Loading problems!

SilverKismet

Active Member
Aug 4, 2008
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E.Sussex
Helloo :)
Having a few problems with Kizzy...
When I got her she had never been in a trailer so was very wary but went in in the end. She then started getting better and was loading really well at home and on the way back.
But then in the summer I took her on a slightly longer journey (just over an hour) and she was absolutely fine when she got out, not sweating up or anything. I was taking her to camp but had stopped off at a riding school/livery yard i used to be at to give her a rest from the journey before. So we went to load her up the next day to get to camp and she just wouldn't go so we asked for help and somebody cracked a whip behind her which was stupid - even though she went in but it has obviously given her a fright. We got to camp and were then for a few days then when we tried to load her to get back she was being funny again and she always goes up a couple of steps then jumps off the side so you have to take her back round again to get her straight. she was also rearing which she hardly ever does...
So somebody else loaded her for me in the end as I really couldn't do it... and it took them ages too, tbh I'm sure she would have gone in quicker for me cos she knows me but I had no strength left and she was being really strong and silly...
But now I know that only I'm going to load her from now on because she trusts me. We got the trailer hitched up to the car just to practive loading her the other day and she went in in the end but took a lot of work but she was very stressed inside. I was being extremely gentle with her and not giving her any eye contact etc. not shouting or anything. Then we decided to just open it all up (front ramp is always open anyway btw so she can see it's light in there) so we kept all partitions open and breast bar down and I just lead her straight through and back out a few times, she was so good. But I'm scared when we get somewhere she won't load up to come back home again...
Also.. My dad is a very careful driver so that isn't the problem.
Any suggestions? thanks so much :) oh she also panics when coming down the front ramp and sort of charges out, but I did stop that when I was leading her in and out...
When she doesn't go in I do that Monty Roberts thing of just getting her to the ramp then backing her up etc. multiple times so she gets bored and just goes in.

Thanks in advance x
 
Try just opening the front up, no ramp....make it airy as possible - I use a lunge line just to guide Percy in. Give her lots and lots of praise and carrots/ apples when everything is shut and your about to go :)
 
I had a mare who wouldn't load or wasn't used to loading and i did lead her up to the ramp as far as she was comftable with and the pushed her back and so on eventually she just went in. Now it only takes me 5 min to get her to go in. I also found the more you push the less likely they are to go in. Also for one that should load and is just at it a good noise with a plastic bag from behind guided by lunge lines ( not pushing or pulling) should do the trick.
 
Don't refuse her eye contact ! She takes her confidence from you in these situations, if you are avoiding her eye, to her, your acting like this is big and frightful and she has every reason to be aware of trailor & and you.


As mentioned, when you load, make sure you have both doors open, makes it look bigger & just like a through route.


Remember horses can bend, try loading her from the side of the ramp, up & round into the trailor. Do some Trust me exercise with her.

Just do not fuss, if you fuss, or allow yourself to stress, its picked up on straight away & leads to it becoming even more of an issue.


Relax, get yourself chilled out & safe to follow.
 
Don't refuse her eye contact ! She takes her confidence from you in these situations, if you are avoiding her eye, to her, your acting like this is big and frightful and she has every reason to be aware of trailor & and you.


As mentioned, when you load, make sure you have both doors open, makes it look bigger & just like a through route.


Remember horses can bend, try loading her from the side of the ramp, up & round into the trailor. Do some Trust me exercise with her.

Just do not fuss, if you fuss, or allow yourself to stress, its picked up on straight away & leads to it becoming even more of an issue.


Relax, get yourself chilled out & safe to follow.

I don't want to comes across as being pinickety (sp?) :eek: but just to add - Strong eye contact is what predators do with prey and is one way of encouraging your horse tp back away from you, whereas a relaxed facial expression and lowered eye contact is non-confrontational and calming ... so perhaps eye contact is not ideal for this situation.
 
Obviously, im not saying she should stare him down. A look & a smile is often all it can take, horses look to you to know that something is ok, if you cant meet that look with "hey its ok, look im going to & im not fussed" its just going to lead to increased tension & OMG no way am I going now.



I once spent over 60 hrs total (spaced out of course !) sitting on a trailer ramp, with a very trailor shy horse, we put the trailor in the field, opened it, out came my book & I just sat there, eventually he got really curious, this box, to him, meant whips, brush handles, yard forks, you name it, he'd had it thrown at him before we got him. Eventually he couldnt help himself, bit by bit he got himself over till he was right next to me. I let him get comfy , then moved myseat inside the trailor. Few hrs later, he was brave enough to get up the ramp to come see me, then my seat at the back of the trailor, this stage to a while for him to overcome his fears, but a relaxed me & gentle eye contact, the *hey, its ok see im here, not out there behind you* payed off & after 10hrs, he walked right in.

It took 6 weeks of repeating these exercises, getting quicker all the time, until he would load happily just with you getting in & saying *well come on then, what you waiting for*
 
Eye contact is OK unless you're asking the horse to come towards you, it's not necessarily a showstopper but every little helps.

This problem is really common, many horses load OK at home but then get sticky when it's time to return. Do you use a dually halter to load your horse? They can make all the difference used correctly, and the fact that there is negligeable poll pressure means a rearer might be less inclined to go up.

It's worth spending some time away from the trailer making sure you can move your horse around lightly on the ground in all directions, this will make it easier to move them during loading. If your horse plants, then taking a pull to the side and making their front feet cross is a very good tactic, as it will also bring them forward. Always release the pressure for a moment when you get a positive step forward or the horse thinks about going in, sniffs the ramp or drops their head and looks or paws. If they go off to the side then park alongside a wall if you can to make that less likely, and if they do step off continue to ask them to load from where they are. If the horse rears, don't pull on the line, go with them and simply ignore it and carry on from where you left off once they're back on the floor.

Have you thought about getting a Kelly Marks trainer out to help?
 
Thanks very much for everyone's help!
There are loads of good ideas that I'm going to try :)
Oh okay, I was told that I shouldn't give eye contact as it may make a bigger deal out of it but just to casually walk up the ramp and if she doesn't go then just take her back round again or back her up until she gets bored and goes on. But now I know a little eye contact is fine :)

Thank you x
 
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