Tips on loading a stubborn idiot!

I could have said the same thing about my 5yo he will just plant at the bottom of the ramp. If you get him in then he just shoots out backwards and will break the string if tied up.
 
If he's a stallion just keep a mare at the back of lorry.. Will load every time ;)


In seriousness I agree with consistency and dually head collar as they are both effective and forgiving :)
 
Forever_broke said:
I could have said the same thing about my 5yo he will just plant at the bottom of the ramp. If you get him in then he just shoots out backwards and will break the string if tied up.
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This is why I love the bum rope as as soon as you are in you wrap it a couple of times around the pole or breast bar - then you can go to the back and put up the breach bar/chain and bad pony trapped!:D

Janet GEorge - I've had that a couple of times and the yard broom usually works - laster I then work them with the bum rope and the lunge whip and they damn well learn to move forwrad when it presses on their butts!
 
If its sheer stubbornness, I winch the ******s in! Lunge line to head collar, round a partition (I have a box, not a trailer) and back down the ramp. Takes me away from their heads, gives them only one option and if they decide to change their minds half way, they sharp find out that it doesn't work that way! In really bad cases, I have two people on the end of the line, or two lines, one to either side. Most of them go on as there is no other option, and if a bit of extra is needed, run te line behind their bum- the more they argue at the front, the tighter the bit on their bum gets. Only takes a couple of times before they accept the inevitable.

Best of luck!
 
the halter will work if the horse understands pressure and release, however we used it on my friends, horse who had no idea and he just reared when he couldn't get away from the pressure!

with my baby, we covered the ramp and floor with straw, to make it look a bit less scary and more inviting!

but tight circles work a treat for lots of naughty pony issues!
 
katastrophykat said:
If its sheer stubbornness, I winch the ******s in! Lunge line to head collar, round a partition gives them only one option and if they decide to change their minds half way, they sharp find out that it doesn't work that way! In really bad cases, I have two people on the end of the line, or two lines, one to either side. Most of them go on as there is no other option, and if a bit of extra is needed, run te line behind their bum- the more they argue at the front, the tighter the bit on their bum gets.
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Blimey, I'd like to know where you get the ultra strong lunge lines from:D my horse would snap them in a breath with a determined pull backwards! He snapped my finger bone once when I tried to stop him bezzing off whilst I was lunging him.
I would say the tip is in the title! If you stop attributing human behaviour to your horse and try to find out why he is behaving like this, you may have more chance of overcoming the problem. Horses do not think like humans, they see situations entirely opposite to humans.
i.e. When we fear anger and punishment, we make sure we do as we are told next time. When a horse anticipates aggro and a stressful situation, (at the bottom of a ramp) it makes them nervous and reluctant to put themselves in a trap (they've forgotten the food and treats, they remember the stress first).
And in one of your previous posts, you ask if a the Dually halters work - they aren't a magic halter, you have to understand why they work from the horses point of view, you need to learn how to use it for it to work. If the pressure halter didn't work then the Dually wont as they work in a similar way.
Th Dually comes with A DVD, you may learn some 'horse sense' from that.
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
also done this haha for over an hour :P
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Nope I meant plant yourself in the centre of his small circle and keep him moving. If he's got a stiffer side now is the time you can make him work and work and work on it.


However, as JanetGeorge says you need a collection of loading ideas to try out depending on the horse.
 
Got to have good clips on lunge lines - I've snapped a few and don't trust them so my bum rope is a soft marine rope withthe ends whipped with cord so they don't fray and don't catch on any thing wither. I too have winched a few in in my time and with a bum rope they get pulled forward too.

Those that are genuinely worried I give time to but the ones I know load well normally get the get on or get into trouble routine.

My Clydesdale will do anything for feed - so I use it to my advantage - however it has to be yummy feed - with molasses and the like on it. But one wiff of the molasses and she's on in a blink of an eye.

