Not wanting to come off lorry, jumping ramp

hayleyj

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I was wondering if anyone has any advice in my 3 year old gelding not wanting to come off the lorry! He has only traveled once when he was delivered to me earlier this year, he walked straight on the lorry but came off very fast. Now I’ve broken him in and he’s having a bit of time off I thought I’d prepare him for traveling by walking up into my lorry to get used to it, it took a bit of time to get him on, very nervous of the ramp but bless him he trusted me enough to walk up and was quite happy standing up there but when it came to coming off I couldn’t get him off, my lorry has quite a steep ramp and a big step at the top, and this didn’t help. In the end I had to get someone behind him to make him come off, again very fast and frightened, I’ve not tried again as don’t want to scare him even more, have walked over a tarp and wood on the floor to gain confidence. Any advice please
 

sportsmansB

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This maybe isn't that helpful but can you practice on a 'friendlier' lorry with a lower ramp and less of a step until he gets used to it? Once they go on and off happily a load of times, they will usually go on and off any type, but just at the start it might help.
Bribe a mate round with cake to bring a different one
And bribe him with something nice too
And I am sure it will all be fine
 

twiggy2

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Spend more time, don't force/chase him off.
I worked with a 17.2+ warm-blooded that did this for over a year, walked on fine and then jumped off, I used to unload with a lunge line, he used to jump and stop and the bottom.
He just stopped doing it one day.
I was not going to fight/force or argue, he was a big lad and it was a relatively small space. The owner wanted to compete and the horse was on the lorry at least once every week sometimes 4+ times.
If it was my horse I would park it in the field, load the horse, give a big feed and take headcollar, rugs, everything off and leave the horse to work it out. Yes, it's a risk but I believe safer for the horse and humans to give the horse the time to work it out with no interference.
 

Mahoganybay

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Second the suggestion to try with a more horse friendly lorry with a shallower ramp, teach your horse that the lorry is a safe place. Arm yourself with a lunge line, hat and gloves along with a rattly bucket of nice feed for him.

Load on the lorry, give him some feed and a nice scratch, whilst loading him off the lorry let him get his nose in the feed bucket and guide him out with that, should hopefully stop him jumping the ramp or rushing off.

Do this, 2-3 times a week until he is going in and coming off nicely. Then try your lorry using the same method.

Time, patience and perseverance is the key here, and what you teach him now will stay with him for life.

Good luck x
 

Roxylola

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If you can't borrow a less scary lorry, just spend a bit of time playing on the ramp, walk over the bottom end of it, feed him on it turn round and walk off etc, he doesn't sound like he's going to be awkward to load, just that he's scared of the ramp so I'd just work on that. I wouldn't bother making this about loading him at the moment.
 

Cortez

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Spend more time, don't force/chase him off.
I worked with a 17.2+ warm-blooded that did this for over a year, walked on fine and then jumped off, I used to unload with a lunge line, he used to jump and stop and the bottom.
He just stopped doing it one day.
I was not going to fight/force or argue, he was a big lad and it was a relatively small space. The owner wanted to compete and the horse was on the lorry at least once every week sometimes 4+ times.
If it was my horse I would park it in the field, load the horse, give a big feed and take headcollar, rugs, everything off and leave the horse to work it out. Yes, it's a risk but I believe safer for the horse and humans to give the horse the time to work it out with no interference.

I had one that used to do a most impressive flying Derby Bank type of airborne display off the lorry, and this ^^^ is what solved the problem. I loaded him up, left him and sat on a chair at the bottom/side of the ramp with a book and a glass of wine until he inched his way down. Took hours! I have also had to give up and just leave one at the top of the ramp overnight, with hay and water at the bottom. She was standing munching there the next morning and never had a problem with her unloading again.
 

WandaMare

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I solved this with one of mine slightly differently to the good suggestions already made above....I walked her up the ramp and fussed her, then walked her down slowly holding her feed bucket next to her nose. She is a full-on foodie so although terrified of walking down the ramp, she kept close to me and the bucket, taking little snatches of feed, until we got down to the bottom. Before this, she would leap the whole length of the ramp at full speed which made me nervous to take her out. I kept repeating this until I was able to do the same thing with just a carrot next to her nose. Luckily she would stick close to the carrot rather than racing down the ramp.
 

splashgirl45

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if you have a bit of a bank or a slight hill park the lorry with the ramp on the higher bit so it isnt as steep and then practice over and over again , its a difficult one to solve and will just take time to get him confident. also what is he like walking down hills? it may be that he isnt sure how to navigate the ramp so walking in hand down some steepish hills may help. good luck
 

redredruby

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My young horse rushes off the horse box and I think it is a combination of tension and lack of balance.

