HollyWoozle
Well-Known Member
HHO, please give me all your loading tips. 
My Mum's retired Appaloosa gelding has to go to the vet clinic on Monday morning to have some dodgy cells layered off a very sensitive part... poor boy. He needs to stay in overnight too. He is 16hh, 20 years old, built like a boat and... hasn't travelled anywhere in 13 years.
It's not impossible to do the procedure at home but they highly recommend having them in the clinic due to blood loss and a preference for a sterile environment. He isn't up to ridden work anymore but is field sound and aside from cataracts (courtesy of uveitis in the past) he is in good health and could live many years yet so we have decided to proceed. The journey is only around 12 miles.
He is a good-natured, docile sort generally and is very food-oriented and not very bright which I think will help us. When he did travel before he loaded fine. We don't have transport of our own and cannot practice ahead of time but have hired a transporter who we know and have used to collect a pony - she's a lovely, kind lady with what I think is an inviting van.
I think by Monday the ground will be dry enough that the van can come into one of our paddocks which Noah is familiar with and I think that would be easier than trying to load him on the drive which he rarely sees. I am, of course, already panicking about how it will go and wondering what I can do to help... he is not a flighty, prancy sort BUT he is not light on his feet and is one of those who doesn't move out your way lightly and I think may try to tow us in the other direction. I can move him backwards, sideways etc and am thinking just to go for it with a bucket full of mega yumminess?
We do have a mini who doesn't give a monkeys about most things and I guess, in an emergency, we could load him first and take him too? But they do squabble sometimes! Both spotty so it's double trouble.
Any help gratefully received.
My Mum's retired Appaloosa gelding has to go to the vet clinic on Monday morning to have some dodgy cells layered off a very sensitive part... poor boy. He needs to stay in overnight too. He is 16hh, 20 years old, built like a boat and... hasn't travelled anywhere in 13 years.
It's not impossible to do the procedure at home but they highly recommend having them in the clinic due to blood loss and a preference for a sterile environment. He isn't up to ridden work anymore but is field sound and aside from cataracts (courtesy of uveitis in the past) he is in good health and could live many years yet so we have decided to proceed. The journey is only around 12 miles.He is a good-natured, docile sort generally and is very food-oriented and not very bright which I think will help us. When he did travel before he loaded fine. We don't have transport of our own and cannot practice ahead of time but have hired a transporter who we know and have used to collect a pony - she's a lovely, kind lady with what I think is an inviting van.
I think by Monday the ground will be dry enough that the van can come into one of our paddocks which Noah is familiar with and I think that would be easier than trying to load him on the drive which he rarely sees. I am, of course, already panicking about how it will go and wondering what I can do to help... he is not a flighty, prancy sort BUT he is not light on his feet and is one of those who doesn't move out your way lightly and I think may try to tow us in the other direction. I can move him backwards, sideways etc and am thinking just to go for it with a bucket full of mega yumminess?
We do have a mini who doesn't give a monkeys about most things and I guess, in an emergency, we could load him first and take him too? But they do squabble sometimes! Both spotty so it's double trouble.
Any help gratefully received.
. He also went on a very long journey on a large lorry with other horses but I was told he went straight on following the other horses.
Soooo relieved to have this sorted and thrilled to have Noah home safe and sound. He travelled really well and procedure went well too. Fingers crossed all heals nicely!