If the horse is normally a good traveller and then becomes upset loading I do try to find a reason - I find that mine do prefer to travel with sawdust or straw down on the floor and the blinds shut in the living area - they don't like seeeing the vehicles coming up to the back of the truck. Mine travel facing backwards and have become great travellers since turning them around - don't hear a peep out of them. When they faced forwards I'd hear thunks and scrabbles whenever I braked, accelerated or went around corners.
 
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Muff 747, everything from 14.3 to 16.3 over the years. Including this boy, who had another forum member and I really wound up when I arrived from Durham to collect him in Essex with only a small window to load him and he decided he wasn't playing... After two hours I lost patience and winched him on. It was that or nowt- his stable had to be vacated that day!

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=517015&page=2

He loaded like a dream from then on! :D
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
I am going to have another go this morning. Shall winch if he really plays up! Hopefully he will be better today. Who knows. Ill let you know later
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I've winched as an absolute last resort but believe the round pen is the way to go.

Back trailer up to the round pen and secure the sides of the ramp with gates, whatever. If you haven't got a round pen, it can be done on the lunge as others have suggested but I think I'd go to the trouble of cobbling together a round pen if at all possible with tape/pallets/etc.

The horse is worked in the round pen and only rested when he puts a foot on the ramp. By rested, I mean remove all eye contact, turn your back, and walk away. I'll even sit down with my back towards the horse and trailer for a minute or two.

Count slowly to 30 (at least), then move him gently off the ramp and continue the work.

Continue like this asking a little more each time. You can sometimes very gently guide the horse with the lunge whip and your arms a bit further onto the ramp. BUT if he wants to come off, that's fine -- just give him more work. IT'S HIS CHOICE.

When the penny drops and he finally goes right in and starts to pull at the hay net, sneak off and leave him to it and go and make yourself a cup of tea.

Take it very slowly, never try to prevent him from coming out of the trailer, don't get flustered or try to cut corners, and don't lose your temper. It WILL work but you need to be calmly persistent.

What I like about this system is that there are no negative associations with the trailer. That is a place of safety. The decision is left to the horse. Load up and have feed and peace -- or stay out and work. It can be used on a horse of almost any age and it is loose so no ropes or gadgets to worry about.

Another thing. I'm old and don't like going into trailers with reluctant horses. As they start to go in by themselves, I shout "Load Up!" After a while, that's all you have to do and the horse loads itself and you just go round the front and snap on the lead rope.

As I've said, I've used winching a couple of times, both emergencies. I've also seen livestock hauliers beat a horse onto a lorry. That horse died a few days later. Maybe it really wasn't because of the abuse as the owner claimed but I could not watch and left him to it so I have my doubts.
 
Nothing to add to help but I do feel for you, I have a welsh cob who will load on and off for practice as much as you like, as soon as I need him to travel he stands there like a wally and refuses to move, nine times out of ten I have to resort to hauling him on with lunge line on my own which then poses the problem of getting him secured from behind before he backs off again! I know he associates his travel boots etc with it all so I've started not putting them on until he's on board. I do remember a trailer system that had turning bar system that allowed you to load and then you could quickly rotate this bar from the head end that then came down behind the horse to prevent it backing out and gave you the chance to then secure the back bar safely. I could really use one of those!
 
You really need to look at why he doesn't want to go on. Hjorses don't say 'I just want to be awkward'. There are no quick fixes. You need to be feeding him on the box every day (ideally twice a day), on and off. It will take time-i suspect he doesn't want to go on as the belgium trip was long and he may not have established his loading when he did it. Teach loading in the right way, you will have a horse that you can train to laod. make it stressful by trying to beat him on, you'll have one who always has an increase in stress levels and 'arsing about' when you bring him out to oload.
lunge lines round the bottom, moving their feet are all methods i would be using, are there any other horses on the box/ what type of box is it-lorry or trailer?
 
With regards to coots - put them on at all different times - don't let them be associated with travelling alone. Put them on to feed, or when you're grooming, go for a walk in them too. They should be as familier as the tack they wear for riding

ASk soemone to do a practise run with you in the back - discover exactly how you truck/trailer feels and sounds to the horse. What visual things does the horse see.

