Ways to deal with trailer loading balking after a trail ride

[Fairview_Horse_Cente]

[QUOTE=matryoshka;3979613]
it really helps to not allow them to turn their head away–I like to have their heads toward/in the trailer no matter what the feet are doing.[/QUOTE]

Yes, their eyes/brain/focus needs to stay inside the trailer. At first with a new loader, I give them time to look, sniff, nibble their way up the ramp, etc. until they are pretty relaxed around it. Many will be all the way in just fine during that time. The real “I don’t have to” often comes 3/4/8 rides later, because they have never really been “trained” to load, and one day it dawns on them that they are no longer curious, and now they would rather not.

Then I just do what ever it takes to get them to move their feet when I say. I don’t care if they take a step, and go right back, but when I say move, they need to move. If they get rude with their front end and refuse to look in the trailer, that is when I add a chain.

I lightly annoy/irritate them by doing tiny nudges on their halter/rope to ask them to go in, and annoy/irritate them behind to ask them to move their feet (sometimes sideways a step and back is ok, but they have to move when you say to.) I do not get worried or upset if they take steps forward 100 times, and go right back 100 too. But neither do I give them a break - especially not if they get upset, because that is when they are CLOSE to going, “ok, FINE!”, and going on.

Most horses will soon realize that it is a lot more comfortable, and calm inside, than the repeated demands to move when outside.

[Calamber]

Interesting that this thread should be posted since this happens to everyone at some time. I have just had the trailer loading dilemma of a lifetime thrust on me. Only once with all of the horses that I have loaded did I ever not succeed, (it was about 30 years ago). Last trip the horse had she cut her pastern badly and it never dawned on me that I needed to have her get past that experience.

And then comes a trip with a young Lusitano gelding that had been in Florida. He slightly hesitated to go in going home but with his loved groom scolding him at his head and his not so loving groom from Virginia at his heels popping a whip on the ground he went right in. We stopped for the night at a horse hotel and in the am he would not load. Up the ramp, halfway in and said “nope”, not today. He had very definite leading/trust issues, would not come up with me, would not move at my speed, so alot of backing, leading forward with encouragement by me from behind with a whip. It was all complicated by very inexperienced help with bad timing on the ground and an owner who said that the horse would be traumatized if a whip were used as he had never been trained with a whip and no sedative on board plus no vet who would comes for days. Okay, five hours later we had to eat and go to sleep. He had won for the day.

Next am we finally got a little im sedative (Ace). (I despise tranquilizing for trailering and would not have done it except in dire emergency if left to my own druthers). Anywho, the little horse finally went on after I once again led him up the ramp, owner behind me who was bending over with a carrot, he had to lower his nose and then he took two steps inside (once again halfway) and stopped. A light bulb moment! I moved the owner back, I went to the end of the lead rope, knelt down and offered the carrot, he walked in with his head lowered the whole way! I have never in my life seen a horse walk in a trailer the whole way with the head lowered. I was told this was a Spanish horse thing. Whatever that means. To me it just meant it was pressure and the release of pressure plus praise by carrot. He was not going to be forced, he did not kick or freak out or threaten to rear, he planted his feet and said no. He was asked nicely after the roughing up session (I used a chain over his noseband to back him up, and a regular lead rope to move him forward) (plus a little edge taken off by the sedative perhaps), and then he got the pressure taken off, his favorite goodie offered where he had to lower his head and bonanza! They all have something to teach us and this was a big lesson for me. As Fairweather has said, he has not learned to load, he needs continuing education obviously, it just means he was really not trained to lead and to trust his leaders. Was really extra curious because he has been in dressage training and is 6 years old, so uh, when does the ground training start?

[Shadow14]

I haven’t read most of the replies but I do not use food as incentive, I don’t lock hands with another person and try forcing them in and I don’t dink around.
Alot of times I meet a horse for the first time and 5 minutes later I expect him to be loaded and off we go. I trailer strange horse and after giving the owner all the time they want, if they are not able to load the horse I offer to do it quickly and my way.
I park the trailer in a certain way and then make it so the horse wants to be in the trailer and not out here with me. I don’t have time to dink around for hours, I don’t want to offend owners but after a certain time frame I offer to do it. I explain my technic and if they are ok with it I do it and I have never had a horse not load in a minute or less.
Driving 150 miles to pick up a horse and then NOT have the horse load is also not an option.
I personally have nothing but great loaders.

