loading and worried i'm looseing her trust in me?

Elsbells

Elsbells

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Help! I'm determined yo get her on my new trailer and she's determined not to.

She is a quirky mare who has history and ee have come a long way in three years and trust each other but this trailer trouble is testing that and i'm feeling so guilty now and wonder if i should just call it a day as it's not worth falling out over. I did though hope to teach her that we could have some fun if she'd only load.

She stamps the ramp, pulls back, rears and yesterday I stood quietly while she went up and down th ramp and stressed at the bottom, digging holes in the gravel and sweated up till she dripped and yes, I have tried everything.

Do you think it might not be worth it? Can it be a step to far? Could I be asking to much of her and could she loose confidence in me? I'm feeling so torn this morning.
 
You've tried everything. Are you sure about that?

Have you tried walking her across the ramp sideways? Have you tried building an earth ramp or bank so that the trailer ramp is level? Have you tried leaving her in her stable over night with a slightly smaller haynet than usual and then putting her feed in the trailer for her? Have you tried making a pen at the bottom of the ramp andputting her feed and water in the trailer and leaving her to it? Have you tried making her walk in circles at the bottom of the ramp round you until she's ready to go in? Have you tried getting someone else who's not worried about loosing(sic) her confidence to try loading her? Have you tried loading her on gravel or mud? Have you tried backing the trailer right up to her stable so she has to go through it to get out of her stable?
 
Dee, I am totally sending you BH for lessons :D Loads of ideas there. Poor OH has got a right job on his hands to try and fix my ramp where knob head dug it up :mad: Mind you, mine only decides to not load in busy car parks at shows. At home he is sweetness personified :mad:
 
I had a pony who wouldn't load. Point blank. We literally tried everything ( even doped her and pretty much carried her in...it was that bad), had to leave her at polo a number of times - and all because I thought she was scared.

Actually she was just obstinate!

I sent her to Jason Webb for a few weeks to conquer her fear and lo' and behold within minutes he had her popping and out of the lorry and trailer like a mountain goat.

She now loads fine and he's taught me the tricks to get her in there, and taught me to be calm, assertive and in charge! There is a very interesting and helpful video on his site about loading, I'd recommend it for any bad loaders.

http://australianhorsetraining.co.uk/
 
Two things - get an expert and I don't mean "the yard expert". Get someone like a Monty Roberts/Kelly marks person out. it's only going to cost £50/60.

Also, if you haven't already done so, try her without the partition. I think partitions can be very claustrophobic for a lot of horses, especially one's who are a bit wide. Take it right out. Buy a breast bar instead.
 
BigRed said:
Two things - get an expert and I don't mean "the yard expert". Get someone like a Monty Roberts/Kelly marks person out. it's only going to cost £50/60.
Click to expand...

Completely agree with BigRed - I did this as soon as the behaviour started. 'Fixed' my lad in one session, taught me the skills to load and I can even load other peoples problem horses with this technique - did this on Saturday and loaded the 'problem horse' in 10 minutes. No whips, no lunge lines, no stress, no danger to me or the horse.
 
Went up this morning and she didn't want to know me, any wonder considering how far I pushed her yesterday.

OH took out the partitions and the bar on the ceiling too for safety.

I coaxed her in using food but as soon as she was in she stressed, I guess she knew what was coming. Eventally I managed to pop on a "Be Nice" halter and took her to the bottom of the ramp. Immediatly, she relaxed which was strange? I stood inside with her front feet on the ramp and held a loose looped lunge line at my hips and placed a bucket of nuts on the floor. I thought today we will not stress, I'll let her decide.

A few people arrived including a friend who Elz knows well and likes, we chatted as Elz continued to stand. Occationally she stepped off and I gently asked her back which she did. After 30mins and a bit of "Come on girl, yummy nuts" chat, she walked on!! And she did it 6 times, the last she stood!
Lots of praise, (which she loves) and despite her nerves, piaffeing on the spot and shaking she actually went on!! Whoop!

Then back to her stable, boots off, more nuts fed and chucked straight out. She'll have a think about it and this evening I'll go back u and do the same. Fingers crossed we may get there.

Thanks for all the replies this morning as it gave me the b**ls to not give up.:D
You guys are great in a crisis!!:D:D
 
Thankyou.:)

What I should of added that she has in the passed travelled plenty as a jumper in her prev life although that was in a lorry. Her problem is that I let someone else move her in a trailer when we moved fields and they must of driven at some speed, resulting in Elz falling over and sitting out the journey on the bum bar, this I know because the bar was bent!

Hopefully though, the divider out will allow her to spread her legs and stand slightly herringbone and of course I'll be able walk her in at her shoulder which gives her confidence.

I will not however allow anyone to travel my mare other than myself and the OH and then thats only going to happen if she'll travel?
 
If she goes out in the field, perhaps try leaving the trailer opened up completely in it over night so she can investigate it?
Also feeding on the trailer is another idea and taking out the dividers!
A girl at my yard, her pony started to get panicked in the trailer and so she tried some natural horsemanship with a control headcollar, getting the horse to listen to her before trying to load her. Worth a try!
 
Elsbells said:
Thankyou.:)

What I should of added that she has in the passed travelled plenty as a jumper in her prev life although that was in a lorry. Her problem is that I let someone else move her in a trailer when we moved fields and they must of driven at some speed, resulting in Elz falling over and sitting out the journey on the bum bar, this I know because the bar was bent!

Hopefully though, the divider out will allow her to spread her legs and stand slightly herringbone and of course I'll be able walk her in at her shoulder which gives her confidence.

