I will NOT go in, and you CANNOT make me!!

[smja]

If she goes on once finish. Don't do the whole on off on off until she's blue in the face that will
Just frustrate her. Work on her until she's on then take her off and leave it.

Have to say I totally disagree. Repetition until it's a normal boring every day occurance is exactly how to make a horse a good loader. I do this with every horse I buy and they are trained to load for life and in all situations within a few weeks.

I'm mid-way between you two. Personally, I would do regular sessions (sometimes multiple times a day, sometimes just every day depending on horse/available time), and each session ends once she's loaded nicely - ending on a good note, not frustrating her.

That means you're teaching her that loading well = reward of finishing session, but still repeating the lesson regularly enough for it to become a totally everyday thing for her to load.

 

[scats]

Absolutely agree. I never finish on a first load, they always come straight off and go back on. And that carries on until they load without more than a hesitation, even if it takes all day and all night (it never has).

This. When the diva was being taught to self load, she was unloaded and loaded lots of times. Then the next day she might just go on and off 4 times, then maybe 10 the next day. Eventually it just became something she did. I have video of the self loading if anyone wants to see her in action!

 

[Rollin]

I find horses don't like the feel of the ramp. We do two things. Open up the front top window or park in such a way that the inside is light and airy. If you have an Ifor Williams you could initially remove the rear of the dividing section.

We never load first time. We prepare normal evening feed and put it on the ramp. We do this for a few days, so the young horse learns to stand on the ramp without fear.

Then we do loading training. We don't use feed as a bribe but just to give them confidence walking onto the ramp. Once they get up to the top,we back down several times before entering the box.