Loading - when it doesn't go to plan

[Fools Motto]

I've been really lucky over my time with horses, most have loaded very well, and some have taken a bit of time, but with some food have gone in without battles.
This statistic changed somewhat recently, when said (someone else's horse) point blankly refused to load into a 3.5t transporter. Best part of 4 hours, 7 people, a vet and a very very unusual way of finally 'winning'... the horse was put onto the little lorry, and got to the destination almost in one piece.
So, I was just curious to hear about other people's loading stories... how long it took and what did you do to get them on?

 

[AdorableAlice]

I do wonder if horses struggle to have the confidence to get into small spaces. I have a horse that will gallop up the ramp of big lorries but is very suspicious of small trucks and won't load.

My road rescue sent a small truck out to me for a horse that has travelled thousands of miles in a big truck. He did load but was in an awful state by the time he got home.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

I've always had good loaders but once saw a mare not wanting to load in a 3.5t lorry. Everyone was faffing around her until the yard owners son came along and practically shoved her on using brute force from behind. I'm amazed she didn't kick him but he did it so quick and with so much force and confidence i don't think she new what happened. I just remember this pause from everyone involved and then doors closed, ramp went up but it was surreal and i'll never forgot it.

I'm more of a practice makes perfect boy myself. My old mare didn't like loading to come home from a competition but she loved being out and hated home time, lol!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Just over 4 hrs to get the late L Fuzzy on my box when I brought her. (Purchased as a non loader and non catcher with other foibles). The last hour I was completely on my own, the vendors and yard owners were eventually sent away. I messaged when I'd got her on.
1st time out took 2 hrs to reload to come home (was only 2 miles away and location selected due to closeness, but I drove a long way round to get there).
Took a few months but daily work got her self loading to go out and steady loading to come home, catching was solved by about 6 weeks in.
Patience and time was what was needed.
If she thought anyone was going to push her on, even folk walking past at an event, she'd try and revert to plant or rear, definitely a Fuzzy that had been badly messed with and needed just 1 to 1 handling. Lovely natured mare, just had trust issues I worked through.

 

[Tarragon]

I once watched my sheep farmer load sheep on to a small double decker Rice stock trailer with just the help of one sheep dog, all the time talking to someone on his mobile phone. I imagine that the yard owners son was somebody like that

 

[milliepops]

Just over 4 hrs to get the late L Fuzzy on my box when I brought her. (Purchased as a non loader and non catcher with other foibles). The last hour I was completely on my own, the vendors and yard owners were eventually sent away. I messaged when I'd got her on.
1st time out took 2 hrs to reload to come home (was only 2 miles away and location selected due to closeness, but I drove a long way round to get there).
Took a few months but daily work got her self loading to go out and steady loading to come home, catching was solved by about 6 weeks in.
Patience and time was what was needed.
If she thought anyone was going to push her on, even folk walking past at an event, she'd try and revert to plant or rear, definitely a Fuzzy that had been badly messed with and needed just 1 to 1 handling. Lovely natured mare, just had trust issues I worked through.

almost all of mine have been tricky to begin with.

my last really sticky loader was Kira and she was the same as TFFs, you simply could not pressurise her and she had to figure out for herself that it was safe and A Good Idea to get on. She will still question whether it's really important now but she always gets on, you just have to give her a moment to assess things and then she hops on. she travels brilliantly. she's like that in all small spaces though, always has to be sure she wants to go into it. Long history there!

ex racer was shooed on to the box when I picked him up, it was utterly torrential rain and he was extracted from a retired herd of racehorses who were all shouting and milling about. He needed a bit of practice once we got home before he would go up the ramp reliably but again it was just time and patience.

Salty bought from the sales went straight up the ramp, but she had been in a pen all day after a 6 hour journey to get there and tbh i think she was so tired she would have walked through fire. Another sticky loader when she had recovered but she just needed practice.

all of them have transferred from the small box to a big one happily and back again, once they got the concept it's never been a problem, though I haven't tried any in a trailer and that would probably need a bit of practice.

Millie is the exception, she was really difficult to start with but now I have a job to stop her going up the ramps of strange lorries. she loves a day trip

 

[milliepops]

to add, i go everywhere by myself so it's about one of the first things i try and do with a new horse, they have to learn to get on the box quietly and without any help from other people. some take longer than others but I haven't failed yet

 

[Widgeon]

Millie is the exception, she was really difficult to start with but now I have a job to stop her going up the ramps of strange lorries. she loves a day trip

I love the mental image of her nosing around other people's lorry ramps in the hope of a fun outing!