I will not however allow anyone to travel my mare other than myself and the OH and then thats only going to happen if she'll travel?
Click to expand...
Funnily enough, my boy travelled great until I got someone to transport him [£75 for ten miles], he must have set a speed record as he was at the yard before me [in a car] and I had asked him NOT to use the shortest route as it had a VERY steep hill.
 
Becki1802 said:
Completely agree with BigRed - I did this as soon as the behaviour started. 'Fixed' my lad in one session, taught me the skills to load and I can even load other peoples problem horses with this technique - did this on Saturday and loaded the 'problem horse' in 10 minutes. No whips, no lunge lines, no stress, no danger to me or the horse.
Click to expand...

would love to know how you did this ?
 
One of the most significant reasons for horses being reluctant to load is the nervous state that their handlers get into during the process. The fact that there was only yourself and a friend, and you managed to chat away and relax a bit whilst waiting for your mare to load, probably helped a lot.

Horses sense tension and anxiety in their handlers, and this is often the reason that some will load, perhaps reluctantly, but will not remain long in the box. The more relaxed and seemingly nonchalant you can be about the whole proceedure, the more likely your success. Try to keep your breathing level, with occasional deep sighs when the horse is relaxed, and this will keep your heart rate and adrenalin level down.

Don't take any tension up on the rope if your mare decides to exit the trailer. This will definately cause her to panic and increase her commitment to exiting. She may even throw her head and hit it on the trailer roof, which may put her off loading again. If she decides to back out of the trailer, you should allow her to do so as it must be her dicision to stay in when she eventually decides to do so.

Horses which are worried about loading will often paw at the ramp. This is actually a good sign, and is the method by which they satisfy themselves that it is safe to step on to the ramp. They only have their feet and their muzzles to give them the sensory information they need to commit to loading, so pawing the ramp and sniffing and nuzzling it and the walls of the trailer should be allowed.

If you have pressure on your mare to encourage her to step forward, you can expect her to resist that pressure because she is hard-wired to do so. Only by releasing the pressure immediately she commits to coming forward off the pressure, can you teach her that she should yield to it. If she tries to pull back, and you try to hold her, she will rear. Lots of horses will quickly learn that rearing will get them off the hook and all attempts to load them will be abandoned. Rearing becomes the evasion of choice with lots of horses. Some handlers try to stop the horse rearing by hanging on and trying to hold on to the rope and attemting physical restraint, but this will just cause the horse to fight. Better to release the pressure and start again. That way the horse soon learns that pulling back and/or rearing will not work, and that it will be calmly re-presented to the ramp and asked to load again.

Make sure your back bar is set at the correct height, and that it is going to be strong enough, when fixed in place, to stop the horse backing out...and don't tie the horse until the bar is in place. If you tie the horse first, it may well try to exit the trailer and, with no britchen bar to stop it, will surely break something, get out of the box, and will be the very devil to keep in after that. Horses should walk up to the breast bar, wait for the britchen bar to be fixed, then stand whilst being tied. Sometimes a carrot, or a piece of apple, held under their nose will help keep them occupied whilst the bar is fixed in place.

Remember, at all times, and especially when the horse is in the trailer, keep calm and confident, and work quietly and methodically. This will increase the horse's confidence in you and the situation. If you speak encouragingly to the horse, make sure you do it when she is in a calm state and compliant.

Don't lose your temper, or your faith that your horse will load if you help her build confidence in you.

Good luck.
 
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Very, very helpful AengusOg and wow!, it must of taken you ages to write.

I loaded her again tonight, she stayed on for a moment, pawed the floor, kicked the feed bowl over and left. She was not at all happy and seemed to bend down as if to either lay down or prepare to leap into the air and I was glad that the stableizers were down. So once she'd gone through four times I took her back. I know now that I can get her on, all I need to do now is keep her there somehow without her freaking out?

I can't do any more and until I can get my hands on a breast bar. I really do not want to over cook the egg per sey so I have decided that tomorrow will be a trailer free day for the both of us.
 
Victoria1980x - sorry only just saw this!
Hard to explain, easy to demonstrate. It is similar to AengusOg describes pressure & release. There are a lot of videos out there of Monty Roberts & the like using this method.
Basically I use a long 12ft rope clipped normally to a rope halter but I've successfully loaded in just a head collar. First of all before going near the trailer ask the horse to obey basic commands to move their feet forward, backwards, to the side.
Then approach the ramp and at the point the horse stops walking you apply a constant pressure to rope and wait until the horse gives to the presure - they might throw a tantrum (my lad certainly did) but calmly maintain pressure until they give you one step in the right direction. Give them a pat, lots of praise and walk them away. Repeat this asking for one more step each time, working up to just feet on the ramp, walk them away. Eventually you'll find they give in more easily & before you know it your at the top of the ramp & inside!!!
I must stress I had a very good teacher. & you have to be calm. & patient throughout. & practice lots. The minute you give in to whips & lunge lines you've failed & spoilt their trust!


OP - how are you getting on since your last post?! Mine was worst with the shutting in - he used to panic and rush out the trailer! It took some time but I was told just to take it slowly - a few more secs each time to regain trust. I gave lots of carrots whilst he was on to distract him. I progressed to just shutting the gate (Equitrek) first and leave him 30 secs on his own - carrot, lots of fuss & then walk him off. Next close the ramp 30 secs... Etc etc. If he rushes off when he shouldn't, ignore the behaviour, calmly reload and ask again - giving lots of praise when they get it right!!! I worked up to him eating his dinner onboard all shut in. Now he is fine - always tense when you close the gate but relaxes with a good pat!!
You sound like you are doing ok on your own though - well done!
 
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