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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 486
 
Location: CentralTexas | I have never had this problem except with this one filly. I have had her and her sister in a pen where I parked my stock trailer and fed them in it. Her sister learned within 3 days, if you want to eat you get in. This yellow filly would rather starve than get in. We separated them and backed the trailer up to a dip where she doesn't have to step up, and it's been two days and she still won't get in. She gets hay and grass, btw, so she's not starving, she just will not get in the trailer. Won't even lead up into the trailer. How did y'all trailer break your colts? |
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
 
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | we use a butt rope...........never had an issue.:)
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  Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Same way, but I back up to a round pen and work them back and forth on that half of the pen. I don't let them make the full circle and they are working and turning. The rest spot is in the trailer. I haven't had one this doesn't work for. Once they jump in after just a small work, I start feeding and rewarding them in there, before they only short work the reward is a break. They LOVE the trailer and will load themselves after (worse case scenerio) 3 or 4 days of works. Just be patient and make it the safe place.
Edited by LRQHS 2014-05-08 3:13 PM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
 
Location: Phoenix | Honestly, a little tough love has worked for us. Some pushing, some pulling, rope around the butt, just get them IN. Lots of praise once they are in. I guess it depends on how broke and how big she is. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Yes, I would lead her and then add a butt rope. You might tie her friend in the front since that one's happy there if there is enough room. |
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 Namesless in BHW
Posts: 10368
Location: At the race track with Ah Dee Ohs | mruggles - 2014-05-08 3:10 PM we use a butt rope...........never had an issue.:)
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^^ This |
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 Expert
Posts: 2457
| I know ... roll your eyes ... but Clinton Anderson the hell outa her. You can see his methods for this on YouTube ... you don't have to buy anything, just apply them.
This has worked for EVERY horse I have ever tried it on. A little respect from the ground and tada they load. I point, they get in, end of story. My older mare, you get outa the way and she is searching for the trailer! |
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Expert
Posts: 1477
Location: In the land of peanuts and cotton | Mine never had a problem. He hoped right in on the 2nd try buttttt getting off.... Now that's a whole nother story. He is petrified of getting off. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 975
Location: The barn...where else? SW Missouri | lindseylou2290 - 2014-05-08 7:31 PM I know ... roll your eyes ... but Clinton Anderson the hell outa her. You can see his methods for this on YouTube ... you don't have to buy anything, just apply them. This has worked for EVERY horse I have ever tried it on. A little respect from the ground and tada they load. I point, they get in, end of story. My older mare, you get outa the way and she is searching for the trailer!
This |
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 Peecans
| You have to teach them in order for them to learn. Ive never believed in the feeding in the trailer, I want my horse to jump in hungry or not lol. I know it works for many people but I just like to be more hands on with it :-)
I 100% agree with the C A comments, if you do lunging for respect it will help so much. Its a huge part of how I teach the horse to load.
I get them lunging nice then I go to a fence and send the horse in between me and the fence, this will give me a great look at how the horse handles a small place, once the horse can go in between me and the fence I move to the trailer. At first I send them between me and the open trailer like the fence. Once they are settled with this I move into a position to send the horse in the trailer. ONE foot at a time, one foot in back out, two feet in back out, three feet back out four feet back out. Lots of time resting in the trailer.
It sounds like a long time but it dosent really take that long. I love ground work! Good luck and have fun :-) |
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | della - 2014-05-08 10:37 PM You have to teach them in order for them to learn. Ive never believed in the feeding in the trailer, I want my horse to jump in hungry or not lol. I know it works for many people but I just like to be more hands on with it :-) I 100% agree with the C A comments, if you do lunging for respect it will help so much. Its a huge part of how I teach the horse to load. I get them lunging nice then I go to a fence and send the horse in between me and the fence, this will give me a great look at how the horse handles a small place, once the horse can go in between me and the fence I move to the trailer. At first I send them between me and the open trailer like the fence. Once they are settled with this I move into a position to send the horse in the trailer. ONE foot at a time, one foot in back out, two feet in back out, three feet back out four feet back out. Lots of time resting in the trailer. It sounds like a long time but it dosent really take that long. I love ground work! Good luck and have fun :-)
I agree^^^^ground work is the key and I love ground work as well.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 581
