Help needed, stubborn loader.

[ilovecobs]

I really need some help with my horse. When I got her she was bad to load, I worked with her and shes been great for ages and then she got gradually worse from around a month ago. I have been loading her daily and when she doesn't think shes going anywhere she goes straight in, and when i do stuff like say wash her legs or trim her up the day before she wont go in! Shes too clever as she knows she will be traveling lol! (She actually seems to enjoy shows but doesn't like the traveling.)

I am borrowing a rope halter tomorrow and im hoping this will help as they put more pressure on.

She will go into the trailer after a little work getting her on the ramp and then backing her up and so on but I have an equitrek and as soon as i ask her to swing her bum round so I can close the partition she just backs up and wont have any of it. Shes so so stubborn and im open to any ideas.

Thankyou for reading my essay lol!

 

[dafthoss]

I have one too but he used to point blank refuse to go in no matter what How about doing all the prep stuff and then practicing loading so she dosent associate it with travelling.

 

[ilovecobs]

thats what i was hoping to do today, id trimmed her and given her tail a wash yesterday and put her traveling boots on and then took her up to the trailer and I ended up giving up as she managed to cut her back leg backing out even tho she had boots on, shes just impossible, only feels like going in when its her idea :/

 

[Miss L Toe]

Use a training halter to improve her handling and obedience, can you just walk her in and out every day, she may give up eventually, if not make sure you have her outnumbered when you decide to load, you may be able to do most things the night before or at the show.
I helped a friend who was getting in a tizz just thinking about loading, I took the horse who I had never handled, walked her right round the yard and straight in to the box. I was confident she would go in, and she did.
A lot of people use a lunge line on one side of the trailer, a lunge whip and three assistants, that can work too, but she must be lines up straight, sometimes they nap by swinging sideways on the ramp.

 

[1alex1moose]

The only way i managed to solve the problem with my boy was to feed him in the box every night for weeks! He was given his tea standing in the box initally with the partitions open, doors open, bars down etc.... then bars up.... then partition in and then doors all shut... he now loads pretty well - however we still do occassionally resort to lunge whip up the backside!!!