LOADING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

S

showqa

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 February 2008
Messages
827
Visit site
Oh God, my 7 year old has been a bad loader (not remotely aggressive - just utterly stubborn). I eventually got a lady out who was highly recommended and yes, she seemed to really make a break through with him. To such an extent that we have been taking little trips to the local green, take him out and have a graze, then put him back on. This is MASSIVE compared to the situation before we worked with her.

Anyway, did the same again today - exactly the same routine, with my other horse too but this time he would not go back onto the lorry. Two front feet on the ramp was his limit, and after an hour and a half I had to tack him up and ride him home.

I feel soooo utterly deflated, not to mention confused as I have no idea what was so different about this time compared to the next.

Horses can build you up and then sooooo quickly smash you right down again. I was starting to plan a few comps, not too many as didn't want to blow his brains, but I feel as though we're back to square one again. What should I do now? Just get the womn back in or try and solve it alone? Thanks all.
 
hi i also work with problem loaders and it could just be something really simple your doing wrong ,give her a ring i'm sure she'll be able to help you out

i had a call last week to see one i had sorted out in november ,she would load at home but not to come home ,they were simply worrying about her not going in and trying to hurry the horse -in turn making horse more nervious about it

i met them at a show and didn't touch the horse at all , i talked the girl through how to deal with the horse herself and taught her how to cope with it ,eventually getting it sorted again and hopfully giving them the confedence to deal with it themselves as the horse may always try it on ;)

some horses are "cured" in one session but some will always try it on if only for 10mins ,you need to learn your helpful girls metherds so you can do the same time and time again and your horse will eventually behave when she's/he is met with the same reaction from you every time she tries it on

don't give up there could be a really simple answer
my loaders problem was they were hurrying/panicking ,you can't hurry them you have to pretend you have all day ,they have been instructed to take a picnic and enjoy a glass of wine while the girl who rides the horse gently plays with the trailer/loading the horse without any flapping about

sometimes if you get it into your head she won't load you get yourself worked up then pass it on to your horse ,the closser you get to the trailer the more worked up you get ,she could be getting the msg from you that there is something to worry about


sorry :o that is rather long ,im not very good at explaining but hope this helps
good luck
 
Strange to say, I have loaded hundreds of horses, and the only one I struggled with with was a DONKEY, well known to be a problem, we had to move his legs one by one, they were "set in concrete". He gave up when we got him up the ramp and had two feet on the trailer itself. I gave him a little feed after we got him in [he travels in the top part of the trailer with his two pony pals behind in the conventional manner], this is a bit odd, but there is room and he shows no sign of being scared, just does not want to co-operate.
I much prefer the "we can do it attitude" and walk straight on, but not straight from the stable, I always do little walking in hand exercises, taking his mind off the trailer, and the change of routine.
Always make sure the trailer is well lit with sunlight as horses will not go in to dark places.
Unless the journey out was scary, that is to say too many hills, or not enough room to balance, or fast cornering etc, then the return journey should be easier as he is tired.
I suggest you ask someone else to load him for you and see if there is a difference.
Please do not hover nervously around this horse!!!!
In order to overcome this problem you will have to load him every day for a very long time to make the loading part of his routine.
 
Last edited:
I note you did change his routine, you took another horse along, did this horse bite him or upset him, try travelling in a car behind him and see his reactions.
I assume he has plenty of width for balance and both are tied reasonable tight.
Is he throwing his head up as soon as he approaches the trailer canopy?
 
Last edited:
You need to load him successfully hundreds of times for it to really sink in. That is where a lot of people go wrong, they load it once then 'leave it on a good note', horses learn by repetition.

I would load him as many times as you can every day for a few weeks until it sinks in. Do not turn him away from the ramp until he has loaded successfully.
 
Hi Mrs - my mare has been with us the last few times and he has been very happy travelling with her. However, you mentioned hills and that is a problem for us as we live in the middle of a valley and indeed either way out means a steep hill. To be fair my OH is a very good driver, but I was watching the horse who is sticky and yes, although he was eating his hay, his eyes were like saucers. Being quite a bit bigger than the mare I do think he struggles with his balance, but what can we do about where we live??

He's in a lorry with enough space in his side but also good, solid, padded brace panels and he's on a trailer tie (you know the sort of thing?)

Angelish - I totally take on what you were saying about don't start to panic. I too did all the circling/backing up/coming forward ground work before trying to re-load him again. I must be honest and say that I do feel a certain sick feeling in my rising as I realise that he isn't going on - although I do my damnedest not to show it. My mare is a dreamboat to go on and off - thank God! But he is the one who I want to start competing with, and perhaps that "dream" is also fuelling my anxiety when I see that he won't go on. Thank you both for very wise comments.
 