My Clydesdale went from being great to travel to unhappy - they travel facing backwards and looking in to the accomodation area which has a couple of large windows. She doesn't like the curtains being open. I now have the blinds down and secured so she can no longer see things like lorries moving up behind us in traffic.

Also check the flooring - some horses do not like rubber floors - I don't either they are not very good once someone has done a dung on them and most do become slippery. Try straw on the floor - nice and deep and thick. Makes it easy to clean out the trailer too as you throw the clean up the front and shovel the dirty out. Horses feet arrive clean to shows too.
 
Quick reply, sorry haven't read whole thread.

My youngster was a nightmare on the return leg of our first outing, taking over two hours to load and being down right dangerous in the process.

I watched a video of Richard Maxwell on Horsehero loading a naughty horse, I purchased a pressure halter, practised and practised, and now *touches wood* have a horse I can load and travel on my own. I promise you, if you are patient, it really works.
 
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I did some practicing with my scaredy cat (seen prev posts) & am SO pleased. I went in really relaxed as we werent going out other than for a ride after. He loaded twice immediately following a feed bucket but the 2nd time he rushed thru so I thought we should repeat but damn it he swung out and ran off with me like a bloody swingball....couldnt finish on a bad note so 4th time was slower and needed a bit of cajoling and hey presto finished with lots of praise and treats. Good luck keep going. I will do more this weekend as I am at work thru til saturday.
 
Nightmare before Christmas said:
The only issue with the round pen is that unless i can build one 5ft+ he will jump out! Ill try all suggestions if he refuses and see how it goes
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What does it take to rig up some light posts at 5' and run some white tape between them?

We've had a round pen here for about three years now and never had even a foal attempt to jump out. Horses generally seem to think in straight lines and will run AROUND looking for the gate which they seem to think must be there if they only run long enough! If you can't build a round pen, then a lunge line can work. I just have a hatred of string and rope as I always seem to get tangled up!:(
 
my 3 yr old was like this (she is now 5) when i got my lorry. she had come over from stud not a problem. would walk on calm as anything when she was ready. would rear, go backwards, all until she was ready. We put a bum rope round her bum and up into lorry round something really strong like you are almost pulling her on but she cant go out sideways anywhere then we used a lunge whip or a schooling whip and she went off and on when we wanted her to. She would follow a trail of food up the ramp to to top and walk backwards off it was not ever worried just trying it on. being 16.2 she was too big a 3 yr old to be pratting about and a dually halter didnt work. she now loads and stands there fine. I used a lunge whip behind her and i walk her on and dont look back at her, just walk forward into lorry or trailer if she stops she gets a tap or smack with whip end of story.
 
Heres the ****** on the lorry!

pohone010_zps039a62a9.jpg


Thats my ramp to who asked

yard015_zps46f9b5e7.jpg
 
coudl you try some shavings/straw on the ramp? It looks a bit slippy. How well does he fit under that back shelf? As he's only 4 he should come-feed him every day on the lorry.
 
Dry Rot said:
What does it take to rig up some light posts at 5' and run some white tape between them?

We've had a round pen here for about three years now and never had even a foal attempt to jump out. Horses generally seem to think in straight lines and will run AROUND looking for the gate which they seem to think must be there if they only run long enough! If you can't build a round pen, then a lunge line can work. I just have a hatred of string and rope as I always seem to get tangled up!:(
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For your first question - quite a lot of money! The posts need to be strong enough to deal with a grumpy horse and TBH tape does not keep any animal in that wants to get out - I tried that and horse vanished garnished with several lines of tape.

Horses do jump out of round pens - my friend has a proper metal one which now has a dented top rail where her daughters new horse nearly made it over. This was a 6' rail.

This is also why the bum rope is great as it is attached to the horse, securly enough that if they do get away the rope stays snug around the bum and the rope is thick and soft enough not to do damage
 
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