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 Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
  
Location: Woodstown, NJ | I've had this horse since he's a baby and he's 17 now. He's never given me any trouble. In fact, when he was around 6, I sold him to some people for their kid and described him as bombproof. They had him for about six years and then they gave him back to me because the kid lost interest. I think they spoiled him and were scared of him at the same time. He's big and strong. He came back a little disrespectful, i.e., pulling me around when I was trying to lead him and refusing to load. He never refused to load before. I had the same stock trailer. He was practically born in that trailer. We worked on it and got him loading but he was never really solid. I wasn't doing anything with him and got busy so I forgot about it. Last year we started running barrels with him. Sometimes he loaded and sometimes he didn't. We tried many different techniques. One time at a show, I couldn't get him in and three cowboys had to come and they actually lifted his butt and pushed him in! Shortly after, he got an injury and was laid up. Now I'm riding him again but I am not allowed to lope him yet so I can't work him in the round pen. But I would like to bring him around when we go to shows my daughter is entering to keep the other horse company and to ride him on the grounds. Or go on a trailride. But I can't get him in the trailer unless I'm feeding him his meals in there. Then he will jump right on! I feed him every morning on there! But he won't jump on for grain if it's not mealtime and he's not that hungry! Obviously he's disrespecting me but I can't work him in the round pen to give him a refresher course on respect because of the injury. I've tried the annoying tap but he doesn't blink an eye. I've whacked him but he just gets unruly. I've tried being nice and gentle. I've tried the rope around butt--no. Loading the other horse first, probably not. I wish I had those three cowboys here! I can't feed him on the trailer all the time and leave him there until it's time to leave. Sometimes it's too hot or we're leaving hours later. It doesn't matter what trailer. I have a stock and a slant load. What do I do? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 794
| Work him in a circle at the door try to load him when he will not load work only let him rest if he gets in the trailer. I have done this with every one of my colts for about 20 years now and it works every time. You may be there all day working him but if you keep at it he will eventually load.
Good luck |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Feed him in the trailer BUT halter him and load him when he eats. A couple of other ideas include ----- line him up and pull real hard then give him slack. This usually works for me.. Also line him up and run the rope through some part of the trailer and snub him up. If he moves forward, take out the slack. This gives them the idea you are stronger than they are. The last thing is a butt rope. Mine are taught to lead as babies with a butt rope. If I throw a butt rope over mine they will run over you to get in the trailer. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I would be looking at a bursitis issue.
Since the horse has aged and is inconsistent on loading, my guess it is a pain issue.
A friend told me her vet says he is seeing more and more horses every week with bursitis as a result of hauling |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
Location: Lost in the swamps | Lunging not far away from the trailer, then going up to the door and relaxing him and let him breath. Ask him to load if he refuses circle him and lunge him, bring him back to the door ask for a load,And continue. make him realize he will work if he refuses and relief when he is obedient. also a long line and a Long whip with a plastic bag, or flag tied to the end if they refuse and start backing move the whip aggressively to make noise and get him to where he will get reprimanded to go backwards. Release and reward for forward steps, and treats and feed bucket that he can smell in the trailer. Again be patient and don't use Accessive force. Just enough to encourage him. You tube Julie goodnight trailer loading. This worked wonder for a mare I worked with for a customer, she refuses to load and would rear and flip over backwards an take off. Once she realized she had to work and I still had her after her antics she learned quick. Loading and unloading multiple times .I loaded her and fed her in the trailer every day, even if I wasn't riding or messing with her I would still load her and feed her in there. Made it a "happy" place for her. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Since hes this old and he does know how to load and has no problem loading to get his feed hes just playing you, like hes got your number, he needs to know whos boss if he was my horse his butt would be loading or I would get the buggy whip out and sting him a few times with it, you are being to nice. I dont get after my horses unless they push my buttons and I'm a big softy but there is a few things like not loading when they know what loading is all about I will not put up with. Now a baby thats a whole different story. But hes not a baby and knows what a trailer is. Sorry if I was harsh but hes being a brat.  |
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Good Ole Boys just Fine with Me
Posts: 2869
Location: SE Missouri | I agree with last post.. Also my mischievous side for one that's just being an overbearing jerk is make friends with someone that has a nice stock dog, lol.. Bet he loads then.. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Try parking the trailer in a spot where he doesn't have to step up much to get in (make it easy for him).
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 Hog Tie My Mojo
Posts: 4847
Location: Opelousas, LA | cheryl makofka - 2015-06-13 1:07 AM I would be looking at a bursitis issue. Since the horse has aged and is inconsistent on loading, my guess it is a pain issue. A friend told me her vet says he is seeing more and more horses every week with bursitis as a result of hauling
In the shoulders? That makes sense if he has to step up pretty high. |
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Veteran
Posts: 160
| 100% agree with southtxponygirl. He is playing you! Tap him lightly with a whip if he ignores increase the pressure. I have fixed many horses by doing it this way.....all else fails tie him to the trailer and drive about 10-15 mph by the time you get to that show that trailer will be a real gem to him ;) lol yes i am kidding!!!
