Loading problem! Help!!

L

LouiseG

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 January 2012
Messages
365
Visit site
My horse has just been through stifle surgery and is on his first part of rehab, box rest for 6 weeks with minimal in hand walking 3 times a day after 2 weeks. He has to go to the vets in the trailer for the first of 3 IRAP injections 2 weeks apart starting from next week.

He was previously an angel to travel, but since his lameness he has only been out in the trailer for firstly an awful lesson where he went lame, then he went for a lameness work up where he was very hesitant to load, particularly afterwards, and then finally to the vets for his surgery where it took ages to load him to get him there and when I collected him as soon as I put his travel boots on he refuses to move out of the stable at the hospital and then load. We managed in the end eventually but he was totally traumatised.

I'm scared what will happen getting him there for his IRAP injections. He needs them but unfortunately the vet is reluctant to come out to the yard as the conditions needs to be sterile, and because he is on box rest I can't do any trailer training with him to get his confidence up. He will be on box rest for 6 weeks in total with 3 trips in the trailer to the vet.

Can anyone offer any advice? This situation has been awful seeing my happy horse becoming increasingly nervous and unwilling to load after such a traumatic time with the surgery. He has a great prognosis and the surgery went well. Any suggestions would be very welcome!!!

Thanks in advance!
 
Hi,

well that is a tricky one for sure!

I see he is allowed minimal walking in hand. I think I would start with hand walking with travel boots on (or at least the front ones if you think he will "moon Walk" with the backs.

I think once all was well my trailer would be parked near where we walk...... you see where this is going.

Then I think my horse would become used to the ramp being down, and the car being attached while we were doing our minimal hand walking.....

I know you cannot do "loading training" in the normal way in case of further injury, but the good thing here is you have 6 weeks to go at, and the minimal hand walking will have a purpose!!!

So, after that I would move to having her feed (chop or carrots or whatever) fed on the bottom of the ramp.

Could you have the partition removed? I guess after 6 weeks she is considered not only fit to load, but also travel, so I guess after a few weeks the feed tub could make its way up the ramp.

I believe the key to success in all this is to have no rush. No force. Just a really slow progression. I would always have her injury in mind and approach the exercise with a mindset of "I wonder where she would like to eat her feed today" rather than "I will make her put a foot on the ramp"

As she was a previous good traveller I guess she is OK once loaded?

It would be great if by the 6th week she could spend an hour a day in her trailer eating her net. A good different perspective on the yard, and definitely with added interest.

Good luck, keep us updated!
 
I will definitely try to do all of that, however he needs to go to the vets before he is allowed to be walked in hand, so he will literally be walking from his box on to the trailer! The vets is 2 miles from the yard on a dual carriageway and they aren't concerned about the journey, But I have no way of preparing him at all, and I will be faced with him planting his feed at the bottom of the ramp:( really don't know what to do!!! x
 
Can you place your trailer near to your stable and lead him in there everyday for a handful of feed. Possibly even shutting the back door too just to get him used to it. Presumably he's allowed out of the stable for you to muck out, so you could do it then. Lead him out, into trailer handful of feed, out of trailer and tie up whilst you muck out. That way at least when it comes to travelling him he will be used to going in.

Oh and I wouldn't bother with travel boots for that length of journey, especially if they are causing part of the problem now.
 
Don't use boots...get bandages and hock/knee boots
Take partition out and cross tie
Use bucket of food to encourage forwards movement!
Put a bridle on under headcollar, so if you need it you're not fussing around
Don't think that he won't load....he will sense this....you need to think positively for him!
Finally give your self loads of time! Doesn't matter if you load in under 5mins and end up waiting at the vets for 30min....just give your horse a Haynet!
 
TandD said:
Don't use boots...get bandages and hock/knee boots
Take partition out and cross tie
Use bucket of food to encourage forwards movement!
Put a bridle on under headcollar, so if you need it you're not fussing around
Don't think that he won't load....he will sense this....you need to think positively for him!
Finally give your self loads of time! Doesn't matter if you load in under 5mins and end up waiting at the vets for 30min....just give your horse a Haynet!
Click to expand...

Nothing useful to add except to say we had a hell of a job getting a pony to accept boots, which promptly slid down! When Gillies transport arrived, Eric said they don't recommend boots anyway! So we left them off and every pony since has travelled perfectly without them. Just a thought.

Personally I'd try to make the experience of loading as routine as possible, even allowing free access to the trailer every day (so he can walk in and out at will) with hay net and hard feed inside but perhaps none outside.
 
Thanks for all replies and suggestions, but unfortunately he is limited to his box at all times, there is just no way I can make him at ease with travelling to the vets apart from on the day just keeping fingers crossed and hope that I can load him if the vet wont come out to do the joint injections at the yard. Once his staples are out and he can be walked in hand then I can try, but I just cant risk him slipping off the ramp or backing up while his stifles are still healing. He is sore, he absolutely will not want to load next Monday, and who can blame him after all he's been through so far. x
 
Sorry no advice but my girl had to go in for IRAP injections and I worried the same as she was a nightmare but she actually liked the vets!!! They made such a fuss of her and big juicy haynet whilst waiting. I asked if they could do it at the yard but vet said in no uncertain terms..no!
Good luck, the worked brill for mine
 
Bluedaisys said:
Sorry no advice but my girl had to go in for IRAP injections and I worried the same as she was a nightmare but she actually liked the vets!!! They made such a fuss of her and big juicy haynet whilst waiting. I asked if they could do it at the yard but vet said in no uncertain terms..no!
Good luck, the worked brill for mine
Click to expand...

Did you have any issues loading her at all Bluedaisys? They said they would come out if the weather was bad which made me think they might come out if I'm having problems loading, but I dont want to risk any infection!
 
She was a bit of a reluctant loader before the IRAP was needed and after she injured her ligament, walking up the ramp made it worse for her, so we had to put trailer up to a slope and walked her in flat so it didnt hurt as much. I asked the vet if I scrubbed the life out of my stable would she come out but the answer was no! Managed to load her ok ish for 2nd injection by opening all the doors and bribed with food (not ideal but as you said you are stuck!) Luckily she travels fine once in and then for the 3rd injectection we had ice on roads so I panicked and had to have it a couple of days later than planned. she was walking loads better so did do some walking straight through the trailer and tea in it, then on the day of vets I whipped the ramp up before she realised lol!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top