Would you take this as a sign?

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usernamepending

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So as some of you will know from my other threads i cant get my boy home due to him not going into the trailer.

My boyfriend and local horsey women went to pick him up as a surprise :o But then that happened etc. At first they said it was because he was totaly petrified, fair enough. But after over hearing the tack room gossip i heard the 'local horsey' women say that he was just been really stubborn and she wouldnt want that as a horse incase he flipped like that in traffic etc.

This has totally knocked my confidence about getting him... The times i have been to see him he has been an angel, yes hes forward going but a reall sweetie. Also rang the owner and she said its first time shes seen him be like that :/

I dont know what to think anymore :confused: Hes ment to be forward going but safe which he has defiantly showed me to be like when iv been to see him.... Is this a one thing he hates or is it a sign of his reall personality????

Brownie points for anyone who reads this far! haha:D Thank you!
 
It could also be he didnt like the horsey woman......has a thing about trailers and needs a lorry. People have different opions on what they want as horses. I know alot of people say the same about mine :D but i love them.
X
 
Erm mines a stubborn git and he's ok apart from when he was first asked to get his feet wet (3 hours) and he used to be a git to load (up to 5 hours) but he's fine now.

Honestly its something you can work through if you get someone to show you how, you just cant use the do that because I say so.
 
Not a sign, just a horse unsure of it's handler, I haven't read your previous posts, but in my experience if you mentally picture your horse in the trailer/box, keep calm (a must) your horse will load, it will take time, try taking out the partition if a trailer, but patience alongside a bucket of feed always wins, our longest is 2.5 hrs to load, but in the end she walked in the trailer quite happy, with hindsight, a dually halter is a godsend, tug hard and release, combined with a bucket of feed, we are loaded in a max of 10 mins.
Good luck, there's nothing more frustrating
 
My mare has had these 'flip outs' over going in a trailer. If she did not want to do something then my word....Stubborn doesn't even cover it.

No problems with a box, she will go in a trailer these days - after a lot of work.

What exactly did he do? did he hurt anyone, was he rearing? how did the people handle it and was the 'horsey' person there when it happened?

Sorry - you may have answered this but its late now and my brain gave up a while ago!
 
Thanks for the advice!

She said he started rearing, bolting back to his stable, flattening everyone and trying to bite :/ Is this scared or just being a idiot? Iv been to see him loads of times and he has never been aggressive or anything like this ......
 
He sounds uncertain.
The 'horsey' person probably had her pride hurt when he wouldn't load for her!
Keep visiting him and working with him and decide for yourself.
Good luck
 
Mine did that, I have a hole in the bottom of one of my shoes from standing on the lunge line when he did his rear-spin-p off in other direction move to aviod loading, he now wanders up in a headcollar in to any trailer. Its hard to say without seeing him if he is scared or just being horrible but either can be worked with.

But he is honestly the softest donkey in the stable and my mum who is scared of horse can do him and small children bring him in from the field all the time.
 
It is pretty difficuly to tell from what you have said.

Could be so many factors....I have seen so many people attempting to load and just frightening the horse by putting them under too much pressure too quick.

If he is a sensitive sort or young, or both then I would be tempted to put it down to his age (and this wont be the last time to see him have a freak out)....if he is older then you may have a bigger challenge on your hands.

I dont know the background...have you bought him, are you about too and now you are worried?
 
usernamepending said:
Thanks for the advice!

She said he started rearing, bolting back to his stable, flattening everyone and trying to bite :/ Is this scared or just being a idiot? Iv been to see him loads of times and he has never been aggressive or anything like this ......
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I personally think that the way it has been described to you sounds a bit odd. A non loader trying to bite?? Hmm, I think I agree with above that local horsey woman has had her pride hurt.

Has the trailer had any other animal (i.e. pigs) in before? Can sometimes send them loopy.
 
dafthoss said:
Mine did that, I have a hole in the bottom of one of my shoes from standing on the lunge line when he did his rear-spin-p off in other direction move to aviod loading, he now wanders up in a headcollar in to any trailer. Its hard to say without seeing him if he is scared or just being horrible but either can be worked with.

