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

fathorselover

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Says my mare, when I ask her to get on my trailer 😧 I have recently bought my first trailer, and am having problems getting my mare to load.. I have had her for 2 years and in that time we have had a few outings but she has always been a bit of a toad to load. She did load well onto a large lorry.

I have been doing groundwork with her prior to loading, using a natural horsemanship halter, and have gotten her to the point where she will walk onto the trailer but won't stay on. She was rushing off the front, didn't like the partition, so I spent an entire day making a full width breast bar from salvaged bits, and today was getting her to walk on and back off, which she was actually doing quite nicely until she just refused point blank to get back on (think planting feet and no longer responding to pressure and release)

Any suggestions for where to go next? I'm not sure if I have got the energy for much more (we've been at it for weeks!) and feel so frustrated I'm ready to throw in the towel. She is a lovely mare otherwise and i have been so excited to be able to get out and about!
 

FfionWinnie

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I'd have stayed there til she went on even if it took all night. Never start something you can't finish and always finish on a good note. Do it again tomorrow!
 

Equi

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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.
 

FfionWinnie

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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.
 

Pinkvboots

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I never let any horse turn away from the ramp if they wont walk forward they get asked to step
back, I never use the front ramp on a trailer either I always reverse them off I think it's safer as some see it open and rush out, if she is planting you may have to go back to the ground work I have found some horses respond to the pressure halter for a while then they don't and just revert back to not going on, I just teach the horse to walk forward and backwards when asked in either a head collar or bridle before going near a ramp.

have you tried taking the partition out completely they can travel without one if she is happier without?
 

Luci07

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Mine started to be a monkey about loading and it would take a lunge rein and 3 people to get him to load. I borrowed a friends ezi loader, did a bit of work and then used it to load. We had one refusal and then loaded easily. I will caveat this by saying horse didn't seem remotely worried about loading (think relaxed back leg ) just didn't see why he had to ..standing at 17.1 when I am 5.5, I needed to find a different tool.!
 

meesha

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Simple accurate pressure/release is key, horse is rewarded for walking forwards towards you and the trailer, don't fight, stay calm, allow plenty of time, then use pressure ask horse to walk forwards, as soon as horse moves a millimeter forward release pressure
 

fathorselover

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Ooh a myriad of ideas! For clarity, the partition was out, and I would have stayed the course today but I had to do the school run! I think she is obstinate more than anything, she doesn't appear frightened although she has in the past. I did do the whole backing up/walking forward thing and it didn't seem to have an effect (could be doing it wrong!)

I own an Ezi Loader, didn't make a jot of difference.

And I am a firm believer in repetition, it worked on my old mare who loaded like a dream ever after, current mare is a different kettle of fish it seems!
 

dulcie_dustyxx

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I'd let her eyes adjust. Takes a while 20 minutes but once she can see whats in there the first couple of times might not scare her so much. Big lorries tend to have more light flowing in (more windows!) so that's probably why she loaded quicker.

All your horse really sees until after 20 minutes is a big black hole - imagine someone asking u to walk into that!
 

ycbm

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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.

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).
 

turnbuckle

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I assume you've tried feeding in the trailer? And only in the trailer - if she doesn't go on she goes away hungry...

Not sophisticated, but......

ETA I DO feel your pain.....and I'm not going to tempt fate by saying I got there in the end....just dig in for the long haul!
 
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iknowmyvalue

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I've been there, but did get said horse loading almost perfectly eventually. With anything that likes to rush out of the front, load them with the front ramp up. Having been dragged by horse barging through trailer to get out, not an experience I want to repeat. If you want to make it lighter, just open the top window. Most of them will reverse out with no problems, and you're not going to get trampled if they rush, yes they might learn that backwards is an option but make it your choice when she reverses, and keep her on her toes, maybe you back her halfway out then she has to go in again, then next time you go all the way out, then maybe you go 2 steps backwards and stand.

