galaxy
Well-Known Member
Just wondering if anyone has some really good tips....
Background....
Bought new horse (16.1 tbxhann) in October. He had never been in a trailer before, but his owner assured us that he has a lovely attitude about stuff and it wouldn't be a problem. Went to collect him with the trailer. He walked up to it, had a look for a few seconds and walked straight on. Fantastic I thought. I drove REALLY slowly all the way home. Didn't hear a peep out of him.
Entered a dressage competition in February. A couple of weeks before I thought we'd better practise loading. First time, he walked straight in. Fantastic, but I thought I'd better do it again anyway. Second time he starts swinging his bum around and backing up. Coudln't get him in, so we put a lunge line up to keep him staright and he wlked in. However, I'm used to horses loading themselves, so I wasn't 100% happy. When we went to dressage he was the same, but we got him in, he travelled really well. But I decided I was gonna do something. You can't always guarantee you're gonna have someone there with a lunge line.
I had a hand op in March, so there has been a bit of a break. But last week I took the partition out of the trailer and open it all up and decided I was gonna put him in ever day. Feeding him his tea inside the trailer is not an option. He is very stressy and posessive over his food.
Day one. Very calm. I take him out onto the yard and just start pushing him, forwards and back forwards and back. He was perfectly behaved. I do it in front of the trailer and he walks straight in!!! Totally calm! A*
He did it all week. Even loaded himself with me already in the trailer. Stood quietly in the trailer and I gave him a treat and then he quietly walked off.
This morning I decide to put the partition back in. Walks straight in first time. Stands lovely while I put do the partition up, although shoving the person who was holding onto him for me
. We were being very calm and quiet. He then walked off beautifully.
Go to put him in a 2nd time. He walks straight on.
Stands while putting partition up, but I can tell he's not 100% relaxed as he's being ruder with the person holding him. We tried to ignore it and stay calm. He would stop, so we tied him up and walked off just to see if he would chill out. It really didn't and he started tap dancing. After 30 secs or so he stood fine and we left him for another minute. As soon as we went back in he was rude again and tap danced as I undid the partition. He didn't barge out but stood on the spot tap dancing.... As soon as we told him to walk on he exploded out of the trailer.
We did it a 3rd time. It was a bit better. He walked out of the trailer, but a lot of tap dancing was going on...
Afterwards when we did his rugs before putting him out he continued to be rude, pushy and stressy. It's not like him. He really wound himself up.
So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what to do now. We're gonna do it again tomorrow. I've got some ideas of my own, but would like to hear if other peoples suggestions. The tap dancing thing is new, he hasn't done it before. I am so thrilled he is walking straight in without batting an eyelid, I just want everything to be calm and happy! He's never normally rude. I will listen to any suggestions, but I'm afaid travelling him permenently without a partition is not an option as I need to take 2. The fact that I have travelled him already and he hasn't done this before makes me think this is not unreasonable. Thanks very much in advance!
Background....
Bought new horse (16.1 tbxhann) in October. He had never been in a trailer before, but his owner assured us that he has a lovely attitude about stuff and it wouldn't be a problem. Went to collect him with the trailer. He walked up to it, had a look for a few seconds and walked straight on. Fantastic I thought. I drove REALLY slowly all the way home. Didn't hear a peep out of him.
Entered a dressage competition in February. A couple of weeks before I thought we'd better practise loading. First time, he walked straight in. Fantastic, but I thought I'd better do it again anyway. Second time he starts swinging his bum around and backing up. Coudln't get him in, so we put a lunge line up to keep him staright and he wlked in. However, I'm used to horses loading themselves, so I wasn't 100% happy. When we went to dressage he was the same, but we got him in, he travelled really well. But I decided I was gonna do something. You can't always guarantee you're gonna have someone there with a lunge line.
I had a hand op in March, so there has been a bit of a break. But last week I took the partition out of the trailer and open it all up and decided I was gonna put him in ever day. Feeding him his tea inside the trailer is not an option. He is very stressy and posessive over his food.
Day one. Very calm. I take him out onto the yard and just start pushing him, forwards and back forwards and back. He was perfectly behaved. I do it in front of the trailer and he walks straight in!!! Totally calm! A*
He did it all week. Even loaded himself with me already in the trailer. Stood quietly in the trailer and I gave him a treat and then he quietly walked off.
This morning I decide to put the partition back in. Walks straight in first time. Stands lovely while I put do the partition up, although shoving the person who was holding onto him for me
Go to put him in a 2nd time. He walks straight on.
We did it a 3rd time. It was a bit better. He walked out of the trailer, but a lot of tap dancing was going on...
Afterwards when we did his rugs before putting him out he continued to be rude, pushy and stressy. It's not like him. He really wound himself up.
So I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what to do now. We're gonna do it again tomorrow. I've got some ideas of my own, but would like to hear if other peoples suggestions. The tap dancing thing is new, he hasn't done it before. I am so thrilled he is walking straight in without batting an eyelid, I just want everything to be calm and happy! He's never normally rude. I will listen to any suggestions, but I'm afaid travelling him permenently without a partition is not an option as I need to take 2. The fact that I have travelled him already and he hasn't done this before makes me think this is not unreasonable. Thanks very much in advance!
