Horse refusing to load - any pointers

Paint Me Proud

Paint Me Proud

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Wanted to visit the park with my lad today. Got everything ready, bought him round to the horsebox but he refused to load.

He didnt seem distressed or scared, just point blank refused to step up onto the ramp.

Any ideas or tricks of the trade i can try with him next time?
 
You have my sympathy, the easiest to try is see if he will follow a feed bucket
then you could try a lunge rein (2 man job) one leads, the other clips lunge rein to trailer/box, then gets lunge rein round horses back end above the hocks, the idea is to stop the horse reversing, (doesn't always work).
Next you could try tickling the heels with a lunge whip (2 man job) or broom.
Sometimes (twice) putting a bridle on works.
In 3 years, I often resorted to just making our mare stand till she got bored
with her games, usually within the hour and always had to drop the front ramp.
When you have time try feeding him on the trailer it can help.
Above all keep calm
Good luck
 
If you are sure that there is no reason why he should not load - i.e he has no lameness or pain issues and you are sure that the ramp and lorry floor are perfectly sound, then it might be worth doing a bit of groundwork with him.

I used to have a horse that was such a bad loader that he reared up and came down on the lorry ramp, breaking it - twice.

It was at that point that I found Intelligent Horsemanship and was taught how to work through loading issues and prevent issues arising. I'm not evangelical about IH, but there is great value in the groundwork exercises.

One problem that people sometimes find with loading, is that the handler walks up the ramp slightly ahead of the horse. This means that there is less space available for the horse and they will sometimes resist loading simply because they don't think there is room for them.

The other thing which I was guilty of for years was always anticipating that the horses would not load. My nervousness about loading was worrying the horses and they were refusing to load. Once this was pointed out to me, I decided to approach loading with a "fun and interesting" attitude. Over time, all the horses became easier to load and now, all will travel in lorries and trailers.


Hope this helps a little.
 
Vetwrap said:
If you are sure that there is no reason why he should not load - i.e he has no lameness or pain issues and you are sure that the ramp and lorry floor are perfectly sound, then it might be worth doing a bit of groundwork with him.

I used to have a horse that was such a bad loader that he reared up and came down on the lorry ramp, breaking it - twice.

It was at that point that I found Intelligent Horsemanship and was taught how to work through loading issues and prevent issues arising. I'm not evangelical about IH, but there is great value in the groundwork exercises.

One problem that people sometimes find with loading, is that the handler walks up the ramp slightly ahead of the horse. This means that there is less space available for the horse and they will sometimes resist loading simply because they don't think there is room for them.

The other thing which I was guilty of for years was always anticipating that the horses would not load. My nervousness about loading was worrying the horses and they were refusing to load. Once this was pointed out to me, I decided to approach loading with a "fun and interesting" attitude. Over time, all the horses became easier to load and now, all will travel in lorries and trailers.


Hope this helps a little.
Click to expand...

Good answer :)


Breaking the loading down into small steps is effective. So you work on asking for movement towards the box a bit at a time. If it's a trailer asking the horse to initially walk across the ramp from side to side is a good way of helping their confidence regarding loading.
Take a look at the link of me working with an awkward loader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU6L9uz3ktg

There are two parts of which this link is part 2! Have a look at part one also as it shows some work to do before approaching the box.

Hope things work out
 
I started feeding Shy his tea in the trailer every night, and always have some handy when we go out just in case. Now he tries to get into the trailer when we walk past it.

The times he hasn't wanted to go in (twice), I've just stood there with him, not letting him move, till he got so bored, he thought he might as well go up and see where the grub was. Those two times the other horses were kicking off in the next field, so he still has a very good record ;)
 
thanks for the tips.

He's defo not lame and the ramp etc is completely sound.

He isnt acting scared, not pulling away etc he just gets to the bottom of the ramp and refuses to step up and come aboard.

He stood there at the bottom of the ramp then had the audacity to nibble on the ramp matting! :rolleyes: Silly monkey.

I think it is a stubborn thing with him.

Will try the feeding him on the ramp idea and see if that helps.
 
Good answers already - definitely watch Winterwood's youtube. I also have some useful short clips on my facebook page (see below). We're always looking for horses for demonstrations that don't load to show how anyone can get themselves and their horse 100% so apply for one of those if you can't find a local person to help you.
Good Luck!
Kelly
 
Lots of good tips here, just keep calm and make sure when he is loaded that you drive smoothly and where he is going is fun. It seems like you were attempting this with your trip to the park! If he is usually good you will just have to go back to the basics.

I will add I have just had great fun teaching my weanling to load, the first time I just let her take her time and just had a friend make sure she did not go backwards. Today as the trailer was on I had a play on my own and I had to shut the trailer up in the end because she kept taking herself in!! Lets hope this continues after she as had a little trip in it.
 
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