Loading problem - suggestions please!

[flyingfeet]

Ok the baggage mare is causing me a few problems

I'm just taking her to the stud to be put in foal, but she hasn't been particularly easy to load in the past.

I have done lots of Monty Roberts / Kelly Marks and now she loads every time at home. In fact with hormones raging and the promise of a stallion she practically runs you over to get in the trailer.

However coming home is a different story - tried MR backing her up, tried Kelly Marks with pressure and release every time she steps foward. Tried lunge lines (work to some effect, but only if tried once she has not loaded for around 15 mins).

She is not scared, trailer shy or ever had a bad experience. Bascially she is full of hormones and wants to stay with the stallions. She is hano x and very stubborn.

So any suggestions - scaring or beating her is not an option, food is not a motivator. Plus I don't have the option of practising at home, as she loads fine!!!

(Equipment list: I have tried a dually, Be Nice, Chifney, lunge lines etc etc)

 

[joanne1920]

have you tried putting another pony in the box first? if shes full of hormones maybe the stud would let you borrow a young colt??? and soon as shes in take him out and drive away?? just a thought and maybe too dangerous?? x

 

[chriscrogul]

I won't use the lunge lines behind a horse since loading one like that who spun round on the ramp, my helpers raised the lines to block him but managed to get them across my throat and choke me!
But, what I've found 99.9% sucessful is to attach a lunge line to headcollar, pass it through the tie up ring inside the box, take the end behind the horse and pull... if the horse backs up he effectively winches himself in. Its done with the minimum of fuss, with a bit of practice you can do it alone, and in my experience all you need to do is "show" the line to the horse in the future!
I've only had one horse I havn't been able to load like this, she'd refused to load for several years and I was asked to try. It worked like magic the first time, really impressed the owner, but subsequent attempts failed because she just threw herself on the floor and refused to get up!
Please remember your gloves and hard hat; I also use a cotton lunge line, not those horrid nylon things!

 

[_daisy_]

my mare was the same. She refused to go in the trailer then all of a sudden she would just walk on. I couldnt use lunge lines etc as she used to get dangerous and kick out. Force or bullying doesnt work with her either (which is the way I have always been told when Ive asked for advice from friends etc) - have you tried forcing a 17.2hh into a trailer?

I ended up going down the NH way. It works brill with her - she loads perfectly at home but as soon as she needs to come home when weve been out she doesnt always want to go in. My mare wants to gawp and look at everything going on around her. She eventually will click back onto the job in hand.

When I load I use a rope halter (probably similar to MR, Kelly and parelli) a 22ft rope and a stick - cant remember its proper name but its a smaller version of a lunge whip.
My trailer is an Equitrek so I stand at the bottom of the ramp to the side of the ramp doors and offer a "feel" to her towards the inside of the ramp (please note most of the rope is on the floor, only the bit I hold onto is the bit I am offering a feel with, the rest is not looped up in my hand. If she doesnt want to go in straight away or wants to mess around I raise the stick in my right hand and wave up and down (like you do to slow traffic when riding - also the string of the stick is held in my hand not loose and flapping around) When she starts to make movement in the right way I release the pressure from the stick. If she stops on the ramp I may tap her side or bum just to make her walk forward.

If my mare starts to fling herself around I then start making the area in which she wants to be in a nightmare by hitting the ground with the stick or making my space bigger so she cant invade it. The stick isnt there to beat her (just in case anyone asks

)
Since taking on this method its worked everytime.
My new hobby is taking her out and about to local shows/competitions just to practice loading with things going on, then come home! Everyone thinks im mad but if it gets her loading with no problems I dont care.

 

[MrsMagoo]

Urm well this ways not very convetional but it works wonders, only learnt it from my trainer as my mare was such a pain, wasnt scared etc, tried the Monty Robets approach but she would just rear and go sidewards...

Well you need a showing lead with the chain link bit - on the headcollar pass the chain through one side, under her lip like a twitch - then out the other side. Now position yourself to the ramp and if she stops just stand and hold - not pulling. She will soon learn that forwards is best and cant go backwards!! It does sound harsh but its not if used correctly i.e not pulling there teeth out!!! After doing this, mare went in everytime and after that just had the lead connected to the headcollar so she knew it was there and never needed to use it again

 

[flyingfeet]

Oh that sounds promising - a similar technique with the be nice use to work (pressure and release every time she walked forward), but she appears immune to it now!

She doesn't really leap about at all, just stands there with a face like a cats bum and refuses to move!!!

 

[K27]

I went thru a smilar thing when my horse was a 5 yr old- he's 12 now!- we bought a new horsebox and he wouldnt go in it- tried everything- from my experience lungelines just didnt work and made my horse worse - also having klots of people round trying to help a well was not good! Anyway got my horse to the show and he decided he would not go back in lorry- took 4 hrs to load him! it wasnt like he'd had a bad experience/ lorry ride or anything and we have cctv to see that they are travelling ok- basically I could see that he was throwing his toys out of the pram as he was going thru the 'teenager' spell- so only thing that worked for him - he used to plant himself and not move but if you went after him he wold go to clear off! he backed off in the chifney however theres no way that you could holdd onto him in a headcollar- used an iron stallionring round his nose- and got behind him with a broom! he was running up that ramp after a couple of times- for me it worked- didnt upset him and he got a reward once he has loaded- to this day he has loaded everytime and he literally trots up the ramp now and is eager to travel- I can load him in a headcollar! My other horse tried it on once and I loaded him using a chifney and a light flick of a scholling whip behind him and again, he loads everytime- you have to be v quick to reward and make it a quick but kind experience- My advice would be try not to draw it out!... good luck...

 

[Theresa_F]

Ok, this worked every time for Fleur when she refused to load - again not scared, just had her own very high opinion of when she would and would not go on.

Put her in a stable, indoor school, barn - anything where she could not see any other horses - reverse to opening and have is so the only way out is up the ramp - walked straight on every time with no fuss.

I have also used a choke chain threaded under the jaw on a headcollar - and then attached to a lunge line. I walk in without looking back and if they choose to stop the chain tightens. I then hold the tension until they choose to release it and the chain - works on a lot as they soon suss that the chain threaded through means uncomfortable if they muck around.