? Job done with minimal hassle and upset.

Meant to add that one of the best things I've seen to help with loading anything but especially foals are the rubber dog toys that are like a figure eight so has two 'handles'; they are far easier to grip than the other person's wrist when you want to 'scoop in'.

OMG this is exactly what i was thinking!!

I always have a strong person on the front end and i usually use a towel (but the dog toy is a fantastic idea!!!) go to the bottom of the ramp count to 3 and in they go ......

no feeding, no using a friend as you will constantly have to do this and when they get older and bigger it aint as easy !!!

 

[CBFan]

not quite sure how loading an 8 month old could turn into such a drama!

This is what I did with my barely halter broken but very large 8 month old filly and again with her rather more stubborn / opinionated half brother at 16 months of age... neither of which took more than half an hour.

1)Parked trailer beside fence (so at least one side was blocked off!)
2)Opened all ramps and doors and removed all partitions to make said trailer as light and inviting as possible. Stacked two bales of straw in the nose of trailer as henryhorn sugests (to act as a buffer, thus no need for breast bar.
3)laid nice straw bed.
4) Fetched filly / gelding
5) asked all by standers to leave me to it!
6) approached ramp quietly but with confinence, stepping onto ramp without hesitation. They will undoubtedly hesitate but if you allow baby to snif / investigate if they wish, before asking them to follow , repeating as necessary in a calm un-hurried manner,they should follow. You can use a bucket as bribery / reasurance.
7) once on, helpers can then shut all the doors... SLOWLY and one by one.
8) you then remove filly's leadrope and slide out through Jockey door, making sure fully doesn't follow!

Filly loaded in ten minutes and was a pro to load thereafter. her brother was a bit more problematic but i still got him on within half an hour. later had to use the 'scooping' method with him as he is, as I mentioned, very opinionated but that shocked the pants of him and he's been pretty good since ... still remember the look on his face when he suddenly found himself in the trailer after an hour and a half of negotiations!! lol!

 

[diamondrockharvey]

I would suggest that next time you try you put as little pressure on her as possible and you give yourself no time restraints.
If you can, sit on the ramp and allow her to sniff and explore it, put a bucket inside as a reward when she actually gets in, allow her to retreat from the trailer as often as she likes and then ask her to head back towards it.
Make sure the partitons are out so there is as much space as possible for her to head into.
Then just wait, reward her for going to the trailer by leaving her alone of offerinf a treat if she is food orientated, gently direct her back to the trailer if she leaves it.
Eventually she will most likely just go straight in out of curiosity.
And next time she will most likely load without hesitation!

 

[turkana]

My adult anglo arab has been really ill, so has lost a lot of weight she usually loads fine but not at the moment, she didn't want to load coming home from the vet's, so 2 male vets linked arms behind her, almost lifted her back end off the ground & just shoved her in.
Took no time at all. If you've got some strong male friends it should be easy to either pick her up or shove/bundle her up the ramp.
You can then practice proper loading at a later date.

 

[Enfys]

I cant understand why four of you faffed about for so long and failed. Why on earth didn't you just bodily scoop her up and in? Job done with minimal hassle and upset.

Meant to add that one of the best things I've seen to help with loading anything but especially foals are the rubber dog toys that are like a figure eight so has two 'handles'; they are far easier to grip than the other person's wrist when you want to 'scoop in'.

I am so glad that yourself, HH and others have said exactly what I was going to.

Turkana, exactly.

We do just that, someone at their head and two hefty blokes to literally pick up the back end and bundle them in. Far less stressful. Hah! Yes, we have one of those rubber figure of 8 things too, it lives in the trailer

It is all well and good taking time, but sometimes you don't have the time (injury, emergency, simply don't have all day) or it just isn't the right place, or it's piddling down, or minus stupid temperatures.

I actually spend a lot of time with my colts getting them to load without me (just like walking in the stale door when they are asked) but ... I work at home, in the quiet, on a nice day, with a ramped trailer, even the most obliging colt may take one look at an unfamiliar step up, maybe a strange horse in there, strange people and say "Oh MY God! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa! Not doing this"

 

[Enfys]

Stale door Stable

 

[pinkypug1]

I cant understand why four of you faffed about for so long and failed. Why on earth didn't you just bodily scoop her up and in? Job done with minimal hassle and upset.

Meant to add that one of the best things I've seen to help with loading anything but especially foals are the rubber dog toys that are like a figure eight so has two 'handles'; they are far easier to grip than the other person's wrist when you want to 'scoop in'.

We had 5 of us 3 being very big lads & we could not get her in... she is a big lump of a foal & stubborn! i wanted her moved so did everything you could possibly think of to get her in.

I also wasnt planning on putting security fencing behind her, was thinking along the sides like a funnel action (saw it on kelly marks show a while ago) thants were i got the idea.

Will get one of the dog toys tomorrow & try on friday!

 

[lilly1]

I doubt Kelly Marks used actual security fencing. Much more likely it was panels from a purpose built round pen. As already said; bales make a good safe barrier. Good luck for Friday.

 

[kerilli]

We had 5 of us 3 being very big lads & we could not get her in... she is a big lump of a foal & stubborn! i wanted her moved so did everything you could possibly think of to get her in.

I also wasnt planning on putting security fencing behind her, was thinking along the sides like a funnel action (saw it on kelly marks show a while ago) thants were i got the idea.

Will get one of the dog toys tomorrow & try on friday!

Well, you did say

I was thinking perhaps using 2 sections of security fencing and just coaxing her on with a barrier behind

so that's why I thought you meant you would use the security fencing behind her...

2 big strong people, both sides, gripping a figure-8 dog toy or rope behind her bum, will be able to propel her in, but tbh it's really not as good as doing it the slow, patient, confidence-building way... this will pay off ten-fold in future when she's 10x as strong!
if you have security fencing being held by someone, and she backs against it or glances off it, she might well flatten them, let alone hurt herself...

 

[CBFan]

I am still struggling to see how with that number of people you failed to load her..

What breed is she? Mine are cleveland bays so not small horses... The filly was 13.2hh at 8 months and the Gelding was 15.2hh at 18 months when we had to scoop him on.... that was with skinny me at the head end, and my 6ft3 18 stone dad and a skinny 12 stone ish lad at the back end... job done quick as a flash...that was after an hour and a half of giving him options - I WAS NOT going to give up!