Tips on loading a stubborn idiot!

Nightmare before Christmas

Nightmare before Christmas

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 June 2009
Messages
3,348
Location
Staffordshire
Visit site
My 4 year old is very well behaved in all ways, bar loading!

He isnt scared, he will walk on when it suits and stand there chilled eating hay!
When he doesnt want to go, he wont!

Tried lunge ropes, food, lunge whips, pressure head collars, chiffney, bridle, chasing, letting him look, ect ect

He just faffs round at the bottom of the ramp! Rears if you use any force and just plain strops!

Had a go yesterday and got him on 3 times in 2 hours! Awful

He starts his BSJA careerer on sunday so needs to get going. When hes on he gets treats (doesnt get treats ever normally) and has his feed on there plus hay!

How can I get him over the stroppyness! I can have a go everyday but hes worse the more we do it. I have to leave early enough to get to shows and bad loaders do my head in!


Any tips welcomed :) I dont think even stuffing a brush up his a** would get him going!
 
Hi, I've got bad loaders on with dually head collars if used correctly with pressure - and immediate release and taking time and moving their feet so you're asking them to go left then right as well as forward. In time they come on. I think for consistency it needs to be practised every couple of days on and off with a treat in the box, no traveling. They have always worked for me, can u borrow one? X
 
Fab post as mine isnt loading anymore since an incident a few weeks ago so his is definitely scared of the ramp. Plants himself and poos himself before ramp then when on board.

A tip for u tho that did work yesterday and we loaded in less than 10 mins, tap his front leg?
 
I dont know anyone who has one, I dont mind buying one if they work as its useful in the tack room/lorry. I will load him again in the morning and he can have his feed there again. I imagine hes a devil as he came over from Belgium at easter but he travels well and never stressed/sweaty. Some days hes better than others to load it depends if someone gets behind him as that makes him worse 90% of the time though a well placed flick with the whip often gets him on. Its a fine art. Very very annoying for me and I will be going to shows alone and cant afford a bad loader!
 
Put him to work!

If he won't go up the ramp, back him up/do circles for a short while, then ask him to go on again. If he says no, then back up/circles again. Most of them figure it out pretty quickly. ;)
 
TChamp said:
Fab post as mine isnt loading anymore since an incident a few weeks ago so his is definitely scared of the ramp. Plants himself and poos himself before ramp then when on board.

A tip for u tho that did work yesterday and we loaded in less than 10 mins, tap his front leg?
Click to expand...

Have tried tapping and moving. Moving results in him just moving backwards after moved and tapping means rearing and prancing around. He will just walk on by himself when it suits him though!
 
meandmyself said:
Put him to work!

If he won't go up the ramp, back him up/do circles for a short while, then ask him to go on again. If he says no, then back up/circles again. Most of them figure it out pretty quickly. ;)
Click to expand...

Did that yesterday! He will always put front legs on then plant! Everytime lunging and back to the ramp. He still says no, till it suits and he walks up and eats hay! Hes smart for a thick horse!
 
Yeah mine seems to be worse with force! Its like he just wants to be awkward! Shall try again tomorrow with stallion chain and get my dad to stand with a lunge whip to 'encourage' him.

Hes very very annoying. I wouldnt mind so much if he was scared and improved with time!
 
A pain in the butt but have used this with success. Sheep hurdles along each side of the ramp so that he can't step off the side of the ramp.

Placing the float so that all exits are blocked, park tight along side a wall or fence and backing up so that there is not much space behind the ramp either- horse then can't run backwards. Final side is enclosed by sheep hurdles.

My trusted piece of equipment is the 'Bum rope' rarely fails. See pic below for fitting - the knot at the wither is a bowline knot. The long end is threaded through the throat and the centre ring of the head collar. If the rope is long enough you can also help yourself by passing it around the breast bar twice and can then haul him in!

My rope goes everywhere with me to any horse function and has been used countless times.

MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
 
Tnavas said:
A pain in the butt but have used this with success. Sheep hurdles along each side of the ramp so that he can't step off the side of the ramp.

Placing the float so that all exits are blocked, park tight along side a wall or fence and backing up so that there is not much space behind the ramp either- horse then can't run backwards. Final side is enclosed by sheep hurdles.

My trusted piece of equipment is the 'Bum rope' rarely fails. See pic below for fitting - the knot at the wither is a bowline knot. The long end is threaded through the throat and the centre ring of the head collar. If the rope is long enough you can also help yourself by passing it around the breast bar twice and can then haul him in!

My rope goes everywhere with me to any horse function and has been used countless times.

MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks interesting! Yes going to park the lorry different tomorrow to block him in a bit! Does that work similar to lunge ropes round his bum?
 
