Leaps into & Out of the Lorry

[Tnavas]

My 2½yr old filly has travelled quite a lot in her short life. Shows every couple of weeks, right from the time she was a foal. She always goes on to the lorry but will not walk up the ramp but rather puts one front foot on the ramp and then leaps into the lorry. Coming off she teeters on the top of the ramp and then leaps off. I now have a very long rope so that I can let her go safely.

Last winter I had the ramp replaced with a heavier one, with marine carpet and rubber treads hoping that she would walk up and down.

Today I have just moved her & her mum to their new grazing and sure enough filly leapt onto the truck and took several minutes to decide to come off the lorry and she leapt from the top of the ramp. It's a side loading ramp and not exactly steep.

Has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to correct the problem?

 

[jeeve]

yes, once when I was teaching a horse to load she lept into the float. I think it is anxiety, possibly about the ramp. Try asking her to put one foot on the ramp, but ask her so she is asked to wlk accross the ramp left to right rather than into the truck/trailer. Let her take her time put her foot on and off, back up look at ramp etc, when she is happy with one foot, try for two feet. You don't have to rush this, you can build on it over days weeks etc.

Use approach and retreat, reward a try.

Once she is happy to walk accross the ramp, ask her to do this each time before you load her, you will probably find she just then walks into it instead of leaping into it.

I use bandages or boots when trailer loading or teaching something like this on a young horse because they can knock themselves.

 

[Tnavas]

The interesting thing is that she never hesitates or acts like shes anxious - just leaps in. She travels well, stands like a rock and arrives cool and calm.

I must add that she is one of these youngsters that jumps the gates when she feels like it too! Has done since a young foal.

 

[Tilda]

Sorry I don't have any advice but wanted to add that my mare always leaps off a lorry although she walks half way down the ramp and then takes off! She does walk on properly though and doesn't leap off a trailer!

 

[CBFan]

My boy also leapt/ leaps off the trailer and we found that by sticking a bucket of feed under his nose and walking him off step by step, he has learnt to take it slowly.

Get someone else to hold the bucket and walk backwards and have someone concentrating on steadying the horse.

Should work with loading as well as unloading.

Maybe practice walking her over sheets of ply / tarpaulin or similar on the ground to get her used to different surfaces...

 

[jeeve]

she might just not like the ramp, horses like something solid under feet. Does it move or wobble or anything?

 

[Tnavas]

she might just not like the ramp, horses like something solid under feet. Does it move or wobble or anything?

I've just had the ramp replaced at great expense with thicker boards, marine carpet and rubber treads as the old one was a bit tired and sagged a bit as that was my thought too. But to no avail - it seems to be more fun to jump into the lorry.