Who here has a problem loader?

lottiepony

lottiepony

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Just wondering really to see if how many there are out there.

My mare is one. Always has been. Completely unpredictable as to whether she'll go straight on or be a pain in the bum. The more she goes out the better she gets to be fair however she never has not gone on! At the moment lunge lines behind seem to be the thing to get her on when she doesn't fancy it. Although in the past have failed. People on the yard laugh having seen her at her worst and best.

Last year we did managed to get 'in' a lorry for the first time in years although the ramp was almost level as put it down on a higher part of the yard if that makes sense. She went all the way in but reversed out we just can't get the turning thing lol would be nice to solve it this year as means we could accept lifts off friends with lorries!:rolleyes:
 
I have a couple who used to be problem loaders. Every horse has the capacity to say no, it's just how you manage to get them to change their mind that's the issue:)
 
me!! so hard as my mare loads perfectly in a trailer or lorry she spoiled me!!!! wee one was a nightmare spent hours if i wanted to go somewhere trying to get him in amd by the time we got there h was a sweaty mess!! hopefully have cracked it now - by getting rid of lorry, buying brand new trailer and taking out the partition bloody horse lol! he gets a nupafeed calmer shot before we go anywhere too and so far has had fun when hes been out and always gone home so i think thats made a difference. still not as good as id like on the way home but now it takes 5 minds with a lungeline rather than an hour so im more than happy with that! :-)
 
We have a little 10hh mule 'Smellie' whom my 8yr old son competes on and she is a very difficult loader ! We've tried everything and she just objects everytime :-( In thre end we end up having to use brute force of shoving/pulling/picking her up, to get her in ! Such a shame , as she thoroughally enjoys herself at the shows.
We are planning to do some praticing when the weather gets abit better. Good luck with your horse x
 
I did - and then I took the time to train him lol! It's funny how we expect horses to go into what must look to them like a tin can on wheels, with no room to escape if a predator should happen to be in there (we know, but they don't!). I have spent many happy hours reinforcement training my horse to be led on to my trailer, then to load himself with me at the side, then to stand while I put up the ramp (don't do breeching straps because the partition is swung to one side) then to stand while I go round to the jockey door and treat him. Works fine every time at home, less reliable away from home but there are lots of other variables I can't predict.
Packet of polos to reward every little attempt, even a half step towards the ramp, has done it for us. I must emphasis that the treat isn't to tempt him, its to reward him for every effort, starting small and then getting more and more. You do need time and access to the trailer or lorry for hours on end though.
 
My mare was a nightmare when I got her 4years ago.

I did a few months getting her used to a ramp but at the time we had a 7.5 ton box on loan which first load she went on in 1hour on the way back she went ober backwards in a tantrum.

After that we used old electric tape either side and she would go on almost straight away but always on the way out is the issue, coming home no problem at all.

My theroy was that she had been shipped around so much in her years barley spending a year with one owner so I believe she is worried about moving away again.

Now she loads lovely on a 3.5 and to get her on a bigger box we tried her the other day with a sheet around the back of her so she can only see into the box and not the escape routes and she goes on.

Funny thing is she travels so very well and when the box parked and she is left on it for a hour or what ever you do not hear a peek out of her.
 
I had one and he was actually being loaded whilst crooked if he is turned on a circle and staightened up on approach to the ramp he loads ok ....when we didn't know this it was several hours or rearing as he was in pain when fronts were up and crooked back end still on ground.
 
Farmer at my yard reckons my problems would be solved if we loaded down hill - easier said than done when our yard is on a slope going up to the main road! Does make sense though.
 
Pale Rider said:
Horses don't have problems loading, people do.

It's not about the trailer.

It's about you and your horse.
Click to expand...


Or rather, how the horse was introduced to loading by people.

Take a look at Michael Peace on Youtube "Michael Peace Loading a Difficult Horse". He is so calm and patient you don't realise how bad the horse had been for his owner. The video has been shortened as the whole process took just over an hour.