I really like my dually headcollar - You do have to use the pressure and release quickly in that as soon as he steps forward release the pressure on the rope and the design of the headcollar means the pressure on his nose is immediately released. The dually comes with a DVD with a guide to using it including showing how it's used in several situations such as leading and loading (I can't remember exactly whats on it as it's ages since I got mine)

One point is once loaded and the ramps are up so the horse is secure switch into a normal (preferably leather) head collar as there is a risk of the rings catching which wouldn't release so don't ever turn out or leave a horse in a dually unattended.
I also find that when my mare is being stroppy and I'm struggling to hold her as she can be very strong it makes a huge difference.
 
mynutmeg said:
I really like my dually headcollar - You do have to use the pressure and release quickly in that as soon as he steps forward release the pressure on the rope and the design of the headcollar means the pressure on his nose is immediately released. The dually comes with a DVD with a guide to using it including showing how it's used in several situations such as leading and loading (I can't remember exactly whats on it as it's ages since I got mine)

One point is once loaded and the ramps are up so the horse is secure switch into a normal (preferably leather) head collar as there is a risk of the rings catching which wouldn't release so don't ever turn out or leave a horse in a dually unattended.
I also find that when my mare is being stroppy and I'm struggling to hold her as she can be very strong it makes a huge difference.
Click to expand...

Thank you :) Glad its worked for you it seems my only option bar loading him the night before ;) Im not into NH but have seen Monty use it with good results (I guess it is his product though!). Hes golden to do everything else with really. (bar hacking but we wont go there)
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
That looks interesting! Yes going to park the lorry different tomorrow to block him in a bit! Does that work similar to lunge ropes round his bum?
Click to expand...

Yes similar to lunge line but far better as the directional action is consistant wherever he places huimself - whereas with the lunge line you have to rely on both people being quick to pull or release to keep him straight.

Also more controlled as it doesn't drop down below the hocks and can all be done by one person rather than an army.

Yoou also don't get rope burns!
 
I'm not massively NH myself but like taking what works from anywhere I can. I resisted buying a dually as they're not cheap but gave in when I was struggling to hold my mare even in a rope halter (I have bad ankles so can't resist back very much and as said before she's very, very strong) and found it brilliant.
 
Work him in circles the length of his leadrope at the bottom of the ramp, don't get cross, don't get aggressive, don't even make eye contac,t just keep him walking and trotting in small circles until he is looking into the lorry and asking to go in. Don't you suggest it to him, wait until he is asking you! First time with my big lad being a git took an hour and twenty minutes. Now the max we ever do is three circles, mostly he just walks straight in.
 
*hic* said:
Work him in circles the length of his leadrope at the bottom of the ramp, don't get cross, don't get aggressive, don't even make eye contac,t just keep him walking and trotting in small circles until he is looking into the lorry and asking to go in. Don't you suggest it to him, wait until he is asking you! First time with my big lad being a git took an hour and twenty minutes. Now the max we ever do is three circles, mostly he just walks straight in.
Click to expand...

I tried this and he just messes around! Will have another go tomorrow :D I will win ;)
 
Bad loaders r a nightmare so u have my sympathy! I have one! It's v frustrating, luckily *touch wood* he hasn't been too bad lately but I'm just waiting for his stubborn streak to kick in!! If I was at a loss and had tried everything I'd probably look at the dually as much as I dislike monty Roberts in his programmes on H&C! My horse is quite anxious but part of his bad loading is naughtiness! Lucky for him he more than makes up for it!
 
Tnavas said:
My trusted piece of equipment is the 'Bum rope' rarely fails. See pic below for fitting - the knot at the wither is a bowline knot. The long end is threaded through the throat and the centre ring of the head collar. If the rope is long enough you can also help yourself by passing it around the breast bar twice and can then haul him in!
Click to expand...

I used exactly that technique with a bolshy TB some 45 years ago when everything else, including sedation, had failed. After it worked, he got better and better - I always put the bum rope on him, walked into the trailer and took a turn around the centre upright and walked out as he walked in. So I could easily do up the back bar and ramp without needing help.

I really thought this was the 'miracle' loading aid - until I tried it on a TBxpony - 3 year old filly with attitude. She fought it and fought it and I gave up and whacked the bristle end of a stable broom on her a*se - THAT worked!:D

I now have a selection of approaches and decide which one to use first depending on what I know of the horse's personality. If I guess wrong, I move onto the next! But the ESSENTIAL parts of ALL methods are - IMHO - 1) NOT pulling on the head and 2) keeping the horse facing the ramp at all times - never turn it around and re-present!
 
Dually halters do work....best £40 I ever spent. Stopped my stubborn mare from planting and bouncing up and down on the ramp. She goes straight in now and no sore hands for me.
 
Even with 2 lunge lines crossed behind his bum he won't go in? No help if you are on your own but I have never had that fail with 2 people hauling away.
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
also done this haha for over an hour :P
Click to expand...



I did this. Then feed when in. Was similar type - no stress, no issues when in, she just planted on the ramp.

I loaded every day for weeks and weeks no matter how long it took - then when she was loading straight on I changed to a few times a week, then once a week.

Now I do it once a month or so and the issue is solved :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top