But he is honestly the softest donkey in the stable and my mum who is scared of horse can do him and small children bring him in from the field all the time.[/QUOTE

could you offer any tips for loading? mine plants so maybe more difficult as have no movement to work with!
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There is absolutely no reason to suppose that the horse will be difficult in traffic, just because he didn't want to load into a trailer - the 2 just do not equate. Our first horse was a R&D gelding who had been driven through Blackpool for a living every summer. He spend the winters on his owner's farm & RS in Yorkshire. He was delivered to us standing loose in a box. He was totally bombproof in all traffic and just about any other situation yu could imagine. The only thing he really didn't like was going through the farm-yard when the horsebox had it's ramp down. He would give it the widest berth possible - he had absolutely no intention of getting back in a horsebox.
My guess is that 'local horsey woman' isn't as good as she thinks - and the horse found her out and showed her up.
 
A bit worried now! Already bought him.... hes 13 so not young! Apparently he was going to bite her when she was leading him back to it? I dont know what to think :L

Bearing in mind this women advised using katamine to sedate him for travel :eek:
 
It does sound like he had an issue with the handler. Don't quite understand why it was your BF and "horsey woman" loading, where was his owner? What has he/she told you about loading and can't they show you?
 
usernamepending said:
A bit worried now! Already bought him.... hes 13 so not young! Apparently he was going to bite her when she was leading him back to it? I dont know what to think :L

Bearing in mind this women advised using katamine to sedate him for travel :eek:
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mine wont load and is 99% bombproof so loading isn't an indication of how they are in traffic x
 
Ok - dont panic, you bought him because you saw something in him that you like, I think that this women is possibly making matters worse.

Before you worry about her comments I would now enlist the help of someone else. What do his previous owners say? is he from a dealer?

My mare has always been a pickle to load as she didn't travel often and her previous owners used to chase her up the ramp with a broom!

I have visions in my mind of this women getting stressy or cross with your new boy and may have made the situation worse...it is amazing how horrid a horse can become when they are frightened and feel backed into a corner so to speak. I may be wrong as this is purely guesswork.. think at this point I would look for someone very experienced that you trust to help you...maybe an instructor even.

Loading is a common problem, once you get him home you can work on it and make it positive for him.
 
I think i might be getting a bit too worried as i wasnt there!

The owner obviously tried first but then they all had to join in, Just emailed her....she said she hasnt had to move him since she has had him (3 years) Will this be the problem?

Again thanks for all the advice and reassurance! :o
 
I agree about having the pride hurt, me thinks this horsey woman is exaggerating to save face! Would not be the first time!
Why not go and see him load into what ever they have travelled him in previously? Could they drop him to you at worst?
 
How about asking around for a reputable horse transporter, someone who does it day in, day out and knows how to deal calmly with the awkward ones?
 
Millikins said:
How about asking around for a reputable horse transporter, someone who does it day in, day out and knows how to deal calmly with the awkward ones?[/QUOT
the women that went transports horses as a living apparently, Im thinking i should of just gone with my little green trailor haha :o
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victoria1980x said:
could you offer any tips for loading? mine plants so maybe more difficult as have no movement to work with!
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He would plant on the bottom of the ramp then if you put any pressure on him he would rear and spin :mad: not a tiny bit scared though so I wouldnt want to treat a nervous horse in the same way.

Before you go all out there on a loading bootcamp have you tried just lifting each leg at a time? it works for some.

Firstly my instructor put him in a chiffney and he still managed to drag her across the yard so its not an instant fix. Then he was put at the bottom of the ramp and with a schooling whip just gently tapped to start with and it was just increased with each time he ignored it untill he went forwards then he was praised and all pressure removed for a short while, should add that there was no pressure on the chiffney untill he tried to tank off it all had to come from the back not the front you cant pull them in. Then when he tried to go off the side of the ramp the chiffney was used to straighten him again untill he went in. Then straight out the front ramp and repeat several times, then ask him to pause in the trailer and repeat several times then shut up drive a few hundred metes unload and instantly reload through the trailer a few times then home again.

