Trailer loading help in the Southern NH area?

[riopony]

I am sure everyone is sick of all the “problem loading horse onto trailer” threads, but I was hoping someone knew of a trainer that could help me teach my horse to load onto the trailer. I live in the S. NH area.

My horse is 9 year old OTTB that I have had for 1.5 years. I bought him straight off the trainer’s property and he was highly doped up from the pre-purchase so he got on my trailer fine. His trailer was a 4 horse head to head with a side ramp. Mine is a 2 horse straight load.

Long story short- One day I spent 3 hours trying (really trying, making him work and only resting on the ramp of the trailer). I was able to get him on the next day after spending a few hours working with him (I have done a lot of Clinton Anderson style ground work with him). The next day he loaded fine to go to a lesson and back and then two weeks later he started giving me problems again. I got him on that time after 20 mins and he loaded right on after the lesson. A few days later I spent 3 hours and he wouldn’t get on even if I lunged him if he refused to get on. I had been getting him on having a helper tap him on the rump with a whip while I walked him into the trailer. Now he is freaking out about the whip. He is very stubborn- runs to the side, rears, kicks. He is too dangerous for a butt rope.

He is perfectly fine on the ramp. I can walk him on and halt him on it without issues. If I try and make him go on straight he stops, backs up, etc. He seems to be afraid of the actual stall. I have now reduced to blindfolding and putting ear plugs in and he walks in despite being nervous about being blind. I don’t like this way though as he can easily trip up the ramp and I need a helper for the butt bar.

If anyone knows someone in the area or has any suggestions it would be great. He doesn’t really want to eat on the trailer and I can’t put it in his paddock.

Thanks!

[Tux61096]

You could try Cathy Hatrick Anderson. She is from MA, but travels a lot. Good luck!

[PonyFever]

I can’t say enough good things about Phil Shipman from Lockhaven Farm: http://www.lockehavenfarm.com/horse-training.html. He’s about an hour and 15 minutes north of Manchester NH but I know he does travel.

He will get the job done with ease and you will learn lots of great safe, handling techniques from him. I think you would be very pleased with his work.

Michelle

[GreyDes]

I’ll second Cathie Hatrick Anderson! I’m in Seacoast NH, and she did a two hour session with me and my horse. I was skeptical that anyone could make a difference that fast, but darned if she didn’t have him self loading within an hour. She spent the rest of the time working with me, and gave me the tools to do the same within a few weeks.

[riopony]

Thanks for the suggestions, I will look into them!

[Simkie]

For a horse like this that has repeatedly improved with work and is now back sliding, BIG TIME, I’d look at the trailer and your driving. Are you giving him a good trip? Are you SURE? Does he come off warm or sweaty or nervous? Is there anything in there he doesn’t like? Is he sore anywhere, and it’s causing him pain to ride in the trailer? Does he just not like riding straight? Can you borrow a stock trailer from anyone for a little while and try hauling him loose, to see how he orients himself?

From your description, this sounds like a horse who’s become a very difficult loader for a reason. I’d look to find that reason before finding a loading expert, because my guess is that no matter who solves your loading issues, this horse will just get more difficult until you figure out what he doesn’t like about riding in the trailer.

This is a horse who’s trying to tell you something.

[riopony]

Simkie,

That is what I have been worried about. I have had my boyfriend with me each time that I have hauled him and another horse person one other time. The trailer rides have been fairly short- one about 5 mins and one 15 min, and one a little longer at an hour and a half. I have obsessively asked them if I was driving awful and they didn’t think so at all.

I am worried that there is something scary about my trailer as my old horse loaded fine until we went to PA one year. I drove him from Maine to NH in mine then we rode with someone else the rest of the way. After that he no longer wanted in. I bought it brand new in 2001- its a Merhow Equistar x-tall, x-wide and I haven’t put that many miles on it. I just washed it all up and put new tires on it before all these outings this summer. It is very safe. Maybe too white inside??? Lol I don’t know. I’m starting to lose sleep over this.

He is a pretty nervous horse and I have doused him with ulcer stuff recently but he doesn’t seem too bad when we get places. He willingly goes right in after we ride. I took him to my house (a mile from the barn) a few days ago and we went for a trail ride. He had been a brat (this is when I discovered the blindfold trick) about getting on but when I loaded him at my house he went right on. So I tried taking him back off and letting him eat some grass and try again. No-go. I had to blind fold him again. I give him loves and treats and hay when he is in there but is stressed until we leave. He is better when we arrive somewhere.

