Is a bad loader always a bad loader?

[fathorselover]

My mare isn't the best at loading, full stop. I don't have my own transport but have access to a box to use (side loading 3.5 tonne Vauxhall movano thingy) realistically I can manage this a maximum of a couple of times a month- I wouldn't want to go out more often than that anyway! But actually getting her to load is a tedious and soul destroying experience (she has never not got on, but there is always a discussion about it!) She has loaded best in a large lorry, sadly I just don't and will not have access to one now. I have done the whole loading practice thing on a number of occasions and she will end up good on the day, then revert back to her normal behaviour next time we want to go anywhere!

So those of you with horses that are/have been bad loaders, have they ever improved or are they always just bad at it? Am so jealous of people whose horses just walk straight on!!

 

[Ben2684]

Can't comment as my old horse practically loaded himself-however new horse and I had our first outing today.. loaded within a couple of tries on the way out, however on the way home it took an hour so I will be following with interest

 

[paddi22]

yeah i've had a few bad loaders come good. took a lot of feeding at the base of ramps and then gradually getting them happy to walk on. The doing short journeys to beach etc. Now they are all fine. It's handy to try and figure out the causes of why they might be loading badly. With one of mine he was a bit claustraphobic, so we got an extra window put in at his side and he is 100% happier now. Another one got better when i realised i wasn't going around corners as smoothly as i cold be. when my driving got a bit better he improved loading as well. Another horse loaded better if i had front ramp of box down, she just didn't liek loading into a dark space.

 

[Orangehorse]

It is going to be a bit difficult without your own transport to practice with, because even if you get someone to help to show you how they always say you must keep practicing. Also use the transport as much as possible to go to a variety of places, so the horse doesn't always associate with going out with going to a show, or hard work, etc.! Some horses are being nappy, they don't want to leave their familiar presmises, some have been frightened while travelling, some feel claustrophobic. Trailer mirrors have been reported as successful so the horse has a "friend" to travel with. Feeding nice things inside the trailer, regular loading, etc. etc. can work too.

I expect you have heard of the Kelly Marks/Monty Roberts pressure halters. They work, have been proved to work over and over again, but they MUST be used correctly and you have to practice using them so the horse fully understands. It is pressure and release, the release being the reward. I have heard of more than once case when people have tried to pull their horses with one of these rope halters, the horse reared and went over backwards and was killed. Or they have used the rope halter, the horse has fought it and they have ended up with a worse problem. If you are really fed up, you can get Intelligent Horsemanship people out to visit and they will help but they do advise practice/

 

[blitznbobs]

My cob was a b*gger to load but I spent a whole day about 3 years ago 'fixing ' the problem - he walks straight on now... My mate is scary to load as she literally canters up the ramp from a standing start... She always goes straight on but don't get in her way!! (Not sure how or if I should stop this behaviour tbh)

 

[fuzzymooch]

It can be done, first boy was apita to load when he came, have literally seen him rear and flip back off the ramp! Took me a year of gentle persuasion and 'happy' beach type trips but he came good and loaded like a pro in the end. Oh and he was in his teens at this point . Good luck.

 

[PorkChop]

No, it can definitely be improved. Its a shame you don't have your own transport to practice, but keep at it

 

[fathorselover]

Phew- this fills me with confidence! And all we ever do is fun things, fun rides etc which she really enjoys but I dont think she is able to make the connection between the two!!!

 

[meesha]

My bad loader (2.5 hrs to load after a fun ride) is now a walk on first time everytime! Lots of practise and praise and lots of fun outings.

 

[Justturnedfifty]

My mare isn't the best at loading, full stop. I don't have my own transport but have access to a box to use (side loading 3.5 tonne Vauxhall movano thingy) realistically I can manage this a maximum of a couple of times a month- I wouldn't want to go out more often than that anyway! But actually getting her to load is a tedious and soul destroying experience (she has never not got on, but there is always a discussion about it!) She has loaded best in a large lorry, sadly I just don't and will not have access to one now. I have done the whole loading practice thing on a number of occasions and she will end up good on the day, then revert back to her normal behaviour next time we want to go anywhere!

So those of you with horses that are/have been bad loaders, have they ever improved or are they always just bad at it? Am so jealous of people whose horses just walk straight on!!

It will get better - honestly! My mare (chestnut) will load under her terms only, which is :-
a) lots of time if you are running late I can assure you she will obstinately refuse to co operate until she is ready to go in. Will not load easily if we are under time pressure.
b) she establishes her routine. Walk up to the ramp stop. Look around. Pat on neck will put 2 feet on to the ramp stop. Stand and think about next move for 2 to 5 minutes. Will then move forward until all 4 feet are on ramp and head is in the trailer stop. Another minute or two will then move in.
c) Lots of praise and verbal 'good girl', she may accept a mint, she may not.

Travels brilliantly, hops straight in on the way back.

