Going to attempt to load him this week... *PICS**

MrA

MrA

Well-Known Member
Feb 8, 2012
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Once the vet has been this wed about his weeing I'm going to try and load him.

I've never attempted to load him before and have never loaded a horse before.
I have no idea if he is good to load or not, he came to me in a trailer but was very stressed.

He's a haflinger, so strong and his party trick is to run off if he doesn't like something.
He is not a fan of small spaces eg the horsewalker or small gateways and something tells me he is not going to want to load, but I'm going into this very positive and acting like he's gonna walk straight on.

So where do I start???

The trailer will be in the school so he is secure if he disappears. Is it best to have it near a fence or in the centre? Should I freeschool him round it? Show him it? Or just walk him up ans try to get him on? Going to use a dually and wear gloves, hat etc, anything else I need.

I have a feeling he is just going to run scared from it, so what then? He is impossible to hold onto even in a bridle etc if he wants to run, he will. So then do I work on freeschooling him into it, or using food to bribe him etc. Maybe just leave him in there with it until curiosity gets the better of him.

Any thoughts/ ideas, want to be completely prepared!
 
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I think so many people have different knacks for loading their horses! I remember one horse in particular I had, he was a strong lad ( 16.3hh ShireXAndulsian) and He was sometimes very awkward to load to say the least. After trying every trick in the book with him, what I found worked was to attach him to a lead rein and liturally just sit at the back of the trailer with a feed bucket! He would then dordle in at his own accord, un stressed and calm. ( I found this out one day when Id given up and had gone and sat at the back of the trailer having almost a little sob!! )

Anyway, this I used for his trailer training, just simply sitting at the back and letting him come on to eat. Sometimes I would have the ramp done up behind, sometimes not, and sometimes we would go for a drive sometimes not. After a couple of months he became good to load, I believe he had only been in a lorry before hand ( probabley due to his size! )
 
Gimp said:
I think so many people have different knacks for loading their horses! I remember one horse in particular I had, he was a strong lad ( 16.3hh ShireXAndulsian) and He was sometimes very awkward to load to say the least. After trying every trick in the book with him, what I found worked was to attach him to a lead rein and liturally just sit at the back of the trailer with a feed bucket! He would then dordle in at his own accord, un stressed and calm. ( I found this out one day when Id given up and had gone and sat at the back of the trailer having almost a little sob!! )

Anyway, this I used for his trailer training, just simply sitting at the back and letting him come on to eat. Sometimes I would have the ramp done up behind, sometimes not, and sometimes we would go for a drive sometimes not. After a couple of months he became good to load, I believe he had only been in a lorry before hand ( probabley due to his size! )
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Thankyou, this sounds like a very good method,because of the lack of pressure on him hopefully means he won't be stressed. Also my boy is ruled by his belly so maybe just maybe it'll be the incentive he needs.
 
I'm not the best person to speak to on this as I'm having to resort to getting Richard Maxwell out, but Joy's gone from being afraid to, to deciding not to.

I'm order to get her to be not afraid I needed to get her used to walking on other surfaces and getting her used to enclosed areas. I did this before even thinking about loading.

Bloodymindedness I can't help with I'm afraid as I've not cracker that yet and need help.
 
Ziggy doesn't like to load, though he travels very well. I have never had a practice box or trailer for long enough to allow the dawdling for food method, but that would certainly be my preference if I had the time. He does get much better with practice though :smile:
 
if you've not loaded him before i'd be positive and simply assume he'll load, more horses than you might think load very easily :) if you go in all lunegelined up etc. he'll think something is up! im sure he'll be fine :)
 
notpoodle said:
if you've not loaded him before i'd be positive and simply assume he'll load, more horses than you might think load very easily :) if you go in all lunegelined up etc. he'll think something is up! im sure he'll be fine :)
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This is exactly what I was just about to say, when I picked Belle up I just assumed she'd load, never occurred to me she might not, walked up to the ramp and straight on like it was something we did everyday and she just followed like a lamb, no questions.

Try that first and see how you go, you never know. Good luck. :)
 
When Joe and Storm moved yards I simply assumed they would both load okay - I frog marched Storm up the ramp and she went like a lamb. Joe on the other hand had other ideas! But, he responded to quiet firm persuasion by OH and it didn't take long. Tbh because I was so darn novicey I had NO idea that they could be hard to load. Sure, I had read the odd thing but I assumed that just applied to youngsters. I think the power of confidence is underestimated on that basis because I know for sure if I had known about the potential for trouble Storm would have picked up on it. So, you might be pleasantly surprised!
 
It's a good idea getting him leading first, as Joyscarer says. If he won't follow you over a tarpaulin or between a pair of barrels, he probably won't follow into the trailer either. But once that's done, I found that what worked with Hebe (also a Haflinger) was to take a bucket of pasture mix in one hand and the lead-rope in the other and just walk in. In fact, a hay-net was just as good as a bucket: food's food!
 
Should of said I had him on a lunge line not a lead rein ( so it could stretch to the back)

I remember being at a show watching someone struggling with a pony to load, I was about to go over to see if they needed a hand with anything when a group of 'experts' went to intervine! What I watched was appauling and I dont think the owner really knew what to do. They were trying all force methods possible with the pony not being to big. In the end they put a jumper over the ponys head and try to run it up the ramp with force. The pony freaked out, reared and went over on the lorry ramp and went tumbling down. At that point the owner came to her senses and screamed blue mercy at the 'helpers'

Thank goodness the pony was ok but he was trembling. They used a similar method to what I used with my boy in the end while he calmed down and let him come up on his own accord. I went over and chatted with them, they said it was the youngsters first trip out and he had been pretty ok at home to load. Poor thing I hope he wasnt to scarred from his ordeal.

