Loading with the jockey wheel down

Michen

Michen

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Was attempting to teach my boy to self load today to make things easier when out by myself and someone on the yard mentioned that it was dangerous to load a horse with the jockey wheel down. The trailer was hitched to the car but I had literally just hitched it to keep it stable whilst we practiced.

Just interested to know why it's dangerous to have the wheel down as I certainly wasn't taught this during my training, in fact I think I was told the opposite! Hazy memory though...
 
If the trailer is hitched it wouldn't make any difference at all. Loading with the jockey wheel down and it not hitched, would be a different story.
 
FfionWinnie said:
If the trailer is hitched it wouldn't make any difference at all. Loading with the jockey wheel down and it not hitched, would be a different story.
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That's what I thought, I couldn't see how it would be an issue at all and if anything I thought it would keep it more stable!
 
Michen said:
Ahaha magic what is your secret. Mine will only load with front ramp down by himself!
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I start off by walking beside them then gradually ease further and further back so for instance I will stop a couple of feet from the front but stretch my arm forward to encourage them to keep going and then I stop sooner and sooner. Daisy is the best at it she would actually go from much further back than even in that vid. They need to know to stand still once on, whatever you are doing as well so train him to do that as well if he won't.

Have to watch daughter's pony who will bog off under the bar if not careful. 🙄

I saw someone doing it at a show one day and thought I want that!

If he does it with front ramp down just keep doing it. Daisy knows my cues now so if I unclip the lead rope and point her at the trailer I can feel her set off at a march and I know she will definitely go in. Sounds like you are at least half way there. Try leaving the jockey door and top door open and shutting the ramp.
 
Thanks!


FfionWinnie said:
I start off by walking beside them then gradually ease further and further back so for instance I will stop a couple of feet from the front but stretch my arm forward to encourage them to keep going and then I stop sooner and sooner. Daisy is the best at it she would actually go from much further back than even in that vid. They need to know to stand still once on, whatever you are doing as well so train him to do that as well if he won't.

Have to watch daughter's pony who will bog off under the bar if not careful. ��

I saw someone doing it at a show one day and thought I want that!

If he does it with front ramp down just keep doing it. Daisy knows my cues now so if I unclip the lead rope and point her at the trailer I can feel her set off at a march and I know she will definitely go in. Sounds like you are at least half way there. Try leaving the jockey door and top door open and shutting the ramp.
Click to expand...
 
Get them used to finding food in the trailer, then leave them with a small meshed hay net while you go and have a cup of tea. If they want to come out, let them. Nothing more scary for a horse than feeling trapped.

There is no way I am walking into a trailer with a reluctant horse at my age. They all get trained to self load from foals here. Sometimes, the problem is keeping them out! :)
 
My older appy loved going on trailers or lorries, he once self loaded onto strange lorry when I was bring him in and the yard held a show. I.had him and another horse leading and he was on the end of the lead rope and just decided to.wonder up the ramp :D the lady thought it was 😂

All I had to do with him was put the lead rope over his neck.and.he would run up.the ramp.
 
Michen said:
Was attempting to teach my boy to self load today to make things easier when out by myself and someone on the yard mentioned that it was dangerous to load a horse with the jockey wheel down. The trailer was hitched to the car but I had literally just hitched it to keep it stable whilst we practiced.

Just interested to know why it's dangerous to have the wheel down as I certainly wasn't taught this during my training, in fact I think I was told the opposite! Hazy memory though...
Click to expand...

If the jockey wheel is stablising the trailer against moving (e.g. due to the car's suspension), then it is taking load that it is not designed to take. My neighbour did something similar with his flatbed trailer's jockey and it knackered the thread so it won't now wind up and down. When I hitch to my Discovery, I use the car's suspension height adjusting plus a farm jack to hitch and unhitch it now.
 
case895 said:
If the jockey wheel is stablising the trailer against moving (e.g. due to the car's suspension), then it is taking load that it is not designed to take. My neighbour did something similar with his flatbed trailer's jockey and it knackered the thread so it won't now wind up and down. When I hitch to my Discovery, I use the car's suspension height adjusting plus a farm jack to hitch and unhitch it now.
Click to expand...

But it's still not dangerous to do so. I regularly have to unhitch my flatbed with reasonable loads sitting on it, and the jockey wheel has never been a problem. Some times jockey wheels just "go". My stock box did, and it has never had a load in it while unhitched.

What Michen is doing is very unlikely to cause any damage in my uneducated other than bitter experience of previous disasters, opinion ;). She's not lifting the horse up and down with it, after all.
 
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