LOM April 2009

My horse has trailer issues...We've been working with your techniques since Oct. and had gotten pretty good at driving (at least on the left - although it's coming on the right)...went over yesterday, fed the horse on the ramp, and then spent time driving and backing over poles.

Then started with "one foot on, back up" and "oh - there's some hay to grab while you have that one foot on." When we got 2 and a half feet on the ramp we "graduated" to some sweet feed. In about 3 hrs we were all the way in the trailer and eating out of the hay bag.

Backed back out, and then started doing some other stuff and then going back to the trailer (still takes the feed bucket, but that should go away eventually, I think). Over the course of the next few hours I put him on and off the trailer 3 or 4 more times.

Went out this morning - put a little hay at the bottom of the ramp, and put most of it and the feed bucket up at the front. After we had a little hay I gave him a bite out of the bucket and put it back up front. After that he looked at the hay - looked at the bucket - looked at the hay, and then walked over top of the hay and loaded himself!

I let him do the "one bite and back up" thing a few times - then held the feed bucket in front of his nose while my husband put the ramp up.

I feel kind of bad that I had to take him to a really strange place right away instead of going out and coming back a couple times first, but oh well....

I am CONVINCED that if I hadn't been using your techiques to do this we wouldn't have been going anywhere at all!

I've searched the internet compulsively for information and nowhere have I found such comprehensive, instructive, understandable info as found on your web site. Your generosity in sharing information shows me you truly care and it isn't just about the almighty $. (As a retired person with limited funds, I'm trying to save up for your videos.) Meanwhile, thank you so much for what I've learned from your site. I've used your suggestions to keep safe. The greatest help was the use of the soft string to teach my young stallion to lift his feet for trimming. THANKS!

Hi Sylvia...We have worked so hard to get our horse to [trailer] load. It's been an issue since we've had him and I thought we had made good progress. The last two times I've had to load him to return home, he has pitched a fit. Our 4H leader had to load him for us and it wasn't a happy occasion. This last time was Saturday, April 4th. My horse came up lame for the show after we got him there and had to be taken back home. You'd think with a sore foot he'd be more amiable, but he wasn't. I was so discouraged I was ready to throw in the towel with this horse over trailering. I happen to [read your web site Trailer Loading Problems].

I could have kicked myself because I had totally forgotten about keeping my horse relaxed. He loads pretty easily to go somewhere, but coming home, he immediately puts up a fight. Obviously this is not a relaxed horse and we were forcing the issue and he got quite worked up.

On Sunday afternoon I decided to work with him again on a few basics. I refreshed his memory with the back-up cue and also driving him along a fence line. I wasn't sure I wanted to press the issue on loading up after we had such a ruckus. I just decided to see how it went.

I drove him toward the trailer and backed him up from it over and over. We got in real close where he could see a carrot on the floor. I haven't mastered the one foot at a time, but he did put two feet in and I backed him off. After several times of that I just kept clucking to him and swinging the rope and he just walked all the way on. I loaded and unloaded him repeatedly.

I also realized that part of his problem is not so much getting on the trailer, but the movement once he is being driven. Based on what I learned from your Whispering Way™ 12-Step Total Training System video set, I knew if there was an issue, I better flush it out. I loaded him up and drove him just a few feet. He was trembling all over when I opened the back. I let him settle down a few minutes then unloaded him.

I started repeating the prior process again. Typically, when trying to load him, he will swing his head away and act like he is very interested in something off in the distance. I got him lined up again, and started the relaxation process again -- dropping the head, working the mouth, speaking calmly, and stroking him as well as yielding his head to me. We then started the driving him towards the trailer again. I was so thrilled when he calmly walked back on again. We loaded and unloaded over and over. I was so pleased.

I can see I have a lot of work with him on taking trips. We have an Area 4H show April 25. My goal is to really work with him so we can overcome this fear of movement in the trailer. I can see it's going to have to be in baby steps though. This was such an inspiration to me. I think I'm going to have to put a sign up on my trailer that says "Don't rush this horse" and just plan extra time for loading. He loads so easily going out that I have neglected to allow time to overcome the fear for the return.

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