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Regular
Posts: 51
| Out of the blue, my been-there-done-that 18 yr old mare started refusing to load in our Titan 3 horse slant (w/ back tack). I hauled her about a month ago and everything was fine, the next day is when it started and has continued to worsen every time since. I've tried coaxing her with grain and hay, putting a rope behind her butt, letting her go at her own speed, constant pressure, basically dragging her in, etc. I can't think of anything left to try..... The only cause I can think of would have been from last fall when our stock bumper pull came off the hitch with her loaded inside. She walked away fine with a tiny scrape on her leg and had loaded just fine several times since. I'm at a loss... The other night took 45 minutes to load. Suggestions??? |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
 
Location: SE Louisiana | The only thing I can think of is there is an odor in there she is afraid of. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| the first thing that I think of with a change in behavior is ulcers- I would try to give her some in the zone by animal element - if her belly is bothering her this will help plus it will calm her mind-and I would keep things as happy as possible- I have a yearling that had no trailer experience before I bought him and I just let him come in as far as he would usually 2 feet and eat some alfalfa or grain each day for about a week then started working him a little farther "at his will" each day til he finally started jumping in on his own- now each day when im done working with him - he jumps right in and eats his afternoon snack loaded in the trailer for about 10- 15 minutes- hope that helps |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
| the first thing that I think of with a change in behavior is ulcers- I would try to give her some in the zone by animal element - if her belly is bothering her this will help plus it will calm her mind-and I would keep things as happy as possible- I have a yearling that had no trailer experience before I bought him and I just let him come in as far as he would usually 2 feet and eat some alfalfa or grain each day for about a week then started working him a little farther "at his will" each day til he finally started jumping in on his own- now each day when im done working with him - he jumps right in and eats his afternoon snack loaded in the trailer for about 10- 15 minutes- hope that helps |
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Regular
Posts: 51
| I'll try washing it out - I hadn't thought of that! I don't thinn she's sore or anything... She feels just like she always has when I ride her and bucks and plays in the pasture as much as she ever has. It's so frustrating! |
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 Expert
Posts: 1718
 
Location: Southeast Louisiana | I know it's winter, and not very likely, but be sure wasps haven't moved in somewhere and are stinging her when the trailer gets moving. Especially if you have your trailer parked indoors or are in a warmer climate. I've seen wasps move into square tubing and come out of a screw hole to sting me.
Maybe try riding in the trailer (empty) and see if you can identify any problems.
Nothing else is coming to mind right now. |
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Expert
Posts: 1718
Location: Southeast Louisiana | Nevermind the wasps, Kansas. Lol
I didn't look closely before I posted.
Anyway, I don't know what kind of stinging bugs you might have there, but that's the first thing that came to mind. |
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 Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | I had a very been there done that gelding years ago that started to do the same as yours and after trying many things I finally took him to the vet and he was sore in his hocks. Hurt to jump in the trailer. I don't know if that is your mare's issue but anytime that gelding balked at the trailer I knew it was time for hocks to be done.
I currently have a mare that loads like a champ but once we are on the road she starts to kick and ends up tearing up her hocks especially her left one from scraping it on the wall. She has passed lameness exams and had hocks injected wheneeded so I honestly think it is her ovaries that hurt when she ovulates. Had those checked right after she threw a fit and she was holding a large follicle. She is also treated with Ulcergard so it isn't ulcers.
I hope this helps some because I know how frustrating it can be.  |
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Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Kaycee - 2015-02-06 10:48 PM
I had a very been there done that gelding years ago that started to do the same as yours and after trying many things I finally took him to the vet and he was sore in his hocks. Hurt to jump in the trailer. I don't know if that is your mare's issue but anytime that gelding balked at the trailer I knew it was time for hocks to be done.
I currently have a mare that loads like a champ but once we are on the road she starts to kick and ends up tearing up her hocks especially her left one from scraping it on the wall. She has passed lameness exams and had hocks injected wheneeded so I honestly think it is her ovaries that hurt when she ovulates. Had those checked right after she threw a fit and she was holding a large follicle. She is also treated with Ulcergard so it isn't ulcers.
I hope this helps some because I know how frustrating it can be.
Maybe... if you loaded in and rode with her once... Just to see if there is something for her to be upset about. I did this once when had a problem like that and found the rivets holding the trailer together made a horrible sound. |
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Location: Texas | Have you tried loading her with another horse already in the trailer, or around the trailer? Is it dark or hard for her to see what is in the trailer? |
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Regular
Posts: 51
| Kaycee - 2015-02-06 10:48 PM
I had a very been there done that gelding years ago that started to do the same as yours and after trying many things I finally took him to the vet and he was sore in his hocks. Hurt to jump in the trailer. I don't know if that is your mare's issue but anytime that gelding balked at the trailer I knew it was time for hocks to be done.