 

[ihatework]

The one caution I have over the 3.5T is that if you have an young/inexperienced or nervous loader then you are not only asking them to go into a small space but you are also essentially asking them to walk into a brick wall. It’s kind of why I like teaching them to load into a trailer, you can open it all up and just build their confidence.

I’m lucky - pretty much all my horses have loaded fairly reliably. I had one young one years ago that had an issue but it turned out to be a problem with the trailer, as soon as that was sorted he loaded again.

Loading one of my yearlings I bought into a hired 3.5T took over 2 hours, half a tube of domo and some brute force. Have since done some handling and can walk on/off trailer no issue.

I travel all my horses single handed. They have to load without drama. So I do the handling to make that happen.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Jacob will snake around the ramp a couple of times at first but then walks on after a couple of minutes. Any real pressure and it makes it harder, you have to let him suss it out and have a good look.

Saying that, I am the worst person to load him. I get a huge surge of anxiety loading him in a 3.5, 7.5 new or old and can't relax the whole time he is on there. No idea why, but it meant that I sold my box 2.5 weeks after having bought it as it was just the wrong box and was making it worse. I think he is such a big and heavy horse that you really feel every movement and stamp of foot and it's so loud, and it feels so unnatural to be putting him in a space like that where something could go wrong in the blink of an eye. Something I need to work on for sure. Not sure they have clinic for bad loading owners and fairly straight forward horses?

 

[oldie48]

Our eventer refused to go on a 3.5 when it came to recover us following our 7.5 breaking down. He'd never been a problem, the driver was pretty annoyed and the police had stopped traffic both ways on the very busy A40. I poked him up the bum with the bristle end of a broom and up he went. Driver drove like a lunatic taking us home and I thought we'd never get him to load again, but when we got our lorry back, up he popped like the sweetie he was! Lots of horses can be iffy about going on a 3.5 first time but with patience all of mine have got the idea and been absolutely fine. I also travel solo now so mine have to be reliable and have found the Richard Maxwell controller halter has worked with a couple of mine and a kinder approach to the broom is a cup of cold water or preferably a water pistol as sometimes they just must load.

 

[milliepops]

I love the mental image of her nosing around other people's lorry ramps in the hope of a fun outing!

oh lorry parks were a nightmare with her, she would take a fancy to someone's truck and be ready to load up and go to their house!!

I remember a really funny loading day with someone else's old campaigner, he was a wily old Highland x TB and did exactly what he pleased. I had him plaited and ready to go to a dressage show, she was going to take him in her trailer. Knowing he was a tricky bugger, we had his bridle on which i was leading, and also a headcollar, with my friend on the end of the rope. we got him up the ramp, somehow he got off again and we both waterskied off his head trying to stop him as he headed off back to the fields.
Did get him loaded but he had rolled most of his plaits out and the gleaming white socks were all muddy. Oh he was a stubborn horse. But probably very happy. he knew his own strength and saw humans as sport I think.

 

[Maryann]

I once sat on a ramp for some hours waiting for a young horse, who had just had a lovely time autumn hunting, to get hungry enough to go on the lorry for his haynet. It was before the days of mobile phones and I was lost so the only thing I could do was sit it out. I never had any trouble loading him after that but it felt like forever.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

to add, i go everywhere by myself so it's about one of the first things i try and do with a new horse, they have to learn to get on the box quietly and without any help from other people. some take longer than others but I haven't failed yet

Same here, everything of mine has to be sorted single handed. Hence I'll spend a lot of time investing in up to thrice daily sessions with a tricky one, then taking them out for a ride in box to visit my friends. With L Fuzzy I was known for pulling up, unloading, walking round the box and reloading and driving off again on occasions to start with ? she even came feed shopping etc.

B Fuzzy will load in anything, engine running etc ?
Little A is a pest once on as will riverdance till we get going.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

Thena is perfect travelling in anything but a 3.5t rear facing. She really hates them. Will load onto them no problem.
Roger was like Millie MP! If he was tied up on the yard when there was a lorry or trailer about he would make a massive fuss to get on it to go to a party, and an open ramp anywhere was an invitation!
Morgan loaded fine when he first came to us but hasn't been anywhere since so I hope he will still be fine..

I remember being at a local yard with a friend when she was having a lesson and her pony was being a bit sticky about loading. The yard owner was walking past so went to grab a stick to wave and he leapt up into the lorry! He's a bit of an opinionated Welsh b*gger!

