need help suggestions something!

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kaykay

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A woman just called me from Louisianna crying her eyes out. her farm was hit and they have moved all but one of their horses. The one horse left is a 2 year old filly 900 lbs. They absolutely cannot get her to load onto a trailer. They ahve tried everything! They called LSU and they told her they cannot help as they are too busy. Here is what they have tried

Sedative

Diff trailers

butt ropes

with holding food and then putting food in the trailer

using her buddy

I feel so bad for these people! they have got to get her to load! they tried the other day for 4 hrs.

Anyone know a big horse trainer that can tell us what to do?

Kay
 
I hate to say it, but there is no 'magic' trailer loading and nothing will get it done if they are in a hurry. Horses that are already bad at trailer loading will be worse if you try to rush them...and there's no quick way to get a stubborn or an afraid horse onto a trailer.

The best method I've used is to do circles around the opening of the trailer (where the horses load), walk up to the trailer, walk away from the trailer, step into the trailer, back out of the trailer, let the horse sniff the trailer as much as they want to, encourage them to put a foot on the trailer, if they don't, they will eventually...and when they do, reward them and back them off the trailer. start all over. With ever leg that they put up, reward and back them off, so that eventually they will put all four on the trailer. Again, this is the best way I've found, even if it does take hours and hours to do....the horse will be more comfortable and less likely to freak out.

I hope they can get the horse loaded soon!
smile.gif
 
Ok we are dealing with dire here so before everyone flames me this can work...and has for me (on several occasions within minutes and no lasting ill effects)

one brave knowledgeable person at the head two helpers one off to the side ready to slam the door shut.....the other person will need a lunge whip or long buggy whip...smack that horse between the ankles and hocks in rapid succession (not hard but fast and furious) keep it up until that horse goes in.........
 
I have seen the approach and retreat meathod used on horses reluctant to load.. You need a long lead rope and approach the trailer and let them retreat but only til the end of the rope. Then when they are ready you lead them back towards the trailer slowly and then you allow them to retreat, or if they dont , "you back them up" as if you dont want to load them yet.. talking to them all the while... after you repete this process several times, "not allowing them to go in" when you step in, they lose their fear of the trailer, and will follow your lead right in. (person going first) try it,.. at this point you have nothing to lose. ( its the apprehension of the big bad trailer that the horse needs to lose)
 
they said she normally isnt like this but she is so stressed and so fearful they just cannot get her to load. I feel so bad for these people. They are going sat to try again with a more open trailer. she puts her head in the trailer but then goes beserk.
 
I know this probably isn't a big issue, but... Is it a step-up trailer?

We had new axles put on our stock trailer, which raised it up considerably, so at least for at home, my husband dug a hole for each tire to be backed into, so that the step up wouldn't be so much.

I backed my two-horse trailer into these holes, to start training my two year olds (both full-size) to load; born and raised here with no reason to go anywhere, except if I sell the filly and she goes to a new home. The first day, I spent about 1.5 hours with each teaching them to get into the trailer (didn't close the door on them, as it was just the first day of training and I had no where to go). Yes, I did include food bribes in my training. To help the filly, I have a plastic bag taped to the end of a 3/4"x3' wooden dowel. I use it to lightly tap the top of her hip as a go forward cue (it's an idea I got from a trainer who helped me get her dam over her trailer loading issues). It might also work just fine or even better as just a flag without actually touching the horse. It didn't work with the gelding; I used a lunge whip with him, as I had used it in his leading training, it also worked to load him in the trailer.

As we all know, each horse has his own quirks that we have to work with.
wacko.gif
 
Unfortunately it sounds like this filly is upset, the people are upset, which in turn makes the filly more upset....

Since this is urgent & she MUST load, they could try a nerve line. Used properly it actually has a calming effect on most horses--this is assuming that the people have enough horse experience & knowledge to use it properly and know when to back off of it.
 
Mona said:
How about blindfolding her?
463397[/snapback]


Mona took the words out of my mouth!

We used that method years ago for big horses that we were getting out of a forest fire area. So, the horses were understandabley stressed.

MA
 
Miniv said:
Mona said:
How about blindfolding her?
463397[/snapback]


Mona took the words out of my mouth!

We used that method years ago for big horses that we were getting out of a forest fire area. So, the horses were understandabley stressed.

MA

463413[/snapback]

 
We just went through this with a 4 year old quarterhorse that had been beaten and broke 3 ropes. My husband and i went down to get the horse and there was an audience to watch " the rodeo". We took our buggy whip, attached a walmart plastic bag to it and GENTLY waved it behind her. When she went forward we stopped. As soon as she starts the other direction start in again. In less than 4 minutes we had the mare loaded. The onlookers were betting against it. Remember dont hit her , just wave the bag behind her and at her legs to get her to move forward. This should work.
 
anther thing might be if it is a ramp of course to back her into the trailer she might find that less stress ful the only other thing I can think of is good one at her head(meaning knowledgable) as well as the same behind her.. one hand from each person locked sort of around her upper leg just above the hock a bit and PUSH her in.. they have to be strong and not let her go back to far just sort of one step back and 3 forward kinda thing- no yelling or screaming at her or eachother just quietly get her in
 
Maybe a blindfold and a twitch. The first to keep her from seeing the big bad trailer and the 2nd to release enough endorphins to make her more manageable.?

Ginny StP
 
1. You must keep her head straight.

2. One person guiding the head. bring the rope through the front window if there is one

3. two people on either side of a butt rope

4. one person to put a leg up, then another leg up

5. 1, 2, 3 everybody SHOVE..........UP you are in
 
thanks so much for your suggestions. Im going to ask her if they tried a blindfold yet. They did try making a ramp and she wouldnt use that either. Also the owner knows the filly is feeling their stress. I told her when she goes sat they have to be calm and act like nothing is wrong as hard as that is. Ill let you guys know!
 
The nerve line can be great in careful hands......I am so not a fan of blindfolds the one time I actually witnessed the use it all went really bad horse went half in then reared flipped and darn near severed someones finger....having been nearly killed by a horse who reacted bad to a twtich that isn't my first choice either.....what ruffntuff mentioned we have done many times.....however if the horse is this freaked out you just need to get the animal in the trailer or maybe they have time if they can come back with another trailer.........if anyone has a cattle dog it will work the same as my suggestion if you send it at heels.......yes a trainer I knew used her kelpie alot for this.....
 
Piece of twine that runs over the top gum around and then over the poll with the tail of the twine going back through a loop kinda like a choke chain on a dog but not.....can be very useful but also very dangerous if you haven't used one......
 
Nerve line is referred to by old timers as a "roman bridle" It must be used with care but it sure gets a horses attention. We resorted to it when we had to load a three year old clyde that had never has a hand put on it until the day came to load it. In a matter of ten minutes we were going down the road. There are times when using a drastic measure is prefferable to struggling for (in your case four hours) and causing stress to both the horse and the handlers.
 

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