I currently have a mare that loads like a champ but once we are on the road she starts to kick and ends up tearing up her hocks especially her left one from scraping it on the wall. She has passed lameness exams and had hocks injected wheneeded so I honestly think it is her ovaries that hurt when she ovulates. Had those checked right after she threw a fit and she was holding a large follicle. She is also treated with Ulcergard so it isn't ulcers.
I hope this helps some because I know how frustrating it can be.
Would I be able to notice her being sore in her hicks? To ride or rope on her, she feels normal. |
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Regular
Posts: 51
| EqualRanch - 2015-02-06 11:40 PM
Have you tried loading her with another horse already in the trailer, or around the trailer? Is it dark or hard for her to see what is in the trailer?
I have not tried with another horse, yet. I've tried lights on, lights off, during the day, at night, blanket on, blanket off.. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6437
Location: Montana | One night my mare decided to do that at a barrel race...pushed, pulled, tugged, used food, finally got her in. Hasn't balked like that since, but we were guessing maybe she clipped her heels or something when loading or unloading earlier that evening because she is one easy cookie to load for the most part.
My new boy I hope isn't scarred for life (mentally) after his last trailer ride because the latch that held the slant door open literally broke on the slant door while we were going down the road, which caused the slant door to swing freely (inside, not an exterior door). The odds of that happening has to be one in a million, but it happened and it WAS latched before we left with him. Don't know for sure how far he rode that way, but less than 30 miles (I know that is plenty, we had no reason to suspect anything was wrong before that). So it could have been something like that with your mare? |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| Let 'er Buck - 2015-02-06 11:43 PM Kaycee - 2015-02-06 10:48 PM I had a very been there done that gelding years ago that started to do the same as yours and after trying many things I finally took him to the vet and he was sore in his hocks. Hurt to jump in the trailer. I don't know if that is your mare's issue but anytime that gelding balked at the trailer I knew it was time for hocks to be done.
I currently have a mare that loads like a champ but once we are on the road she starts to kick and ends up tearing up her hocks especially her left one from scraping it on the wall. She has passed lameness exams and had hocks injected wheneeded so I honestly think it is her ovaries that hurt when she ovulates. Had those checked right after she threw a fit and she was holding a large follicle. She is also treated with Ulcergard so it isn't ulcers.
I hope this helps some because I know how frustrating it can be. Would I be able to notice her being sore in her hicks? To ride or rope on her, she feels normal.
Same with my gelding. If he is sore he won't load so I know it is time to go to the vet. I can't feel any difference riding and he will still go work at the arena. He shows me by not wanting to load. |
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I Am a Snake Killer
Posts: 1927
Location: Golden Gulf Coast of Texas | Sore stifles also make them not want to load. When she does load after 45 minutes did she walk in normal or take a huge jump to get in? If they jump realy high to get in then it's stifles. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| I know this is over used but I am thinking EPM. Often they don't know where their feet are and it scares them. It also hurts my horse to back out so he hates to get in. I have been fighting EPM with him for a long time. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Electrical short, and the horse is getting zapped |
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Texas Tenderheart
Posts: 6715
Location: Red Raiderland | komet. - 2015-02-06 10:59 PM Kaycee - 2015-02-06 10:48 PM I had a very been there done that gelding years ago that started to do the same as yours and after trying many things I finally took him to the vet and he was sore in his hocks. Hurt to jump in the trailer. I don't know if that is your mare's issue but anytime that gelding balked at the trailer I knew it was time for hocks to be done.
I currently have a mare that loads like a champ but once we are on the road she starts to kick and ends up tearing up her hocks especially her left one from scraping it on the wall. She has passed lameness exams and had hocks injected wheneeded so I honestly think it is her ovaries that hurt when she ovulates. Had those checked right after she threw a fit and she was holding a large follicle. She is also treated with Ulcergard so it isn't ulcers.
I hope this helps some because I know how frustrating it can be. Maybe... if you loaded in and rode with her once... Just to see if there is something for her to be upset about. I did this once when had a problem like that and found the rivets holding the trailer together made a horrible sound.
Pfft, I did load with her a couple of times and she did not know I was there. We headed down the road and I had my DH go down a pretty bumpy road and that's when she started to lift her back left leg...put it back down and again lifted it higher and BAM she kicked and I smacked her rear with a crop. She is a very smart mare and she only tried to lift her leg once more and once more I smack her and she did not do it again for about 20 miles. It works for the next couple of trailer rides and then she figures out nothing will happen to her and she starts all over again! I did stand in the back with no shoes/boots on to make sure there was no shock and there was nothing. LOL Believe me I have tried alllllll kinds of things..... |
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 Queen Boobie mascot
Posts: 706
Location: Mayerthorpe Alberta | i was just going to say the same as Cheryl.. could be electrical.... |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | When my gelding is slow to load he needs his hocks injected. Always the first indicator, and I have owned this horse for over 10 years. |
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