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custard

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Right the new boy hasn't been around much apart from the ferrry over here 3 years ago, old place to my place and a little trip to our old yard couple of months ago. Considering this he has been pretty good, I got the previous owners to practise loading him for me after he passed the vet.

Anyway, took him to the old yard again yesterday for a change of scene, loaded fine, travelled fine only 10 minute journey followed by lovely 45 min hack just walking, so well behaved and grown up in a strange place was really proud of him.

Tried to load him to come home and the little git put up a fight and I mean fight lasting 1 1/2 hours! Why? He didn't have a bad experience and didn't appear particularly scared is this just my youngster flexing his muscles and 'Kevinism' creeping in?

How have others got round this in the past? I'm all for practising every day this week if we have to as I've done in the past with a young horse, don't want this performance again!
 
When you load him never let him turn away from the ramp if you can help it, he must face the way you want him to go all the time, use lunge lines if necessary just keeping the pressure on until he moves forward, i always use food aswell at this stage. When he is in take him straight off and load him again and again, at least 20 times, this conditions the horse and trains him, so many people take ages to get them on banging up the ramp, all you have taught them then is to have a fight first! I am sure your boy will be fine, just trying it on a little, the most important thing i think when doing this exercise is to keep the brain calm so he can focus on what he is supposed to be doing.
 
Ryu did this, he was definately testing boundaries, it got particulary bad this time last year when he took half an an hour to load after a lesson, our tried and tested technique is the lungeline clipped to the trailer and wrapped round his bum, it does mean I need an assistant but to be quiet honest now as soon as hes sees the line he walks straight in, he always gets an apple when he loads aswell.
 
Ive had major loading issues recently. I got stuck at a summer show for 5 hours and that’s no exaggeration!!! He was rearing lashing out and not getting tired. I practised loads with him after that. Using food and his equi-ball, which he loves. I tend to get stressed when he’s naughty and that makes him worse so i get a friend to help me and she is calm which makes him relax more. He hates being forced into something he doesn’t want to do so i can’t shout use lunge lines etc. I used to feed him on the lorry and not actually take him anywhere so he got used to the idea that it was a good thing going on the box and he isn’t going out everytime he goes on. He's much better now im glad to say. "Patients is a virtue" is definitely a true saying!!
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I have had some success, but did go to the trouble of spending some time training in this as a while ago i had one that was a bit of a challenge.

Groundwork is the start, drumming in especially that the horse must move forward when you ask it to, then progress to the lorry/trailer. Load on - big praise - unload, load on - big praise - unload, do it another 10 times. Then put the horse in the stable and go and have a cup of tea. Repeat the whole exercise. Put the horse away again, or out in the field. Then do it all again later in the day. The next morning do it again, get your horse so that it would follow you on to the lorry or trailer even if you threw the rope over his neck.

Try not resort to food, it is a distraction and a bribe. The only reward for following you on should be praise.

If you have a trailer, start by taking all the partitions out and opening all the ramps, then eventually close it down. With a lorry, for the first few sessions leave the partitions to the side, walk the horse up, turn it around, big fuss, then walk straight off again.

This is the only method for teaching lasting lessons. The only equipment I would recommend would be a slip halter for the early ground work, and to teach the horse it is only working against itself.
 
Well, my suggestions for you would be:

Give him his dinner in the trailer every day, until he's going in happily. That way you know he's quite capable of going in, which means you'll end up being positive when you NEED him to load.

Sometimes putting straw or shavings on the floor helps, one of mine didn't like the black of the matting inside, but after a few months of going out 2-3 times a week, he was used to the trailer and didn't mind once we swept all the straw out. It's worked on a friends horse I've moved for her a couple of times as well.

I don't like violence, and it doesn't work with mine anyway, just makes matters worse, but sometimes shaking an empty Hi Fi sack behind them when you know they're messing you about can work. I've never done very well using the lunge line myself.

Mine are both excellent loaders now, (ha ha they'll show me up tomorrow now I've said that lol) they go out 2-3 times a week, I'm sure that makes all the difference, they are so used to going in, I also drive like the vicar's aunt with the trailer on the back, you don't think your boy had a bit of a jolt or anything do you? I also always carry a scoop of nuts, "just in case"

Good luck
 
In many cases, its because the horse is actually scared of loading and the 'fight or flight' senses kick in.
Also, many owners turn and look at the horse and try and drag them up the ramp....this is the worst thing you can do as its an agressive stance your showing. Just lead them from the shoulder without looking at them.
Ive loaded a lot of difficult horses (especially my army horses) so often just started with getting the horse to put a foot on the ramp, and stand there a while calmly. Sometimes its the sound or feel of the ramp that causes them to freak out. If you can get their confidence for a moment then they often move forward quitely.
Using lunge reins etc is only likley to bring the problem again, and not resolve anything (except maybe getting you home once), and Ive seen bad accidents with people doing this (to both horses and loaders)...patience and no confrontation really are the only ways

Good luck!!
 
Okay an update for you, thanks for the advice so far but need a bit of moral support.

YO lent me a Dually halter this morning so gave that a try, little bugger took some persuading to come in from the field, think he hates me now!

Anyway he went on the box pretty much straight away with a bit of tugging on the Dually but then it went a bit tits up. My box is an Ifor Williams with a rear and front ramp so thought I'd take him on, praise/titbit, then straight off. Trouble is once inside he turned left instead of right and ended up with his arse hanging out of the front ramp and me pinned in the corner by the grooms door, very, very scary from my perspective and probabaly from his too.

Anyway persuaded him to turn and come down the rear ramp forwards then loaded him again several times. Trouble is he wants to dive for the front ramp at warp speed and bashed his hip on the door frame on exit.

We then tried just loading him and reversing off which once he was persuaded to go in one final time he seemed happier with, the front ramp is a tight turn for him. Having done that we let him have the remainder of a scoop of mix we'd had handy for him and I turned him out for the rest of the day.

We managed to do this without any frayed tempers so a positive thing overall I think, any more thoughts?
 
Overall, it sounds like it was sucessful, just keep on plugging away at it, and if he prefers to come out backwards, well let him come out that way. It sounds from your post that you haven't got the partitions in, is that right? Would it make a difference if you put them in? Well done, keep it up!
 
Thanks P, the partition will move over to one side or the other giving an appearance of more space. Today the YO had a try using the Dually, he is very good with handling youngsters BTW. 'Kevin' did go on after about 10 minutes, from a loose lead rein I may add!

YO had a few 'backing up' tricks to try with 'Kev' so without any upset he learnt it was just easier to go on, anything for a quiet life so to speak. Think I've just got to keep practising, good job have own box....
 
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