Horse worried about rear ramp being put up - advice?

[Lucy_Ally]

We have a 511 with the partitions out. We have had it for almost 3 months and our starting point was a horse that takes up to 2 hours to load. Spring now walks on and off calmly, no hesitation, will stand happily eating hay with the front ramp up and breast and breach bars in. However, as soon as you start to put the rear ramp up she gets quite panicky and has twice now dragged me out of the front as soon as the breast bar is put down.

So I am not sure what to do now. We have come a long way and I think once we've cracked this, she will be easy. Does anyone have any tips to get a horse used to a rear trailer ramp being put up? I have been taking it slowly and she us relaxed at every step, just struggling to get her to accept this

 

[Tnavas]

First make sure the breast bar is secured so that she can't go forwards. Then with the breach bars done up part lift the back ramp and put it down again - keep doing this until she is calm again. Finish lesson.

Next time put ramp up higher and down again and repeat until she is calm. Continue in this way until the ramp can be put up and down completely.

What you do need to stop is the escaping out the front ramp. So close the front ramp before you start closing the back ramp.

 

[whisp&willow]

personaly i just put the ramps up and go! it means they dont have time to worry as they are busy balancing and thinking about their feet.

with the yearlings we just practiced loading as you have done, but never shut the rear ramp until we were ready to head off on their first journey. shut up and shift off! so the first time the rear ramp shut we were off within minutes and they never bothered.

well done for getting this far with the horse by the way.

also if the horse is barging down the front ramp to unload, then i would unload back out of the rear ramp for now. this way they need to take their time a bit more. once she is happy at this then i would try front unloading again.

x

 

[Lucy_Ally]

Thanks, I did finish off today backing her out and she did this calmly. Just feel we have taken a bit of a backward step, but I think I need to take the pressure off for a bit, then build her confidence again. Will try lifting the ramp a little bit at a time first - if that fails maybe we do just put it up and go!!
I really want this to be a permanent change rather than a quick fix - was wondering about getting a 'professional' to help with this last hurdle (Michael Peace/Richard Maxwell type).

 

[Teeni]

I really want this to be a permanent change rather than a quick fix - was wondering about getting a 'professional' to help with this last hurdle (Michael Peace/Richard Maxwell type).

I would totally recommend getting Richard Maxwell out, there are plenty of people who have had him out for various reasons but i know of one lady who had a mare that wouldn't load full stop into a trailer. That horse now loads herself into the trailer, so definitely worth it!