Loading - when it doesn't go to plan

An old thread. But ..Saturday was horrendous. He can be hit and miss to load. Sometimes straight on. Sometimes 15 mins. But no longer. I’ve always used the technique where he isn’t turned away from the ramp. Goes backwards. Niggle him to go sideways. Get him straight. Ask again. He travels like a dream. And I only go to local venues. Max 30 mins at 30mph! On Saturday he flatly refused. 3.5 hours. And vet sedation. We had to pick each hoof up one by one and slowly move him up the ramp. While he was half asleep. It was raining. And bitterly cold. I will never take him out again. I’m honestly still traumatised! I didn’t think he would ever load. And too far to hack back on very busy roads. Otherwise I would have. As I was starting to cry. The vevue had finished for the day. Is there anyone in the Suffolk/Essex area you can recommend. I load with a bridle as he will tank off in a head collar. He uses his strength. And he knows it. Been that way since I’ve had him. He’s 16 this year. Photo of him half asleep with drugs. By now nearly four hours.
 

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Freddy Steele is Norfolk-based and has my complete recommendation. He is not only good at getting to load and leaving you with the techniques to do it alone, but he can also identify just what is causing the issue.
 
Alibear said:
Freddy Steele is Norfolk-based and has my complete recommendation. He is not only good at getting to load and leaving you with the techniques to do it alone, but he can also identify just what is causing the issue. Just found him on Facebook. I’ve sent a message
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I had one that was a good loader until he got a bad fright. Would load himself!

His best friend bit him when he walked up the box and he slapped his head off the roof, broke his lead rope and ran. 3.5 hours later, 5 of us trying and two of us physically lifted him hoof by hoof with multiple lunge lines around his bum with someone on each end to pull him up and on. I felt atrocious about it, but I had to leave the yard I was on over bad care. He was already stressed, it was bucketing rain and the yard owner screaming at me didn't help. Tried to lock us on the yard too! I was fully paid up and only wanted to leave quietly. In fact I was leaving two weeks before my notice was up!

He became very difficult to load into anything after that. Hindsight has since told me he had pain issues and travelling became uncomfortable, so we didn't travel him unless absolutely necessary.


Bonnie Allie, your husband sounds amazing!
 
I had a trainer out to mine to have a go at loading before we ever had to go anywhere.

We used target training. I took one of his toys and in his stable we introduced the idea that if he touched the ball with his nose, he would get a reward. When he had learnt that we took him in the car park where the lorry was waiting.

With one person handling him and another with the toy, we kept increasing the distance he had to walk to get the reward.

Then we held the toy at the bottom of the ramp. He chose to walk to it, he got a reward. Then halfway up the ramp and again he chose to go get the reward.

Then we held the toy inside the lorry. We didn't ask him to go into the lorry. We offered him a reward if he did. He did take his time thinking about it, he had a good look around but we just chatted, pretty much ignored him. After about 10mins he decided he wanted the reward so walked into the lorry where he got lots of treats, pats and appreciation.

He then exited by leaping down instead of using the ramp 😆. We repeated the exercise (but with the toy at the bottom of the ramp to encourage a slower exit) and each time, he made the decision to walk on.

A week later when he had his appt at the local clinic we repeated the toy and reward thing and he was happy to get on and off.

I've now got my own lorry and he doesn't like it so we're starting again but I think it might be because the floor in my lorry had a fault which is now being fixed.
 
OrangeAndLemon said:
I had a trainer out to mine to have a go at loading before we ever had to go anywhere.

We used target training. I took one of his toys and in his stable we introduced the idea that if he touched the ball with his nose, he would get a reward. When he had learnt that we took him in the car park where the lorry was waiting.

With one person handling him and another with the toy, we kept increasing the distance he had to walk to get the reward.

Then we held the toy at the bottom of the ramp. He chose to walk to it, he got a reward. Then halfway up the ramp and again he chose to go get the reward.

Then we held the toy inside the lorry. We didn't ask him to go into the lorry. We offered him a reward if he did. He did take his time thinking about it, he had a good look around but we just chatted, pretty much ignored him. After about 10mins he decided he wanted the reward so walked into the lorry where he got lots of treats, pats and appreciation.

He then exited by leaping down instead of using the ramp 😆. We repeated the exercise (but with the toy at the bottom of the ramp to encourage a slower exit) and each time, he made the decision to walk on.

A week later when he had his appt at the local clinic we repeated the toy and reward thing and he was happy to get on and off.

