Would you help load

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Happytohack

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Been to a couple of events recently where people arrive, unload and then promptly say "I will probably need help loading a bit later"
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Saw a whole load of people trying to load a pony on Saturday - it was an accident waiting to happen. Am I being unreasonable in not getting involved with other people's loading problems and thinking they really should get it sorted at home rather than at an show/event etc.? Or maybe just sensible
 
Your not alone I simply will not get involved unless 100% no other option really, nowadays people are not as they used to be and if something did happen the arguments that could be..
 
So true, and I try not to get involved for that very reason - and then every so often a youngster will try it on at a show when they loaded fine to come, and what happens, some kind soul comes along and helps you out of what would have been a very tricky situation...
 
Well to be honest, if they know horse is a problem loader, then yes, the issue should get sorted at home.

However you can't always predict problems, and I think it is very mean spirited if you see someone struggling and don't offer a helping hand. Obviously you don't necessarily want to get behind the feet of someone else's horse or put yourself in danger, but you could always offer to hold a lunge rein, or tempt with a carrot or something.

I just think that if you were in that situation, wouldn't you want other people to help you?
 
Being someone that has a mare that used to be difficult to load, I never ask for assistance and prefer not to have it. One person got involved once and hit her with the whip. Now this horse you can not do that too and she freaked out (woman walked away saying my horse was a nutter). We managed to calm her and get her in eventually but distressed.

It is a case of dad and I load with the use of dad leading and myself with 2 lunge lines behind. When we first got her she was such a liability that we did nit let anyone else get involved in case there were injured.

Also case of too many cooks ruin the broth! Too many thoughts etc going around and good ideas. Unless someone looks like they are pleading for help I leave them to it
 
Well it happened to me a few months ago just after I got Missie; it was the first time she ever went in a trailer and we just went down the road for some schooling. She'd loaded absolutely fine so we weren't expecting any problems but she just dug her heels in and refused to go back in the trailer! I was very grateful to everyone who helped us out - someone loaded their pony in and brought me some feed, and then one fantastic lady spent several minutes backing her and playing around until eventually she walked in. If it hadnt been for them I'd probably still be there lol!
But having said that I did spent several weeks sorting out the problem at home before we went out anywhere again so I would agree with your last comment entirely, I wouldn't want to have to rely on other people's help like that again.
 
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I think it is very mean spirited if you see someone struggling and don't offer a helping hand. Obviously you don't necessarily want to get behind the feet of someone else's horse or put yourself in danger, but you could always offer to hold a lunge rein, or tempt with a carrot or something.

I just think that if you were in that situation, wouldn't you want other people to help you?

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Hmm - I think it brought it home to me when a very experienced international trainer helped load a horse and got both barrels and was killed. What happens if you or the horse get injured? Mean-spirited I may be, but I do not help these days.

If I was in the same situation - I would not want anyone to help - in some cases, other people can make loading problems 10 x worse. Just my opinion.
 
No I prefer no help because if my horse is 'in one of those moods' he will load quickly enough but when people get involved behind him...it worries him and he then gets stressed and digs his heels in. When I had loading problems in the earlier days I would always get people offering different ideas and help, some of them would not take the hint when I asked them politely to stop! It just made the situation worse all round. I don't mind people offereing so long as they go away again when politely asked to!!!
 
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hat happens if you or the horse get injured? Mean-spirited I may be, but I do not help these days.

If I was in the same situation - I would not want anyone to help - in some cases, other people can make loading problems 10 x worse.

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Fair enough as I said, but there are other ways to help that don't put you at too much risk - ie. tempting with food.

You might not want help, but would you not appreciate the offer? It makes me sad, these days people just seem to be out for themselves
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I can see Spiral's point, there could be people who wished someone would give them a hand. That said I dont think I would offer to help , simply because Id be afriad to make a fool out of myself if they say no p*ss off!(and perhaps the person trying to load!)
 
There's nothing worse than a crowd of would be "helpers" sticking their oar in when you're trying to load a difficult horse. Again, there's always this "I'll fix it" attitude, as if the person trying to do the loading is a complete half wit. Having said that, I don't think there's any harm in offering a hand, but walking away if it's declined.
 
Well I probably would offer to help, so long as they didn't have loads of people already! And the situation was safe, if the horse was clearly acting dangerously I'd stay out of the way as I don't feel I'd have enough experience to be able to deal with it. If they said no then fine I'd walk away. My own horse went through a stage of being difficult to load, he would just plant his feet at the bottom of the ramp and refuse to move, so I was very gratefull at the time when a few nearby horsepeople helped me out and eventually we persuaded him to go in. However if someone offered to help and then was violent to my horse i would stop them straight away. I have since retrained my horse to load easily and happily, mainly through the use of food so no longer need any help but if I were to get another one with problems then I'd certainly appreciate a helping hand as sometimes you need more than one person to encourage a horse in. Saying that I think having loads of people offering to help would stress me out and probably make the problem worse and at the end of the day the horse would know me best so look to me for guidance, so a few helpers is fine but too many can just aggrevate the situation and make it worse for everyone.
 
One of mine can be difficult, although she has had plenty of training at home..pushing her does no good and we simply have to wait until she decides to co-operate. i always thank people who offer to help, but decline..equally if I can do something to help somebody else I will ask if they need anything (loading can be a challenge if you are on your own) but don't mind if they say no
 
I'd be happy to offer to help. But I would ask them what they need me to do that would help and not just assume what will work, as I don't know the animal. I wouldn't be bothered if the said no. They know their horse the best and what works to load them. Both my mares need different things doing to them if they are having an off day, althought they are few and far between.
 
It depends. We once parked next to someone who spent four hours attempting to coax her horse in her trailer.
Various people came up and offered to help, but she refused.
At the end of the Ht only she and us and a few others were left, she was near to tears sitting on the ramp so I asked if she needed a hand..
Her response was pretty sharp but she said if we thought we could do any better we were welcome.
My husband and I got our chiffney out and lunge line, asked her if that was ok, we didn't even use the thing, that mare looked at the pair of us breathing determination and shot up the ramp!!
I think I wouldn't offer unless they really did struggle, and then would be careful to stay out of harm's way.
We are however more experienced than the average at loading and these days tend to get any horse in without too much struggle (Monty Roberts' method), by the time it's backed up a few times, had it's feet placed on the ramp etc most horses sort of accept we are not going to back down and just load..
Years ago I used whips, brushes etc, and even a blunt pitchfork, now I don't really need any of those things, but unless it's my own horse I would wait to be asked I think most of the time.
My personal hate are people who wham ramps up without putting the breeching straps on first a dangerous trick and not one I would ever do..
I do agree, loading should be taught at home, but sometimes horses do play up..
 
I've helped others load their horse - mainly because I can't stand by while people whip and hit their horses into a box! I can load a horse with none of that!

In saying that though, I've been asking people to help load Bandit. As Kiyo will load no problem, I just need a little hush for Bandit to go in.
 
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