[Bank_of_Dad]

Not my horse, but two I saw. In my driveway about 30 years ago, the club came over for a ride, then the last horse wouldn’t load. Thru herself overbackwards in the driveway to avoid loading. The owner said she would load from the barn, so we took the cars out of the garage, put her in it, backed the trailer up, and she walked right on.

Another time when I was a teen in California, at riding camp, some kid’s horse wouldn’t load, except in an open-top trailer. They finally went off and got one.

I like to deal with them too, so they’re sorry to be out of the trailer. It helps if you’re parked someplace with room, and not on a narrow shoulder of the road.

[matryoshka]

Fairview and I are on the same page. Balking is not an option. The horse has to move (backwards, forwards, sideways), and eventually, he’ll realize he has to move onto the trailer. Standing and looking is okay for an interval, but when I ask, there has to be some sort of movement. I also agree with the use of a chain when a horse gets rude.

Often, the horses get the most resistant right before giving up and walking onto the trailer. Owners sometimes get upset when the horse escalates his behavior, but I always know this means we are almost on. Sometimes I spend more energy reassuring/relaxing the owners than I have to put into the horse!

For real nervous horses who have had a bad trailering experience, I’ll spend a few minutes leading them all over, around the trailer, passing the ramp, away from the trailer, and everywhere but the trailer. This relaxes them, and I can tell when they are ready to begin trying to load. We almost always end up much closer to the ramp than if I tried to lead them directly there.

I tell owners I use the “slow” method of loading, which is almost always quicker than the “hurry up and get them on the trailer” method.

[jazzrider]

This was a good thread to read before tonight. I’m taking Jazz to a lesson off property – his first time off property in two years. Jazz has always been an easy loader, until the last time we had to take him to the hospital. He was a complete pain in the neck, and since all our horses are such easy loaders (as he was), we were flummoxed.

I’m hoping the saddle on him tonight will show him he’s not going to someplace where he’ll be poked and prodded, but to ride. :yes: But I’m planning on going with Fairview’s tactics if he’s not good about it. Crossing my fingers!

[Summernyt]

Ok what I’m going to try

Horse’s mind in the trailer or wherever else I want it to be

Feet moving, not planted. No pulling on the lead rope.

Don’t turn away

Backing such that the Gates of Hell are preferable to not loading

I especially like the Gates of Hell analogy…use it often already! “Are you ready to go through the Gates of Hell to get by me to your hay? Try it!” “Look! The Gates of Hell are up there, let’s go!” “Trust me, the Gates of Hell would be better than trying that…”

Thanks for help. It IS a leading/leadership issue. We parked the trailer in the arena tonight to deal with it in a more relaxed way. I’m going to open the doors and let them eat in there…of course, I know the cranky alpha QH will go in than let the other one eat her food. When I let her.

The nice thing about alpha mares is that they respect intelligence and intent…and they are very brave.

My ultimate goal is to send the girls into the trailer and stand quietly while we shut the doors. Every time. Sounds like a fun challenge!

[ayrabz]

as usually with this board, very good thread (!) Direct, well expressed opinions on how to proceed.
I read any trailer loading thread with interest. My guy is about as ‘hinky’ as they come…but his loading has never been a problem. He walks on, trusts and enters each and every time. However (!) mine is a hauling problem, not a loading one. He will wig, and stress while ON the trailer. (any trailer) Yes, another horse helps. But I only own ONE horse. So he most often has to ‘deal’ alone.
thats where his stress advances. Once shutting the trailer, he piaffs, dances, snorts, and shakes his head for the whole time. Trucks, trailers, etc, passing just amplify it. Long hauls, I always worry about his soundness at the end. But again, he loads like a champ.
Whatchagonna do? I go anyway—and now, with his age at 11, see it as something he’ll do no matter what. But it sure makes it less enjoyable.

[Shadow14]

I trailed alot, often 4 or 5 times a week but only a few miles to the edge of town and the green belts. My horse’s quickly get use to loading, unloading and a short ride… Shadow shook alot , never moved around but shook , but in a few months of trailering he stopped and treated it like a short ride that it was. If your horse is nervous on the trail make short hauls to places so he gets use to riding more. I too trail alone. Watch the turns so you don’t throw him around and try not to stop too long, horses can get antsy? if stopped. Load and move out immediately.
Lots of short trips is better then long ones.

