Hi Everyone
I am trying to sell my gelding as we are moving overseas in a few months. I have not had much interest so far, so have decided to send him to a very nice and experienced lady who is going to do some intensive schooling with him. She starts and brings on horses and has good facilities where potential buyers can view him and try him out, hopefully I can find him a nice new home soon.
In order to get to her place I have to put him on a big horse truck - the owner/driver has an excellent reputaion as a nice person and good horseman. However, in the year that I have had him he has not been in a trailer or truck and I simply have no idea whether he will load or not. He is an anglo arab crossbred and can be a bit highly strung at times. I have done groundwork with him using a Dually and he is very responsive to it - backs up, goes forwards, turns, stops etc all with the lightest of cues. However, he is still not totally comfortable with it on - always slightly on his toes and a little bit tense. He is very sensitive around his face as he has had past issued with being tied to an electric fence by a previous owner (which Ihave metioned in other posts). With an ordinary soft webbing headcollar on he is more relaxed - not sure whether it's the jangly bits on the Dually or the heavier weight of it that makes him a bit worried, but he just cannot seem to get totally relaxed in it.
He is going to be taken there on Monday and I don't have access to a trailer or truck to practise beforehand. How do you think I should approach this - try and load him in the Dually or in his normal headcollar? I need to try and make the whole process as stress free for him as possible - he is very arab natured and if he gets really upset it will be hard to get him anywhere near a truck in the future. Of course, he might be fine and just stroll on board (wouldn't that be nice?). What do other people think?
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Horse Behavior and Training
Loading On A Truck
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Is there any way you can hang up some kind of tarp or sheets and walk between them? Get him used to walk between and under stuff and gradually narrow the gap between the sheets.
Hi Emlaw - pity you could not sell him but this lady sounds good and I am sure she will find a nice home for him. This is a tricky one as it depends on whether he is going to load OK or not. If he is more relaxed in the ordinary soft webbing head collar I would be inclined to try him with that first. If he does not load willingly straight away in that then I would very quickly slip the dually on over the top as by this time he will probably be a bit stressed anyway and you will hold him so much better with the dually. It is also better not to spend too much time with the ordinary halter trying to get him to load because if he says 'no' first up he will only start to stress out and you may lose valuable time too if the truck driver is keen to get away. If he is responsive to the dually then he should load alright with it. Tricka is such a cheeky, naughty one - she still says 'no' with the rope halter but as soon as the dually goes on in she goes. I just find the dually an amazing help for loading any horse that is a bit reluctant. Hopefully the transport driver will allow you to do most of it yourself so that Shadow(?) stays as calm as possible. If he wants to help you should be the one to direct him - maybe just have him stand fairly calmly behind your horse. It is often better to do it by yourself and the less helpers the better. Make sure he is straight onto the ramp and then ask him to follow you up it with the dually. Have a long lead rope and you may need gloves so if he pulls back you will still be able to hold him and as soon as he comes off pressure relax and bring him back to you gently. There is a really good video on loading a horse onto a truck with a dually in the Monty and Kelly Marks Horsemanship Essentials videos - horseandcountry.tv. - UK. There are a couple of good videos on loading in the series but the one I am thinking of is with Kelly loading a big spoilt black horse - I need to check the titles again but you may remember it too. You may care to check this video out first. Pity you can't have a trial run. All the best with it - I hope he just walks on for you! I am feeling for you as I know how sad it is to say good - bye to a horse we have loved. Know you have done the best for him and given him a good life while he has been with you. Take care.
relax = release!
Thanks Maggie - the idea of having the Dually handy to slip over the top might just be the way to go. My previous horse was a difficult loader, but she was more stubborn and would just plant her feet and stand there - literally for an hour or more, if she felt like it, and in the end I found the best way was to just walk straight up the ramp very purposefully and not look back.
