TommisMum
Well-Known Member
Thought I would share this with you.
I am 5'1" late 40s female nursing a splint on wrist due to break.
Horse is a 4yr old CBx mare 16:2.
When Storm was delivered to us she was bullied on to a lorry with ropes etc. When I needed to load her to take her to an event we had a very bad experience with her rearing etc. As I didn't have time to solve this (needing to transport another horse) she was turned away.
Now I am planning to take her to xc schooling next weekend so need her to load.
Fortunately earlier this year I had 2 clinics with Richard Maxwell who taught me some basic principles which do work.
Key rules being: 1) allow plenty of time - as Max allows half a day I thought I'd best do the same. 2) do not give up
Sunday 2:30
I park the 3.5 ton side loading lorry in the arena parallel to B with the ramp down and gates open.
I then brought Storm into the arena. Her initial reaction was to nap and cow kick and I could not lead her over the centre line. For an hour I worked her in a pressure halter from the ground in walk. Working her forwards and backwards and in circles. It took the hour to get her to walk past and stand sideways next to the ramp on both reins. During this time when ever she was near the lorry I would ask her to stand introducing it to her from different angles. When coming at it diagonally she would rear and I would go with her so that she didn't over balance and return to the ground work forwards and backwards.
3:30 I closed the gates and worked on introducing Storm to the ramp. I also put chipboard at the base of the ramp where she'd previously walked to introduce a different feel under her feet. This time her objections were stronger rearing to avoid touching the ramp. Each time she objected I would return to the previous lesson but end up with her standing where her strop had started. If by any chance she had a hoof on the ramp regardless of how this happened I would stop and release all pressure giving her time to think what was different, walk her away from the ramp and then bring her back. It was remarkable how compliant she was once she realised what was being asked. I didn't ask her to stand on the ramp facing sideways unless she was very well balanced as she is a little goofy and didn't want her to lose her balance.
4:30 I moved the gates so that they pointed into the body of the lorry a bit like guiding poles when jumping and introduced the concept of a forward facing ramp into a cave. This was not a popular question and Storm would evade by rearing (seems 1 in 20 horses do this) this was a little alarming as she does a great black beauty impersonation but did discover for herself that combining such antics with a cowkick means we sit on our bum! Scarily she ended up sitting 3 times and after each I did check her over before continuing. Again ever time a hoof landed on the ramp I would stop, let her think and then take her away to chill. Then once one hoof was calmly placed would ask for 2 - go through the rearing again util 2 were given and so on. If she got too wound up we would revert to ground work and walking sideways over the ramp - something she now found easy. After another hour she would put her head in the lorry but not her feet.
5:30 I opened the gates and again asked Storm to come onto the ramp. Initially this was as if she had never been on the front straight on and we returned to the rearing. It also seemed more time consuming as to return to previous lessons meant opening and closing the gates. When she tried to put her front feet into the lorry body the rock worried her and she reared out cracking her nose on the roof - I was tempted to give up. But went back a stage and redid it.
At 6:30 I was able to walk her up the ramp and have her head and shoulders in the box and front two feet on the edge. The next stage was very much a waiting game with calm and gentle pressure on the halter releasing as soon as she made the slightest move into the box and then taking her backwards down the ramp and away to think and chill.
Eventually at 7:15 she followed me into the box and stood diagonally across it. For the next 30 mins we walked in and out allowing her to stand calmly in the box and chill outside. Finally closing the partition and the gates but not the ramp.
At 7:45 my 12year old daughter also loaded her.
Now I do not say I have cracked this, will update tomorrow when I am going to do this again.
It was frustrating and at times I wanted to give up, at times I was angry with frustration. At these points I had a slurp of coffee (stationed at E) or wine (after 6!) to give me thinking time too. It was amazing how the bond between us grew as I learnt to read her body language and she learnt to trust me. It also helped seeing the yard clock as I could say to myself just another 10mins...next time I would wear boots that didn't rub....
But it did work she did load calmly and quietly with no lunge lines etc.
so update tomorrow!
