Loading advice.

I don't know anyone by name I'm afraid but Damien has taught me for a number of years and is great - works with all sorts of different horses, riders and owners. Worth a call anyway and perhaps a bit easier to get than Richard Maxwell? Although I would love to see a Richard Maxwell demo!
 
Richard Maxwell came to my yard a couple of days ago and his pricing was very reasonable, far cheaper than I thought so it's worth speaking to him. My horse wouldn't load, we'd spend 4 hours and not be able to get her in. In the end I got a natural horsemanship guy out and he had her loading by walking her from side to side infront of the ramp (in a monty roberts pressure halter) then trying to lead her in every so often. That way the only chance she had to rest was to get in the box. This worked for a few months and she was definately better. She gets in fine now, I think it's a combination of the pressure halter, having the natural horseman out but also I added a mirror in my horsebox so she thinks she has company as she was always fine if another horse was in the box. Also she has a treacle lick she only tends to have in the box so she has something to look forward to.
 
Doesn't everyone make it sound easy?! All the answers are here from Dually and Parelli to chiffneys lunge lines and brooms and buckets of water from behind.
If it wasn't an issue Monty Roberts, Kelly Marks and Richard Maxwell would be out of a job.
Know your horse, find out what works (and what doesn't) and move with it gently. There is no substitute for patience and having your OH with his arms folded holding the self losading pony back while the chestnut mare who went in repeatedly for the last week freezes on the ramp certainly puts it to the test. I have that nappy project horse that wouldn't do a thing and this is the last obstacle. Some days she loads others she won't there is no pattern and no consistency and no answer so I just keep trying, oh yes pat and pony nuts for us, and the haynet pulled along the floor - worked at the weekend and then it didn't!!! Good luck
 
Aren't horses amazing... 2 weeks ago little madam was a right cow to load... today, took out the partitions, had a tiny amount of feed (just a scoop full) and the little bugger walked straight in, about 8 times... round and round we went - into the trailer, out the front, into the trailer out the front. Then we shut up the ramps and fed her her tea in it. She was absolutely superb. My friend who is experienced in mares that won't load and is also very confidence giving came to help me and give me a bit of moral support - she stood at the front with the tiny amount of feed and just let my girl have a tiny amount each time she loaded.

She did not hesitate to go into the trailer at all - so that tells me she is def not scared of it! Just a madam!

I used my dually, but didn't need to do anything with it. I didn't look at her, just walked her up the ramp and in the trailer and didn't look back. Don't think it will be this easy everytime, but feel so much happier that she went in so well today.

Next step, partitions back in - wish me luck :)
 
I havent read the replies but my old mare could be a witch to load, she wasnt scared and she was a brilliant traveller she just didnt see why she had to go in! The more she wouldnt go in, the more she convinced herself that she definitly wouldnt go in!!

We tried everything but the thing that worked permanently was calling out an Intelligant horsemanship representative who had trained under Kelly Marks. It was the best £67 I ever spent!! 20 mins she had my mare in the box and I never had a loading problem again. She taught me how to deal with my mare and I got a dually headcoller to help me. I would practise with my mare frequently just to keep on top of it and she was fine. It turned loading into a fun game where my mare loved to go in the box just to show how clever she was at the game! She would have loaded herself I think!

Good Luck
 
Update!! Thanks to all you lovely peeps who took the time to reply on here. I took some time to read and digest all your replies, and rang around a few people suggested and eventually decided to give Sarah Dent (local Intelligent Horsemanship RA) a call.

She came to work with Poppy yesterday and I can honestly say I'm stunned at the way this method's worked for her. I can now see exactly where we were going wrong and feel armed with the tools to do the job.

During Poppy's time with us she has never loaded calmly (even if she went in the box within first 5 mins was always rushed and excitable and unpleasant). She's now calmly walking in and backing out. Will go in half way take a step forward or a step back.

I can honestly say that it's the best money I've ever spent!

Here's to a successful summer competing (fingers crossed)!
 
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