Agree with all the suggestions above and if you can work on increasing balance when going down hill that will probably also help.
 

hayleyj

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Thanks for the replies, few ideas to try. My biggest worry is him not wanting to come off at all like Cortez says. He literally sits down when his feet touch the ramp. Maybe I will try a trailer first and build up to the bigger ramp on the lorry
 

Equi

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I second just having a safe enclosed space, getting him up the ramp then just coming away and letting him figure it out. If he’s not being pressured to come forward he is more likely to drop his head and attempt to figure out what to do. My colt would always jump the ramp too but I just let him come off with no leadrope on and he figured it out now he just walks off unless he’s very excited and jumps the bottom step lol
 

Goldenstar

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You need to take time and practise lots i would try luring with food I would use carrots but you could use a mini likit or some tasty food in a bucket .
One step bite of the carrot .
 

awelshandawarmblood

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My yearling loaded in 10 minutes to move yards good as gold first time travelling, but unloading the other end, 45 minute mexican stand off which resulted in a huge leap & a relieved look on his face! Tried 'puppet' walking him off, food, the lot but nothing worked. Think the transporter was starting to think he'd have to take him home lol! The ramp wasn't particularly steep but going to take my Ifor as the ramp seems lower & practice him on that.
 

hayleyj

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It’s not a nice feeling when they don’t want to come off. I’m going to hire an ifor Williams trailer to walk him in and off and progress from there
My yearling loaded in 10 minutes to move yards good as gold first time travelling, but unloading the other end, 45 minute mexican stand off which resulted in a huge leap & a relieved look on his face! Tried 'puppet' walking him off, food, the lot but nothing worked. Think the transporter was starting to think he'd have to take him home lol! The ramp wasn't particularly steep but going to take my Ifor as the ramp seems lower & practice him on that.
 

Mrs. Jingle

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I second just get him up on the lorry to start with - feed then leave more feed and water at the bottom of the ramp and either sit it out or take a deep breath and walk away (having ensured all bars/partitions etc are well away and the horse has a very clear and easy exit to take). I have left a trailer in a field a few times to help with loading and unloading issues with food only given inside the trailer and it has worked very quickly to help them re think the issue.

On a similar but slightly more light hearted note have you seen this? https://weather.com/series/melt/video/adorable-canadian-mini-horse-nervous-about-jumping-off-step
 

Mrs. Jingle

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We have found that horses seem to be more confident about walking down the ramp if the 'gates' are solid, rather than gate like. Solid seems to funnel them down safely.:)

Yes this absolutely I had forgotten that - often thrown a rug or two over the gates to make them more solid looking - and usually works a treat
 

ILuvCowparsely

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I was wondering if anyone has any advice in my 3 year old gelding not wanting to come off the lorry! He has only traveled once when he was delivered to me earlier this year, he walked straight on the lorry but came off very fast. Now I’ve broken him in and he’s having a bit of time off I thought I’d prepare him for traveling by walking up into my lorry to get used to it, it took a bit of time to get him on, very nervous of the ramp but bless him he trusted me enough to walk up and was quite happy standing up there but when it came to coming off I couldn’t get him off, my lorry has quite a steep ramp and a big step at the top, and this didn’t help. In the end I had to get someone behind him to make him come off, again very fast and frightened, I’ve not tried again as don’t want to scare him even more, have walked over a tarp and wood on the floor to gain confidence. Any advice please
What I do with youngsters or training them after friends foal jumped off the ramp and landed on knees at a yard skinning himself, is have someone with a good be nice halter /bridle or Dually
headcollar. Is stand up the top of the ramp with someone else in front with bucket of feed and let the horse take a mouthful, then move back one step so encourages horse to step off, and if he tries to rush we push the feed back towards his chest so he stops quickly then start again till he has reached the bottom, as they are more interested in the feed than panicking on the ramp. It is easier to show than put fingers to typing, its best to make sure horse is hungry than try when he has stuffed his face.
 

rara007

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No practical ideas but be careful, don’t force it and find decent footing! We were gifted a horse with broken coffin bones from jumping off a ramp. It didn’t come right.
 
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