I've now got my own lorry and he doesn't like it so we're starting again but I think it might be because the floor in my lorry had a fault which is now being fixed.
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The issue with him for instance, is that two weeks ago when we went to Boyton, he practically self loaded there and back. He sometimes walks straight on. He’s a stubborn sod at the best of times. And sometimes he will say no. I’ll think about it for 15 mins. Then go in. So Saturday was a shock as he literally said. Nope. Not happening. I need help to see what I could have done differently. Can I load him better. I can guarantee that if I try him tonight. He will probably go straight on. But I don’t want to do any loading until I have a professional there. And I’m super anxious about it now. After nearly four hours 😢
 
The biggest mistake most people make is only loading when they need to go somewhere.
When the pressure's off, all the doors and ramps are open and the bars are down, a morning or three spending time walking through, standing, feeding, ignoring and chatting with friends whilst he's in the trailer with a hay net... never actually closing it up, let alone setting off... will sort most loading issues.
 
I went to pick up a new horse (a two year old that had never travelled before). Took a groom with me, had my lorry checked over by a mechanic the night before as it was a long journey. Lorry broke down on M42 and the lorry plus horse was put on the back of a big tow truck and taken to the car park of a huge petrol station with an exit on to the motorway. Rescue lorry came, unloaded the horse but he absolutely refused to go into the other lorry. The lady driving the rescue lorry was inexperienced at loading and wasn't any help. He was rearing, backing into cars and carting me around. Terrifying. Eventually I persuaded him to get back on my lorry and the tow truck loaded my lorry up again and drove us to a yard to load. Horse still wouldn't get on the other lorry. The yard owner and a groom tied a jacket round this terrified horse's head, turned him round and round to disorientate him, and carried him on to the lorry. Truly horrible experience and very upsetting, but it was a very difficult situation. Took me a lot of patience (and Richard Maxwell's pressure halter) but he now loads well, although he still always wants a little think about it at the bottom of the ramp. Given his past experience, he's allowed a little think.
 
A few things I have found over the years if a horse doesn’t load relatively easily - I’ve always (often in hindsight) been able to attribute at least one of these:

Handler anxiety
Trigger stacking
Horse pain, most frequently hocks
Mechanical/structural issue with the transport
 
ihatework said:
A few things I have found over the years if a horse doesn’t load relatively easily - I’ve always (often in hindsight) been able to attribute at least one of these:

Handler anxiety
Trigger stacking
Horse pain, most frequently hocks
Mechanical/structural issue with the transport
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I came to suggest a similar thing @exracehorse. With the age of him I wonder if it could be some pain starting? It was hock arthritis starting in mine that we believe was behind him gradually becoming more difficult to load. Very like yours - some days on in an instant. One horrendous show day ready to come home (after actually standing champion!) took 4 hours....
 
scruffyponies said:
The biggest mistake most people make is only loading when they need to go somewhere.
When the pressure's off, all the doors and ramps are open and the bars are down, a morning or three spending time walking through, standing, feeding, ignoring and chatting with friends whilst he's in the trailer with a hay net... never actually closing it up, let alone setting off... will sort most loading
Click to expand...

Love said:
I came to suggest a similar thing @exracehorse. With the age of him I wonder if it could be some pain starting? It was hock arthritis starting in mine that we believe was behind him gradually becoming more difficult to load. Very like yours - some days on in an instant. One horrendous show day ready to come home (after actually standing champion!) took 4 hours....
Click to expand...
He’s always been tricky. Not just me. But with previous owner too. When younger. I’ve had him 6 years. He also gets fixated on the other horses etc. becomes attached to the surroundings. But do appreciate the hocks comments. On Saturday it was a short trip and 8 minutes having a go at tiny XC fences. Got a clear round rosette. Tied up. Took tack off. Tried to load. Then he planted at top of ramp. 3.5 ton. So not steep. Then he’d go back to bottom.
 
Ive spent many an hour practising loading, Ive had quite a few over the years who were pretty tough. I personally prefer the gentle approach, rather than the days where some pony club instructor would grab a broom and shove it into the horses back end to get it in or the lunge line method which Ive never seen successful. I have a trailer so probably easier as I can open it all up meaning they can see all the way through, Id just remove all partitions, clip horse onto a lunge line (so no risk them getting away if they rear up), bucket of food on the ramp and slowly moving it inside over time. When good at that, Ill add the partition but opened up, same again, then bars up etc. Current mare took 2 hours to load at an event a few times early on, now she loads absolutely first time with no issues at all. She also rushed out early on, but again time spent just putting bar down with a bucket of food or brushing her etc. and slowly inching forward stopped that quickly. I know some people like force, personally I think it makes them more anxious long term and Im pretty mortified by the experiences I had as a kid watching other kids "knowledgeable" parents taking over when I couldnt get my pony to load, and theyd literally have whips out and would tie them onto the breast bar so they couldnt reverse. Awful.
 
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