[rainechyldes]

I think it’s plausible and does happen, then 100% solid loaders do and can decide ‘eh not today’ I’ve got one very experienced old guy who pulled that one, and spent a entire summer doing it, now…back to normal, plonks right on, go figure.

I use a couple of different methods for teaching or retraining a horse to load.
I agree its somewhat a leading issue, but:
Overall it’s an obedience issue, no matter what ‘part’ you look at. I look at it as, I am going to have ‘my’ way. And I get my ‘way’ sometimes with more time taken then I’d like, but the idea is to always win:) So that eventually, it’s automatic, trailer door opens, horse goes OK! and goes in.

big rule - never haul on their head. A little sharp reminder tug won’t get them in mule mode, but a long steady pull, eh, might as well plan eating your lunch there, cuz you’ve just set the tone. They Ain’t going.

Food - doesn’t always work. But always worth a shot. Some horses learn to do the in/out dance step for food, and you don’t get any further along. And I’ve it it work on smaller horses, or greedy ones, but not so much on the really determined non loaders.

Learn to use a butt rope.

Even if you never ever need it in your entire life, or your horses, teach them and you how it works, what it’s like, where are good /(safe) anchor points on your trailer for the far end. When I use a butt rope, I dont’ have a nother person holding it, I hold one end, anchor the other, and hold the lead rope as well. Gives me more feel as to where to apply pressure and if it’s really needed. (This also is handy for the back outers - horses who load, then back out once the door /chain goes up. I may not need the rope to get them in, but I will use it to teach them to not back out until I ask them to come out. So develop a cue for back (tug on their tail, a word, etc)

Chute - sometimes a chute is where it’s at. If you have a gnarly loader,(runner) chute em up. I use corral panels. This actually is a pain sometimes, but consistent usage of, you are going ‘in’ no matter if it does take all day, usually the chute method isn’t needed after awhile.

The main way I resolve trailering issues, is simply overall practice. I will load my horses when I’m not going anywhere, we walk by the trailer, I open it up and put them on it, and hand them a chunk of hay. I think thats the biggest issue, is a lot of us tend to not worry about trailering a horse until we are actually in need of going somewhere - then it becomes omg, I’m gonna be late! stress mode.

[Icecapade]

[QUOTE=rainechyldes;3987991]
I think thats the biggest issue, is a lot of us tend to not worry about trailering a horse until we are actually in need of going somewhere - then it becomes omg, I’m gonna be late! stress mode.[/QUOTE]

110% agreed wtih that!

[Summernyt]

Update on the original balker

So we parked the trailer in the arena and worked with the balky QH today. She wouldn’t get in, same planted feet about 10 ft from the trailer. That was at noon.

I was kind of relieved in that at least the behavior was repeated at home so I could deal with it.

Well, I tried “sending” her in, backing her over and over and over, tapping on her hip with a “suggestion” she move forward (not pulling on the lead), tapping her hocks etc etc. Man, that horse would not go in…would just put two feet in and back out.

I wondered if she’d hit her head on the last ride, though she didn’t act scared, just planted.

I did get her in once, but after she was out again it started all over.

Clearly this was a leading and respect issue. (I knew my friend Cowboy Tony wouldn’t have spent this long…)

I was really getting tired of ditzing around, so put on a stud chain and told her there were only two directions in the world, forward and not forward. Not forward was the Wrong Answer. I used that chain to back her to Kingdom Come over and over. Funny thing is, all of a sudden I saw her expression change to “crap, I’m not in charge, am I?” Her head lowered, she licked her lips and her eyes got soft and concerned.

She tried it again a few times but I could tell we were gonna get there. Got her in a few times in a row, she stood quietly looking out the window, I backed her out, walked her around and called it a day. It was 1:30.

Any suggestions to build on Day One so I can keep going in the right direction?

[Bank_of_Dad]

Great work. Do it again, use the chain from the beginning, as a reminder.

[Summernyt]

Alright, thanks I will do that but it reeeeeally gets to me

that some folks can walk up to a horse, ask for something and they just get it within a few seconds while I have to take a heavy-handed hour and a half approach to the same task!

We were able to work with some float in the line after all this…but kind of like the float in a balloon after the party’s over, low and lazy…I would like to encourage lightness in this sticky and opinionated horse, because it’s in there. I don’t know her past, but I think whatever it was dulled her. She’s so smart and so motivated if she’s interested, but mostly she’s not.

