Loading & travelling in the dark

[awelshandawarmblood]

My horse is a pain to load at the best of times but we always get there in the end even if it takes ages, the only time I've totally failed to load him is in the dark!

We have a lesson booked & have ended up with an evening slot so we can leave early to load in the light but inevitably we'll be loading in the dark to come home.

Are there any soft lights I could buy to light the trailer up to make it look more inviting? Or any other ideas? It's a HB506 so has one of those single little white lights in the front but nothing else.

I can load him day in & day out when we're not going anywhere, he'll even trot up the ramp into there & stand but he knows when the chips are down & then the antics begin - he's an extremely clever. Not at all scared & travels well, just has that "make me" attitude. So I'm looking to lessen his excuses!

 

[asmp]

I feel for you - I've got one of those at home. Luckily, he doesn't go out at night any more. I would suggest opening the front and having a portable light angled outside so the horse can see the inside the trailer.

 

[Bernster]

I’ve used those little portable battery powered lights that you can hang on hooks. They are bright but actually didn’t light up that big an area well. Maybe try a few of them around the trailer to help illuminate.

I’d also try and work on improving the loading with groundwork around and in the trailer.

 

[Red-1]

TBF the issue is not loading in the dark. The issue is loading full stop. It just impacts you more in the dark because it takes a length of time that you don't like, but you say it takes ages anyway.

So, between now and the lesson I would load every day and allow the horse to eat a net for an hour before off loading.

The place to tackle an issue is where it starts, where it is still negotiable. So, loading in the daytime until that is softer will help with the darkness loading.

Even better would be if you could load daily in the light, but leave her eating hay until it is dark. Light, dark, all covered with minimum fuss.

 

[bubsqueaks]

TBF the issue is not loading in the dark. The issue is loading full stop. It just impacts you more in the dark because it takes a length of time that you don't like, but you say it takes ages anyway.

So, between now and the lesson I would load every day and allow the horse to eat a net for an hour before off loading.

The place to tackle an issue is where it starts, where it is still negotiable. So, loading in the daytime until that is softer will help with the darkness loading.

Even better would be if you could load daily in the light, but leave her eating hay until it is dark. Light, dark, all covered with minimum fuss.

Absolutely agree with this - we too have had loading issues & just wont consider any trips in the dark until we have the daytime loading cracked which we is still a work in progress with groundwork techniques. Also the fact it is dark I believe will be putting you under stress which will be giving off all the wrong signals to your horse - clever things aren't they!

 

[Minny]

I have a fussy loader. In daylight or darkness. I have removed all the stress and give him the option to load or trot in circles. Sometimes he trots in circles for five minutes, sometimes 5 seconds, sometimes he walks straight into the box. He used to load no problem at all....this is quite new but it has been a fail safe way of getting him in (so far!!!). I have spent hours doing the groundwork and doing loading practice but there is no rhyme or reason as to when it happens and when it doesn’t so now he gets a choice of loading and standing quietly munching on haylage or if he doesn’t want to do that, he can work. adding additional lighting did not make it easier in my experience. I do hope you find a way forward.