Travelling/loading problem-advice please

[lynspop]

One of my liveries is going to hire a cross country course next weekend to do some schooling. She is going with another of my liveries and they are taking the 2 horses in a trailer. Yesterday they had a practise run of loading the 2 horses as Rosie hasnt been travelled since she came to our yard about 2 years ago (and she was brought by a transport company in a lorry). She loaded fine and was quite happy to stand,until the front bar was put up, then she started to panic and even with another horse standing quietly beside her,it didnt calm her down at all. Has anyone else had this problem and what can we do to sort it? Obviously we'll keep putting her in and hope she gets used to it slowly. There isnt anyway to adjust the space for her and she isnt even a particularly big horse (15.2 ID X type) but she seems to feel claustraphobic when the back and front bars go up.
Help/Advice please?

 

[3Beasties]

I had exactly the same problem with my TB. I had him a few years before I tried to travel him anywhere. I didn't have my own trailer so a friend came to pick him up with their trailer, he would go up the ramp but then shoot out backwards at full speed before we had a chance to put up the back bar or the ramp. We gave up after a while as we weren't getting anywhere with him. I then tried loading him in another friends lorry not long after and that didn't work either. For the next couple of years I had to ride him everywhere, to local meets and to his summer grazing which is 18 miles by road away!

In the last couple of months I managed to buy my first ever Trailer, I got a new Ifor Williams 511 which is really light inside which I think helped.

I spent a couple of weeks leading him through, gradually made him stand for a few seconds, then when he was happy with that I would lead him in with front ramp up and make him back out. I did it all very gradually (but I think It could have been done in a shorter space of time) just doing 5 minutes or so a day. I also gave him treats in there. He seemed to take it all really well.

To get him use to the bars I took the bars out of the trailer and let him have a good sniff then got him used to one being rubbed gently up and down his chest.

I have traveled him in it 3 times now, once to take him to his summer grazing and once to bring him back, both times he loaded and traveled fine for this. The third time was on Sunday to take him to his first fun Ride, he didn't want to load at first so I opened the trailer up at the front and led him through a couple of times. He then loaded fine and stood quietly (I was a nervous wreck though!!). The only thing I didn't use on any of these trips was the back bar as I think it would upset him. Obviously it means you have to be extra careful that they don't shoot backwards when putting the ramp up!

It takes time but I'm sure the mare will get used to it over time. Let me know how it goes and hope they all have fun XC Schooling (That's what I want to do next!)

Sorry this reply is so long, I get a bit carried away sometimes!

Ps. I always put a poll guard on Charlie as he does have a habit of throwing his head around, put my mind at ease a bit!

 

[lynspop]

Will do, thanks! i wasnt actually there at the weekend when they attempted to load her but got a very upset message from her 15 year old owner whos now really upset as she doesnt think shes going to get away XC schooling with her next weekend! But we'll keep going this week with it and see how she goes

 

[rebmw]

my horse didn't travel well and ended up being reluctant to load, so I took the partition out and let him have the whole of the trailer and tied him on cross ties.
He travels a lot better now he has space to find his own balance. Interestingly, he chooses to travel on the left side of the trailer which is technically the wrong side due to camber etc.
Worth a try to solve clostrophobic issues.
Oh, and I now drive painfully slowly to start off with to get him settled.