Maybe that’s another topic…encouraging lightness…

[Shadow14]

[QUOTE=Summernyt;3989448]
that some folks can walk up to a horse, ask for something and they just get it within a few seconds while I have to take a heavy-handed hour and a half approach to the same task!

…[/QUOTE]
I’ve bought many a horse that have never trailered in their lives, even ones barely halter broke and they certainly haven’t met me until a few minutes ago and I don’t dink around. That horse will load and do it quickly, under a minute and never cause a problem with me around again.
We had one show horse that wouldn’t load.The owner would try a few times and then call me, all I had to do was stick my head out the barn door, the horse looked at me and on the trial it went. It was sort of a joke around here.
I park the trail against a barn wall so the horse can’t duck out that side, take 2 buggy whips, corner the horse between the barn and the trailer, use one whip to drive the horse forward and one to prevent run off in the side away from the barn and that horse will hussle unto the trailer every time. A few lessons like that and the horse will load anywhere.

20 years ago we would dink around trying to load all the horses going to a show, try everything and usually end up linking wrists and forcing a horse on, no more, I learned how to do it with whips and we never had to work at it again. You try taking a 15 year old stubborn horse that has never trailer, born at that barn and suddenly it needs medical care and needs to be trailered quickly. I promise I can load that horse in under a minute.

[Icecapade]

It works yes… but I’ve had one to many half wild horses (literally, feral herds on private property) try to run me over whip in hand due to panic.

I’d rather just take the time to teach the horse to load… so they learn, that you go where I point… not where I drive. I can’t drive all the time, but make no mistake you should be able to drive as well as point and get you horse there. =)

There are many ways to rome…

Agreed with Shadow though… NOT teaching or putting up with that is unacceptable- a horse with a medical issue who won’t load is NOT an option, ever. I can’t stand people who say… oh he won’t let me touch… x. ok well then how are you going to treat X when he cuts it open, slices it off, breaks it what have you- teach them to be poked proded loaded under all conditions an then hopefully you will create a win win for when not if that happens.

[matryoshka]

@Summernyt;3988607

…I was really getting tired of ditzing around, so put on a stud chain and told her there were only two directions in the world, forward and not forward. Not forward was the Wrong Answer. I used that chain to back her to Kingdom Come over and over. Funny thing is, all of a sudden I saw her expression change to “crap, I’m not in charge, am I?” Her head lowered, she licked her lips and her eyes got soft and concerned…

This is an effective attitude!! I’ve told horses (and the owners) that the horse is going to get on the trailer or pull it. The horse doesn’t understand my words, but he sure gets my intent. For your mare, start off with the firm attitude and the chain. You don’t have to yank on the chain if your mare complies right away, and it’s much better to have it already on her nose so you can use it immediately rather than giving her a chance to plant those feet.

I always give a horse a chance first to do what I ask with light aids (sometimes I’ll have two leads–one attached to the halter ring in addition to the chain). Once they plant their feet, I can use the chain if I think it is called for. I don’t “suggest” with the whip after the first one or two times I ask. I demand. As soon as that look in their eye softens, you can lighten up. Immediately. Reward the “uncle.” If they get bossy again, go right back to firm.

I’m not one of the people who can walk right up to a horse and have him on the trailer in a few minutes. The toughest case was an elderly draft horse who would get on and then run back off. Then he’d balk some distance away from the trailer. It was very hard to keep him from turning away, because he was much stronger than I, even with a chain (we needed an extra chain to fit all the way around his nose). As soon as he’d get a more cooperative attitude, I’d go right back to gentle tugs on his halter to ask him to move forward.

The funny thing about that draft horse is that if I started out too firm, he’d resist strongly. If I asked him with light tugs on the halter, he was more likely to cooperate. He eventually loaded nicely. He had a setback when the brakes went bad on the trailer and he smelled burning rubber on the way to a trail ride. He didn’t want to get back on the smelly trailer after the ride, and well-meaning people got after him with a broom. You cannot force a draft horse to get onto a trailer. He did load onto another trailer to come home, but I had to start all over again to get him to load onto his old trailer (brakes were fixed) with gentle aids. I learned a lot about training a horse to load from that horse.

[ToolTime]

This is a really great thread. I worked with my horse yesterday and taught her to self-load into my trailer (a.k.a the Black Hole). The Black Hole is an old straight load, step-up bumper pull, black paint, inside and out.