When she plants, just make her move her feet, it doesn't matter which direction as long as she goes. If you end up lunging her at the bottom of the ramp then so be it, she'll learn that going into the trailer and standing there is the nicest option. Get her walking across the ramp (rather than up) at least then she's stepping onto the ramp. She should hopefully learn that pulling back = hard, going forwards = easy and relaxed. When you're using pressure and release, reward every tiny step forwards at first, so if she just moves one foot forward a cm, stop, praise her, take a breather, then ask for another step.

Is she interested in food? I find feeding in the trailer is good to teach them it's a nice place to be. Not using food to bribe them necessarily (but that can work too) but just to get positive associations with the trailer. I'd definitely get her comfortable hanging out in there before you try and introduce the partition (yes, mine had a problem with that too). I don't know what make your trailer is, but many of them you can remove half the partition, so could you introduce half the partition at a time? (starting with the front half) I never got mine loading unless the back half was tied back, which was fine because you could then just go and undo it and put it across no problem, but she always objected to going in with it across, I think she felt there wasn't space for her to fit in.

I think the key is just perseverance and patience, it will take time but I'm sure you'll get there! Good luck! :)
 

be positive

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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).

I agree but you do have to have the experience to know when you have done enough for one day and finish on a good note before the good work is potentially undone by going too far, the horse has to have a "reward" and that may be after it has loaded perfectly once or possibly after 100 times, the Op probably got a bit rushed, changed something or relaxed and the mare switched off at a crucial time, like most things with horses we learn by our mistakes as much as by our successes and only then have the experience to cope with whatever they throw at us.
 

Equi

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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.
Yeah as in do it every day or every few hours but over and over and over in the same time frame might just make them more and more wound up and clearly did in this case.as bepositve says you have to know when to call it a day so it ends on a good note. Then try again later and repeat the good experience until it's easy loader.
 
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Spottyappy

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Back the trailer into a corner, then coral the third side with anything you have to hand, hay bales, straw, feed sacks hung over electric tape. She then has no exit.
The only way, then, should be forward and onto the trailer.
Never let her eat grass outside of the trailer, and as said above don't turn her away.
The corral has worked successfully with a difficult loader we had. When at shows, we used windbreaks. A little difficult on concrete so used to take some rocks to anchor them with.
Stay positive and do not think she won't load! Easier said than done, but it does help!
 

MagicMelon

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I'd have stayed there til she went on even if it took all night. Never start something you can't finish and always finish on a good note. Do it again tomorrow!

This! I have spent many a night still standing waiting for the odd very stubborn horse to load, but IMO you just cant let them win even once. Id open up the trailer fully, take out partitions then just get a bucket of feed and have a few hours to spare! As someone else has said, you could do a corral round it so she cant get far away from it, you could even just put her in there then stick her daily feed in the trailer (at the front) so she will eventually get bored and have to go in (with front ramp down so she can then leave).
 

fathorselover

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Thank you for the answers and words of encouragement everyone... And for those who have been through this with their own tricky loaders and "cured" them, (I hardly dare ask!) how long were you working on it for?
 

Hoof_Prints

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I had a loader that actually tried to kill me when going on the trailer, I was only 16 when I had her and after trying everything, got the trailer out and stood for 3 hours pulling the rope on her head until she gave in and walked on, gave a carrot. Repeat. Kept on and on and on, eventually she walked on for a carrot without even a rope. She never had a loading problem after that! Before she would get within 10 metres of the rap, rear over your head, kick out and leg it. It was an utter nightmare.
 

ycbm

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Thank you for the answers and words of encouragement everyone... And for those who have been through this with their own tricky loaders and "cured" them, (I hardly dare ask!) how long were you working on it for?

Maximum of a day and a half. The only one I've ever had who simply would not load got her food put into the lorry and did not eat unless she went into it (set up in the door of the barn she was left in) . When that didn't work her water went in there too, and she loaded herself within hours and was never an issue ever again. 36 hours. Job done.
 

be positive

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Thank you for the answers and words of encouragement everyone... And for those who have been through this with their own tricky loaders and "cured" them, (I hardly dare ask!) how long were you working on it for?

