Somebody has stolen Joy....

Joyscarer

Joyscarer

Active Member
Dec 30, 2006
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Hampshire
....and swapped her with a pony who will go onto a trailer on the end of a dangly rope :angel:



Just for a bit of background...

When I bought Joy back on December 2006 Joy loaded like a dream straight onto the trailer for me to take her to her new yard.

Then a few months later we were to do the Rockbourne fun ride and Joy was a bugger to load and when we got to the other end she was really sweaty and upset. She was even worse to load up to come home again and this wasn't helped by well meaning souls telling me I needed to get behind her with a lunge whip. I didn't but it made me feel even more unhappy and fraustrated which obviously didn't help Joy :frown:

I haven't travelling her since as I was well out of my depth and upset by the whole episode but did try to get her to load in that same trailer when we were alone on the yard but not to go anywhere using food and baby steps. A week later and I was no further on. The best I could acheive was front feet on the ramp and then her immediately pulling back and running off. I felt dreadful because this is obviously a problem I've created since I've owned her.

When she was travelled with her previous owner she was travelled by lorry and I thought it might just be that she didn't get on with the trailer. I wasn't keen to try again for fear of making things worse as Joy needs a confident leader and I most certainly wasn't going to be that for her where loading and travelling was concerned. I also know that she's scared of trailers now, even just walking past them is hard for her so I've avoided the problem. Here we are 4 years later and I'm trying again :redface:

The initial plan was that I'd hire a lorry and get in some help to retrain her as I thought I might be adding to the problem as I'm a beginner when it comes to travelling. I don't even know how to lead them on or secure them or open the doors even!!! :redface:

Anyway, I came back from my ride last Saturday and my yard mate had her trailer out and hooked up ready to go to a show, She kindly let me have a play whilst she finished prepping her pony.

Joy immediately had eyes on stalks and wasn't happy. I led her round and she immediatley went sideways and pulled away diagonally. I backed her away, did a nice big circle round to line her up and tried again. This time I didn't look at her, I looked ahead and kept pressure on the rope until I felt the try at which point a released the pressure backed her away then patted her. Then I tried again. This time we got both front feet on the trailer. I released the pressure, she was still looking to come forwards but I stopped her and backed her off leaving her with a thousand snuggles and that was it for the day. I've never felt so good. I hadn't made things worse, in fact we'd had quick progress :biggrin:


Today, I got back from my ride and decided to try again. My yard mate has given me permission to play with the trailer and moved it out so I can use the front ramp too.

This time I opened the front door too and left both guards off.

The first try required pressure and she got all 4 feet on the ramp and stopped. At that point I'd released the pressure to reward the try but she didn't try to back off. I put pressure on the line again and ignored her as I walked in. She followed me through. Cue lots of snuggles and pats at the other end and Joy knowing without doubt that she's the best girl in the world :giggle:

Attempt number 2 required pressure to get on the ramp but she didn't stop and followed me right on without stopping and no further pressure required. More snuggles! :happy:

So to attempt number 3. Straight onto the ramp with dangly rope, no pressure, and no pressure at all needed through out the whole process as she calmly walked through with me. Well, poor old Joy was smothered in kisses and had a very giggly happy owner snuggling her! Most un-Joy like to put up with this but it gave her the message she needed to appreciate which was that I know how hard it was but she did the right thing. :happy:

Lesson over for today. The whole thing took less than 5 mins including in hand grazing breaks in between goes and I haven't overloaded her senses or pushed her too much. :angel:

I know I have a long way to go. The next step is stopping whilst on board and then leading her off. Then after that it'll be fastening the breast and tail bars. Then after that it'll be closing the doors. Then lastly I'll hire Hampshire Horse Taxis to do some short journeys and see how we go. I eventually want to get to the stage where I can confidently travel her myself so I can take her to different places hacking by ourselves and doing the odd fun ride and meeting up with friends to hack too.




Does anyone have any information or book recommendations on how to travel horses? I'm talking 'Travelling Horses for Dummies' type stuff! I'm very much aware that I am a beginner. I didn't know where to stand or what to do. I'm sure I did the wrong thing walking in front of her as she could have panicked and mown me dowm. I need to know everything. How to adjust the bars, what proceedures to follow? All the things that people take for granted as I have no idea about as I've never done this myself before :redface:

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: This is how happy I am :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:
 
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Yay !!!! I'm always glad when I hear positive loading stories a's my first horse wads killed in a trailer accident and i always have to look away when peoples horses are playing up on the ramp.
It's something i have practiced with the ponys a few times, although we could do with another session!! Well done you!!!!
 
Fab news ! :)

Gosh I can't think of any books, but the BHS online bookshop might be good starting point for a book, then just do the usual comparision on ebay or amazon for a cheaper one. If not then, usually there are good articles in some of the larger horse mags.

To be honest though, I've never looked at any, I just made myself familiar with all the catches and how they worked. Then I was off, well I used to do that when I towed. I haven't towed a horse personally for over 15 years as OH does it now, mainly for the first few years as I was on my old Australian license and insurance was WAY to much, once I converted my license over, even though I got it after Jan 1997 (Sep 97 I got mine) the criteria allowed me to tow a trailer legally. So I've towed with our current trailer (but just not with a horse in it yet) and it's a bit different to the ones I have used before in Australia, but they are just the same rules to when you had a caravan before and were towing that.

I always load the horse up behind me, both our boys are ok, we went through periods with both of them where they would dance and go 'nah - grass is more interesting' but after a few goes out and about they became good. Although I still use a lure of a bucket with my horse, BUT I do that as we only have one strap to keep one horse in, the other broke years ago so I keep him occupied with his head in a bucket and OH puts the ramp up, I tie him to the twine exactly the same way you would on the yard, each have their own hay net and tied short enough to access their haynet but not each other as they like to play 'I can bite your face and lets see if I can bite your neck' when we travel :rolleyes:

Drive off and bob's your uncle your towing your horse in a trailer. Unloading (when I first saw the front unload on trailers in this country I spent about 5 mins going 'wow - what a great invention :eek: ) it's just common sense so you'll be fine.

But try the BHS book shop - give me 10 mins and I'll have a look for you while dinner is cooking :)
 
Cheers me dears.

I think tonight is going go be spent doing some research. I needs to get up to speed with what I'm doing.
 
I have to say my heart gave an 'orrible lurch too when I read the title! (Naughty, naughty Joyscarer!:biggrin:)

I think you are doing a marvellous job - just shows what time and patience can do - only little tip I can give, never, ever turn and look at them as you lead them on - tis the death knell to any forward impulsion they might have had in mind!:redface:

Never travel anymore unless its really essential- dont have a trailer, OH refuses to get one since we travelled a neddy couple of years ago and it managed to fall over, wriggle under bar and (eventually) scrabble up into the other section facing the wrong way!:eek: Very bruised, but otherwise OK ponio!:frown:

Look forward to hearing of your exploits as you happily travel here there and everywhere with JOY.:biggrin:
 
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