Initially wouldn't load when we first had her (2 years ago) and we were told by old owners she could be a reluctant loader but would always go in, so I decided to long rein her in, long rein out of trailer. Did this every day for about 2 weeks, until I was leading her in, leading out. Worked very well. If we have a seriously tough refusal and the obstinate head rules, the minute I get the long reins / lunge lines out and clip them on to the ramp, she will literally walk straight in without me picking them up! Although a food orientated mare, would not be tempted by food.

My recommendation, don't fight her, keep your cool. Allow plenty of time, give her time to do one step at a time and just keep practicing. Don't pull her, shout at her or hassle her, play the waiting game. Keep walking her in and out, lots of praise and accept she will load but on her time scales and her terms. Oh, try to manoeuvre box so when the ramp is down, she doesn't have 2 exit routes either side of the ramp, less for her to think about and easier for you if you are on your own. Good luck!

 

[FfionWinnie]

It's about training. You don't even need transport to practice. If your horse learns how to yield to (correct, non violent and fair!) pressure it will walk anywhere with you without concern. Read Richard Maxwell's books. Do the work. Live an easier life.

 

[shanti]

My current mare was a terrible loader when I got her, now she loads ok, not perfect but not as bad either. I used the 'happy trip' approach and also left my float in one of the smaller paddocks and turned her out in there for 20 minutes a day to graze near it (watching her the whole time of course). This seemed to work well as it got her used to being near the float without freaking out.

 

[Goldenstar]

No a bad loader need not always be a bad loader .

 

[rachk89]

Yeah it can get better. Mine takes about 10-15mins to load and we have to use a dually now as he is getting worse, but thats due to me not having transport to practice with him, we have to borrow and I'm not borrowing someone elses transport to practice with him as they may need it.

Try opening up all of the doors so they can see a wait out. My horse only actually walked on straight away when we opened the ramp at the front, before that he would not get in and was being quite dramatic about it all, then was quiet and just walked up once we opened the door. I think he doesnt like travelling by himself either, but I aint buying a second horse just to keep him happy lol!

 

[meesha]

Pressure then immediate release with any forward movement is all that was needed. Clear signals, no grey areas.

 

[millikins]

The Richard Maxwell pressure halter worked for our difficult mare. She will still be a beggar if you try and load her without it but so long as it is on her head she is fine, we no longer need to apply any pressure. She isn't greedy so food treats didn't work, one thing we did find was that she would step on the ramp half way up where it didn't move if parked on an uneven surface.

 

[JDee]

Always have a good selection of back up plans.

 

[rara007]

Certainly can 'recover' from being bad loaders

 

[doodle]

Mine improved also but I worked on it every day. Routine was in in the afternoon, some trailer training then stable for tea. His loading was getting worse and I stupidly listened to the yard know it all. He would rear and sat down once spinning on his hocks. Told her I would do it myself and got a dually. Started off all he had to do was walk to ramp, patted and left it there (feed wasn't a bribe for him). Slowly asked him for another step and finish there. In the end he would walk up, put 2 feet on the ramp then stop. I had to let him have that moment maybe a minute or 2 with light pressure on the headcollor. If I put too much pressure on he would fly backwards and rear. He would then decide to come on and would walk in. However if I got complacent and tried without stalky he would revert to standing still and ignoring me!

 

[sport horse]

Over the years I have loaded and travelled many horses - many youngsters for the first time. No they do not need to be bad and the youngsters that are tricky to start with always load well after a time if they are handled properly.
I have to say that the most difficult lorry to load is the 3.5 ton with a side ramp and the horse having to turn 90 degrees as they go up. Hence your horses loaded better into a big lorry. Can you borrow a trailer with a front unload? Remove the partitions, open the front and back and lead the horse through half a dozen times (or more if it is worried.) Then replace the partition but swing it open to give the horse more room. If possible never unload the horse backwards then hopefully it will never learn to go backwards while you are loading.
Crucial always have something on the horses head that you can control (no not just hold - control) him with - a bridle, stallion chain, chifney if really needed - it is essential that he learns not to pull away/rear etc from you. Once you have him straight to the ramp you can then begin to encourage him forwards.

Good Luck!

 

[NZJenny]

I have a little mare, who I bred, who has never liked being in enclosed spaces and hated the float. Teaching her to load took some time and to this day you have to do it exactly as she was taught, other wise you will be there all day.

 

[Lyle]

It took my notoriously terrible loader up until he retired to become a good loader! He was used to being trucked, so found the trailer difficult. Now he's retired, he'll walk into the trailer anywhere, under any circumstances. Oh the battles we had when he was competing!

 

[pippixox]

Any horse can improve, but some will always be a bit slower to get on or fussy on what vehicle. My mare does not like to do tight turns so prefers to be able to walk straight in like a trailer or lorries which are more diagonal stalls. She also can't balence without lots of room to spread her legs- so in a trailer needs it to herself with no partition.