Good luck! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: Oklahoma | cavlier - 2015-06-12 9:49 PM Work him in a circle at the door try to load him when he will not load work only let him rest if he gets in the trailer. I have done this with every one of my colts for about 20 years now and it works every time. You may be there all day working him but if you keep at it he will eventually load. Good luck
This has always worked for me, too. |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-13 10:55 AM Since hes this old and he does know how to load and has no problem loading to get his feed hes just playing you, like hes got your number, he needs to know whos boss if he was my horse his butt would be loading or I would get the buggy whip out and sting him a few times with it, you are being to nice. I dont get after my horses unless they push my buttons and I'm a big softy but there is a few things like not loading when they know what loading is all about I will not put up with. Now a baby thats a whole different story. But hes not a baby and knows what a trailer is. Sorry if I was harsh but hes being a brat.
South, no, you are exactly right. He's got my number. He's knows how to load, the trailer is not high, he eats in there every day with a halter and leadrope on like we're going somewhere. He'll get on when he feels like getting on! I should probably get someone's help when I get after him with the whip, right? One of us at his head and another behind him?
Thank you everyone else for your suggestions. I am studying them. Whoever mentioned the Julie Goodnight videos--someone else told me they are good too. |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| SmokinBandits - 2015-06-14 9:53 PM
Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-13 10:55 AM Since hes this old and he does know how to load and has no problem loading to get his feed hes just playing you, like hes got your number, he needs to know whos boss if he was my horse his butt would be loading or I would get the buggy whip out and sting him a few times with it, you are being to nice. I dont get after my horses unless they push my buttons and I'm a big softy but there is a few things like not loading when they know what loading is all about I will not put up with. Now a baby thats a whole different story. But hes not a baby and knows what a trailer is. Sorry if I was harsh but hes being a brat.
Thank you everyone else for your suggestions. I am studying them. Whoever mentioned the Julie Goodnight videos--someone else told me they are good too.
Go back and read what posted. This is what I use on mine when they are brats. Any horse is gonna try you. I do not have anyone to help me load and the above tactics work best for me. The paint horse in my avatar is 16-1, big and stout. I raised him. He learned when he was a baby that I was stronger than him with a butt rope on him. He still thinks if that butt rope is on him I am stronger than he is-----yeah right---as long as he thinks that we're good. Again what I posted before works best for me. |
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Having Smokin Bandits
Posts: 4572
Location: Woodstown, NJ | Yes, Streaky, I like your snubbing suggestion. He's like your guy--16 hands, big and stout. I've tried the butt rope but he rolls his eyes at me, lol.
Also, I DO put the halter and leadrope on him and load him like we're going somewhere when I feed him in there. He jumps right on. But it won't work if it's not feeding time! He looks at his watch and he's like, "Ah ah ah. I'm onto you! It's 11:00. We're going somewhere!" He's a jerk!
Edited by SmokinBandits 2015-06-14 10:40 PM
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | SmokinBandits - 2015-06-14 9:53 PM Southtxponygirl - 2015-06-13 10:55 AM Since hes this old and he does know how to load and has no problem loading to get his feed hes just playing you, like hes got your number, he needs to know whos boss if he was my horse his butt would be loading or I would get the buggy whip out and sting him a few times with it, you are being to nice. I dont get after my horses unless they push my buttons and I'm a big softy but there is a few things like not loading when they know what loading is all about I will not put up with. Now a baby thats a whole different story. But hes not a baby and knows what a trailer is. Sorry if I was harsh but hes being a brat.
Thank you everyone else for your suggestions. I am studying them. Whoever mentioned the Julie Goodnight videos--someone else told me they are good too.
Awww I'm glad you didnt think I was being a jerk just hate it when a horse takes advantage of its owner, espeically when they know what we are asking of them and they know how to do it. I would use a buggy whip, I think I would lunge him a bit with buggy whip and just tap him with it and let him know you mean business get him to pay attention to you, after a sesson with lunging with the buggy whip then I would lead him to the trailer and ask him to load, if he dont want to load then tap him dont hit him just tap and let him know you have it, I had a horse years ago and he didnt like loading in a 2 horse but when I showed him the buggy whip he would hop right in.
You got to be aggressive with him, you haul him in a stock trailer right? If so it should be a simple load. Have someone thats got some experience on loading help you. Everybody is different in the way they do things my way may not help you and somebodys eles ideal may work better for you, but this is what I would do, JUST DONT GET yourself hurt please. Good luck with this fella  |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | I reread your post and see that you cant work him in a round pen, I would put him on a line and just trot him in a circle and let him know about the buggy whip. So is this like an open stock trailer that you have? |
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Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| SmokinBandits - 2015-06-14 10:35 PM
Yes, Streaky, I like your snubbing suggestion. He's like your guy--16 hands, big and stout. I've tried the butt rope but he rolls his eyes at me, lol.
Also, I DO put the halter and leadrope on him and load him like we're going somewhere when I feed him in there. He jumps right on. But it won't work if it's not feeding time! He looks at his watch and he's like, "Ah ah ah. I'm onto you! It's 11:00. We're going somewhere!" He's a jerk!
Actually, the reason mine decided not to load is that he has had EPM and it hurts him backing out of the trailer. Got the EPM under control and he loads great. |
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