I had him out for my "impossible" mare 2 years ago and have never had a problem since. He's not cheap but worth every penny as there is nothing more frustrating and depressing as a horse that won't load.
 
I understand what people are saying about it being the handlers fault that the horse won't load, I don't actually agree with that and don't think its the case all the time.

My Mare came to me and we had problems loading her, we later discovered that she couldn't balance herself in the trailer and kept on losing her balance, it absolutely terrified me, we have CCTV in the trailer so I could see her legs go under her and she was being held up be the headcollar and leadrope!
I removed the partition and put a single breastbar on, she travels fine now just balances against the sides.

Ironically she will happily trot into the trailer on the way to an event, her idea to trot not mine! but can be difficult coming home, she is getting better, we put a lunge line on the floor and don't touch it or her and she seems to get the idea if she doesn't walk in she gets a lunge line around her bum but take the lunge line away and she definately won't go in first time, how bizarre!
 
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Pale Rider said:
Horses don't have problems loading, people do.

It's not about the trailer.

It's about you and your horse.
Click to expand...

Not in all circumstances. My horse loaded and travelled fine, then was terribly difficult for a couple of years. Eventually became lame with bone spavin, and when treated, and given enough room in the trailer to spread his hind legs to balance (i.e. partition out, full width bars in), he is as good as gold again.

You so often hear of horses, particularly larger ones, struggling for years, resulting in scrambling in the trailer, refusing to load, and handlers working away at the loading part, without actually making as much of an effort to make the travelling part as comfortable as possible.

I would always recommend removing partitions if a horse doesn't load or travel well, giving the horse as much room as possible, driving VERY slowly, making sure that journeys are short to start off with, and are going somewhere that they will enjoy. Even try travelling a short distance in the trailer with them (I am pretty sure this is illegal - I have only done it up and down our private road, but it is very interesting - it is so difficult to stand upright!).

OK, work on the loading as well, but often the horse is just trying to express in the only way it can that travelling is unacceptably difficult for them.
 
Tammytoo said:
Or rather, how the horse was introduced to loading by people.
Click to expand...

Well then why did my horse, who loaded perfectly and has had no 'bad' journeys suddenly decide he wasnt going to get on a horse box or a trailer?

Chico is a nightmare, he just point blank refuses. He will stomp on the trailer ramp out of frustration but will not go in......and yes I have tried EVERY single method in a calm patient way.

His not loading really gets me down, I so want to take him out for fun rides, park visits and shows but I simply cant :(
 
Mine is not so much of a tricky loader just tries his luck. He is only young though and green and we have it down to being relatively quick now with the aid of a lunge line. Need I add, of course, that at a show, he unloads and loads with no problem! So I put it down to him worrying about where he is going, add in the extra time and treats and don't stress.
 
Paint Me Proud said:
Well then why did my horse, who loaded perfectly and has had no 'bad' journeys suddenly decide he wasnt going to get on a horse box or a trailer?

Chico is a nightmare, he just point blank refuses. He will stomp on the trailer ramp out of frustration but will not go in......and yes I have tried EVERY single method in a calm patient way.

His not loading really gets me down, I so want to take him out for fun rides, park visits and shows but I simply cant :(
Click to expand...

Believe me, I know how you feel - it is so frustrating, which is why I bit the bullet and got Michael Peace out to my horse. The man is a genius and seems to be able to pinpoint what is bothering horse.

and No, I don't work for him!
 
Pale Rider said:
Horses don't have problems loading, people do.

It's not about the trailer.

It's about you and your horse.
Click to expand...

I half agree with this. I used to have the worlds worst loader when I was younger (he really was bad- put a few adults in hospital trying)
He made me nervous loading anything and the best horse would be hesitant with a handler like that!
Now however im the adult (!) and over that as we have good loaders and I stick horses on and off lorries at work all the time.....but one of my horses still refuses to load
 
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