 

[Merrymoles]

Friend's horse is one of those who needs to have a look and a think before he goes on but will happily load once that's done and travels like a pro. However, at a yard she used to be at, the YO smacked him one on the hindquarters when he stopped for a think and got a broken arm as a result. I think a fair few loading problems are a result of people not giving the horse time to "process" and not making it an easy experience for them.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Granny horse was dreadful. Either straight on, 4 hours later or not at all. She was never dangerous or dramatic but she knew exactly how to twist her body at just the right moment to avoid going in. I did hours and hours of training with her when I had chance but didn't have our own transport for good chunks of time so never got the consistency needed. And I always made the mistake of trying to load her first thinking it might take a while and not wanting the other horse waiting but thinking back now... if she had a horse to follow on she went straight up. Doh! The worst thing was when we were taking her to our wedding. I had spent weeks beforehand doing positive reinforcement loading training and she had been perfect. Then on the day she knew it was for real and refused. Eventually I gave up being nice and gave her a snack up the backside and she went straight on. Bliddy horse. I swear she sniggered.

 

[sportsmansB]

I have a 3.5t and have never had a problem, have rtavelled many horses in it, youngsters and more experienced ones.
However mine has the ramp on the drivers side so you are leading and turning the horse the way they are accustomed, and I think that makes a difference. It also is better if the more experienced traveller goes in the ramp side as they have a sharper turn - but honestly they have all travelled perfectly
Current primadonna won't entertain a trailer at all, but travels perfectly in a 3.5t or a bigger truck.

 

[milliepops]

However mine has the ramp on the drivers side so you are leading and turning the horse the way they are accustomed, and I think that makes a difference.

yeah i have definitely encountered this issue.
some of them get so used to going up the ramp and turning left, turning right is just impossible to grasp as a concept.

 

[GinaGeo]

Similar to MP. Mine all have to load with just me, so I am happy to put in the time. Especially as we used to have one that found the traveling extremely stressful. Loading and traveling well are now very high on my priority list.

Solo is a suspicious sort and will happily load onto transport he knows. But anything out of the ordinary takes a little time and some patience. I can get him in anywhere, but he has to have time to think about it. He is also a creature of habit and takes a lot of persuading to get on the lorry on the side that he deems "wrong". i.e. getting on the small lorry second. Or going on the right hand side of a trailer. He will do it. But he prefers to travel on "his" side and is much more chilled when he gets off.

Mickey will get on anything and if it looks like it might be going hunting he'll load with great enthusiasm. We used to go with a friend on her big lorry, so he thinks that big lorries exclusively go hunting and will try and get on any that he passes. The day he was at her yard and she dared to take her lorry eventing without putting him on it was a very angry day indeed.

The youngster is a curious type and given time to think will happily load on most things. We put the time in when he was a yearling and he's been out plenty now quite happily. He hasn't needed to go on a big lorry yet, but I don't think he'd be too much bother.

 

[holeymoley]

I have one who will load sometimes and sometimes he won’t. There’s no rhyme or reason to it, it just depends if he wants to or not. Thankfully he’s mellowing in his old age and generally marches on in but I’ve had various times of sheer frustration.

The best one(I can laugh now!) was travelling over an hour to dressage and the b*gger wouldn’t load on the way back. We spent half an hour of trying all methods. I threw the towel in and asked husband to try... he knocked husband over (haha) got loose and headed for the gallops! Thankfully the gate was closed. I caught him and swiftly walked him back to the trailer calling him every possible name under the sun, and boof, walked on up the ramp as if nothing had ever happened. It was a quiet journey home.

 

[Gloi]

I've bought a few pony youngsters in my time that have never travelled , or been halter broken in a case or two. I've had them driven into a wagon quite neatly by sheepdogs and in one case a bunch of strong farm lads took a leg each , picked him up and put in the trailer ?

 

[palo1]

almost all of mine have been tricky to begin with.

my last really sticky loader was Kira and she was the same as TFFs, you simply could not pressurise her and she had to figure out for herself that it was safe and A Good Idea to get on. She will still question whether it's really important now but she always gets on, you just have to give her a moment to assess things and then she hops on. she travels brilliantly. she's like that in all small spaces though, always has to be sure she wants to go into it. Long history there!

ex racer was shooed on to the box when I picked him up, it was utterly torrential rain and he was extracted from a retired herd of racehorses who were all shouting and milling about. He needed a bit of practice once we got home before he would go up the ramp reliably but again it was just time and patience.