My very nervous horse that had thrown himself over backwards rather than load took two days of me sitting on the ramp with no pressure on him, I was prepared to take weeks if necessary, I picked a nice day with nothing else to do, got a drink and food for me, feed inside for him, I sat there doing nothing on day 1 other than to get him totally relaxed and bored, day 2 after a while he suddenly decided he was bored stood at the bottom of the ramp and rushed past me and self loaded, once on he shook like a leaf but was happy enough to repeat the exercise a few times, he was never a problem to load after that although was never a relaxed traveler he competed regularly being better if he had company on the journey.

Other less problematical ones are usually loading themselves after one session using pressure and release but with some you do need to keep getting them on regularly, everything here now self loads, one was a little tricky to start with but soon learnt going out was great fun so loads very easily now and is just as good on the return journey which I know had been an issue in her previous home but that may have been due to her having undiagnosed PSSM so traveling would have been uncomfortable.
 

blitznbobs

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I agree it takes a day ... but it's got to be a day where you have no other destructions and are prepared to wait it out ... there are lots of different techniques (I use gentle irritation rather than pressure and release because I like my horses to load ahead of me due to travelling them
On my own ) but choose one method and stick to it..
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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It can take a day, or longer.
My current ride came early Sept last year - I soon found that she needed a LOT of work as planted etc. 1st time out took me 2.5 hrs to re-load her to come home (prob could have been shorter but due to another 'helpful' eejit in car park who slapped her on the bum - causing her to rear, spin & bog off, so it took far longer).

Almost all the time now she will self load at home - BUT I need to be on the ball every time in case she decides to start planting, then I keep her moving (as already mentioned above in other posts).
I take her out every week in the box to something, even just hacking. If we miss a weekend, then we do a little loading practice in the yard, the mini-shetties have a turn too then :)

I have now got her loading to come home, usually a 30 second 'think' and then on, but I ensure that nobody is around to help (makes things MUCH worse) but also that I am equipped with hat, gloves & my loading tool each & every time.
On arrival anywhere, I unload her, circle the box and re-load, repeating twice over, she then relaxes enough to now be able to pick at a haynet on the lorry.
She's never allowed to eat anything off the lorry (grass or hay, or any treat) after we have competed, hacked etc but has tack off & is loaded immediately. Any change to this routine at present, makes her more sticky to re-load to come home.

I'm not complacent, this pony had a severe trauma less than 2 years ago, and now trusts me enough to follow/go where I ask. I don't think I will ever be able to let my guard down, but with on-going persistence, I would like to think we have moved forwards a long way from the beginning.

Summing up OP, never let your guard down at any time, always be prepared for the unexpected, finally - good luck x
 
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frostyfingers

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Mine isn't a regularly good loader, however 18 months from when we first started we have an understanding! He would waver about and step off the ramp, plant himself about 2 lengths away and not move forwards/backwards or sideways, rear and then gallop. Once you could get him to focus it was like "oh, you want me on the lorry, why didn't you ask?" Which was incredibly frustrating, Initially it was a nightmare and required a minimum of 3 people and then with 2 sessions with an IH person and we found a plan which worked for us but still required an extra pair of hands.

Now, he has decided that he and I can load alone - he still stands at the bottom of the ramp and I have to get him to concentrate rather than looking around at everything else but after a moment he'll walk quietly on and stand. If he's being a bit silly I just lay one lunge line on the floor, he looks at it and then walk in. Heaven knows what's going through his mind but we do seem to have reached a compromise. I always allow extra time though and am consequently early for everything, and I don't think I'd ever risk not giving myself that time!
 