OK,travelling in a lorry, should be comfortable, and the partitions should be wide enough, is it herringbone or side by side in a small lorry?, is he travelling rear-wards, some horses panic that way.... they think they have to get out through the back door.
I assume he can turn easily and how is he when leaving the lorry?
Is he refusing to go on when there is no other horse on board, what is the pattern?
He does not need a hay-net for short journeys, but you can stand with him as long as he will not stand on your toes!
Keep a few treats in your pocket to keep him happy, or scratch his mane.
It is possible he is genuinely scared of the actual travelling bit, which is unusual, can you try him on a trailer?
He may feel the need to have his legs "asplay" that is to say out from his body, if he can't do this he may panic, I have had a 18.00hh racehorse[Listen Timmy] with this problem ,we were able to widen his partition and he was fine. When he was in a normal size partition he panicked and went down, I was hanging on to his nostrils, it was scary, but he was fine when he could "spread his legs"
So summing up:
most horse are happy to travel herringbone
some will panic if restricted by width
some will panic if travelling rear ward and they think they can go out the rear door.
most like a friend with them
 
Last edited:
LouS said:
You need to load him successfully hundreds of times for it to really sink in. That is where a lot of people go wrong, they load it once then 'leave it on a good note', horses learn by repetition.

I would load him as many times as you can every day for a few weeks until it sinks in. Do not turn him away from the ramp until he has loaded successfully.
Click to expand...

Agree wholeheartedly, having had a bad loader that i got Richard Maxwell out to, after the initial groundwork and the fireworks he loaded, then we went up and down the ramp at least 60 times then put him away brought him out later that day and did the exact same another 60 times.
My homework then was to load every day at least 30-40 times a day the first week gradually tailing it off over a period of 4 weeks as long as he continued to load, i now have a horse who loads 1st time every time, and it was well worth it
 
Hi Mrs - he travels side - by - side and facing forwards and whether the mare is on first or whether the lorry is empty - today! - didn't make a difference. It's quite a large lorry - a 7.5 tonne lorry. He comes off very calm and cool, but he doesn't look entirely happy as we're going along to be honest. He sweats up quite a lot during the short trip.
 
Mary Doll I had no idea that you had to do it to that extent. When we were just practising in the yard in a stationay lorry, I'd load him maybe 3 times a day. Since we've actually got to the stage where we take little trips out, I've been taking him out twice a week for a short drive. Compared to what you say woefully inadequate. Do you think that means I've taken him/us a massive step backwards again as he didn't go on today?
 
I think he has had a bad trip [as they say] so you will just have to persevere, make sure you keep to his daily routine as much as possible when you are travelling him, take every opportunity to take him places, he is not panicking so there is no actual danger, don't rug him unless it is cold., but keep plenty of draught running though the lorry in this warm weather. If he is cold, pop a light cooler on him, but some like a draught [just like dogs].
Might be worth trying a hay-net with carrots, or some sort of lickit treat to keep him busy.
 
Thank Mrs D for your words. So difficult isn't it - if only I could get inside his head! But I have to crack it, so need to just stick with it and draft in the help again if I feel I can't get it back on track. Just don't want to fear that I'm making matters worse, although I never get angry, shouty or whippy or anything like that. Just get fed up and tired!
 
I had a loading problem with my new boy-napping!

I used a pressure halter and loaded him 5-6 times before his tea every day for about 3 weeks. He got a mint and a big fuss everytime he did it. Its habit!!

No, if he hasnt been in the lorry for a week or so, the day before we are due to go out i do a bit of loading practice just as a reminder. Seems to do the trick!

It's all takes time and trust! Good luck!!
 
showqa said:
Mary Doll I had no idea that you had to do it to that extent. When we were just practising in the yard in a stationay lorry, I'd load him maybe 3 times a day. Since we've actually got to the stage where we take little trips out, I've been taking him out twice a week for a short drive. Compared to what you say woefully inadequate. Do you think that means I've taken him/us a massive step backwards again as he didn't go on today?
Click to expand...

It sounds like hes not been happy on his last trip, if it was me i'd take him back a step and start loading at home again. then practice every day
I dont know how you are getting him on the transport, but i know that with Max we used a rope halter, importantly to be effective and safe its vital you school your horse on the flat to respect the pressure release principal that underpins the process. It might be worth getting Max's dvd to see how it works.
My boy was a nightmare rearing and trying to run over you and jump on you on the ramp, throwing himself to the ground rather than load.
Getting Max out was the best money i spent, having seen how its done ive
helped others using his techniques and theyve always worked if used correctly
and people have put the time in to consolodate the learning
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top