Location: Fort Collins, CO | i've dealt with my fair share of horses that don't like to load because they've never been taught.
the ONLY thing that worked in the long run for me was to work on the ground with the sending exercises (clinton anderson demonstrates these perfectly). you work them in both directions next to the open trailer, and after they are listening when changing directions and looking for a break cuz they're tired you ask them to jump on the trailer. that is the only place they can rest.
it WORKS!! pretty soon they are looking to get in there cuz they want to stop trotting. you don't go in the trailer first, you send them on. let them rest in there for a minute, you can even put a bite of hay in there for them.
then ask them to back off and work them again (hopefully less time) and send them on again.
the stuff works! and it reinforces on the ground that you are in charge. |
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 Husband Spoiler
Posts: 4151
Location: North Dakota | Yep the CA exercise is the best. I have had to load horses that have 0 handle on them and aren't even halter broke and are spooky. So we back up to a small pen and use the same CA type of pressure and reward even if you don't have the nice handle. We reward any step towards the trailer and then reapply the pressure, reward movement towards and relax, then apply the pressure again, etc.
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Expert
Posts: 1695
Location: Willows, CA | For me, the best thing has been ground work. It is easier for my horses to get in the trailer than to resist getting in the trailer. I don't make a big deal out of it, just apply some pressure outside that goes away when they make forward movement toward getting in. Pressure ( flag, or a little light encouragement with the end of the lead rope) goes away with the slightest try, resumes when the try stops. I have never seen a horse that will not load this way, though on some it may take a lot of time. If the resistance is bad, it takes more time, but that is just the way it is. Don't start this when you need to get the horse somewhere on a schedule. The biggest mistake that people make is to get the horse in the trailer, slam the door and go. They didn't want to go in in the first place because they think that they will be trapped in there. When you get them loaded and close them in you prove that they were right. Do this when you have plenty of time and let them out. then load them again and let them out. To start with, do not close the door. You need to do this a lot of times. When they are going in comfortably put them up. Usually, they will be good to go for a month or so, then perhaps need a touch up of the lesson. After that, most horses will load easily forever. We had young daughters that could load any horse on the place safely when they were quite small. Taking the time to teach the horse to load properly takes time, and is worth every minute. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2097
Location: Deep South | winwillows - 2014-05-09 12:18 PM
For me, the best thing has been ground work. It is easier for my horses to get in the trailer than to resist getting in the trailer. I don't make a big deal out of it, just apply some pressure outside that goes away when they make forward movement toward getting in. Pressure ( flag, or a little light encouragement with the end of the lead rope) goes away with the slightest try, resumes when the try stops. I have never seen a horse that will not load this way, though on some it may take a lot of time. If the resistance is bad, it takes more time, but that is just the way it is. Don't start this when you need to get the horse somewhere on a schedule. The biggest mistake that people make is to get the horse in the trailer, slam the door and go. They didn't want to go in in the first place because they think that they will be trapped in there. When you get them loaded and close them in you prove that they were right. Do this when you have plenty of time and let them out. then load them again and let them out. To start with, do not close the door. You need to do this a lot of times. When they are going in comfortably put them up. Usually, they will be good to go for a month or so, then perhaps need a touch up of the lesson. After that, most horses will load easily forever. We had young daughters that could load any horse on the place safely when they were quite small. Taking the time to teach the horse to load properly takes time, and is worth every minute.
Agree completely on the don't be in a hurry thing.
I also use the "CA Method" or the "Stacey Westfall" method, or the "groundwork" method, whatever you want to call it. You can watch it on youtube. I have trained probably about a dozen horses in the past 2 years using this method, it works for every single one of them. Like others mentioned, I don't want to have to bribe them in, I don't even want to have to BE in the trailer, pulling them in! I want to stand at the door and send them in. What if they need to load on a little two-horse straight load one day? MY horses won't have a problem, and I won't have to squeeeeeze up in/out of that thing. |
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 Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | LRQHS - 2014-05-08 3:12 PM
Same way, but I back up to a round pen and work them back and forth on that half of the pen. I don't let them make the full circle and they are working and turning. The rest spot is in the trailer. I haven't had one this doesn't work for. Once they jump in after just a small work, I start feeding and rewarding them in there, before they only short work the reward is a break. They LOVE the trailer and will load themselves after (worse case scenerio) 3 or 4 days of works. Just be patient and make it the safe place.
THIS^^^^^^^^ |
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