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BeckyBoodle
Gold Member
 Australia
795 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 8:18:04 PM
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I have been doing loading practice with the ambition to get out and about this year. We now go in the trailer fine, eat breakfast, loiter for a bit, have the breast bar and tail bar up for a bit of time, and then go out fine.
But we panic if the doors close. She does that thing where she drops her weight down and runs on the spot. (Do other breeds do it, I have only come across it twice before and in Arabs?)
All this is static as I have been borrowing a trailer but not a vehicle to tow. That would come next.
I know when I collected her, she went on ok-ish with a little bit of a bump up, but not much. She also did the drop down thing and we just got on and drove and I guess the movement meant she had to concentrate on keeping her balance. She had been trailered once before and I don't know much about that experience.
At the moment I have been doing all the trailer stuff without a companion horse/pony as I don't really have access to one.
Can anyone advise how to move to the next level and get the doors closed?
I have thought of hiring a box instead of loaning a trailer as it might be more stable.
I am cautious of just getting her in, closing it up and driving off as that doesn't seem to be addressing any problems and I as she goes in and out ok at the moment, I don't want to put her off loading.
Any thoughts most welcome.
Thanks
B
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Pashon2001
Platinum Member
3575 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2010 : 9:29:57 PM
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| Do you have anyone who could stand in there with her (with the jockey door unlocked but not wide open just in case)and feed her carrots or treats? See if she would settle with that first, then if she's okay start the engine but not move so she feels the vibration, and go on from there? A lot of horses will settle as soon as you move, as you say they have to keep their balance, she may be better in a box but remember the ramp is steeper to go up and down if she is panicky. |
     
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geegee
Platinum Member
England
3682 Posts |
Posted - 24 Feb 2010 : 5:00:51 PM
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The running on the spot is sheer panic/fear.
My advice would be to play approach and retreat with the ramp, by lifting the ramp up and down in slow gentle movements and gradually increasing the time of the ramp being held up. When she begins to accept this then you can move on to actually closing it but opening it straight up and closing it again etc etc. Bear in mind this could take time and over several/many sessions....
I had to play this game with the partition with my mare, she became claustrophobic all of a sudden and did the same thing (running on the spot) if you closed it. I actually had the headpiece removed and replaced with open bars so that she didn't feel closed in, but we then had to go through the same process with the ramp doors and then the ramp itself.
If you take your time, which I am sure you will, she will get over this but she needs to be confident in the fact that you are not going to just shut the door when she is scared. Baby steps and all that....
Good luck, and if you decide to take my advice, I would be interested to hear how you got on?
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Suelin
Platinum Member
England
2514 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2010 : 04:22:53 AM
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| My youngster did this to begin with. I just stood with him for a while and talked to him and gave him a piece of carrot and such and he settled quite quickly. We then set off slowly and he never moved until we got him out at the other end. We had this with him for a few times but gradually he stopped worrying about it. He travels brilliantly, eats his way form A to B. Happy chap. |
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Nichole Waller
Gold Member
England
1168 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2010 : 7:06:22 PM
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Ozzy did this when i picked him up from the lady i bought him from. He loaded fine and then when the ramp was shut he danced on the spot. Then when we moved off he was fine. When we got him out at home he crouched really low in the trailer and then leaped off the front ramp..
The lady i bought him from told me to just completely ignore this behaviour and said the more journeys he did the better he would get....
I have travelled him quite a lot since this. All fairly short journeys and each time he has had my mare for company. He doesn't do the dancing when my mare is in the trailer with him, but he still crouches down low when coming off the front ramp. He doesn't always jump off, sometimes he just crouches down low and then walks off slowly with his legs spread really wide apart. ( He looks really funny)
Maybe try loading her with another pony and see what she is like. Then slowly introduce closing the ramp as suggested above. Once they get moving they tend to settle down, but i know what you mean about wanting her settled before you move off... Keep us posted.  |
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Topic |
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Teaching to load - how to close the door
