Suddenly not loading?

[SR3101]

Hi, my horse has recently refused to load into our trailer. We've taken him out a good 7 or so times for lessons and shows, and he's always walked on like a dream. However, last time we tried to load him, he refused to move. He started backing up and threatening to rear. We tried comforting him, using food (which he didn't even look at-very strange for him), taking off his travel boots, using lunge lines and we use a monty Roberts head collar with him anyway. I can't understand why he's suddenly started to do this, he's not fallen or had a bad journey so is he just being stubborn or is there something wrong?
We're planning to have a day of walking him on and off of the trailer like we did when we first bought him but any advice would be welcomed!
I should also note that he's an exracehorse
Thank you!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Have you thoroughly checked the trailer? Flooring, tyres and their pressures, axles, brakes?
Some horses will react like this if things change, also did you have any incident the last time out? Even bumping a kerb can set quite a few back or make them unwilling to go back on

 

[Sukistokes2]

As above ^^^

 

[SR3101]

Unfortunately I wasn't there the last time he was travelling (as I share him) but I've been told nothing happened. The trailer's been thoroughly checked- it had a full service where we were told it was as good as new! The last few times he's been out it's been for a lesson where he's really had to work, would it be possible that he associates the trailer with having to work hard? Sounds strange I know!

 

[phizz4]

In my experience the way in which people drive when towing a trailer is a significant factor in causing a horse to refuse to load. You say that you were not there the last time he travelled. Who told you 'nothing happened'? I find it unbelievable the speed and jerkiness of some people's driving style, as if there are no horses on board.

 

[fredflop]

Somethinh wrong with horse, something wrong with trailer or bad driving.

When was the trailer last serviced? Trailers are like cars, bits on them can randomly go wrong.

 

[SR3101]

The trailer was last serviced last week, a day before this happened. I'm more interested to see if anyone has any ideas on how to help him overcome his 'fear' - treats etc don't seem to be working

 

[MissTyc]

Is he a clever horse?

I've known a few who need a balance of hard work and fun outings to maintain reliable loading abilities ...

 

[phizz4]

My advice would be this. You need to make the trailer a welcoming, comfortable place for your horse. Open the front jockey door so there is plenty of light. Make sure that the trailer, connected to the towing vehicle, doesn't rock as the horse moves up the ramp. If you can, load another horse, ideally a companion first. If this doesn't work you could try this. Attach two lunge lines, one to either side of the trailer. When the horse is standing at the foot of the ramp cross the lines behind the horse. Don't try and pull the horse into the trailer, the aim is to show the horse that the only way of releasing the pressure from the rear is for him to move forwards. Don't rush things. If the horse loads reward it. Then go for a VERY gentle drive. You might have to do this several times to restore the horses confidence in travelling.

 

[windand rain]

See Richard Maxwell article on loading difficulties going home cant quite quote exactly but some get tense and hurt muscles in the head neck and poll it was an interesting article on Facebook so should be on there in the arcchives somewhere

 

[Pedantic]

Had a problem with mine years ago, sometimes took a few minutes, but normally load, then started to not load, spent 2.5 hours one day, pulled a shoe off fell over etc, tried everything, food treats walking through blah blah blah, in the end had to resort to a chifney, penny dropped a year or two later, after being in a same sex field of geldings at two previous yards, he was in a field with two mares, one of which he was mounting, I put the loading issue down to him not wanting to leave his girls, bloody pain at 5.30am on a Saturday morning on your own except for your Collie trying to load for a 3 hour drive to Yorkshire for a weeks holiday, hence reluctantly the chifney, even then difficult.

 

[SR3101]

He is very clever, the last few times he's been out has been for lessons where he's had to work really hard. I didn't know if it sounded strange to say that he associates the box with hard work?

We will try the lunge lines as well as removing the partition. Thank you for everyone's response!

 

[Bav]

I had this with my mare, but was due to the last few outings being for surgery at Rossdales she's clever and I think started to accosiate traveling with being stuck with needles. Every horse is different and I've found different methods work for each individual. For me, I use a dually or a halter or more recently an attachment that goes straight onto your normal head collar that will apply a pressure. If she walks forwards the lead rope is relaxed and the minute she stops I apply pressure and reward even the smallest of steps forward by immediately letting the lead rope relax. Before I even get to the trailer I spend five minutes first asking her to back up and walk on and get her listening to my aids on the ground.

