Pony on trial not loading - would you work though or send back..?

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diddy

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Hi all,

As you may remember, some of you gave some excellent advice & helped us choose our children's new pony a couple of weeks ago. He's arrived & settled in very well. However... I have just discovered that he doesn't like travelling. Or at least I assume he doesn't like travelling as he had no intention of going anywhere near the trailer, let alone getting into it :)

We only have him on trial & this was one of my few "must-haves" when we were looking as my own horse is a toerag to travel & I just can't be doing with another :o This was obviously something I asked about when we tried him but I haven't actually seen him in action until now.

What d'you reckon - am I being a bit over-demanding thinking he should load straight away when everything (& everyone) is still new to him..? Other than the loading, so far he seems a real poppet so part of me is saying what the heck but like I say I can cope with a bit of napping or a fear of tractors but loading is one issue I can't face dealing with all over again - call me a wimp :o

Thank you - tea & jaffa cakes for any of you still up :D

D. x
 
Maybe he doesn't want to go home! :D

If he's right in all other ways, work through it. Don't have a plan like 'there's a show in three weeks, I must get him loading by then' just do a bit every time you've got some quiet time to spare, if you don't have much time make an effort to just lead him up to the box and back a couple of times, make it so it's no biggie. Feed him off the ramp, working up to going in and having his tea. Once he's not bothered about it, take him on a couple of short trips round the block and build up from there.

Make it a fairly boring, no fuss, no rush experience.

What's he doing when you try to load him, what equipment are you using and what are you trying to load him into? Also, how long have you got to work with him?

Where are you based?
 
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Ask the owners to come & have a look, it could be something simple like he's only used to boxes, or yours is darker, got a noisy ramp etc.
 
Ditto the asking owners to come & try, or a very calm friend, if u already have a bad loader you may be subconsciously giving pony bad vibes, they can pick up the smallest doubts from us, particularly if already unsettled from being in a new home.
 
I agree with asking the owners, I let a lovely pony go on trial once, he was a good loader in several different trailers including a really tatty one but the people trialing him had problems loading, he was reportedly perfect in every other way for their child but was a "pain to load" he came back as they were not prepared to work through it or let me help. I sold him again, he walked straight in for his new owners and they never had a problem, all down to technique I would think.
 
  • Did you see him arrive?
  • did he arrive trailer or box?
  • how did he look when he came out?
  • was he sweating

I would be asking myself.
  • Could it be due to owners driving?
  • the owners over look at my question does he load etc.
  • question the owner about it
  • ask owner to show how she loaded it when he arrived.
  • did owner say he does not like a trailer but loads in box


It takes a lot of time to train them to load without a hitch.
  • are you prepared to take the time to train him?
  • are you prepared not to be able to go to shows till you can?
  • prepared to say to owner its not acceptable you pacifically said you wanted easy load.

I would not be impressed at all
 
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Give him time to settle, and if you can let him walk through and then be put back in his stable with a feed so he relates loading to nice things and not being taken away. Dont make a big issue of it otherwise he could decide he wont load ever, why was your last horse bad to load?
 
Hi everyone,

Thanks for all your comments :) To answer a few of the questions... Yes, he arrived on a trailer so obviously he can be loaded just not by me apparently! So I agree with those of you who (very tactfully!) suggested it might be me or my technique that isn't helping :D

The seller is very nice & has said she'll come & show me how she manages with him. So I'm hoping that I'll not only be able to load our new boy but it might also give me some ideas about how to get my other pony to load too - that would be a real result :D

Yes, it's the ex-RS pony. He seems surprisingly nervous about everything but he's settling in well & is a real personality so hopefully he'll be staying with us :D

Thanks again for your help!!

D. x
 
I had a bad loader and knew it when I bought him. When he went to horsepital I was dreading it as I had a professional mover when I purchased him(the horse arrived as if he had been hosed he was covered in sweat...dripping./shaking etc. Clearly traumatised however he came off calmly etc. The guy thought my horse was going to flatten us as he came off but he came off trembling and slowly. All in headcollar no twitching etc

So off to horsepital. Two old farmers turned up with a trailer(parked up against a wall) they were brilliant. The first attempt he ducked off the ramp at the side. They were very kind to him and unflappable(I cant describe it they just had a nice calm way.....they kept him on a long rope and got him in). We put food in etc and feed trug with nuts I stood at the jockey door with the trug so he would come to me etc. He was left loose in the trailer ie wasnt pinned in with partitions. They thought it would be better for him to be loose(I am not sure if that is the correct thing ie health and safety but they were right).

I was lucky I had a greedy horse which always helps. This horse would never be stabled or confined either.

But yes interested to know what the owner did. I was always told it is possible to get a horse in if you practice enough. My friend left the trailer in the field etc and all food was put in it. Good luck it seems a shame to not take the horse on if its a trailer problem that should be able to be sorted out. Although I understand if you are going to pony club etc.
 
If the pony is good in every other way,I'd keep him,good ponies aren't easy to find.There is always something and loading is something that can be worked on.Our new loan pony didn't want to load to come to us,but I'd seen him loaded previously with no problem,he just hasn't been out anywhere for nearly 6 months.Hopefully the owner will be able to sort it for you.

Apparently knobberpony was terrible to load in her youth.We were astounded when we found out,because she loads first time every time with us and even my then 6 year old could load her-so they can change.Good Luck,he sounds a sweet pony.:)
 
It took over 8 hours to get my TB in the trailer when I moved yards, however when she went to her new home they came with a different trailer and apparently she went straight in. Point is it could just be your trailer he doesn't like for some reason so a bit of work could sort it out :)
 
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