How good is your horse to load?

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Lill

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And load in what?

I have to say Blue is absolutely brilliant after Saturday!

He went in the usual lorry, which then proceeded to break down en route to the RC Team jumping, so i unloaded him onto the lane, then he was loaded onto a trailer which had come to rescue us
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, on he goes, and then we had to hitch a lift home from JoBo in her little box
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(thanks Jo
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)

So that was 3 different 'vehicles' in one afternoon, in each one he faced a different direction and each one he walked straight on and off
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no problem
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Mines an angel in any vehicle even a 505 trailer (too small for him hes 17hh real life height measured). Loads himself and waits around all day to be unloaded - was used at old competition yards as a companion if not competing himself on the box and used to travel with the youngsters - my little star
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Both fantastic to go on a trailer although one is always impatient to get off, cannot get one of them on a lorry though.. Good job I only have a trailer
 
Absolutely 110% into a trailer or a low lorry forwards backwards or sideways, if the ramp is steep i wind myself up ( following a nasty accident with another horse) and therefore she sometimes backs off a bit but will always go on within a minute.
 
Mins runs up anything and travels fabbie.

Merl played up loading into trailer - not scarred but being stubbon, and he quite happily walked into a sideloader lorry and any lorry...

next one has to load well too
 
My 4 year old goes on (trailer OR box) straight away, no fuss. Comes off slowly, not frantic. During travel he's fine, no calling, no fidgetting. He does sweat up though.
 
Currently two are perfect and will load into anything, although the section A is a bit of a pain as if she sees a ramp she will go up it and I caught her standing on my flat bed trailer one time. They - and the last horse I sold - have been used for loading demonstrations etc or at PC to load difficult ponies into trailers etc, my two will either of them just walk straight through.

My little chestnut Welsh will load first time PROVIDED you follow exactly his set of rules in the correct order. If you miss out a step or hurry it he gets extremely upset. I had a 6'+ ex-Army groom decide to help me one day with the pony. He shouted at him when he started to lag going to the bottom of the ramp, it ended with the Welsh freaking out, standing up and going over. We have tried all the usual methods - lunge rope behind him - he stands up and goes over, one of those easy load straps with handles - he stands up and goes over, lunge whip - he bolts, he will respond to a homemade rope halter but the best way we have found is to watch him and understand what steps he feels safe following to load. That way I can get him in first time with no stress on either side. We had the situation the other day where we were following the rules and we went straight in and then Flynn stuck his head over the partition and bit him and he went straight out again. Tried it again and Flynn still managed to get his head over and we were in and out like a shot. After that we cross tied Flynn so he couldn't get Charlie. He's a bit of a joker is our Flynn.

As for Flynn, Flynn is inclined to prat about and injured himself so severely last year pratting around on the ramp that we nearly had to have him shot. So loading him is always a little fraught. Some days he will go straight in. If his girl is in there there's never a problem, he just takes himself up. If someone holds the big girl at the bottom of the ramp Flynn will walk past her and load. This is obviously not very useful when I'm by myself. I can usually get him loaded into the lorry first with the big girl second if I'm taking them both for a lesson, if I can't then I load the big girl, then Flynn and get a hand from someone when I get to where I'm going.

I should also add that my definition of "not loading well" is if it doesn't walk in first time, every time, so poor old Flynn does have a bit of a high standard to live up to, the longest it has ever taken me to load him is five minutes. I don't believe in battles to load, given enough time a way can usually be found that is acceptable to the horse.
 
Will load into anything - tends too look at it from the bottom of the ramp, then if you literally just give him a push he'll go straight on! Hasn't travelled much though so expect he'll get used to it soon
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Both of mine are great, will load in anything and i can load either of them on my own anywhere.

My daughters pony was a monkey to load so although i can say the above with a satisfied smile on my face i do appreciate how frustrating it can be when they are a pain to load.
 
Pip only loads for people he respects, but onto anything. Similar to he won't go in the stable got some people
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100% relaxed, never sweats. Ginga is 100% to load, steady unloading
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Tally is 100%, as is Ajay
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Some of the section B's need a smack on the bum if they are first to go on, but that's hardly a trauma.
 
self-loading
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Merlin walks up on to lorry, turns right way and waits
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He dosent really like loading onto trailer, i think its because he is so big, but walks on straight away when we open the top door!
 
He'd walk on by himself happily! I have only tried him on a small horsebox. Mainly due to he would only fit in one type of trailer and even then would be more of a squeeze.
 
I use a chiffney to load, but only because Boo gets so excited. He loads happily in a lorry or trailer - in fact I think he would get in the boot of my car if I told him we were going to a party
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The only time I've had trouble loading was when he was coming back from the vets after being doped.
 
shantih goes in anything, almost drags me in...
kaya loads really well in anything but not tried her with a big horsebox-have to watch she doesnt self load if tied up with the ramp down!
bey hasnt done that much travelling (shes 3) so she likes to paw and sniff for ages- well about 5mins- but walks in a loose rope. she does sweat up during travel but the more we do the more calm she will be.
others all travel well.
they all unload great too- they wait patiently and walk down the ramp- no leaping about!
 
My 2 1/2 year old will go in a trailer or lorry fine, My loan pony will go in trailer or lorry and would load himself or drag me on to them if i let him. But my mums 9yr old doesnt like trailers or lorries and will back out of them at speed even if the front ramp is down, we are making progress though and i have had her stood in a trailer eating recently.
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Mine is perfect, lorry or trailer.
My pony was naughty for her previous owner, but has been perfect for me. I do put a bucket with a little feed in the trailer though, just in case!
 
Star is a touch slow going in. If I'm stressed she worries and backs off. We both have a bit of rescue remedy now.

I have a trailer, she will walk up to the ramp, then have a think for a minute or so, then go in. Trying to push her before she's ready results in dramatics.
 
Star always dithers for 5 mins, the walks up. i dont hassle him because it just makes it worse and hence takes longer, easier to allow an extra 5 mins.
mums horse and shetland load fine.

none have ever been in a trailer as we only have the lorry.
 
Fine in a herringbone horsebox rear load/unload horsebox, fine in a rear facing side load/unload horsebox.

Wouldn't ever travel him in a trailer - but I'm sure he'd go in one if asked
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Moses - bluudy brilliant!!
Lily - bluddy brilliant!
Maisie - cantankerous old bag¬!!
 
my little boy is only 18months old, we moved livery yards on saturday and he went straight up the ramp 1st time and then i folowed in the car and he was very good, he has been to a few local shows and had no problems each time
 
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