Teaching a youngster to load and travel

[izzy]

I have an 18 month filly and would like to start teaching her to load and take out on short trips later on this year .............i just wondered how people approached this with their own youngsters and what their first few trips were.

Is it best to have trailer hitched to tow vehicle for loading practice?

Did you just drive round the block and unload again or drive somewhere have a walk about graze in hand and then come home?

Obviousley my filly would have to be good to load before unloading somewhere away from home incase i cant reload her :-)

Look forward to reading all your experiences and advice thanks.

[jen1]

I think the best way to start is to have a trailer to hand and just play with them in an enclosed area, I have never used head collars or the like untill they want to follow me through, bit like agility ,

[lroy]

You should always be hitched to load a horse- seemingly you can tip the box if you're unhitched.
I started with her loose and enticed her in with a feed - and let her eat quite a few feeds from the box. After a few times I had her loading/ waiting for a wee minute and unloading herself.

I also got her to follow another horse on a few times. And the first time I took her out I had another pony for company.
I think gonig for some short drives is a great idea but not unloading until you get home so that she gets the idea she gets to come home.
Maybe then you could take her to a couple of local shows over the spring/summer even if not competing its great to walk her about and get her used to lots of new sights.
x

[clara81]

I used to just load them a few times (calmly, using pressure and release. If they trust you they should go on easily given enough time to think it through). Then once they went on (and off!) a couple of times I'd just take them to shows, no messing! Wish I'd got my Exmoor pony as a baby so I could do it all properly before she was ruined.

[highlanderpony2002]

I just load using pressure and release but I have them from foals so as long as they are taught to lead really well they usually go in easily as they just follow Did get Garry to help me to unload one after she walked happily on then refused to come down the lorry ramp and was stuck up there for 5 hours eventually we had to blindfold and lift her down the step onto the ramp before taking the blindfold off and allowing her to walk down. After that I got Garry to come and teach her both ways and it was done brilliantly she will sometimes still balk at the bottom after she had a bad ride in a rear facing lorry but only takes a minute or two to remember her manners an go up

[curlytobiano]

we have done a bit of this with my youngster when he was about 1. Bridget RA helped us. we led him on and off lots and lots of times - deep straw bed all the time, and gave him a bucket of feed when he was on it. Gradually progressed to shutting the ramp etc. Then when we went for the first drive Bridget's advice was to go for at least 20 minutes, because they cannot keep their heart rate high for more than 20 minutes. On the first occasion Xas was calling and walking round and poohing, but after the magic 20 minutes he totally chilled out, and then the next time (when I had to drive for an hour to move yards with him) he was chilled the whole time. Bridget did advise us that he couldnt be tied up or have the partition in at this stage, and I havent yet progressed to the point where we can do both but that will be the next stage.

[kafee]

I would have the trailer hitched.

I taught Squirrel, Inca and Sky to load when they were 2YOs. The first time I drove with one of them loaded, they had an older companion next to them, and I literally drove 2 feet, stopped, unloaded, reloaded and repeated. I lenghtened the drive in the field with each session, before going round the block, or taking them home to mow the lawn. It took me 2 months, working on the loading 3 or 4 times a week, but it was well worth it, they're brilliant loaders now. I didn't load them again until they were 3, and didn't expect it to be easy, but they walked straight in, with the encouragement of a bowl of nuts.

I had't heard of the 20 minute rule before, but I'll remember it.

[orangetails]

Unless your trailer has prop stands you MUST hitch it to load! They do tip as you get to the top of the ramp otherwise!!

My Welsh A which I was given when she was a yearling got thrown in at the deep end - had to collect her from approx 4hrs away. I took the partition out of my lorry and bedding it down with straw, and she travelled loose. She had apparently travelled in this way from the sales to her previous owner's home - but they hadn't taught her to tie so I did the same when I collected her.

If I had a choice though, I would start with just loading and walking off (front unload trailer more useful here than one with rear ramp only) and gradually ask for some time spent standing before coming off again - feed/reward as necessary to make it pleasant. Once the youngster was confident with that I would start to put the breast bar in place - but leave the front ramp down so it's still open and light. Gradually start tying them in there, putting up breech bar, ramps etc. This is where you need to start to be careful, and sure that your horse is not going to panic though - because they can try to get under/over the breast bar to get out if they panic. However I genuinely believe for most horses if they are treated sympathetically and patiently and never given anything to fear with loading, they never get to the point of panicking and thinking 'must get out NOW!'.

I also think it's worth remembering a lot of loading problems are leading problems - so make sure the youngster is polite and good to handle and lead on the ground first, before introducing a scary and potentially dangerous confined space into the mix.

With my arab - who was 5 when I got my horsebox but previously had only travelled twice (ie the times she changed homes!) I fed her on the lorry for ages - every day as part of turning her out, she'd have a bit of breakfast in there. Started to close the partition on her and leave her stood with a haynet, getting to the point I could leave her tied there munching without me actually there (just observing from a distance) She wasn't nervous or worried at all, but because I would most likely be boxing to stuff on my own, it was important to me that she was quiet and safe to load, travel, and stand on the lorry when I got there.

Her first outings were a couple of short rides on smooth roads coming back to the yard without stopping/unloading, and then short trips to off-road hacking as her first few outings. Fun and low-key. We then started to do RC clinics, again fun and low-key, before I started taking her to some shows, which are obviously a more pressured environment. Maybe I was a bit OTT, maybe not - but I now have a horse who whilst she might be neurotic in other ways ;-) will load/unload anywhere (even if limited space), travel so quietly you don't know she's in there, and stand happily on the box on her own wherever we go to - which is invaluable if you go places alone as I often do - to nip to the loo, get your number, or find out where you are supposed to be going once tacked up.

If often amazes me that horses are so incredibly willing, generous and trusting with the whole concept of being shovelled onto a moving tin can at the owner's absolute whim, boxed off somewhere often on busy roads with all the noises they entail, and then either having to do a job when they get there, or ending up living somewhere completely different!