I am 5'1" late 40s female nursing a splint on wrist due to break.
Horse is a 4yr old CBx mare 16:2.
When Storm was delivered to us she was bullied on to a lorry with ropes etc. When I needed to load her to take her to an event we had a very bad experience with her rearing etc. As I didn't have time to solve this (needing to transport another horse) she was turned away.
Now I am planning to take her to xc schooling next weekend so need her to load.
Fortunately earlier this year I had 2 clinics with Richard Maxwell who taught me some basic principles which do work.
Key rules being: 1) allow plenty of time - as Max allows half a day I thought I'd best do the same. 2) do not give up
Sunday 2:30
I park the 3.5 ton side loading lorry in the arena parallel to B with the ramp down and gates open.
I then brought Storm into the arena. Her initial reaction was to nap and cow kick and I could not lead her over the centre line. For an hour I worked her in a pressure halter from the ground in walk. Working her forwards and backwards and in circles. It took the hour to get her to walk past and stand sideways next to the ramp on both reins. During this time when ever she was near the lorry I would ask her to stand introducing it to her from different angles. When coming at it diagonally she would rear and I would go with her so that she didn't over balance and return to the ground work forwards and backwards.
3:30 I closed the gates and worked on introducing Storm to the ramp. I also put chipboard at the base of the ramp where she'd previously walked to introduce a different feel under her feet. This time her objections were stronger rearing to avoid touching the ramp. Each time she objected I would return to the previous lesson but end up with her standing where her strop had started. If by any chance she had a hoof on the ramp regardless of how this happened I would stop and release all pressure giving her time to think what was different, walk her away from the ramp and then bring her back. It was remarkable how compliant she was once she realised what was being asked. I didn't ask her to stand on the ramp facing sideways unless she was very well balanced as she is a little goofy and didn't want her to lose her balance.
4:30 I moved the gates so that they pointed into the body of the lorry a bit like guiding poles when jumping and introduced the concept of a forward facing ramp into a cave. This was not a popular question and Storm would evade by rearing (seems 1 in 20 horses do this) this was a little alarming as she does a great black beauty impersonation but did discover for herself that combining such antics with a cowkick means we sit on our bum! Scarily she ended up sitting 3 times and after each I did check her over before continuing. Again ever time a hoof landed on the ramp I would stop, let her think and then take her away to chill. Then once one hoof was calmly placed would ask for 2 - go through the rearing again util 2 were given and so on. If she got too wound up we would revert to ground work and walking sideways over the ramp - something she now found easy. After another hour she would put her head in the lorry but not her feet.
5:30 I opened the gates and again asked Storm to come onto the ramp. Initially this was as if she had never been on the front straight on and we returned to the rearing. It also seemed more time consuming as to return to previous lessons meant opening and closing the gates. When she tried to put her front feet into the lorry body the rock worried her and she reared out cracking her nose on the roof - I was tempted to give up. But went back a stage and redid it.
At 6:30 I was able to walk her up the ramp and have her head and shoulders in the box and front two feet on the edge. The next stage was very much a waiting game with calm and gentle pressure on the halter releasing as soon as she made the slightest move into the box and then taking her backwards down the ramp and away to think and chill.
Eventually at 7:15 she followed me into the box and stood diagonally across it. For the next 30 mins we walked in and out allowing her to stand calmly in the box and chill outside. Finally closing the partition and the gates but not the ramp.
At 7:45 my 12year old daughter also loaded her.
Now I do not say I have cracked this, will update tomorrow when I am going to do this again.
It was frustrating and at times I wanted to give up, at times I was angry with frustration. At these points I had a slurp of coffee (stationed at E) or wine (after 6!) to give me thinking time too. It was amazing how the bond between us grew as I learnt to read her body language and she learnt to trust me. It also helped seeing the yard clock as I could say to myself just another 10mins...next time I would wear boots that didn't rub....
But it did work she did load calmly and quietly with no lunge lines etc.
so update tomorrow!