MotherOfChickens

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I'm another that wont repeat on the day I have two that load themselves but they weren't always like that.

obvious things-if the floor ramp is black or very dark, make sure there's a decent amount of bedding in it and spread some on the trailer ramp. The other is to look at Ben Hart's shaping plans for loading-based on learning theory (not NH).Also gives you the basis for other shaping plans.
 

twiggy2

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For those that load going out but not coming back, Richard maxwell has a theory that they don't load due to carrying tension that makes them sore after work or travelling, I understand that he is very successful in resolving the issue.
For those that 'don't seem scared', every horse will.have a reason it dies not go on, it may be a bad association with the trailer/ lorry of that they have linked a chain of events, so loading means stress being isolated at the show for example. You need to change your horses perception.
Also if you are building corrals/ pens and carrying wind breaks etc the issue is not resolved it is managed, two very different things. The horses perception of the trailer/ lorry hasn't changed but it is loading through learned helplessness which is a depressing thought.
OP I would bring horse in, work it then put it in the stable to chill and relax for an hour with no food, put food and small haynet in trailer take horse out and stand at the bottom of the ramp, if the horse is not scared it will go in, leave it there to eat, when finished take out and put in field.
Work alone, daily if possible but never when you may run out of time, keep calm, if you do get caught out and have to stop put horse back in stable with no hay or feed for a while before turning out, even when horse loads well put a hanging feed bucket in with a few treats or a handful of something the horse values in every time you load.
As for horses eyes taking 20 minutes to adjust! How on earth do they cope with going in an unlit stable, under trees, under bridges etc etc. Their eyes adjust at least as quick as ours.
 

windand rain

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I've been there, but did get said horse loading almost perfectly eventually. With anything that likes to rush out of the front, load them with the front ramp up. Having been dragged by horse barging through trailer to get out, not an experience I want to repeat. If you want to make it lighter, just open the top window. Most of them will reverse out with no problems, and you're not going to get trampled if they rush, yes they might learn that backwards is an option but make it your choice when she reverses, and keep her on her toes, maybe you back her halfway out then she has to go in again, then next time you go all the way out, then maybe you go 2 steps backwards and stand.

When she plants, just make her move her feet, it doesn't matter which direction as long as she goes. If you end up lunging her at the bottom of the ramp then so be it, she'll learn that going into the trailer and standing there is the nicest option. Get her walking across the ramp (rather than up) at least then she's stepping onto the ramp. She should hopefully learn that pulling back = hard, going forwards = easy and relaxed. When you're using pressure and release, reward every tiny step forwards at first, so if she just moves one foot forward a cm, stop, praise her, take a breather, then ask for another step.

Is she interested in food? I find feeding in the trailer is good to teach them it's a nice place to be. Not using food to bribe them necessarily (but that can work too) but just to get positive associations with the trailer. I'd definitely get her comfortable hanging out in there before you try and introduce the partition (yes, mine had a problem with that too). I don't know what make your trailer is, but many of them you can remove half the partition, so could you introduce half the partition at a time? (starting with the front half) I never got mine loading unless the back half was tied back, which was fine because you could then just go and undo it and put it across no problem, but she always objected to going in with it across, I think she felt there wasn't space for her to fit in.

I think the key is just perseverance and patience, it will take time but I'm sure you'll get there! Good luck! :)

this I nearly got killed by a horse barging through a trailer to make a rapid exit out the front
All mine are self loaders as I have had them from foals one notable experience it took 20 minutes to load the foal into a lorry but 5 hours to get her off she wouldn't step the first step onto the ramp coming down. I have used IH RA for that one a few times she would let you put a rug on but not take it off, can still be a bit funny with her saddle. It is odd how some have instant and seemingly irrational fears of formally everyday activities
 

claireandnadia

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My girl was an amazing loader when I first got her, then she decided that actually she wanted to be a little sod and not go on without an argument.
There is no fear involved, I have since realised with her it's because she just doesn't want to and the reason I know that, is because when her friends are out in the field, she won't go in her stable either, she goes to the side as she does with the horsebox.
My last mare would be better if no-one around, we'd have a chat at the bottom of the ramp and then she'd go in but this mare seems to need at least 4 people and that's how its been with our last few outings.

When I had my own horsebox, we'd practise loading at the yard at least once a week and she'd happily go in, stand and sometimes not want to come out.

I have found with mine that she is worse coming home for some reason.

Perhaps get someone out to give you a hand?
 
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