I don’t know anyone with a stock trailer but I have a friend with a different brand straight load and I plan on seeing if he will get on that. I don’t know what to do because he definitely doesn’t like the box of the trailer. I have schooled him with lots of ground work- he sends through very tight spots. I made a chute of jumping blocks that were two high and about two inches wider than him- no problem.

I am so frustrated, irritated and sad over this. He is pretty good at telling me things but this I just can’t figure out what is wrong. He can just be that “I’m a gray thoroughbred so life is just too hard sometimes” kind of horse too. Sorry for the rant. I have been looking up so much online and through friends and nothing seems to have helped.

[NoDQhere]

It doesn’t sound like your trailer is the problem. We have a student who has a horse like this. One time he gets on fine and the next time he throws a fit. The last time he threw a fit here, I had her put a lip chain on him and he loaded, sweet as could be. Since then, all she has to do is put the lip chain on and he walks right on. Some horses just need a bit more “authority”. And before anyone gets too excited, no one pulls or jerks on the lip chain. It is just “there” and he knows it. Remember, many TBs are handled with a lip chain for almost everything.

[cssutton]

Habe you tried taking the center partition out so that he has a box stall on wheels?

I don’know what your center partition looks like, but I have found that a center divider is better than a center partition, as the divider does not go down to the floor.

That allows the horse to spread his legs while he rides.

You have not mentioned whether he scrambles or kicks while riding.

[Starhouse]

Hi Rio, I’m in New England also and Cathie Hatrick Anderson is the one always recommended for trailer loading problems (and most other training issues, too). She will happily travel. I haven’t read one single bad review from the many many people who have hired her to help them with issues.

Her farm is Bobcat Farm. http://bobcatfarm.com/index.php

[Chaila]

Cathie Anderson helped me as well. My horse was much like yours. He was fine loading until one day he wasn’t. She gave me a toolbox to use.

He’s very funky about getting on new trailers. This week I had the opportunity to work with him on a new trailer and Cathie’s techniques worked really well. I had him self loading within about a half hour both with the divider open and closed.

You just have to act like you’re waiting for a bus. The minute you get nervous or emotional it all goes to hell. Ask me how I know.

[mmaset]

worked for us

Our old opinionated gelding would walk up to the trailer, then quickly turn and bolt. We have had to follow him up to a mile through the woods. Spoke with Jerry King( a trainer here in NC) about the issue. He showed us how to load the troublesome fellow. We made a long 60 foot lead rope from poly-pro line from TSC. Loop it through the spot where the trailer tie attaches and bring the end that attaches to the halter 30 feet from the trailer( so both your end and the horse end are even. Attach it to the halter and slowly take up the slack. Don’t pull hard, just enough to keep his head toward the trailer. Continue to take up the slack as he proceeds toward the trailer, it helps to have a lunge whip to make some noise on the ground behind him if he is very resistant. Once he gets to the trailer, make sure you have enough tension to keep his head looking in, but don’t pull forcefully. This is when the lunge whip on the ground behind him makes the trailer more inviting than the swishy sound behind. Once he gets the first foot up, it usually isn’t much trouble to get the rest of him up.
When you get where you are going, you can repeat this to get him out long enough to tie him to the trailer outside and to load him to go home. We have been doing this all summer and it has gone from a two hour load (or not at all) to a quick get onthe trailer. He tried to bolt away the first time but with the long lead looped thru the tie down it gives you just enough levrage he couldn’t get away. Good luck. It is can be so frustrating.

[riopony]

Thanks for all the replies! I will have to give Cathie a call. I am switching barns so I haven’t had time to set up any appointments.

I did try to take the center divider out- it doesn’t go to the floor but there is a bite guard/fence between the horses’s heads. I for the life of me couldn’t get the pin out of the hinge. I didn’t have the appropriate tools that day so it stayed in! It does swing all the way over and looks pretty much like a box stall when its open.

I did try the go forward then back up when he stopped forward motion and I got him as far as back feet on the ramp but no further. I ended up blindfolding him and putting the ear plugs in and I was able to get him on in a few minutes. That appears to be his little trick for now.

[Ambitious_Kate]

I would ask Rex Peterson. I have watched him address this with several difficult loaders and Had him address other problems with my gelding, been to several of his clinics. Very patient, but teaches the horse to always respond when asked to move forward, which is part of trailer loading. Anyway, hes in the southern Berkshires and travels, so you can try him out.

http://swansonpetersonproductions.com/