Selling a horse that doesn't load...

[Denbob]

I bought one who doesn't load, very similar to your boy in that he just switches off, doesn't run or rear or bite just goes completely into shutdown - in hindsight that is in line with his stress responses but as a first time owner when his owner said he loaded I took him at her word.

It took 3 hours to get him into a lorry to move him down to Portsmouth. Since then I have used a friend's lorry to try and remove the stress element but simply opening the ramp and allowing him to move up at his own pace with food as a reward, the end goal being that he associates the lorry with food (his favourite thing) and it negates the stress element. The second time he went to travel it took less than 20 minutes with a pro because he had a better positive association with the lorry in general (and also someone with the calmest attitude to life i've ever met!)

If you are looking to loan for what he is happy doing then i'd absolutely second calls to take him back to basic groundwork over the winter/spring with a focus on walking over weird and wonderful objects (boards/tarps) under things as well if you can get jump wings high enough with plenty of transitions to keep him thinking about you rather than a reason to shut down, then hire a lorry and a behaviourist to address the issue when you can. It might be that because you are anticipating a stressful experience you are communicating that to him as well, especially as you have had the horse for such a long time so a behaviourist might help address that as well.

 

[indie1282]

Nothing like a free bit of advertising on HHO!

You would know about that..

 

[indie1282]

Being realistic he is soon to be 14, has no competition or hunting experience and is not great in traffic so in my view the loading is only a minor blip that sounds as if it will either be resolved with regular trips out or be a non issue to a hacking home, he is a smart looking horse that someone will be prepared to work with if your terms are sensible.

If I were you I would get him back onto work as soon as you can in the spring and look for a local loan home, ideally someone who has good off road hacking and give them a view to buy option at a sensible price that reflects how he is when they take him on, not what he may be if they take him competing or hunting, you are more likely to find a home in spring/ summer than waiting until the autumn.

Perfect advice, and what I would like in the long run 😃 Problem is I will probably end up loving riding him again and want to keep him lol.

 

[Mariposa]

One of our ponies was a serious pain to load (to the point where we had to leave her a polo once..) and we invested in sending her to Jason Webb. Well he had her loading in about 2 minutes! It did cost money but it was worth every penny, I then loaned her to a friend and she was then sold on, with her loading issues fixed (with her she really wasn't scared, she was just very stubborn!)

 

[be positive]

Perfect advice, and what I would like in the long run 😃 Problem is I will probably end up loving riding him again and want to keep him lol.

But if you want to sell or even loan he needs to at least be fit enough for someone to try properly, if you are wanting what is best for him it gives him the best chance of you finding the right person as you can see them ride him properly before letting him go, if you decide to keep him because you enjoy riding him that is fine but to not ride just in case you change your mind is not fair on him and will limit your options.
In my experience it is far more important a prospective owner can ride him at viewing so you know they are up to taking him on, the loading can be dealt with once you find him a new home, the right person will be prepared to take a bit of a gamble and may well get a pro to collect him.

 

[indie1282]

But if you want to sell or even loan he needs to at least be fit enough for someone to try properly, if you are wanting what is best for him it gives him the best chance of you finding the right person as you can see them ride him properly before letting him go, if you decide to keep him because you enjoy riding him that is fine but to not ride just in case you change your mind is not fair on him and will limit your options.
In my experience it is far more important a prospective owner can ride him at viewing so you know they are up to taking him on, the loading can be dealt with once you find him a new home, the right person will be prepared to take a bit of a gamble and may well get a pro to collect him.

Well yes, I know that the horse needs to be at an acceptable fitness level and in regular ridden work before I even think about loaning/selling, hence the bringing back in to work in spring and working on him through the summer.

I'm not too sure where you got the ' not riding him in case I change my mind' from? I simply meant that once he was in regular work and settled I may enjoy riding him again.

 

[claret09]

agree grant bazin is amazing