Horse loading help!

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XxIDontKnowXx

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Hi,

I could use any advice or tips to help load my horse. He will shoot straight on to the box once he gets to the ramp but I struggle convincing him to go anywhere near it. It usually only takes around 10 minutes but it would be nice if he would load straight away when asked and also he is a strong horse and has decided a few times to rip the lead rope out of my hands.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated :)
 
Hiya my friends horse use to hate loading she just wouldn't go in at all and she starting giving her her feed in the evenings stood in the box without the partition in and standing her in the box to groom her and stuff so she started to think of good things when she was in there now she basically loads herself and loves going out
 
Just make him get on with it! If you were riding him you wouldn't take any nonsense from him do the same thing on the the ground. Try not to use food or he might end up expecting it every time and when you take it away you don't want him moody! Another thing I do with difficulty horses and ponies is have a person stand on each side of the trailer and then run him from a distance and get the two people to move as he does then he can't stand at the bottom of the trailer and fuss. Hope this helps!
 
Chifney over headcollar. One leadrope on headcollar, one leadrope on chifney. When he resists lead off the chifney otherwise do what you'd normally do.

If he tries to run it will rotate in his mouth.
 
Horse lover19 said:
Just make him get on with it! If you were riding him you wouldn't take any nonsense from him do the same thing on the the ground. Try not to use food or he might end up expecting it every time and when you take it away you don't want him moody! Another thing I do with difficulty horses and ponies is have a person stand on each side of the trailer and then run him from a distance and get the two people to move as he does then he can't stand at the bottom of the trailer and fuss. Hope this helps!
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Run them in . . . OP don't follow this advice. You want calm and happy loading.

Shooting up the ramp sounds like he is nervous or unsure about something. Is the ramp quite a slope? Good grip? Can you park on a slope to lower the gradient to practice?

I would keep practicing without going anywhere, just in and out with a reward for calm behaviour
 
catroo said:
Run them in . . . OP don't follow this advice. You want calm and happy loading.

Shooting up the ramp sounds like he is nervous or unsure about something. Is the ramp quite a slope? Good grip? Can you park on a slope to lower the gradient to practice?

I would keep practicing without going anywhere, just in and out with a reward for calm behaviour
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If the ramp isn't too steep there is nothing wrong running them up at a responsible speed as long as your not bolting up there.
 
As opposed to running your horse up a ramp and using chiffneys if you've never used one before.

Get a rope headcollar or a dually and learn how to use it
 
Thanks for the replies. The ramp is quite steep. He is young and hasn't traveled much if at all before i got him so i understand him being nervy of it, although once on the road he travels incredibly well. I've used a rope headcollar on him to load before and he still managed to make a break for it. I'm wondering if I should try using a lunge line instead of a lead rope? Either way I shall persevere and try to normalize loading so he understands it.
 
How is your horse with other 'uncertain' scenarios?

It sounds like your horse is nervous about loading and once he realises he has no way out he flings himself into the 'unknown'. It really sounds like he needs a calm, steady and rewarding re-introduction towards loading.

I'd be very careful about putting extra gear on him to load him, this could really send him over the edge.

Get a Pro to help. Call around and take the opinion of them all and go with the one that fills you with confidence. Sometimes even an hour with a Pro can solve the issue completely. :)
 
Illusion100 said:
How is your horse with other 'uncertain' scenarios?

It sounds like your horse is nervous about loading and once he realises he has no way out he flings himself into the 'unknown'. It really sounds like he needs a calm, steady and rewarding re-introduction towards loading.

I'd be very careful about putting extra gear on him to load him, this could really send him over the edge.

Get a Pro to help. Call around and take the opinion of them all and go with the one that fills you with confidence. Sometimes even an hour with a Pro can solve the issue completely. :)
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Agree with this. Before you slap all sorts of gadgets on him give him time, patience and a calm confident handler.
Give him time and clear guidance so he can understand what you are asking him to do.
Try some in hand work at the bottom of the ramp to give him something to focus on, when you have him working and focused you can creep closer to the ramp.
I would want him to be happy to load because he trusts you and is comfortable with the box, rather than doing it to avoid pressure halters/chiffneys/whips etc.
 
little_critter said:
I would want him to be happy to load because he trusts you and is comfortable with the box, rather than doing it to avoid pressure halters/chiffneys/whips etc.
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Exactly! From the sound of it, the only 'kit' I might use is a bridlehead and snaffle, and a slightly longer normal leadrope so if he decides to barge off, you can keep him in hand. (Can be ever so embarrassing if you're out and your horse decides to get loose in the car park and spend the next 15 minutes barging around kicking up his heels.) I'd have the ramp down and walk him past it - with NO intention to load and no attempt to do so. Just walk past and when you get near it stop, pat him, walk on. A trailer should be just 'something' that's round the yard - until it is! When he'll walk up to it - and close past it - he's ready to complete his training as the perfect loader.
 
I am another who uses a bridle with a long leadrope .
It helps to see loading as thing the horse must learn within it's other training .
Loading becomes for while about training and going where your told not travelling so you load daily .
You have to set time aside to get this right when the horse is young .
I don't mind feeding the horse in the wagon or trailer but don't use food to bribe them in they must learn to go where you tell them .
With a young horse I would load a couple of times a day every day till it's easy then drop down to a few times a week .
With naughty older horses I will often take a day and load all day until the sussed I am determined and not to mucked about with but this is not appropriate for a young horse where inexperience is the cause .
Remember it's a small step for a clever horse from questioning walking into the transport to questioning going where you ask when riding so you need to get this right .
 
Ive never used extra gadgets on him to load minus the rope headcollar which was more to avoid him running away. Ive had people try to approach with whips and eventhough i understand they were trying to help i told them to kindly back off as i didnt want to make it more stressful. I may actually just go for hiring a professional to help for an hour as i think once he understands what he needs to do through a reassuring method he will be fine. Thanks for all the tips, kind of confirmed the thought process i had about how to go about this :)
 
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