Loading Problems

wibble

wibble

Active Member
Feb 8, 2006
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Herts/Essex border
Mischief happily loads onto a trailer but I have a bedford lorry and I am having problems getting him to load. I have tried travelling him on the middle part of the lorry which he seems to hate and at the end which he is better with.

He seems to hate the steepness of the ramp and tries to escape as soon as he is on. He hates waiting in the lorry and kicks like mad until you take him off.

he is an angel with everything else but stops dead at the bottom of the ramp. This means we can't go anywhere on our own as I need people to help me load or hold partitions etc. Food sometimes works but often not. Waiting doesn't work.

I always wanted transport and it never even crossed my mind we would have a loading problem (had the lorry before mischief and my last horse loaded fine)

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions as I want to be out and about but I don't want a stressed horsey that wtakes 45 minutes to load.
 
Usually this prob is the other way about ie will go on a lorry but not in a trailer!
Sounds like he may not like the ramp plus a respect issue, but more info needed to give you educated advice.

I take it he is fine in a trailer on his own and will stand quietly in it?
How old is he?
What are his other manners like? (ground and ridden) ..any issues at all?
Is your lorry partitioned herringbone/straight across / otherwise?
 
He is 6. As far as I have seen he loads/unloads and stands quietly on a trailer and those boxes that feel like trailers inside with the low loading ramps. He came in one of those all the way from Ireland and didn't sweat up once.

He is an angel, he is sometimes a little bit grumpy when picking out his feet but apart from that he is very good and even my non horsey boyfriend can do rug changes, turn out and pick out his feet without help.

The lorry is herringbone and I have tried changing the width of the sections and which bit he stands in but it makes no difference.

I actually prefer horseboxes as once saw a trailer crash on the m3 with horrible consequences but have been looking enviously at the trailers when I have been unable to load.
 
just to add I have tried to think outside the box and have tried backing him up the ramp and going sideways, let other people try to load him in case its me being too emotionally involved, tried sitting on ramp, sitting next to him and behind him. Tried leading with lunge line, rope, nothing at all. Tried bridle and headcollar. tried lifting feet one at a time etc:)
 
If it is the stepness of the ramp that is causing this, thats kind of hard to replecate but there are some things you could do to help him become more confident.

Whats he like to walk over alien objects? eg a board, a tarp, a carpet, a strong board thats on a thin pole so it moves like a mini see saw, backing up over these?

I know that may sound obscure, but try it and see what reaction he gives. You may find out more about him. ie he is either dominant over you when he doesnt want to do something "out of the ordinary" or that he is genuinely unconfident about where he is putting his feet.

Let us know how you get on................
 
:confused: I don't think he has had issues loading into a lorry before... I'm sure he's been in YO's converted lorry, he converted it himself so the ramp is wooden plank and almost vertical :p but he didn't have any partitions up until a while ago.

Could be something simple he just doesn't like...Are there windows in the lorry? Or does he get a haynet when he's in there (I don't know many people who bother with haynets in lorries!) Have you tried taking the arse with him? Lungwhip, lungeline job?

I think its unlikely to be a respect issue as others have suggested, he's a very genuine horse.
 
Rips thanks

We have tried lunge line, whip, broom, moving feet one by one etc. I have tried with and without haynet and tried a different way of partitioning. It has 2 windows and I have tried them open and shut.

You are right about the rest of the time, I can't fault him (in fact the last 2 hacks 2 separate people have fallen off due to their horses sppoking at something Mischief hasn't bothered with including a massive piece of flying tarpaulin yesterday)

I can get him to lead anywhere usually and he is so good on the ground but he really does not like my box. I really want to be able to go places on my own but can't if I cannot get him to load.

All my other horses have been self loaders but he just isn't keen even more so on the way home than on the way there.
 
Many people assume that reluctance to load is a repsect issue but I tend to think that more often than not it has nothing to do with it!

Loading into anything is such an alien thing for a horse to do naturally so its not unusual for horses to resist.

Altho I agree that its normally trailers they dont like going into, the smallest noise etc could put them off!

i think its a case of working with your horse on a regular basis when you dont have to go anywhere. Practise little and often .

My mare does not like loading at all and goes through phases, it isnt down to a lack of respect, its down to full on fear.

The last time I loaded my mare, she refused, I backed her up Monty style once and re-presented her and in she went! :rolleyes:

Hope that helps! x
 
I don't know if this is how you do it anyway, but which ever comparment you load him into, you should lead up the centre of the ramp, and to the place you will tie. Tie him, and then swing him round. It is a common error to swing the horse sideways then tie, but this way you are actually encouraging them to turn round and walk off again. Whereas being tied, and stepping sideways doesn't encourage that so much.
 
