What do I do???? Trailers again .... sorry long.

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Louby

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Sorry Im at it again!!!!!
I have a horse that has only really travelled in a wagon and he WAS fantastic until Ive ruinned his confidence trying to get him to travel in a trailer
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I cant really afford to buy or run a wagon so I bought a trailer and he went in it first time and travelled great (no partiton), was a little warm and apprehensive after his first very short journey but fine really. We didnt hear a peep out of him and he had a really good smooth ride. Tried him the week after and he would load but wouldnt stay in it, kept shooting out backwards. We spent about a month feeding him in it with the rear ramp down and he was fine but kept looking behind him. We progressed to putting the ramp up and he freaked, bruising my ribs as I hadnt time to get out of the way and stood all aver my feet. We got the ramp down as Im sure he would have hurt himself and he shot out backwards but loaded straight away afterwards. We just cant shut him in.
A friend brought her Equitrek over as I thought maybe he would be better in that as it has a wagon like appearance and he went up the ramp first time but shot out again wallopping his head on the lip of the trailer near where the ramp meets. He did this twice and my friend decided to call it a day. Dont blame her really as her trailer is new. Tried him a few weeks later back in a wagon and he came out backwards again. We did get him to stand in it on the third attempt but my usually great traveller was very worried. He loaded again but was still worried. I do think with patience I could get him in the Equitrek but hubby is worried we will spend more money only to find he wont stay in it and this wacking his head on the way out is a worry.
He is not refusing to load, just wont stay in. Do you think hes claustophobic. I'd agree he was naughty if he refused to go in but he walks straight up the ramp but panics once in or in the Equitrek or wagon, gets to the top of the ramp and shoots back out.
Im now stuck with a lovely trailer I cant use and dont want to try again and feel like Ive wrecked his confidence. Hubby has said if I sell the trailer I can buy a wagon next year but on my budget I wont be able to buy much. The answer really is another trailer, either Herringbone or the Equitrek. Any ideas.
 
Thanks for that, I have looked at poll guards and have seen a bumper type one that seems substancial but wouldnt cover the area that the one the link you have sent me does.
 
I would find someone who is Monty Roberts trained and pay them to help you.
It's fear that's causing this and I can only tell you what happened to us.
Some years back he was doing a demo and asked for some pretty unhandled types to start in his demo.
We had a very wild chesnut four year old mare who through no fault of her own was only halter broken and never off the farm.
Well on the day it took us three and a half hours to load her, she jumped off the ramp, in the air, you name it, she did it!
At the demo we were too late and he said she was too wound up to do in his 28 min time slot, so we stayed to watch free.
As it ended we were left with a wild mare on an unlit carpark right next to a busy motorway (M5) and she again refused to load.
I asked them to help and within literally five mins she loaded, stood minus headcollar (he removed his dually one inside the box, ramp open to my utter horror and replaced ours, she didn't move a muscle) and from that day on loaded effortlessly into trailer or box.
He has no confidence in you after his frights so this is the time to get help.
You need a controller halter for a start and experienced help. Don't talk to the horse either, we got told off for doing that.
If you can't find help this other method may help you. Use a front unload trailer, and a schooling whip against his chest to lead him in and straight out without rushing. keep doing this over and over again, then stop and offer some feed inside the box, then walk out again.
next step is as he eats put the rear bar up. (remove everything from your trailer including the partition and you need a single bar behind which you can drop into place without the partition)
Have you seen the latest loading helper? It's a gadget the handler turns when in front of the horse and it brings a barrier behind the horse. Once your horse understands he can't go out backwards the problem should stop.
I would not put the rear ramp up for some time, let him see there is an exit even if he can't use it!
If you have a rear unload then I doubt anything will work effectively without a huge effort, but try the straight bar/no partition route, my Dad just screwed two pieces of hardwood with a U shape cut out to drop the home made wooden bar into, cheap but very effective.
I would also perhaps try some sedalin, (ask your vet) not a lot just enough to take the panic out of him.
It is solvable but it would be better if you could get a MR expert, I know...ps we rarely have problems loading nowadays, even babies, we use the technique they taught us that night..
 
You may have all these problems with a lorry - so I wouldn't rush off to buy one just yet.

I agree with posts above, as MR technique definitely helps get them into the trailer with the minimum flap and fuss.

I also have a tui bar as I am on my own most of the time. This means you load them up, lock them in and then worry about the ramps. This also prevents them running backwards (mine never go backwards, as I have front unload)

You probably haven't ruined his confidence, but I will bet anything that you now get apprehensive when loading, he will notice that and decide there is something very wrong!!
 
Thanks everyone. I agree I need help. Daisy had suggested this a while back when I first posted about our problems but I have a slight problem getting help that I cant post on here and really it shouldnt bother me. Just trying to keep the peace really
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My trailer is front unload but he was flying off at such speed I thought I'd try rear unloading him, more fool me!! It was great at first as he was so aprehensive and ready for off the moment I went to undo the front bar that it stopped that problem but he now thinks go backwards and Im out! We did then start walking through the trailer again to try and break the habit. He is an irrational horse and I just know that if I 'locked' him in he would freak out and more than likely injure himself as he doesnt seem to have any self preservation at all. He has always travelled brilliantly in a wagon. I wonder if after that first trip in the trailer he just decided this isnt for me, maybe didnt like forward travelling, who knows. Whats sad is although it must distress him, he's good enough to always go in first time, just wont stay in there.
I have let someone else try him incase it was me causing the problems but he took the mickey and refused to go in.
 
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Daisy had suggested this a while back when I first posted about our problems but I have a slight problem getting help that I cant post on here and really it shouldnt bother me. Just trying to keep the peace really

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SS - I think Louby would love to get some to help but as quoted above she has a slight problem with doing that.
 
That's a bummer if you cannot bring help in

Its not being a bunny hugger (heavens knows I'm not!), however the Monty Roberts DVD's are good at picking up tips. None of our horses would now dare run over me, which makes life so much easier.

To be fair had I not have got them on hand, I would have been too mean to buy them.

Strikes me that if you could stop him going super fast and trampling you, it would be a good improvement!!

Btw I also use cheap acrylic mirrors in my ifor, I do think it makes them resent being shut in a bit less.
 
I got the Parelli one off Ebay cheap about trailer loading just thinking it may give me some tips and bought a pressure halter. Please dont blast me for saying this as Im sure it works for hundreds of people but both me and hubby fell asleep watching it. Im sure we slept for 50 mins and the first part was still going on. It was actually funny in parts
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, shouldnt laugh I know but Pat nearly got run over a few times. It was just the way he carried on chatting that amused me.
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Sorry if that offended anyone, I cant talk as Im the one with the problem loader
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I will look at others vids out there though
 
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