You see some right goings on at shows sometimes :frown:
 
Chanter can be a swine to load.

I second the dually, hat , gloves and a lung line for saftey. Don't boot up but out brushing boots on.

I have had many people offer to help me with CHanter and I have also had one guy at the vets tell me that I was loading my horse wrong and the lunge lines just made him angry. I told him to piss off I have owned my horse for 5 years and we go out every week end.

For Chanter two lung lines laid on the floor (not pickup by anyone) walk him up the middle and he loads. I am not saying do this but what I am saying is if you watch Monty roberts they use a dually and a couple of very large fences to create a funnel effect the same a lunge lines do but guess what I can't fit them in my trailer,

Go for a confident walk right in. if that fails go for food and waiting it out for a while but remember what they learn from that first experience is the foundation for the future.

Ginger on the other hand went through a phase of not wanting to load and a very gentle pressure on the dually than lots praise worked with him and he loads like a dream now
 
LindaAd said:
It's a good idea getting him leading first, as Joyscarer says. If he won't follow you over a tarpaulin or between a pair of barrels, he probably won't follow into the trailer either. But once that's done, I found that what worked with Hebe (also a Haflinger) was to take a bucket of pasture mix in one hand and the lead-rope in the other and just walk in. In fact, a hay-net was just as good as a bucket: food's food!
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He leads very well now, over anything and between tight gaps, he's just unsure at times. The other day I had to go in between a parked car and a wall through a tight gap, and I asked him to stop in the gap (in dropped something) he stood there but he wasn't very happy about it, if I had made him stand much longer he would of run off
 
Thankyou so much for all the advice, very helpful. I'm hoping everyone at the yard will give a hand too, but last thing I want is them shouting or getting whips etc out and it all getting very stressy! I will let you know how it goes, will try just being positve first, never know maybe he will walk straight on!
 
Gimp said:
I remember being at a show watching someone struggling with a pony to load, I was about to go over to see if they needed a hand with anything when a group of 'experts' went to intervine! What I watched was appauling and I dont think the owner really knew what to do. They were trying all force methods possible with the pony not being to big. In the end they put a jumper over the ponys head and try to run it up the ramp with force. The pony freaked out, reared and went over on the lorry ramp and went tumbling down. At that point the owner came to her senses and screamed blue mercy at the 'helpers'

Thank goodness the pony was ok but he was trembling. They used a similar method to what I used with my boy in the end while he calmed down and let him come up on his own accord. I went over and chatted with them, they said it was the youngsters first trip out and he had been pretty ok at home to load. Poor thing I hope he wasnt to scarred from his ordeal.

You see some right goings on at shows sometimes :frown:
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Yes, everyone has their own way of loading which is fine but I hate it when people try to force their methods onto other people. If we're at a competition and I see someone struggling to load, I go over and ask if they'd like help. If they say no thanks, I respect that and leave them be. If they say yes, I ask them what they'd like me to do. Even if I'd use a different method, I keep it to myself. But it's amazing how many times you see people going to "help" and they are quite visibly doing more harm than good!
 
Ditto OBC about wearing gloves and a hat !

Fingers crossed though Ale he will potter on without batting an eyelid :angel::biggrin:
 
Paddy could be a drama queen about loading - some days straight on, other days...Well Rag Dolly Anna springs to mind as he'd try to drag me off wherever possible. But on a good note we ALWAYS got out and about.

I agree with everyone elses tips but one thing I learnt from Paddy is it was when he realised he couldn't pull me away that he started to go on so much easier. At times when he was a pain I would just wait at the bottom of the ramp moving his feet a little and then hey presto all of a sudden he'd say 'right, I'm going in' with no warning and on we'd go - you don't always need the big run up but of course it depends on the horse :)

My main tip is just give yourself plenty of time and be patient - I used to get myself so worked up in the beginning and of course that was no good for either of us

Sounds like he might be one to go on for food (being a Haffy too) so fingers crossed you'll be loading In no time - Good Luck!!
 
Just a little story from when we used to load the driving ponies for shows ( 3 x Sec c's) The lorry would be open and we would let them out of the stable ( in an american barn set up) one by one. The first would walk out the stable down the block and onto the lorry!.. tie up.. close partition... NEXT!

Was hilarious ! They loved going to shows and would be so excited to get onto the lorry!
 
Gimp said:
Just a little story from when we used to load the driving ponies for shows ( 3 x Sec c's) The lorry would be open and we would let them out of the stable ( in an american barn set up) one by one. The first would walk out the stable down the block and onto the lorry!.. tie up.. close partition... NEXT!

Was hilarious ! They loved going to shows and would be so excited to get onto the lorry!
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Brilliant story Gimp!! And what a great reminder that they're not all problematic - fingers crossed Ale he'll be running you up that ramp before you know it in excitement to get out and about!
 
Please please ALWAYS wear a hat round loading a horse. Accidents still happen to the best, most experienced people.
 
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Well he blew me away. Walked him up to it, two feet straight on ramp! Small bribe and all four feet on ramp! Two minutes standing like that, I applied the tiniest amount of pressure on the dually and in he went. Could not be happier!! Repeated a few times and he just walked on no hesitation at all.

:biggrin: :dance::smile:

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