Oh no! its all starting to fall apart! Loading pratice.. Long

lialls

lialls

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2008
Messages
1,446
Location
The Hills
Visit site
I posted recently asking for advice on how to go about doing some loading practise with my yearling Boots.

She has been traveled twice before, the first time she was apperently fine, the second time she was abit reluctent to load so i wanted to do some practise with her to avoid any problems in the future.

1st practise
I took the partition out of the trailer and opened the back and front ramp. We walked through it lots and took time to have a look and a good sniff inside. I then slowly built the partition up while still walking through the trailer and letting her stand for a little while in side. I didnt interduce the breast or breach bars.

2nd practise
All ramps down, partition up but still no breast or breach bars. I walked her through it a couple of times and she was fine, so decided that we would put the breast bar up. She was fine with that. Then put the front ramp up, so we loaded her with the breast bar and front ramp up, stood for a little bit in there and then lowered the front ramp, she moved abit as we started to lower the ramp but she was fine after it had come half way down and didnt even notice when it made an unexpected sound. So i took down the breast bar and we walked forward to the ramp. She walked down the ramp fine but as soon as all four feet where off the trailer she bucked twice.

My other horse who was in a stable out of sight had just called to her and she was calling back so i thought it might hav been that which had up set her.

I tryed again with the front ramp and breast bar up but the same thing happened, Boots had now lost all concerntration on the job in hand so it was time to call it a day. I walked her throught it twice as i had started at the begining of the session just to try and finish on a positive note but was still having trouble trying to stop the bucking. I walked a few circules to try and get her back listening to me but everytime we faced the stables or away from them she would try and buck.

When we did the 1st session my other horse did call to her but Boots seemed to ignore her, today she seems very attached to her.

Where did i go wrong?
What should i do now?

Any advice welcomed!!
 
Keep practicing and making sure she feels comfortable. Mine always make a noise when they get in because they know they are going to a party and want to take the others with them! They start up again when we get back as well!

There will always be blips in training. Just keep on with slow but sure and increase a little until you are going on short journeys and coming home again. If she starts on then take it back a step then start moving forward again.

What is she wearing on her legs while you do this? One of mine will not wear traveling boots and will go ape if you try so I use bandages instead. is she knocking or brushing on something as she comes out?
 
Personally I think you are overdoing it. She walked in happily, and you should have left it at that, why do you feel the need to keep doing it over and over ? she must have thought, crikey what am I doing wrong ? She is only a yearling she was also probably bored by the whole thing.
 
lialls said:
I tryed again with the front ramp and breast bar up but the same thing happened, Boots had now lost all concerntration on the job in hand so it was time to call it a day. I walked her throught it twice as i had started at the begining of the session just to try and finish on a positive note but was still having trouble trying to stop the bucking. ....

Where did i go wrong?
What should i do now?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I think you're boring her into bad behaviour! Youngsters have a VERY short attention span. If you overdo any training, they get pi**ed off and start having an attack of the 'won'ts'!

It sounds as if her first trip might not have been 'perfect' - either because of road conditions - or perhaps not the BEST driving in the world (or just because she got bored!)

I wouldn'toverdo the practice -and STOP as soon as she gets something right - and reward her with a treat and a good pat/scratch - whichever she prefers.

It may be JUST walking on properly. Ignore the buck on exit!

Then next time, if she bucks on exit do it once more - but don't reward on exit if she bucks!Reward GOOD behaviour and virtually ignore bad - just get her back under control and do a couple of minutes leading.

NEXT time,put the breast bar up,etc. etc. One small step at a time - and any trainingsession should NOT last longer than 5 minutes!
 
tracey01 said:
Personally I think you are overdoing it. She walked in happily, and you should have left it at that, why do you feel the need to keep doing it over and over ? she must have thought, crikey what am I doing wrong ? She is only a yearling she was also probably bored by the whole thing.
Click to expand...

I was told to do a little bit every few days, she is happy to walk through the trailer but she needs to be happy to stand in a partition and travel alone. This is the goal. I dont think that i was doing it over and over. I walked her throught twice with the partition in, she was good and was rewarded with a rub and lots of praise. We put up the breast bar and did it once with it up, we then up up the front ramp too, she walked in fine, had lots of praise but then we had a problems after unloading.

I wanted to start the 2nd session with nothing new in the trailer and build it up.

So what your says is that i can only intruduce one new thing at each session then? So session 3 i should load her with the front ramp up, lower the ramp, unload. Thats all? Then session 4, load her with the front ramp up again and maybe put the back ramp up too?
 
Paddydou, Shes not got any boots or bandages on her legs, and i dont think she was knocking/brushing them on anything. Although the flys were about a bit so maybe could have been that?
 
So what everyone is saying is that she got bored? Yes?

So are we agreed that it wasnt my other horse calling to her that distracted her?

Should i make a plan of the sessions then? Like -

Session 3
Load with front ramp closed and breast bar up. Indroduce breach bar.
Do this twice. End session

Session 4
As above and Close back ramp.

Session 5
As above and tie up.

Session 6
Go for a short smothe drive around the field with Boots in the trailer?



Dos that sound ok to everyone?
 
I would prepare her feed and put it in the trailer. Open all the doors and ramps, lead her in and let her have the feed. Then calmly lead her back to the stable. Do this every day for a week, she will be completely relaxed by this time and willing to leave her companion. If she seems to distracted by whatever before she goes in you can tickle her shoulder with a dressage whip (you might want to practice this in a stable first to check her reaction). Agree with others who say ignore the bucking. When she will go into the trailer and stand totally relaxed then start doing up breast bars etc.
Good luck!
 
Or i could just scrap the whole practise thing as i dont seem very good at it and just hope it all gos ok on the day? If Boots is loading well and dosnt seem to have been fased by anything yet (other than me boring her in to being naughty) then she should be ok as long as we take it slow and make sure we dont have any mishaps on the day? or is that not a good idea aswell?
 
lialls said:
So that only really leaves me enough time to add one new thing to each session?
Click to expand...

Yep - and one is plenty. She's a filly - you don't sy what breed but it doesn't really matter. Fillies are usually MUCH smarter than colts or geldings. You can DRILL a colt of gelding until he gets it right (although it's still not a smart idea with a yearling.) Fillies tend to think: "I've done that - what the hell do I have to do it again for!" And come up with their own answer!:rolleyes:

TBH,we usually remember to teach yearlings to load half-an-hour before we leave for a show! Then concentrate on giving them the BEST ride possible. Then forget about it until the next show when they tend to walk straight on.

If you make an ISSUE of something, then you're likely to have problems. If you just quietly EXPECT obedience, you usually get it!
 
Ok thats great, thanks. She is moving fields in a week or so time and has to travel alone. It will only be a 20 mins drive but im just worried about upseting her with the move. You think it will be ok if i just forget the practise tho? and load her up on the day. And you dont think that if will cause any issues in the furture?
 
Our 2yr old's first outing was an hour long ride to her futurity outing, we travelled her without a partition but she was really hot and sweaty and agitated when we arrived. When we took her outside to load up for the return journey we were worried that she wouldn't want to go in. Needn't have bothered. We had to tickle her shoulder with a whip to get her attention, but then she went straight in.
Preparation for the trip was leading her through the trailer 10min max x2, feeding her in the trailer three times, and long reining her through it once! (it was open and waiting- seemed like a good idea!) The key seems to be to have the horses repect on the ground and have practiced and obtained obedience leading. Then as JG says give them a good ride.
Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top