Won't load coming home!

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JoshuaR97

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I'm currently having a few issues with my youngster were he loads fine going from home but when it's time to come back he decides he's going to stand at the bottom of the ramp and plants himself there. He is always looking around at what all the other horses are doing and seeing the other horses that won't go in. We managed to get him in with someone who had a crop just tapping it on him but I'd ideally like to fix this issue where he'll just walk straight in but a little unsure what I can do when he fixes himself and won't move. We open the whole trailer up to make it more open to see if it helps him but any ideas what I can try?
 
To counter the planting, move the horse's head to the side, at some point they have to move their feet. Having said this, he's likely to develop another evasion. Have you a training halter (one that applies pressure) I find these really useful. I also find using the momentum of coming off the ramp at a venue to go straight back on a useful trick so when it comes to home-time, they've already loaded on
 
Pressure halter!
My boy does this too, however when he plants i don't look at him or talk etc i just lean on the rope on the ramp, he soon gives into the pressure. Sometimes its instant other times i have held it there for up to 10 mins, however he normally gives into it after a few moments and goes on no problem. I got stuck at a show a few months back before i used the pressure halter and took ages and 3 people to get him on :/
This is the one i have on a 15m line too! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Elico-pre...hash=item33bd23a389:m:mLRaZz0eJDgGiIv6TO66rew
 
I don't think it's uncommon. I have a Richard Maxwell pressure halter which has been a godsend, applies nose pressure if yours is the type to respond to that.
 
Practise close to home. Load him up, drive a mile or shorter, unload, tie up (personally I would leave the hay net in the trailer) and after a short period, re-load. It becomes a non-event and is less stressful for you as you're close to home without other people trying to help. Little and often!
 
Spot_the_Risk said:
Practise close to home. Load him up, drive a mile or shorter, unload, tie up (personally I would leave the hay net in the trailer) and after a short period, re-load. It becomes a non-event and is less stressful for you as you're close to home without other people trying to help. Little and often!
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In the words of my OH, horses are only scared of two things, the unknown, and the known behaving in an unknown way. This falls into the second category, you know it's the same trailer etc etc but as far as the horse is concerned it's in the 'wrong' place and therefore different and scary.

Spot_the_Risk is 100% correct in how to deal with the problem. Habituation until he becomes so used to loading in all sorts of places that he no longer thinks anything of it.

Good luck.
 
Sounds 100% like mine. We went out yesterday, he loaded in 5 minutes at home, at the show it took us half an hour. He had just decided he rather not go on thankyou very much. Planted at the bottom of the ramp. We basically kept the pressure on the lead rope then when he moved forwards a tiny bit let go of the pressure and praise, carry on doing that and eventually they will go on.

He plays the 'distracted' card and will look at ANYTHING but in the direction of the lorry - basically ignoring me - so i wave a stick in his face (this doesn't scare him, but I wouldn't recommend it on a horse that is worried about whips) until he focuses back on me then we put the pressure on again.

We made him load on/off about 3 times before we tied him up and set off.

It's frustrating but something alot of people seem to suffer with tbh!
 
I think that this is a common problem because the horse has a most recent memory of being uncomfortable when travelling. All travelling is an athletic endeavour in itself and often the horse has been mentally and physically working at the venue as well. It's worth looking into ways of making him more comfortable with travelling (all transport limits and compromises respiration for example) and, if using a front facing trailer, padding your front bar so that it limits bruising to the chest.
 
Had one once that had to be left at a venue overnight as wouldn't load at end of day!
Another we had we got him to load by allowing him a feed after he had cooled down..we showed it him, tempted him with it then put it in the lorry, and he never failed to charge up the ramp to get his feed..this only works with a foodie horse.. It's difficult finding what works for your horse... Some will not go on with whips or preasure, but start at home with a long line and control headcolar, if you have a set routine with the horse, load about tea time, go for a short drive somewhere, tie up... Let horse see you prepare a feed, let him sniff it..put it in lorry and wait a short while and then see if he will load.. Don't use a net outside the lorry. He needs to know he only gets food on the lorry, and a nice treat when he has behaved, then straight home ..good luck
 
I know a pony who - because of the logistics of where and how the owner kept it - was taken out the stable/yard at owners home and loaded up every morning, where it was then taken down to its field (a distance too far to hack). It then spent the day in the field and was then loaded up every evening and taken back to its stable again.

This routine was repeated day after day for a number of years. No problem loading at any time, pony just walked in and said here I am loaded lets get on with it, and off they went, never any issues.

Owner took pony to a show. Loaded up from its normal place in the morning, all as usual. Got to the show, competed, did well, then tried to load it to return home.

The bleddi thing wouldn't load. They were there for HOURS after everyone else had left. It just refused to go in, and they had a helluva job to eventually get it in.

Sorry, not much point to this post.........

I'd be seeking professional help with this OP coz there's obviously a habit pattern beginning to form and you need to break it fast before it gets ingrained.
 
I think this is sometimes caused by th fact they have adrenaline in their system hunter often go through a period of won't load to come home .
I would walk the horse round and round the place you are until it's bored and all the excitement has gone .
 
Agree with others re: training aid, try the dually, its very effective. However you have to spend time learning how to use it.
You could also take a feed with you, unfortunately after the last 18 months of loading fine, I now have a problem with my horse planting and also swinging off the side of the ramp. I am finding that feeding him is the only way forwards. Frustrating I know.
 
Start making a habit of reloading every time you arrive at a venue. So arrive, unload, reload and unload a few times. I also do it when I get home.
My mare runs on from home, but always stops on the ramp and needs encouragement on the way home (only about 10 seconds worth), I find she is much improved if we do the unload, reload thing on every trip out. It was a tip I picked up off a behaviourist who dealt with tricky loaders.
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I know a pony who - because of the logistics of where and how the owner kept it - was taken out the stable/yard at owners home and loaded up every morning, where it was then taken down to its field (a distance too far to hack). It then spent the day in the field and was then loaded up every evening and taken back to its stable again.

This routine was repeated day after day for a number of years. No problem loading at any time, pony just walked in and said here I am loaded lets get on with it, and off they went, never any issues.

Owner took pony to a show. Loaded up from its normal place in the morning, all as usual. Got to the show, competed, did well, then tried to load it to return home.

The bleddi thing wouldn't load. They were there for HOURS after everyone else had left. It just refused to go in, and they had a helluva job to eventually get it in.

Sorry, not much point to this post.........

I'd be seeking professional help with this OP coz there's obviously a habit pattern beginning to form and you need to break it fast before it gets ingrained.
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Your post illustrates the above point perfectly. Coming home, the trailer was in the 'wrong' place. Not his yard or outside his field. They had inadvertently trained the pony to load in 2 locations only.
 
Same as mine. Loaded brilliant when I first got her then all of a sudden stopped loading and start rearing. Pressure got over the nose got her on. I brought an ezy-loader and the moment she started mucking about, this came out and she'd go on. She then start to load without it and if not the first time, she'd follow me up with food the second time. Now, again she has stopped following me up with food and I've had to get the Ezy-loader out again.
She's more than happy when she is in and travels great.
 
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