How stupid is this?

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howaboutthisone

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30 December 2008
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We have a difficult loader, and after watching us struggle for 20 minutes a lady came up to us and said "Why don't you ride him on, I used to have one like this and we always used to ride him straight into the trailer"...........so we did, and he went straight on without any problems. The next time we were going out we rode him on again with no problems, so while this does seem to solve the problem and takes all the stress away from loading, we don't feel thats its really a very good idea! What does anyone think?
 
I've seen people doing it before - but mainly onto lorries, not trailers. If it works for you and you can duck down and stay safe I don't see whats wrong with it.
It isn't the conventional way of loading, but if it makes for a stress free experiance then why not?
 
I used to have a pony that was difficult to load and this worked well with her. I had far more control whilst mounted, I could drive her forward and keep her straight, nearly impossible when she was on the end of a rope.
 
Crikey - I've never seen it done and I don't think I'd like to try it!:eek: But then I have a 17.1hh who only just gets into my trailer without having to duck!
 
Sorry nothing to do with riding on but a friend of mine recently went to a Kelly Marks demo with her bad loader. Once he had done to ground work etc in his dually halter he walked on. She brought him home, tried again a few days later and he walked straight on!! Long may it last!!
 
Yep, crikey about 30 yrs ago now, I had to do this with my 13.2 pony or we would have several hours or hairing around the farm to catch him again, bleeding hands etc and then abandon the show. Straight in with me on top, no problem. One day it was chucking it down with rain at a show and I just grabbed him and led him in, and he went straight in. From them on he just loaded himself. Maybe he just gave up the fight with me, or he felt more secure in the trailer after a while, I don't know, but do it if it works and after a while try loading him normally and see what happens.
 
Charlie007 said:
Sorry nothing to do with riding on but a friend of mine recently went to a Kelly Marks demo with her bad loader. Once he had done to ground work etc in his dually halter he walked on. She brought him home, tried again a few days later and he walked straight on!! Long may it last!!
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Was that at Kingswood Equestrian Centre? :)
 
How do you get off? Squish down the side of the partition or dangle from the roof on the way in?!
 
oh god, weve had 3 yrs of fighting with mare to go in the trailer... why didnt i think of this?! i suppse i wouldnt be able to get off once i was inside though...
 
qaz said:
How do you get off? Squish down the side of the partition or dangle from the roof on the way in?!
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Lol....our trailer is a single Ifor Williams so my daughetr ducks down and the slips off the side (plenty of room as there is no partition).

Incidentally, I was talking to our farrier about it. He spent most of his teenage years travelling the UK with a dealer collecting horses. He says then golden rule with difficult loaders is to NEVER EVER turn away from the trailer and have another go. If you do this the horse thinks its OKto do that. He says you should just stand there with the horse planting its feet on or near the ramp for as long as it takes for you to win the battle. Eventually the horse will get bored and give in......

Nothing much on tomorrow so we will try out his method!!
 
howaboutthisone said:
...... Eventually the horse will get bored and give in......
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depends how long you are prepared to hang around! leaving a show an hour or so after everyone else is no fun!

what worked for us was 2 good people on lunge lines - one on either side of trailer, loading in a bridle/chifney and a bit of tough love! Only needed to be tough once - after that, the lunge lines were fine (cross over behind - low down, under horse's bum and keep them tight). Works like the guys at a racecourse loading them into the stalls - they just seem to go forward! After a bit, didn't need to cross them over, just have them there like guard rails. Within a few months she would load herself. :D

personally, would be seriously unhappy about riding in - you just can't be sure that the horse won't start to object again. will leave it to your imagination to work out what happens if it rears half way into the trailer.:(
 
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