I am moving to the dark side... Someone save me before it's too late!!

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Winklepoker

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Having had a traumatic trailer experience with my boy, he is more than reluctant to go in the lorry or trailer. Yesterday we sat/stood at the ramp, ate food with 2 hooves on it but he just isnt happy going any further. Before anyone starts :D I have worked with young/sharp/difficult horses as well as normal ones for years. I just want to get it right and have lasting positive effects on my new boy. And No, I am not going to wrap lunge lines round him/whip him/stick broom up his arse/etc. because I want it to be his consenting decision to go up and travel calmly not get wound up, dive on and have a stigma about it all... so....

I have bought a rope halter and line and we have our lovely dentist Phil (also practices respectful horsemanship) coming over to help us. I am still a little sceptical but it is the route I have chosen and I dont feel too silly about it.. yet!!

Let the firing commence!! :D
 
If he only needs to put two feet on before he gets rewarded with tea, then what's in it for him to continue up into the trailer?

OH mare is stubborn with a capital s, and also a real worrier! Initially she would take hours to load, but now she walks on like a lamb (though things must be the same each time).

At first she was lead up the ramp on a lunge line, if she stopped then the leader would stand up the ramp and ensure that she was kept facing where we wanted her to go. No chill out time, although the rope wasn't pulled, there was a constant steady pressure on it so that there wasn't any slack, she couldn't turn away or face anyway other than up the ramp. A yummy bowl of tea was placed in the trailer. After that then you just wait it out. It is tiring for the horse to be faced with this with no breaks, but it shouldn't result in them getting worked up and stressed either. A simple 'you do what I want, it isn't scary or harmful to you, then you will be rewarded' type lesson. All you need is snacks and a drink for you and plenty of spare time. If you have spare time your horse will load in 10 mins, if you are in a rush I guarantee it will take days!!

We did this for many evenings so that she was always fed her tea on the trailer. So long as you are nice and calm and not rushed then she will always lead straight up the ramp now, if you are rushed or stressed then she will slam the breaks on and you are back to square one of waiting!!
 
The problem with that is, he swings so far to the right so it is too steep/gates in the way for him to get on the ramp. Regardless of who is stood where, he will move right. Tapping with the whip or bracing with a lunge line does not help only makes him cross/agitated and stressed. I had all day on Sunday, we spent over 3 hours, not rushed at all - no joy.
The plan was not to reward with food at all in the first instance but it was worth a try after the first hour and a half without it and as getting 2 hooves on was such a massive feat for him I didnt see that a small mouthful of grub as a reward was a bad thing, infact it almost made him desperate for more. :D
 
Then let him stand a little to the right, but still always facing where you want him to end up. You both know what the solution is to the waiting, but he needs to give in to it not you though! You really need to be prepared to wait it out (I think first time oh loaded his mare it took 8 hours!!!!). When she was first loaded by her breeder it was with the help of leccy fence so you can see why she had such a prob with it, and also why any wrapping of a lunge line around her/lunge whip etc was worse than useless. The only way was to calmly wait, and wait, and wait ....!! It is worth it in the end though as we haven't had any loading bother at all for years now. On her own or with her companion, she just walks s!traight up. A stress free loading every time is worth every hour that was sat waiting!
 
I don't think the dark side is where you are heading, but, this is nothing to do with the trailer, get this right and you will have your horse load himself because he wants to.

You will get a lot of ideas about trailer loading on here, if it's food, lines round the back, pressure halters or anything like that it's rubbish.
 
Personally...I am not sure 'The Dark Side' is ready for you yet!!

Just asking....don't shout....do you have a partition?
If so...take it out and have another go.....some horses just hate them and feel all clostrophobic and need to spread out, and it is an excellent excuse for you not having to take two!
Most trailer manufacturers will sell you a full width breast and breech bar.....
If you don't.....am at a loss...sorry.
Bryndu
 
Go for it WinkleP - I am NOT a fluffy, but an old school bird and I watched a demonstration on Sky many months ago by Clinton Anderson (Outback Horserider I think).

Basically, you make them so bloody uncomfortable outside the trailer by chasing them back and forth across the ramp that they beg to go in for a bit of peace and quiet!

I tried it on my mare as I have to load by myself and she was having none of it and after about half an hour she was loading herself so I could pop the back ramp up alone. Top tip - stable bangage and boot up over the top!!

Go on go for it but keep away from the light - don't even look at the light and come back to us when you are done.....
 
Its a lorry that I am loading him in not a trailer, mainly because I know he has always travelled well in a lorry with his previous owners.

Andy - the man I have coming follows Clinton Andersons methods of Down Under Horsemanship, which has worked a treat with the fly spray fear he had, so I am willing to let him try. I would be very interested in what you would suggest to try.

Thanks
 
Nothing against alternative methods, have tried them myself... horse was a little bit naughty coming in from the field so I bought a rope halter and a long rope... horse got worse and worse and rearing got higher and higer. Forgot rope halter one day and took him in wearing a head collar... he was fab... has been ever since even when over excited. Stick him in a rope halter... two legs good four legs bad...

Just my experience of them.
 
Winlepoker - you know your horse and how best to handle this issue. I am currently going through exactly the same. We have built up enough confidence to go on without hesitation, but standing still on the trailer is another matter and I have just discovered that his travelling companion does not help by rocking the boat (or trailer). So tiny steps are the way forward for me too.

I wish you good luck.
 
Well...there we go...you are not ready for 'The Dark Side' if you 'aint clear!!!!:) The Dark Side folks are well fussy!!:)

Ok...last tip as going in a LORRY.......get someone to stand behind said beast (outside kicking range) and give them a bucket of water and a sponge and using the sponge flick water at his bum.....most horses hate this and will load to get away from the water......and good luck with the Australian thing.....

Bryndu
 
when my friends new 3 year old andalucian arrived she didnt much like loading either, and would plant herself at the end of the ramp (we were using a trailer) and not budge. In the end we found that if we used a yard broom (dont panic - no beatings went on!) and brushed the ground behind her (from a safe distance) she would move forward to a certain degree, we then used the bristles of the broom turned the wrong way around to sweep (if you get my meaning) and gently touched her rear fetlocks, she would immediately went forwards - we did this for many months every time we loaded her, taking the magic broom with us everywhere we went! Now she is a happy loader, she'll walk in on her own if we let her!

Have you tried loading him backwards? there's been lots of research into this (I did my dissertation at uni on it too) a lot of horses dont like to be loaded as they can feel the ramp going up (especially if the ramp is steep), and they can see the roof height, many worry (its thought) that they'll bang their head. When i did a (small) test of this, the horses who didnt like loading, did actually do better when going on backwards both loading quicker and with a lower heartrate - it may be worth a try.
Best of luck!
 
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