Exhausted and deflated - abandoned loading

Murasaki · #1 19th Jul 2012, 02:51 PM

Having to move my new mare and old pone as the geldings we share a field with are just too much for me to handle and I can't get near my new girl even to groom her. So the transport turns up -side loading type, and I gently try and coax her up - no good so we put pone in first then try again ....cut to 2hours later - geldings rearing and screaming and even kicking so much tht their owners couldn't hold them any longer - I had asked if they could please ride out to give us time to leave - transport owner tried blindfolding her, pushing her. Flicking her with lead rope - she slipped onto her knees once, hit her head on side door - we had to stop and I feel so beaten and upset and can't see a way forward - please help! I've only had her 6 weeks and I heard it took 20 mins to load her to come to me . How about sedation? Maybe without the geldings there and a sedative? There is a horse transport company about a half hours walk away - maybe I could walk her to them and then sedate her and try to load her? Feeling so low about ths - I need to get away from those geldings - my last mare died in the field where they are - she had serious internal injuries

juliecwuk · #2 19th Jul 2012, 02:54 PM

how far are you moving her to the new yard? is it hackable? i hacked for my last 2 yard moves.

If too far to hack, i think it would be very very important to get the geldings out of the way - so either tack her to the transporters to load or get the geldings off the yard, their owners don't sound too helpful so i think i would take her to the transporters yard.

Mary Poppins · #3 19th Jul 2012, 03:02 PM

I would ask around the get the best RI/NH trainer you can to come and help you load. I have seen amazing results with people who just seem to know exactly how to handle these situations.

Is there no way that you can split the field to separate your horses from these geldings?

Murasaki · #4 19th Jul 2012, 04:26 PM

Thanks Maryp & JulieC - when I went to this field the original plan was for me to have one half and the lady who leases it to keep her geldings on the other half. However the fencing is in really bad repair and she is not prepared to mend it, and she says her horses will jump over it anyway! So no point in staying there. I have rung my vet and they say a sedative could be the answer - but I will try and find an RI/NH trainer in the meantime. I just need to get her to the new yard - 3 acres of our own

- and then I will work on this problem re. loading on an ongoing basis. Re hacking it - about 15 miles but most of it on a very fast A road.

Yann · #5 19th Jul 2012, 08:23 PM

This person might be worth a try? http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.c...ning.html#east

I had one of these trainers out a few years ago to help with my loading problems, and also learnt to do it myself.

eml · #6 19th Jul 2012, 09:09 PM

I once had to move a horse I knew would be difficult if not impossible to travel and with vets advice used sedalin, since this is a one off and urgent I would go along this route.

Yann · #7 19th Jul 2012, 09:28 PM

I believe the IH Recommended Associates will come out and do an emergency load too, worth an ask.

devonlass · #8 19th Jul 2012, 09:40 PM

My cob I bought recently is notoriously bad to load (previous,previous owner tried for 4 days last year,and stll no joy).My partner and transporter took 55 mins to get him on board to come to me.
Tried the usual routes,to which cob responded by being an ignorant twit and either planting or rearing at people.In the end they got some fencing panels and just closed him in slowly from behind and he went on.

With him though he's not anxious,just pig headed,might not be such a good plan if the cause is genuine worry??

Would second both ideas above regarding emergency RA or vet intervention with mild sedative.I would assume though that there is some risk with a sedative depending how steady she is on her feet travelling??

Taking her away from the yard sounds like it might also be worth a shot.

Good luck,keeping everything crossed for you

juliecwuk · #9 19th Jul 2012, 09:56 PM

My friends horse won't load. When he HAD to get to the vets they travelled him on a lorry and sedated him prior to getting on. They had to do the same to bring him back a few days later. Worked fine and he kept his balance ok.

Where needs must and all that!

joosie · #10 19th Jul 2012, 10:15 PM

I'm afraid it seems to me like you basically set yourself up for failure by not doing enough forward planning

It doesn't sound like you had done any loading practise before Moving Day, and if she hasn't travelled much before or hadn't travelled for a very long time, she was probably going to be a little unsure / hesitant about the situation anyway. Combine that with the fact that she was being taken away from her fieldmates and that they were making such a fuss, I'm not surprised she was a bit difficult.

Don't be disheartened, it takes more than 1 failed attempt to make a "problem loader" and I wouldn't write her off just yet! But loading is one of those things that so many people have issues with because they don't do any "practising" at home - they just wait until a day they NEED to move the horse and then expect to pull it out of the field and load without a hitch. I think it's far better to borrow a trailer/lorry, park it in the yard or field and do some loading/unloading practise without the pressure of having a time and place to be.

Since you need to get her away ASAP, I agree with the suggestion of loading her away from the field and her friends, so that you have more of her attention on you and less distractions to wind her up. Also I'd go for a sedative or at the very least a bog-standard calmer to take the edge off her - just to get her moved - you can do the training when she's settled in her new home

Murasaki · #11 19th Jul 2012, 11:53 PM

I agree with you Joosie - lack of planning here! Have decided to walk her on Monday -,around 7 miles and a couple of friends coming with me - after that I plan to let her settle and then work on getting her stress free loading....any ideas on extra road safety ? Obviously viz jackets but the roads vary between almost single track and hidden and some 60mph ? Headcollar or bridle? Lead rope or long rope? Many thanks all!

Murasaki · #12 20th Jul 2012, 12:01 AM

Wow she looks amazing Yann will try!

carthorse · #13 20th Jul 2012, 07:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eml

I once had to move a horse I knew would be difficult if not impossible to travel and with vets advice used sedalin, since this is a one off and urgent I would go along this route.

This. When I could bring Jim home from hospital he was adamant he wasn't loading, to the extent of heading off across the car park at a gallop with the transporter face down on the tarmac (why he didn't let go is beyond me, he was never going to stop him

). Since we couldn't risk him tearing open his stitches - he could easily have killed himself - he was given IV dope & loaded as soon as it started to kick in. Yes it was a bit of a risk travelling a properlyl doped horse, but it was easily the lesser risk in his case, & although it was only a short journey of about 20min he had pretty much fought his way through it by the time he was home.

Re the leading, if the roads are busy in places then I'd definitely use a bridle. Are you sure she'll walk quietly that far & in an area she doesn't know? If not I'd find some way of loading her, if something goes wrong on a busy & fast road then the consequences could be dreadful. Please be sure that you can safely handle her on a long walk in strange enviroment - can you have a practice run? What you can do around the yard may be very different than what you can manage when you're getting tired, have an excited horse & have nowhere to manouevre if you have a problem.