Always allow way more time then you should need! They can always mooch around at your destination of early,

 

[windand rain]

What you need to practice is a large tarpaulin and/or a very large peice of safe wood. Teach her to walk over it any which way so wherever you go she goes. A Richard Maxwell Halter and correct training or a dually and correct training are both useful bits of equipment Those horses you are so envious of that walk in are just well trained and any horse can be trained. I once watched two horses, who had been seriously hurt in a trailer overturn, walk calmy into the trailer to be taken home after weeks of treatment at a yard near where they had been injured. Training simply took over and they were fine.
Should add I always unload backwards as it stops the horse flattening you on the way in to rush through if the front is open or flattening you on the little front ramp only serious loading injury I have ahd was a front unload thaat nearly killed me in its hurry to run out of the trailer. Not my horse either. They are much saner going backwards tending to carefully place their feet

 

[rowan666]

My Anglo was an awful loader when I first got him but after eventually getting him in and going to different places a couple times he realised the box ment exiting things, he now loads him self into box weather he's supposed to be in it or not!

 

[horsefeed]

I think they can get over it but its very hard if you don't have own transport as you need to make it the norm for them. I brought an unloadable horse for £10 as he was so bad he was dangerous!
I hacked him home, took most of a day with breaks! We then left him in a concrete yard with my lorry, ramp down and all partitions out, all his hay, feed and water and was put in lorry very quickly he leanrt to go in and out and started spending the majority of time in lorry as that where food was. Then started tying him in lorry, putting partitions back in, shutting ramp, starting engine etc, then small trips round block and then short trip unload ride home, then short trip, hack and load to come home or ride out and get picked up. He will now go in any lorry without even a hesitation, not tried a trailer. He is currently out on loan with a teenager who does a lot of RC, SJ etc with him and he's always out and about.

 

[milliepops]

I agree that it is harder when you don't have your own transport - I had this problem with my sec D. I couldn't afford to hire a box just do to loading practice, and it used to take about 45 mins to load her each time

So practice at every opportunity you have... but I also agree with addressing your general handling and the horse's response.
Mine had to learn to walk WITH me, unquestioningly, everywhere. So when I walk with her towards the ramp, she has to stay up next to me, not drop back or nap away. That is reinforced every time I handle her. I still use a chiffney for loading just so she never re-learns her old behaviour (she pulled away) but I lead from the headcollar with a schooling whip to keep her thinking forward. Never have a problem these days

 

[Merrymoles]

My lad loads well but needs time to process the idea as he seldom goes anywhere and patience has been key with him as he tends to be stress about new things. Given time to look, consider, experience the different feel of the ramp, he'll walk on nicely, whether a lorry or a trailer. Once on, he tends to stress more (front feet coming off the ground) but is fine as soon as moving so always goes on last if travelling with others.

I do believe that bad loaders can improve dramatically with patience and repetition, preferably done alone or with a quiet, calmer helper and not the yard know-all. My friend's horse, who is hesitant but certainly not bad, was once whacked on the backside by a yard know-all who thought he wasn't going on quickly enough and retaliated by breaking his arm. In all the time I've known the horse, he's been a sweetheart so even the best can be "put off" by the wrong handling.

 

[HandBR]

Just a thought - how much head room is there in the box you use and how big is your horse? I have a side-load Equi-trek M trailer and wouldn't be happy loading anything bigger than 15.2 in it and have had a friend's 16hh horse flatly refuse to load although he was fine in a standard trailer with more head room. Plus some find the 90 degree turn awkward.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

Yep, as others have said you certainly can improve them! My mare was a total nightmare when we first got her, and once you sorted out one problem she'd come up with a new problem! She would be rearing on the ramp, pulling back, trying to run round the sides of the trailer... When you managed to get her on, the moment you went to put the back bar up she'd reverse out at speed. Once we had put the bar across but not pinned it yet, she reversed into it and once she realised it was there she bucked and kicked until it came up and she could get out. Couldn't load her with the front open because once you got her in she'd mow you down to try and get out... She pulled shoes, made a hole in the trailer ramp rearing up and slamming down so hard, broke several lunge lines... Eventually, after a lot of practice and going out to "fun" things like hunting and the beach, she came round and was pretty good in the end. The best thing was just patience and bribery! Rewarding every tiny step forwards to start with works well, then after a few days start only rewarding bigger steps and so on, until they're only being rewarded once they're standing there loaded. I did use a dually halter and a chifney with separate lead ropes, to try and stop the pulling back and rearing, but eventually phased them out and went back to loading in a plain headcollar (although I did always take them with us just in case!) Sometimes she'd still try it on a bit and take 5-10mins to go in, but she'd usually go in first time. She did mainly only like "her" trailer, and you had to load her with a certain set up but it wasn't really an issue. Lorries were a bit of a problem but got sorted much quicker than the trailer problem. To be fair to her, once you got her in she was always a good traveller!