Hi :)

This is a bugger. I would try the backing up but agree with Rips that he is very genuine and think it's something he doesn't like rather than being an arse.

Spoke to Joe re this, he said he's always loaded into the trailer but prefers to travel on the RHS (drivers side) and kept his balance/travelled much better that side so perhaps he's not a fan of the herringbone arrangement ?

Hmmm.. Will he load ok into other trailers/lorries atm with no fuss ?

Glad he is being good! Seem to always miss your posts :confused: - loved the hacking pics!
 
I had exactly the same problem with my old driving pony, we went everywhere for years in an Ifor Williams trailer, with no problem ( in fact the only problem was making him wait once the ramp was down, he was so keen to get in and go places!) When I bought a lorry he got progressively more difficult, and then after one show it took me almost 2 hours to load him. I was so mad I was minutes away from abandoning him in the field anddriving off without him!! (not really:D:D). We discovered eventually that it was not the steepness of the ramp that was the problem, but the height of the step up onto it. We got one of the lads at the farm to do a bit of work on the end of the ramp, made the step up a lot smaller, and the problem was solved instantly.

I'm not guaranteeing it will work for you, but might be worth having a look at
 
Unfortunately we don't have anything else to try him in to check.

OH has bought a rangerover today (30k on the clock bought from an 83 year old friend of the family, cost £56k new, we have the receipt!, cost him 4k) so if completely stuck I could look at the trailer option.

I think he doesn't like the herringbone and he always tries to load head on when I do get him in.

I am then torn between giving him enough room and him having the protection on the partitions to lean on.

would I be mad to remove the partitions completely as I never take another horse?

Have to be able to go show jumping, got the bug now, even ready to try hunting if we van get this sorted.
 
wibble said:
Unfortunately we don't have anything else to try him in to check.

OH has bought a rangerover today (30k on the clock bought from an 83 year old friend of the family, cost £56k new, we have the receipt!, cost him 4k) so if completely stuck I could look at the trailer option.

I think he doesn't like the herringbone and he always tries to load head on when I do get him in.

I am then torn between giving him enough room and him having the protection on the partitions to lean on.

would I be mad to remove the partitions completely as I never take another horse?

Have to be able to go show jumping, got the bug now, even ready to try hunting if we van get this sorted.
Click to expand...


Lovely result with the RR!! Bargain!!!

I would see if he'll load no fuss into a trailer or forward facing lorry - it does seem the herringbone is the issue. Worst case scenario you can get some welding done and change lorry into a forward facing jobby (not hard to get done) .. Would prob cost less than buying a trailer and you'd still have your lorry :)

No partitions isn't my cup of tea, I don't fancy that much but know people who do travel in trailers and lorries with just cross ties and no partitions for a single horse and mares & foals loose. It might work :) Try it!

Brilliant that you are out & about on him ! I'm really pleased. :)
 
I would happily change the lorry to forward facing but the ramp is steep and am worried he would not like backing off such a steep ramp.

I may take pictures and then everyone can put their twopence in!

Am loving him more and more each day. I have a picture for Donna and Joe of him in his Christmas Pudding hat on Crimbo day, I must upload it and e-mail tonight.

We just need to join a new riding club now, get the loading sorted and off we go, we have the list of things to do and am eager to cross some off!

:D
 
We have the same problem - hence the lorry for sale in my sig.

We did loads of clicker training to get our problem traveller (actually my friends's horse) in the lorry and we have had some success. We used a target (a fly swat) and have found that he will actually load just so that he can touch the target rather than eat any treats we offer!!

Sadly, having seen how stressed he gets whilst actually travelling we decided enough was enough. He prefers the trailer too.

Sorry - no advice to offer - just my sympathy :eek:
 
i have a problem with my horse as he has separation anxiety, he hates leaving his friends so trying to load him on his own is a nightmare, he doesnt do anything naughty but it just soooo stubborn! and the most annoying thing is that he travels brilliantly, he isnt scared, just saying no i quite like it here with my friends, i have also tryed food, lunge lines, straw on the ramp, people pushing behind, and everything has worked once, then next time round it doesnt work and he is a monster! my solution is to get my groundwork sorted and get utmost respect form the horse, backing up is very useful , also getting them to go sideways and out of your personal space. another thing that worked with mine is if u lunge them just for 5 or 10mins b4 u start to load, just takes the edge of them and gets them concerntrating on you. it has started to work for me, it might just be worth a try. if anyone has any ideas of how to get my boy to load aswell then please comment onto my page, good luck,
jenny
 
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