Ideas please..moving yards with a difficult loader!!

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doris2008

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I am moving my horse in a few weeks to a new yard. He is a difficult loader to say the least and I am already starting to worry about it!
I used to have a trailer and after several incidents when loading it was sold. He will go so far in and then reverse out VERY quickly! He will also rear if pressured and has gone over backwards twice now as a result of trying to load him.
I have access to a lorry to take him and may get one opportunity to see how he is before hand but thats it. :(
He has loaded into that before a long time ago but it took a long time.
Food doesnt work. Lunge lines dont work. Putting a bridle on doesnt work. Putting another horse on doesnt work! When he used to come back from vets (I am guessing there may be some association issues here with vet visits!), they would sedate him and basically shuffle him in foot by foot!
So...any new and radical ideas?!!!!
Someone has actually suggested to me, putting a roller on and headcollar and running a standing martingale through to prevent him rearing so high that he unbalances himself - or is this just to stop him from balancing himself if he does go up?:confused:
When he actually loads and is in, he is fine when travelling. Seems well balanced, doesnt sweat, will eat hay and have a doze - doesn't seem stressed at all. It's just the loading process.
Is it worth getting some sedative from vet? I worry that when sedated that he may still go up, but will lack coordination and will then be more likely to fall over!
Argghhh...if there was one thing I wish he was ok with, its loading!
 
Please don't blindfold your horse! It's just dangerous. There are some people who are very very good at loading horses and can get any horse on, I would try and find someone like that to help. You have my sympathy though its so frustrating when they wont load!
 
I would be VERY worried about him panicking if blindfolded - falling off a ramp is just asking for a broken leg! Just what I want to avoid! ;)

Squeak - I had a parelli lady (not my usual thing!) out to him while I still had the trailer and after 3 hours she gave up. He didnt do anything too silly but he wasnt going in!
 
If you don't have a lorry or trailer to practice with (every day) for a couple of weeks the only solution I can see is to get the vet to sedate, then maybe try lots an lots of loading pratice when you get to your new yard if someone has a trailer you can borrow...
 
Ditto with the parelli thing (not my usual thing but i was desparate!) she spent about 3 hours with my horse (sounds a lot like yours) and although not perfect, i think he needs a few more sessions, he actually walked on to the trailer with the front bar up (problem was he rushed through and trampled you in the process). I would agree with not blindfolding - i've only ever seen it with horses who have completely panicked and have made the whole thing worse....good luck :)
 
Its very difficult when you do not have your own transport :(
Have just looked up richard maxwell as lots of people recommend him - £300!!! :eek: Ouch!
Sedation sounds like it will be. Darn it I was really hoping you would have a miracle cure for me! :rolleyes::D
Will hopefully try a practice session and see how he goes.
 
Why not just ride him to your new yard?

Nearly any horse can be trained to load but it requires daily practice for about eight weeks.
 
OWLIE185 said:
Why not just ride him to your new yard?

Nearly any horse can be trained to load but it requires daily practice for about eight weeks.
Click to expand...

Not an option sadly - its about 15 miles, and he has only just come back into work!

As I said, at this point I do not have my own trailer/box to practice with.
 
Get a Dually headcollar and teach him a few groundrules first. No barging, leading nicely, back, forwards, sideways.

Then use the dually headcollar with a lungeline - not a leadrope to load him.

Basically you need to teach him to give to pressure and then release the pressure immediately he responds.

Fi
 
I have a Monty Roberts Be Nice halter. I think it is the Dually halter's predecessor. Was £6 off Ebay. It's fab. It's just like a rope halter and, when they pull back, it puts pressure on. You don't pull them in but when they pull back, I think it puts pressure on their head. Or nose. Not really sure. But I borrowed one off a friend about 4 years ago for my naughty-pants horse who refused to load and it worked like a charm. I don't have to use it any more (can't remember last time) but I keep it in the jeep. If he starts playing up, I just keep calm, don't have a row with him, go and get it out the jeep and put it on. Then he walks in like a little lamb. I'm not sure why it is so effective, but I don't really need to know why. It works and that's it.
Good luck.
 
Thanks - have just actually spoken to a lady at work who also appears to have a pony who does this. She has a dually type halter and says it works a treat with him. She is going to bring it in and will see if it fits my lad.
 
My boy used to do this all the time, hes fallen over backwards so many times ive lost count. Now he goes straight up:D
I use a Dually Halter - they really do work, but learn how to use them properly. As a few have mentioned get manners on the floor first and learn how to apply and release pressure, it is actually a bit of an art...eg if i apply too much pressure to myhorse he reacts in a bad way, too little he'll mess around. Just enough to say 'behave!' and hes straight up.
Use a lunge line, gloves and wear a hat just in case. My boy also played up for a crowd, so I dont have any help - but thats just him. Also try walking him round the box for a few minutes, quietly and slowly - no fuss - reassures them that it isn a big deal. Approach the box and get him to back away from it - walk off. Repeat the exercise and gradually get a foot on the ramp and back off. (Hope that makes sense). Good luck
 
I would train yourself and him with a dually halter and then borrow or hire yourself a trailer for a day, remove all partitions and open the front ramp. You need to get him walking THROUGH the trailer repeatedly before you can ask him to load and shut the ramps. He MUST be thinking forwards, not backwards. To this day I always open all ramps on my trailer before loading... that way he has no excuse for not wanting to go in. Have someone at the front ramp with a bucket of feed ready for when he might want to come out faster than you want so it can be stuck under his nose to slow him down. Remember you have all day ;)
when igot a bit desperate with my gelding I had two men link arms behind him and scoop him up from just under his buttocks while I pulled from the front end... he had no option but to move forwards and you only have to repeat the process a couple of times for them not to try it on again!!!not suitable for all but worked for me....

Perhaps leave him in his stable for a few hours with nothing to eat before you try? then the food might have more on effect? (this worked for someone I know who got desperate on one occasion!!!)
 
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