Loading!

[Kirstin]

Hi everyone,

I'm taking my boy to a course with a Parelli instructor in a couple of weeks, and was wondering if anyone had any tips on loading him into the horse box. We're working though level one, and have just started the YoYo game.

He's nearly seven, and hasn't travelled very much in his life. I've only ever loaded him once, and it took quite long time! Although, he was very poorly and going to the hospital. He has a lot of LB Introvert tendencies, and when I tried to load him last time his main defences were planting and rushing off to the side.

I'm going to practise loading before the day, and would some Parelli tips.

Thanks,
Kirstinxx

[wonkeywoody]

Hi
Treat yourself to Parelli's Trailer loading DVD. Its fabby and worth every penny.
He comes at the problem from a totally lateral approach and is very enlightening.
Ebay's your best bet.........

[Rea]

The trailer loading DVD is fantastic. It did the trick with my mare.

You can also get it free at the moment if you buy the level one pack...
http://www.parelli.com/product.faces?catId=12

[Crystal Fire]

Can you set yourself up some practise sessions before you go?
Is the aim to get your level 1 loading sorted before the course, or do you just want a horse that loads?
I had a tricky loader when I was trying to pass Level 1, it was the only task I had left. It was a big deal for him to have to go up the ramp on his own while I stood by the side, and he would leap about all over the place. He wasn't dangerous, but needed some confidence, so in Parelli terms I cheated. I would walk up the ramp with him, and go into the left hand partition, encouraging him into the right hand side with kind words, rubs and scratches and a treat every now and then when he walked forward. I hung a bucket of feed over the partition at the front (the sort you put on stable doors, but I faced it away from the door, so it hung outside of where he was standing). I didn't stress about making him go all the way in on the first, or even the second session, I just found a good place to stop and that was it for the day. Once he started to feel the trailer was a nice place to have lunch, we could start shutting the trailer up around him, with me at his head to scratch him some more. Once he really got trailers worked out as placed to eat in, by which time he was happy to find a haynet there, I started to load him walking alongside, but not going right in with him, allowing him to walk in ahead while I stopped at the top of the ramp. From there it was a small step to standing at the side of the ramp and passing Level 1!
I know the Parelli DVD on loading is good, but I don't think it offers a horse that is worried about loading the easiest way to learn. It depends what your goals are I suppose.
(I know a lot of people who passed Parelli tasks by first clicker training them!).

[jinglejoys]

Practise practise practise so itsno big deal.Allow yourself pleanty of time so you aren't doing it under pressure.Leave the jockey door open so it doesn't look so claustraphobic,put straw on the ramp and don't close the door straight away.
Add to that all the other advice and make it no big deal:)