Kicki - I was thinking I might spend the weekend setting up a bit of an obstacle course in the paddock and practise walking him in and around various things. He is such an inquisitive boy, we had some workmen park their van in the paddock one day while they were building a shelter and he had his head inside the drivers window and the trailer checking things out. I bet if I left a horse truck in their for a few days with the tail open he would be in there having a nosey, a shame I can't do that. He prefers to do things in his own time and if he feels he is being forced or pressured he just won't stand for it.
I have seen some of the H&C TV videos, will look them up and have another look regarding the loading. He is going there for four weeks initially to see how he gets on, and I will most likely go and visit him to make sure he is OK.
Hi Emlaw - have I been wasting time when I should have been putting my post and rail femce on my round yard for Chester? Regardless it has been heaps of fun and just loved watching these videos again. So 2 hours later ..... check out these prior to Monday! All great for anyone having problems using the dually and/or loading.
1. Horsemanship essentials - Episode 1 at http://www.horseandcountry.tv/episode-monty-and-kelly-horsemanship-essentials-loading
2. Horsemanship essentials - Episode 9 at http://www.horseandcountry.tv/episode-monty-and-kelly-horsemanship-essentials-linesmanship
3. Horsemanship essentials - Episode 20 at http://www.horseandcountry.tv/episode-monty-and-kelly-horsemanship-essentials-learning-lead-and-load
Thanks Maggie - I'll watch these over the weekend and get some tips. I just got an email back from his previous owner, she said he usually throws a small tantrum or two and messes around for a couple of minutes before walking in, as long as there aren't too mnay people fussing around behind him. She said she used to loop the lead rope around the bar and put a bit of pressure on it - once he realised he couldn't go anywhere he gave up quite easily. So now I'm thinking the Dually will be a good idea as he does understand the pressure principle. I could have in on top of the ordinary headcollar and then once he's loaded slip it off and tie him up in the truck using the one underneath and an ordinary short lead rope. Fingers crossed he goes in! At least now I have a plan.
Thanks for the links, MaggieF!
Just wanted to correct the second one as I found out it misses a word:
http://www.horseandcountry.tv/episode/monty-and-kelly-horsemanship-essentials-intelligent-linesmanship
I just watched the three programmes - thanks Maggie, they are really useful. I especially like Episode 20 with the heart rate monitor - just proves how effective the Dually and Monty's methods are. Hoping I can remember all of this for tomorrow!
They are great aren't they - I loved Episode 20 too! Good luck for to-morrow, Emlaw. I will be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing how it went. If he doesn't like anyone behind him just try it quietly by yourself. Given he gets a bit stressed with the dually I would still use the ordinary halter first as he may just go straight on for you. If he doesn't go straight on then don't give him a second chance - go straight to the dually over the top of the halter. Fingers crossed.
I'm pleased to say that Buck is now on the truck and on his way. He actually loaded with very little fuss, the driver was very calm with him and allowed him time to stop and sniff and check it out before walking straight on. It was beforehand that I had the problem - I put his headcollar on and fenced him off into a small area of paddock near the gate but when the truck stopped and he saw the other horses on board he went off prancing about and it took me ten minutes to catch him. So anyway, he's on his way and I am so relieved.
Hey emlaw, i just found this thread! That's great news that Buck got on with minimal fuss and quite funny re the prancing around! I hope he goes well at the training place & that you find a great home for him :)
I think next time I get a horse I am going to make sure that we do lots of loading training. It is so important - what if there was an emergency and we needed to get to the vet? I love seeing the self loaders that run into the truck by themselves. It is a real test of trust too, going into a dark poky cave space is against all of the horses natural instincts, it is amazing that they can trust enough to follow us in at all, and no wonder it is Monty's number one remedial problem when he does demos.
So pleased Buck went on OK! Some of those horse transport drivers are amazing - so pleased you had a good one. Only just managed to check forum for this week!
Great to hear, emlaw!
Glad it all went so well. Need to echo MaggieF on the greatness of some transport drivers.