rowy
Well-Known Member
I have a 5 year old Connie x mare. She has always been really good loading and travelling. We did approx 7 journey's last year where she was really well behaved but she had a break over the winter and this year she has been getting progressively worse at loading.
Last two journeys have been the worst where we have been to the vet. Went straight on for the journey there but when we went to leave she would put both front legs on the ramp and refuse to move any further. Any pressure put on the lead rope or from behind with noises/ a stick, made her pull back and off the ramp.
It took us 1 hour to load her. She's wasn't scared, just being stubborn whenever any pressure was out on her to load. We tried the lunge line behind her, food (including carrots, her favourite lick and pony nuts), two men tried to scoop her bum in. 4 of us were stood around her trying to get her in. In the end it took sedation and putting the horse box on stocks to get her to walk in.
We are going to start practising at home again with lots of reward when she takes the right action and food. But does anyone have any other ideas? If she were scared it would give me some further ideas to work on but she really isn't scared at all.
Last two journeys have been the worst where we have been to the vet. Went straight on for the journey there but when we went to leave she would put both front legs on the ramp and refuse to move any further. Any pressure put on the lead rope or from behind with noises/ a stick, made her pull back and off the ramp.
It took us 1 hour to load her. She's wasn't scared, just being stubborn whenever any pressure was out on her to load. We tried the lunge line behind her, food (including carrots, her favourite lick and pony nuts), two men tried to scoop her bum in. 4 of us were stood around her trying to get her in. In the end it took sedation and putting the horse box on stocks to get her to walk in.
We are going to start practising at home again with lots of reward when she takes the right action and food. But does anyone have any other ideas? If she were scared it would give me some further ideas to work on but she really isn't scared at all.