It's also beneficial, if you can, to teach them to load themselves, on a good day I can unclip the head collar and Fizz will take herself on. I spent an entire month making her have her dinner on the trailer each night though, so it's not I don't think, going to be cured with a one off. I know a horse that went to monty Roberts for a display. He had it loading in the demonstration perfectly! Could they get it to load to go home later that day? Could they heck.

 

[Cowpony]

If you weren't there the last time he was travelled could it be that the people who took him out forgot to move the lead rope from the moving ring onto the fixed ring on the Dually headcollar? If he spent the journey tied to the moving ring that would have been very uncomfortable for him.

 

[SR3101]

Update- spent a day recently trying to load him, two hours later we had to surrender . We tried everything I could think of, he has a Monty Roberts headcollar, had a chiffney in, tried food, didn't feed him before or let him have any hay so he would be mildly hungry, lunge lines, other people tried a broom, whips etc to which he bucked and kicked- which I can't blame him for! We moved the trailer into different spaces and removed the partition. We finally managed to get all four feet on the ramp, whereas at the start he would plant a mile from the trailer. He rears and plants as part of his evasion. Just can't understand why he's suddenly like this?
So, the new plan is to train more with the dually headcollar and feed him nearer to the trailer everyday (unfortunately, we can't always get it out as he's kept on a busy yard, and there is only a family member whose car can tow the trailer)
Any more advice out there?

 

[Spottyappy]

Put the trailer in a corner, and block off the one side that is open, use hay bales or anything really( we used to use wind breaks). You need to make the only way to move is forward into the trailer.
Do not feed him outside of it, no treats or anything until he is in it.
A blind fold is another option.
I have been there, and in the end resorted to an IH weekend where the pony was used for the students to learn how to handle difficult loaders.
Hence we had to block her in in the manner described above. Took windbreaks everywhere with Us!
A blind fold now works with her, and the people who have her on loan.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Get someone in to help you, get in a RA and just get it done. its not even usually that expensive. You say we spent a day trying to load him and then two hours later gave up. ? The time my horse refused to load it took five hours to get him on board. I would have happily paid a fee at that point. Why muck about when someone can do it in a short space of two me, show you how to do it and then you can go from there.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

As above, get some help.
I took over 2 and a half hours to load NF last autumn, I still work on training every week even now, but over the last few months she's been loading well.

To reiterate, get help, remove enthusiastic assistance with brooms, water, lines, blindfolds, whips and the like.
Time alone works far better once you have got the right tools to help you (tools as in training for yourself, once a specialist has sorted this mess out for you)

 

[lucky7]

The trailer was last serviced last week, a day before this happened. I'm more interested to see if anyone has any ideas on how to help him overcome his 'fear' - treats etc don't seem to be working

Well, my cob has always been OK at loading - not perfect, sometimes she will need a tug on her pressre halter but nothing major - normally on within 5 mins. Anyway the last time i took her out after a fun ride she refused to get on the trailer, the usual backing up, going to the side and pulling back etc and it was a really warm day! it took 5 people over an hour to get her on .
I have a show coming up next week and i wanted to practice loading so i went on Thursday (on my own!) armed with a full afternoon and a load of treats (shes really food motivated!!) opened the trailer right up inc the ramp at the front down and no breast bar. She did her usual trick so i did a good 20 mins of groundwork with her rope halter, backing up, moving away etc bit of lunging (20ft line) and she was a real bag and tried to bite me at one point!! i think she thought she had one over on me, so i didn't react i just really worked her with the rope and rewarded her with pats and praise when she did what was asked. By the end of the session she was following me around by my side, licking and chewing and lots of positive cues. Took her straight to the trailer and she walked on right away with no hesitations!! gave her a treat, loads of fuss and kept walking her around off and on the trailer through the back out the front both directions!! after a few mins she was following me on the trailer without me leading her or anything!! it was such a revolution!!! Next i shut the front ramp up and loaded her properly as if i was taking her somewhere, did the ramp up at the back then after a min took her off the front and did it again. Now i havent tried her again yet but will try her again on Tuesday! fingers crossed she has remembered that being on the trailer she gets praise and treats!!
Try it, it may work for you!