The best laid plans.... Charlie still at home

[Jane&Ziggy]

Charlie was supposed to go to his new home yesterday. His new owner came with a friend's little box. In summary, we couldn't get him to load. He wasn't frightened, and he got 3 feet on the ramp, but he didn't want to go the rest of the way. New owner and friend didn't have the time to take it really slowly, and by ill chance a closed road meant that our normally quiet little lane was a bit like the M25, so we decided to abort.

I am so sure I have sold him to the right person. Buyer is coming back today and bringing her own little trailer. She will bring it into my field and park it, and work with Charlie over the next few days to get him comfortable with loading in it. She has had a lot of trailer loading experience and is much happier with it. Also, Sid will load in anything as far as I know, so I stand a chance of using him to give Charlie a lead if all else fails. The plan is for Charlie to go this weekend, once he is happy about the trailer. She doesn't want her first experience with him to be stressful and horrid.

Lucky Charlie.

 

[Doodle92]

Aww that’s great that new owner seems so sensible. I think the way she has handled it says a lot.

 

[Skib]

I wouldnt worry too much. People like me who follow a bit of NH and like teaching horses stuff, usually start with teaching loading. I remember years ago staying an extra hour at the RS while a mare was loaded in the public car park to go on her summer holiday in the country. Not something she wanted to do. And they didnt use NH methods of course.

 

[carthorse]

Try not to worry, I think that if she was going to be put off by it she wouldn't have arranged to come back.

I do think a lot of the small lorries aren't at all inviting for the horse unless you can take the partition out and travel them safely - to me that means you need a bar that can be brought across next to the ramp so that when you unload they can't swing straight onto it. If you think about it they nearly all have a side ramp which means, in their eyes, they are walking almost straight into a wall. Many of them aren't very long either and the horse needs to turn as soon as on. If you get that far and the partition goes across they are then in a tiny area, and many have stallion partitions as standard which must make it feel very claustrophobic. I suspect that if the lady is coming back with a trailer that seems fairly light and roomy, that he can walk straight onto, then you may get a very different result.

 

[diplomaticandtactful]

Charlie was supposed to go to his new home yesterday. His new owner came with a friend's little box. In summary, we couldn't get him to load. He wasn't frightened, and he got 3 feet on the ramp, but he didn't want to go the rest of the way. New owner and friend didn't have the time to take it really slowly, and by ill chance a closed road meant that our normally quiet little lane was a bit like the M25, so we decided to abort.

I am so sure I have sold him to the right person. Buyer is coming back today and bringing her own little trailer. She will bring it into my field and park it, and work with Charlie over the next few days to get him comfortable with loading in it. She has had a lot of trailer loading experience and is much happier with it. Also, Sid will load in anything as far as I know, so I stand a chance of using him to give Charlie a lead if all else fails. The plan is for Charlie to go this weekend, once he is happy about the trailer. She doesn't want her first experience with him to be stressful and horrid.

Lucky Charlie.

sounds a better plan, boxes are a bit scarier than trailers as you have to go up a steeper ramp and turn. and if he can practice with the trailer so much better for him to have a good experience rather than be forced

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Try not to worry, I think that if she was going to be put off by it she wouldn't have arranged to come back.

I do think a lot of the small lorries aren't at all inviting for the horse unless you can take the partition out and travel them safely - to me that means you need a bar that can be brought across next to the ramp so that when you unload they can't swing straight onto it. If you think about it they nearly all have a side ramp which means, in their eyes, they are walking almost straight into a wall. Many of them aren't very long either and the horse needs to turn as soon as on. If you get that far and the partition goes across they are then in a tiny area, and many have stallion partitions as standard which must make it feel very claustrophobic. I suspect that if the lady is coming back with a trailer that seems fairly light and roomy, that he can walk straight onto, then you may get a very different result.

Absolutely. He did load in a little box last time but that was with a very experienced NH trainer. It did seem awfully cramped in there, even for a baby horse.

sounds a better plan, boxes are a bit scarier than trailers as you have to go up a steeper ramp and turn. and if he can practice with the trailer so much better for him to have a good experience rather than be forced

She has an in-and-out trailer with no partitions, as far as I understand, so he will be able to walk straight through when training. I know they aren't as safe on the road but they do seem much more horse friendly.

 

[MrC]

I think trailers are more inviting as the can see through them. Faran loads into anything. I did the work when got him so as the trailer was the least of my issues from the start.

Some need a bit more work and as long as you are patient it doesn’t matter what method you use. I’m certainly not an NH user but the wee guy is as soft as butter and well trained