Salty bought from the sales went straight up the ramp, but she had been in a pen all day after a 6 hour journey to get there and tbh i think she was so tired she would have walked through fire. Another sticky loader when she had recovered but she just needed practice.

all of them have transferred from the small box to a big one happily and back again, once they got the concept it's never been a problem, though I haven't tried any in a trailer and that would probably need a bit of practice.

Millie is the exception, she was really difficult to start with but now I have a job to stop her going up the ramps of strange lorries. she loves a day trip

My young mare is like that - we have to be quick-sharp to shut the box ramp if the others have come home from somewhere or she will load herself from the wrong end. She took about 30 minutes to decide to load, on being introduced to the trailer, no pressure at all but encouragement and patience and now is literally thrilled at the thought of going somewhere. Day or night, lashing rain or blinding sunshine, alone or in company!! We have another one however, that in spite of never having been in a trailer or lorry and having used the very 'best practice' model of time, patience, encouragement and reward has simply never agreed to load. We have never got her near enough the trailer to get very far. She is brilliant in every other way and is a calm and independent mare who looks after my daughter beautifully. She has never said 'no' to anything else at all. Thankfully she has no real need of being boxed anywhere and should we need to take her to a vet (rather than a vet attending) I do believe that sedation and many people would do the job. Not ideal obviously!! I have no idea why on earth we have failed beyond spectacularly with this mare when we have never had a poor loader before.

 

[asmp]

Mine has always been a pig to load (owned for 13 years) - travels fine once he is on. Once daughter nearly had to ride him home in the dark and rain as he wouldn’t load after a group lesson and everyone had gone home but eventually he went on.

HOWEVER - my friend’s daughter, aged about 10, used to borrow him and I have seen video footage of him following her like a lamb onto the trailer ?

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

I quite honestly don't blame them. Why would they go up a (sometimes steep) ramp into a moving box?!

We are asking the horse to trust us completely that it is safe. It may sound mad but I open up the trailer fully and demonstrate that it is not evil. If I have a slave about (aka son), I get him to lead a good loader for them to watch.

Mine are all taught to load as youngsters. My oldie used to love going to parties, he'd start whinnying when my dad turned up with the trailer.

It really is the responsibility of either the breeder or person bringing on a youngster to educate them as much as possible. Trust and confidence is a huge part of this process.

Having said all that, semi feral ponies can be a different matter, lol. Far easier to drop the ramp and run the ponies up it! ?

 

[Hackback]

Out of interest does anyone know the psychology behind why horses tend to be more difficult when loading to come home? I don't buy it's because they've had a nice time and don't want to leave - I don't think they reason that way, although willing to be proved wrong.

 

[Tarragon]

Out of interest does anyone know the psychology behind why horses tend to be more difficult when loading to come home? I don't buy it's because they've had a nice time and don't want to leave - I don't think they reason that way, although willing to be proved wrong.

I always thought it was because they were tired and found it more of a challenge mentally, if you know what I mean.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Out of interest does anyone know the psychology behind why horses tend to be more difficult when loading to come home? I don't buy it's because they've had a nice time and don't want to leave - I don't think they reason that way, although willing to be proved wrong.

Could be that they're being asked to load in an unfamiliar surrounding with a lot going on, could be that the loader has more adrenaline in their system from having competed or from being excited at having been out, could be that they're less keen when they don't think they're going out to a party as they do when they're at home, could be that they're knackered and don't fancy doing anything else today, could be that they don't want to leave the grass at the show ground, could be that there is so much going on that they don't want to go into the closed in box but want to keep looking around, could be that the loaders are quicker with the pressure when they're conscious that there are lots of people watching your horse be a tit. There are loads of variables.

 

[palo1]

I think they can often be tired, mentally and physically so struggle to want any more or simply can't give loading the attention it needs. For me that is one reason at least that I want my horses to find loading a virtually automatic action as that requires so much less mental and emotional energy. I am happy to spend a lot of time to get there with young or green loading horses! ?

 

[eggs]

My old mare was good to load as long as you trotted her to the ramp. If you walked her she would just plant. Like MP's Millie though she would often try to load herself onto random lorries at a show.

One of mine now was a pita as a youngster as he would always load onto the lorry but as soon as he was in we would turn round and pi55 off down the ramp.

The oddest one I saw was years ago at a dealer's yard. Owners turned up with a trailer to pick their new horse up. Horse wouldn't load so the dealer unhitched the trailer, put the stands down, opened the window at the front of the trailer and then put a lunge line on the horse which was threaded through the window and tied to the tow bar and they then proceeded to drive off and literally dragged the horse in whilst the new owners stood watching.