Trouble loading into a trailer

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Wendy9464

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Hi

Does anybody know of anyone running a course where I can send my 4 year old 16.2 hh gelding to where they can work on him for a week to help me load him.

I can load him from home, by putting him in a big shed, then backing the trailer up to it, but when we go to a show, when it comes time to going back into the trailer he refuses to go.

Any suggestions - all most welcome.
 
sorry don't know of any courses, but i had my mare 2 years and she would not load at all, she would rear and buck and drag me across the field for up to an hour (she's done it longer im sure!) until she would eventually go in, in the end i stood her on the trailer for ages and just stood there with the rope tight (but not tight enough for her to back away) until she decided to walk in, then i took her straight back round again (after a good apple) and she just walked in, and that cracked it! she still has the odd tantrum but it never takes more than 5 minutes to get her in! and we'd tried lunge lines, treats, tapping the heels with a crop, blindfold, another horse first, pressure headcoller, and goodness knows what else. in the end it was just changing her mind.

don't worry he's still young, im sure it will come with time
 
i went to a monty roberts demo and he sorted a problem loader,
he just walked the horse to the ramp and then everytime he stoped he would push him back a few steps and then ask him to walk on and then carrying on repeating this until he walks on, it will work cos he will get bored it might take along time to start with but its a long term solution
 
Reinforcement (or clicker) training. I have taught numerous problem loaders in this way, it takes a little while but now I rename it "Learning to love the trailer!"
Reward each step to begin with (ideally small food reward, small handful of cubes or a polo/treat etc), then each bigger step towards the ramp, then foot on ramp, then two front and a hind on the ramp, then all four etc etc etc. When they do make the decision to go in, give them a feed in a bucket, and take them out, then do it all over again. My horse was a real problem, it had become an issue and I really needed him to go in and wait while I nipped round and put up the ramp. He does all of that, loads himself sometimes, waits on the command "Wait" and only backs out when asked. Easy peasy and if they love the trailer enough you will be able to load anywhere, but you do have to spend the time to begin with.
And it's fun and they enjoy it too.
 
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