HELP sudden problem with loading horse

Birker2020

Birker2020

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Apologies for long post. I have a 17.1hh WB gelding aged 13 who has never been any trouble to load in my 15 year old (well maintained) Rice/Richardson trailer in the six years that I’ve owned him. In fact he is so keen to load that he practically runs into the trailer and I have always taken it for granted that I am lucky to have a good loader. Dad made the trailer partition ¾ / ¼ width about ten years ago, thus any horse has plenty of room to stretch his legs to balance. The floor is rubber matting and is not slippy and there is plenty of room from front to back as the breast bar was brought forward years ago too. I have been towing with the same towing vehicle for the last 8 years and this is the fifth horse I’ve owned that has always been excellent with regards to loading/travelling when I tow. Therefore, without sounding big headed, I know the problem is not with my driving as I always drive carefully as if I have a pint of water balanced on my bonnet, anticipating braking and turns well in advance. We usually go out and about to jumping/dressage/fun rides/trec training/riding round riding club grounds on average 6/7 times a month so as you can see we have undertaken hundreds of journeys together during the years we have been together.

About three weeks ago I came back from a fun ride to find that I had picked up a shoe clench (blacksmiths nail) in my trailer tyre at the moment I drove through the yard gate. As I was getting out of my car in order to unload my horse a friend came over and told me my tyre had a puncture and indeed the trailer tyre (off rear) was deflating at a rate of knots making a hissing sound. My horse was not unduly worried by this strange noise and unloaded calmly as normal. Dad came out and changed my tyre for the tyre that was on the side of my trailer (my spare) and relatively new.

The next time we went out he loaded fine and travelled well and we did not have any problems with the journey at all that would have affected his confidence.

The following time we went out my horse wouldn’t load. It took myself and my friend about five or six minutes to load him, and then he travelled well and loaded back in the other end fine. The following time he loaded fine, travelled well and loaded back up again, no problems/incidents. Last night he wouldn’t load again and again it took me and a friend about ten mins to load him. He travelled/unloaded and loaded fine again.

I am seriously wondering if my trailer has a defect or whether it is to do with my tyre being changed. Dad has gone to the yard today to check my tyre pressures (which I regularly do anyway) and only a day after the first time he wouldn’t load Dad drove my trailer and could find nothing wrong with it. He checked out the floor, brakes and gave everything a service. If Dad reports back tonight that the tyres are okay does anyone know or have any suggestions why my horse has suddenly stopped loading????

Sorry for long post but I am desperately worried that my friend might be unhappy with something or is trying to tell me something.
 
i dont know what to say really, it seems like you are going over all the options... just suggest practive going in/out several times over to reassure him and yourself?
 
Thats a tough one, where you wish the horse could talk.

Could he be sore or stiff at all- so not wanting to load becaue he knows he is going somewhere to work? Could he be fed up with going to events? 6/7 times a month is quite alot?
 
Four options occur:

1) completely clear your mind of any misgivings about whether he will go in and just go back to doing exactly what you used to do three weeks ago before any funny goings on.

2) get someone else who isn't going to worry to load him and see if there's a difference.

3) give him a couple of week with no travelling and then come to it fresh.

4) every time it's feed time load him into the trailer and feed him in there until he just walks in for his grub. Then extend it to driving round the block and then giving him his feed. Then start to withdraw the feed.
 
Hi , I work with a lot of loading problems and sometimes it is really hard to know why a horse is suddenly reluctant to load. Here is what I'd suggest without seeing him:

1. Checking the trailer is a good start - especially the floor. Good that you have made the partition wider for him. Stand in the trailer and have a good look around at anything that might have changed.

2. Have your horse checked over by a chiro/osteo/physio - he may have done something to himself in the field which is causing soreness when he has to balance in the trailer. Check the poll too in case he has hit his head, perhaps when that tyre went?

3. Have a practise loading session when you're not going somewhere. Sounds like he is not quite sure that loading will be a positive experience for him so he is hesitant. Your aim is to have him load and be really relaxed at the same time (head down, soft eye, soft mouth). It can help to make the trailer as open and light as possible eg partition to side and jockey door/front ramp open. The first time may take a few minutes - that's fine, when he has loaded give him lots of praise and lead him off again. Repeat this about 20 times (yes really!), staying in the trailer a little longer each time, and hopefully with him becoming more relaxed each time. Sooner or later he will give a big sigh while he's in the trailer, and show signs of relaxation in his posture, eye, mouth etc. Then you've probably cracked it and he'll load fine afterwards.

Make sure you do the trailer checks and physical checks first though - it wouldn't be fair to ask him to trust you that the trailer is OK, if it's not, or if he has some discomfort/pain somewhere.

Sounds like you are great at listening to him, I bet he is glad he's yours. :-)
 
THanks for all your replies. I think i will have a practice session tonight and Friday night as we have a one day event on Saturday and a fun ride on Sunday. He loves his jumping and always has his ears forwards as the photos below show.

http://www.onlinepictureproof.com/jodiecoolingphotography/albums/events/82517/guest/bab47a62c968547/
http://www.onlinepictureproof.com/jodiecoolingphotography/albums/events/82517/guest/22c2ced8649da9d/

I am really puzzled by the whole thing. I think I will ask my friend to take a look at him as she is a newly qualified physio.
 
We had a similar problem earlier this year.

I think Horsevideo's checks are spot on. But when it happened to us it was really just ned saying he needed a break. It sounds like you are out and about at least twice a week every week. That is quite a lot of work and it could be he is just sour.

What tipped us off to this when it happened to us was that he would load fine coming home. It was only going out that he would object - and this seems to be what is happening to you.

Do check the trailer and the horse physically to make sure it isn't that. But then you could try turning him away for a couple of weeks break then starting back up really slowly. Short journeys and little work at the other end. Don't forget travelling is a lot of physical exercise in itself so build that into the equation so you can get him thinking that going out is fun again, not a slog.
 
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