Hi a freind has asked me to help with a horse which has loading issues, having dealt with a few non loaders successfully - some of whom has some severe reacrions to loading and had even been branded dangerous I felt reasonably confident in being able to help - this horse is terribly polite at sayong no, he plants at the bottem of the ramp amd just wont budge, we can move any other direction apart from into the tralor (well I did manage to get his front feet in and the back feet on the ramp but he then runs backwards, keeping pressure on makes this worse and he is liable to rear) I have came accross this before and with perserverance, the dually headcollar and pressure and release the horse has come in - we have tried going back to basics using tarps to walk over and canes and tarps to walk under and although he is nervous of walking under the tarp (suspended on canes) he will do it with increasing confidence but still this will not transfer to the trailor. He does seem worried about the roof above his head and is fine with placing his feet, I have spend a lot of time calmly perservereing but am now coming to a blank - any suggestions, unfortunatly the loaction of the horse ans the situation does not allow for the use of panels. He aparently did have a traumatic experience with his previous owner involving the trailor where he came crashing out into a pack of hunting dogs and took out several of the hounds (he is fine qith dogs incidently and pretty much everything else in life) - he has a fabulous relationship with his current ower and will follow you around the arena with no lead rope and even tackle obstacles like this - I am running out of ideas, can anyone suggest anything.
Rewards
Subscribe to Equus Online University and become a part of Monty's worldwide mission to leave the world a better place for horses and for people too.
Students automatically gain access to special rewards, such as exclusive discounts at the Monty Roberts Online Shop. Visit Monty Roberts Online Shop.
The only thing i could suggest is that when going into the float he cant see out the other side. With the tarp suspended above him he can see out the other end so he knows he is not boxed in, whereas with the float it is closed in. You could try putting a tarp or black plastic so it is dark, at the end of your tarp tunnel so he gets used to the confinement of a float. Make sure your door at the front of the float is open too so he can see it is a little open.
This is all i can think of to help!
Hope you sort it out ok :-)
Janelle
Hi Rowan tree - my first horse was like this. He was a beautiful horse but ruined for floating by the rangers when he escaped from his paddock/field once. I didn't see it happen but I found I couldn't get him to board the float afterwards. Someone told me years later that they had witnessed it - he was apparently thrown onto the bitumen road and then dragged into a cattle trailer - it sounded horrific. He was the same as the horse you are dealing with - would willingly move to the bottom of the trailer ramp and then just stop. It used to take me hours to get him on - he would finally walk on but he was very fearful. No dually at the time and that may have helped. As I was pretty unsuccessful with teaching this fellow to load I can't be of much help except to say perseverence may be the answer. Like you I have successfully floated many troublesome horses for friends and fellow riders. If this horse you have is fearful of the darkness of the float have you lightened it? I sprayed my float's interior with white paint. Also leaving the side door open my help. If he knows to respond to the dually I think that maybe your most successful aid. Good luck with it.
Thanks guys
We are using the sually and he responds very well to it in all other circumstances - trailor in question is painted white insde and has a side ramp which we have open at the other side so he can see all the way through, he will willingly walk over things and now under (although exhibited a little stress with things iver his head initially)I think you are right magggie perserverance is the answer - been watching lots of monty on horse and country tv and perhaps should try backing up a little more at the bottem of the ramp - off again to see if I can find a vid that has a horse that plants in specifically )sometimes the reactive ones give you more to read) ;0)
Thanks guys for you comments
We are using the dually and he responds very well to it in all other circumstances - trailor in question is painted white insde and has a side ramp which we have open at the other so he can see all the way through, he will willingly walk over things and now under (although exhibited a little stress with things iver his head initially)I think you are right magggie perserverance is the answer - been watching lots of monty on horse and country tv and perhaps should try backing up a little more at the bottem of the ramp - off again to see if I can find a vid that has a horse that is more of the planting type specifically - he really is very good in all other ways and responds beautifully to requests to come foward and back up and stop etc - just very politely refuses to get into the trailor bless his soul, will be back to visit him again in another week armed with aas much info and learning as I can muster between now and then ;0)
Thanks guys for you comments
We are using the dually and he responds very well to it in all other circumstances - trailor in question is painted white insde and has a side ramp which we have open at the other so he can see all the way through, he will willingly walk over things and now under (although exhibited a little stress with things iver his head initially)I think you are right magggie perserverance is the answer - been watching lots of monty on horse and country tv and perhaps should try backing up a little more at the bottem of the ramp - off again to see if I can find a vid that has a horse that is more of the planting type specifically - he really is very good in all other ways and responds beautifully to requests to come foward and back up and stop etc - just very politely refuses to get into the trailor bless his soul, will be back to visit him again in another week armed with aas much info and learning as I can muster between now and then ;0)
Hi Rowan Tree!
.
I know your problem. In autumn last year I have done my Introductory Course here in Germany. Now I am doing my field study with several horses.
.
There is a mare I am working with, and she won't move a foot as soon as you walk her in front of the ramp of a trailer. I have been working on this problem three times now (each time about half an hour). At the end of the first training session I got her to put her front feet on the ramp. Before that she was just planting her feet, and started rearing when I put too much pressure on the Dually (she responds very good to the halter, when we are not around a trailer). After I got her on the ramp with her front feet two times I stopped for that day (as a reward).
.
The second time she started rearing again. This time I schooled her for everything negative (also the rearing). At the end I got her with the front feet on the ramp again (without any problems anymore) and she reached into the trailer with her head and sniffed around. That's where I stopped the training for that day.
.
Yesterday was my third session with her. One time I got her to put all for feet on the ramp. She did no more rear or backup, because she did not want to get schooled again.
Then I started to put her front feet on the ramp, then backing her up again. I repeated this process so many times. At the end I thought: I want her to put all four feet on the ramp one more time, then I will stop for that day.
.
When I got her on the ramp with all four feet again (only about five minutes later) she walked right into the trailer, without me asking her for that!
.
I have no idea how and why this happened, maybe because she did not want to back up over and over again. But it happened! I stopped the training at this point to reward her.
.
I know that I am not ready on working with this mare, she had a bad experience with the trailer, as most non-loaders did.
.
Her owner wanted to take her on a trip to Africa last year, and put leg protectors on her. She did never have something like this on her legs, and panicked in the trailer. So that's what she is still associating with the trailer now.
.
I don't know, but I hope this might help you! Tell us on how you are progressing!
.
Have a nice day.
Best wishes from Hamburg, Germany,
Jasmin
Hi Jasmin
Thankyou it sounds like you did a great job on this wee mare - and I recon thst more schooling is what I need to do and also break the schooling sessions into shorter sessions (thankyou for confirming this is the right thisng to do) We managed to get half in the trailor but the back feet are still on the ramp and he isn't too keen on getting the whole body in there but pleased all the same on the progress we made ;0) Will be back over to see him next week some time so will work on these principles that you have suggested - watched loads of monty videos on saturday night after the session and it seems that he does a whole lot more schooling and backing up than I did. I found gentle asks with the dually got me much more progress that putting on a huge amount of pressure to ask him forward and tried to imagine having elastic hands that gave as soon as he put in an effort - this worked very well. He is such a nice horse and so polite about everything and it would be nice to see the worried look on his face ease when he overcomes his fear ;0) Will let you all know how we get on. Thanks for all the advice and support - its really helpful ;0)