One session with a big fight and that was it we then just loaded in a chiffney for almost a year and now hes back in a head collar.

Just to add again he was not in the slightest bit scared and would stand at the bottom of the ramp resting a leg and has always traveled perfectly. Had exactly the same at the water and I used the same technique. Cant use food with him or he goes as far as he needs to for the food then p's off in the other direction or just completly ignores it and I take no responsibility for any one that tries it.
 
More than likely, also having different people trying will get most horses in a state...if she tried and failed and someone else took over then you immediately have a problem.

Can you go along....or take someone very experienced and patient (if you can). Be uber patient, use food (I know some would disagree).

The position of the box or trailer can make a HUGE difference...If you can then put the trailer or box alongside a wall or hedge....make sure it is right against it....no gaps at all (as a small gap is dangerous) That will block one exit for him so you are not skipping one way then the next..... Then pop a couple of lunge lines on the other side of the trailer if you can so that he cannot go sideways of the ramp. Have someone very calm (that wont butt in) to stand holding the lunge line.....none of this is to frighten or bully him...it purely reduces his options to forwards or backwards.

Make sure the whole yard ARE NOT SPECTATING...it is so off-putting.

Take your time and make sure its small amounts of pressure only....lots of rewards every time he steps forward.

I hope that helps...I have seen the best loaders in the world kick off in bad circumstances, if the previous owner was emotional then he may have been worried.

good luck

PS....Is he used to any form of rope halter or dually? if you are able to try these on him a day or 2 before to see how he reacts then these could be helpful. (My mare was worse though so tread carefully) I would not recommend trying these on the day though....you might be opening a whole nother can of worms!
 
dafthoss said:
He would plant on the bottom of the ramp then if you put any pressure on him he would rear and spin :mad: not a tiny bit scared though so I wouldnt want to treat a nervous horse in the same way.

Before you go all out there on a loading bootcamp have you tried just lifting each leg at a time? it works for some.

Firstly my instructor put him in a chiffney and he still managed to drag her across the yard so its not an instant fix. Then he was put at the bottom of the ramp and with a schooling whip just gently tapped to start with and it was just increased with each time he ignored it untill he went forwards then he was praised and all pressure removed for a short while, should add that there was no pressure on the chiffney untill he tried to tank off it all had to come from the back not the front you cant pull them in. Then when he tried to go off the side of the ramp the chiffney was used to straighten him again untill he went in. Then straight out the front ramp and repeat several times, then ask him to pause in the trailer and repeat several times then shut up drive a few hundred metes unload and instantly reload through the trailer a few times then home again.

One session with a big fight and that was it we then just loaded in a chiffney for almost a year and now hes back in a head collar.

Just to add again he was not in the slightest bit scared and would stand at the bottom of the ramp resting a leg and has always traveled perfectly. Had exactly the same at the water and I used the same technique. Cant use food with him or he goes as far as he needs to for the food then p's off in the other direction or just completly ignores it and I take no responsibility for any one that tries it.
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I swear you have my old pony reincarnated!! The hours and hours spent trying to get him in the trailer - only for him eventually to sigh deeply and walk up of his own accord and start eating his hay.:mad::mad::mad:
 
Sure he'll be fine when you go with your boss. If he's never travelled regularly that's the reason he's probably scared, nothing to do with how he is with traffic. Local horsey woman sounds a fool, she just wants to blame the horse because she couldn't solve it. Maybe she's the one that's had the ketamine. Our local horsey woman told all & sundry my daughters pony would be dangerous for a child after she saw it having a mad half hour in the field as a youngster. So enjoy meeting her out & about now.
Good luck for Sunday, i'm sure your boss will be able to sort it.
 
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