Until recently, I’d only hauled this horse in my friend’s white stock trailer and never had a problem. I recently put my own trailer into commission and found that my horse wanted NOTHING to do with it. I remembered that I’d seen the John Lyons trailer video a while ago, so I looked through one of his books for a refresher.

His system is all based on having the horse consistently respond to the “go forward” cue and to not pull the horse with the lead. At first I had trouble holding the lead while also cuing the horse on the hindquarters, but eventually figured out how to stand at the horse’s shoulder to be able to cue effectively. Another issue I had was cuing to strongly. My horse is a TB and I think tapping a bit to enthusiastically was ramping her up. I learned to REALLY tone my signals down and watch her reactions.

Yesterday, I got her to self-load and off calmly 12 times, today we did another 4 times. Tomorrow we will go on a short trailer ride and see if we can keep up the good work.

This whole thing has really taught me a lot about paying attention to her body language and reactions and knowing when to push and when not to push.

[Summernyt]

[QUOTE=ToolTime;3991080]

This whole thing has really taught me a lot about paying attention to her body language and reactions and knowing when to push and when not to push.[/QUOTE]

Yes, the amt of pressure is so different with different horses. If I tried the same pressure with my Andalusian as I’m doing with the QH, she’d be in orbit.

So today we set up a fake “sending” zone in the barn (where the QH wants to be anyway). Used the barn doors as trailer doors, shavings bales as sides, a big piece of plywood as the front of the trailer and…bubble wrap to walk on (this horse doesn’t care).

Once she’s super reliable there, we’ll go back to the trailer which is sitting in the arena and start with the stud chain.

Thanks for all the great advice. It’s fun if there’s no hurry…

[Auventera_Two]

The John Lyons method is the BEST. :yes: His entire training system is centered around - do so many repetitions that it becomes second nature to the horse. When you are riding your horse and you squeeze him with both legs - he doesn’t stand there and say “Hmmm, now what does she want again? I can’t remember.” EVERY.TIME you want the horse to go forward, or go forward faster, you do some kind of squeeze with legs and feet. It becomes second nature to you and the horse - nobody has to stop and think about it.

But when you have a horse who is trailered once a month, or twice a year, it is NOT second nature. Our human mind thinks “Ok, horse walked up to trailer, horse is now supposed to walk IN.” But the equine mind says “Wait a minute, what does she want again?” Because they just don’t do it that often.

I do not like using food or tricks or bribes either. I think it’s way too dangerous to be trying to screw around with a feed bucket and a butt rope and handlers behind the horse whackin’ him with a whip. Too much stuff going on. A person only has two hands, and both of those should be controlling the leadrope. Not a grain bucket or a lunge whip.

When my mother’s horses were professionally shipped to their new home a few years ago, the hauler was a real “cowboy dude.” It was midnight (the guy had been lost and was seriously late), pitch black, and the horses had to be led on the road - into a strange smelling trailer. They all balked and refused but did eventually get in. By the time we got to the last mare, the guy was tired and frustrated. He grabbed the lead rope and tried to force her in. She set back and refused so he took the end of the rope and started whacking the mare and running her backwards, running her in circles, etc. He was going to “teach her a lesson.”

The short of it - mare never did get in the trailer and he had to leave without her. Once he got nasty with her, it was OVER. Nothing is making a 1,400 pound WB go in a trailer when she doesn’t want to.

Previously, all these horses were good loaders. So the mare stood in my pasture for a few months until mom came with her own trailer to get the mare. It then took 4 hours and she STILL wouldn’t get in. No amount of butt ropes, dressage whips, buckets of grain, or discipline was getting her in. That last experience had just flat wrecked her.

I could NOT keep this horse here, she had to get in that trailer and go home somehow. My parents finally gave up and said as soon as the vet clinic is open, we’re calling for sedation. I happened to think of the old blindfold trick, so I took off my sweatshirt, tied it securely over her face, and got behind her and started pushing. Within 2 minutes, the mare was securely tied in the trailer and on her way out the driveway. :winkgrin:

The next time mom had to trailer her, she also blind folded her again. She’s done a lot of re-training since then, and now she goes right in again without any balking or drama.

But all it takes is one hard “come to jesus meeting” to wreck a horse, if the horse’s personality isn’t such that can be bullied.