Really really needs some suggestions on keeping 4 yr old on lorry!

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CleverHorses

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Currently my 4 yr old has some how got into the routine of going up the lorry and as he turns into place comes straight back off again! He is doing this very quickly, so being in some ways dangerous cause you tend to get run over!
I am really stuck on ways to keep him in, is fine once the partioned has closed, stands very still.
Hasn't had any bad trips in lorry as had him since a 3 yr old and had only been on one road trip before I brought him.
Used to go up the lorry and wait, but since learning this new trick it becoming a really big problem.

I'm really strugglying for ideas, and not keen to send him away.

Thanks

Any ideas?
confused.gif
 
im not a fan of treats but for this i would..

be ready with a carrot offer the carrot (or bucket of feed,) before you start to turn him. once his in the postion let him have hes treat or food, few secons stood then take him out.. increasing the time each time you load, what you want him to be doing is standign and waiting for the treat.

by him concentrating on the treat coming hopefully hes need to rush out will stop, but this is why you need to offer the treat on the way in. .. so hes thinking about that rather than the turn and out.
 
We had one doing this and my husband and daughter started tying him up instantly before moving the partition over.
I was not in agreement as I had visions of him pulling back and falling off the ramp etc but it did work and now he loads perfectly.
My suggestion would be to have a lunge line through the ring and an assistant holding the end, as you load him get her to take up the slack so that by the time he is inside it's short, then he will think he is tied. I'd also give him some food in a bucket held by her once he stands still. You then tie him properly once the partition is in place.
It should only take three or four go's and he will realise he can't whizz out again..
 
How about loading in a chiffney? Was the only thing that stopped my grey horse doing the whip round and stopped him pelting back down the ramp. Then if he was good and stayed on the box, he got a treat. Always loaded him with two people though, one to close the partition and one to hold onto him.
 
Not sure if you're doing it already, but I have a leadrope already tied up and ready to clip onto headcollar as soon as they're in (so just swap ropes once safely tied up). Saves those precious seconds faffing about with leadropes.
 
treats is the answer, and keeping him facing forward until he relaxes and starts thinking about his bucketful of food and/or haynet.
i've just been through this with my 4 yr old, who started the same thing (only ran out backwards, or leapt off the ramp forwards) and i found that if i practised loading when she was hungry (for breakfast and tea) she'd be distracted very quickly. once they've stood there eating for a few mins they tend to relax and forget about exiting at speed! hope that helps.
 
I use a slight variation on henryhorn's method as I'm often loading by myself in that I have the lungeline ready to clip on as he gets on to the lorry and I can grab it. Then he gets held in place with the lungeline whilst I have time and space to get the partition across.

FWIW I also remove food for about an hour before loading so that they are greeted by haynet that just has to have at least a mouthful taken from it before turning.


Alternative methods would be to have a friend already loaded or with our really nappy boy when I want him on first I have someone stand with his friend at the bottom of the ramp and that seems to reasssure him that he's not going to be by himself. Doesn't work when there's only one of me loading though.
 
Thank you for the suggestions.
Food is a problem as he's not that interested in it, he would rather come off the lorry then eat!
Have tried him in chiffney and he just got more upset, and crosser making him harder to deal with.
Yesterday I manged to tye him up but he just lept off the back and broke the leadrope.

Kerilli I will deff try loading him when he's hungry/
But I think its all because he isn't that excited by food in a bucket, scoop.
Even had other horse onboard yesterday to tempt him, he didn't want to stay and chat.

I'm so worried he's going to fall over backwards as he has done this once before.
I have had many difficult loaders and so on but I really wonder how i'm going to sort this out.
 
does he do the same in a trailer? i know you dont have the turning aspect, but the stop and stand is the same princible.

or access to a lorry with a side ramp?

id possible also try leading from the offside, i know it makes life difficult, but this way your not by his shoulder when he makes the turn, and as he ducks hes head round your on the other side to be able to pull he head back round.

doing it this way will put the horse in a totally different postion on entering the lorry, but it will give you the advantage to be able to stop him getting hes head around to turn.

oh and food.. if hes not intrested in the bucket.. what about the molasses licks?
 
CleverHorses, i had to spend quite literally hours with my girl to get her over it (no reason for it either, loaded and travelled perfectly before.) tying her up when she was in there was a no-go, i tried once and she snapped the string as she ran back, and frightened herself more.
i used a controller halter and long rope (about 15') so i didn't get pulled around if she did back out, i could just play her out like a fish, and just spent ages coaxing her in in a totally relaxed way. if she backed out, i let her, and then waited and coaxed her in again - not my normal style, but if they're frightened, the only thing that defuses that panic is the handler to stay utterly calm, bored, as if it's no big deal if they're in or out. as long as they're not worrying or rushing, it's all positive. gradually she believed that it wasn't a big deal, and i wasn't going to try to hold her in there... this made her panic even more.
i moved my lorry so that the ramp was much less steep, for a week, and found that really helped.
tons of patience and time till they realise it's really not a big deal. v best of luck.
 
I might try someones trailer.
The leading him off the wrong side makes a lot of sense the only thing I would worry about once in there he could squash me.
 
I think I'm going to continue just taking it slowy like you did with your horse Kerilli.
Will get a control halter.
And fingers crossed with time, he may learn to stand on the lorry quietly.
 
I've had this with my horse.

I tried the leading from the off side but when he turned round to run back off again he trod on my foot, this happened twice and it HURT!

This is going to sound weird but I cracked it by having the living door open and leading him up the ramp with a pressure halter and a long rope and stepping into the living so when he turned round I could just hold him and then he would stand still. Completely sorted it out after a few times and he loads lovely now.

Hope that made sense!
 
If he's already broken the leadrope the tying up is a no go then.
I would still use the lunge line threaded through but loose in your gloved hand, and if necessary a lunge whip to wave gently at his quarters if he attempts to pull back. If you load in a soft area like grass or sand, you can be prepared to insist he stays in.
We have quick release chain ropes in the lorry all the time so we then remove whatever we load them with once tied up.
How about a rope on the partition so you can pull that across whilst still holding on to him inside?
I do understand, many's the time I have had to load difficult horses on my own and it's frightening when they suddenly barge out.
I would also spend some time doing ground work in a pressure halter, teach him to stand and walk on and to reverse when asked, it all helps loading.
Lastly a tip we use to teach them to stay tied up on the yard; we have a thick slightly elasticated rubber leadrope again with a quick release but when they ever pull back when tied up it won't break, just bounces them back again.
You may have to do a search on the net to find one but they are really worth having.
I agree leave him hungry a few hours before practising loading, he'll soon decide to stay where his food is.
 
I was a big sceptic but the one I had (in a trailer, but similar story) was immensley improved in a Monty Roberts headcollar. They're expensive so I borrowed one. They need to be done up tight otherwise the headcollar moves when you put pressure on the rope, but OMG it worked.

I made one out of a normal headcollar and some thin twine and it worked just as well.
 
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