training to self-load

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StraightForward
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Re: training to self-load

Postby StraightForward » Fri Jul 30, 2021 11:42 pm

That is good! I think of it as a safety thing. Never know when you might need to get one in the trailer by yourself. I don't have Tesla self-loading in that I have to stand by with the "encouragement stick" but always decline help when it's offered, and eventually she goes in and stands for me to do up the butt bar.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Anne » Mon Jan 31, 2022 4:22 am

This thread is old-ish, but I'm going to revive it with a positive update..... Fergal will now load up with minimum fuss (a few taps of the whip), and will stand for as long as I want. I can walk away a little bit, and he'll still stand! (without the bum bar done up). He backs out quietly on voice aid 'back'.
I still haven't shut him in, but can swing the bum bar behind him and pretend to do it up. If he makes a move backwards I can tap him forward with the whip and tell him 'halt'.

I think it has helped to really solidify his 'park' (stand) where-ever I ask him to. We went through a stage of being able to load him, but he was very tense, and would back off before I asked. If he did this, we backed up smartly (a bit faster than he wanted to) for 15 or so metres, then forward again and straight back on. I also did feed him on the trailer quite often, which meant he got used to putting his head over the bar at the front (which was originally a sticking point).

It has taken a looooong time, but I'm feeling more optimistic now.

Here is the wee lad looking a bit worried, but not budging his feet:

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Re: training to self-load

Postby blob » Mon Jan 31, 2022 2:04 pm

Great news, Anne!

MM has also made progress. She will self load to go somewhere, but usually on the way back she is less interested in self loading--she will let me lead her on and will stand and wait while i go around and fasten the butt bar. So it's still progress

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Re: training to self-load

Postby StraightForward » Mon Jan 31, 2022 5:44 pm

Oh gosh, that look on his face. He looks so much like my former chestnut mare Rosette. I will have to dig up a pic showing her blaze.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Anne » Mon Mar 28, 2022 4:13 am

Quiet persistence pays off : we did our first short float (trailer) trip with Fergal today.... I've been loading him most days, and he's been improving, and getting more confident with just standing until I ask him to back off. Today, we loaded up his buddy, then I asked in my normal way for Fergal to walk on, and he went straight on, my partner standing at the front to give some encouragement, and I quietly closed the bum bar and put up the ramp, and F. was fine!!!! OK, a little worried, but he didn't move. We went for a short trip down our driveway and back, then he unloaded quietly.

So it has taken a Very Long Time (3 years, on and off), but I feel now he understands it is not such a big deal.

I will load him up tomorrow and see how he goes.....

Thinking back, I think that the turning point was one day about 4 weeks ago : I loaded him, he was standing inside, then my partner opened the front/side door, and Fergal was completely freaked out, started shaking all over, but stood, and M. quietly reassured him, gave a few treats, and asked him to step forward. The next day we did the same, and it was like he finally understood it was OK to stand inside while 'things' happened around him (door opens, people walk behind him etc).

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Re: training to self-load

Postby blob » Mon Mar 28, 2022 1:39 pm

Great news, Anne!

our trailering work has also been going well but has all been with my friends trailer and I do think MM's comfort is also related to that trailer. We're moving barns soon, so that trailer will be gone. Soon my own trailer will be arriving, so that will be good. But I am anticipating that I might have to restart a lot of the trailer training work.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby demi » Mon Mar 28, 2022 2:27 pm

Glad to hear the positive update on Fergal! He is a lucky boy to have such a patient owner. I sometimes feel like Im too patient, but really, in the long run, it’s paid off. Looks like your patience with Fergal is paying off, too.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby demi » Mon Mar 28, 2022 2:33 pm

Blob, just a thought, but when you get your new trailer, you might want to haul RP in it first so that it has a familiar horsey smell before MM gets hauled. Even my older good trailering horses have been skeptical when Ive gotten new trailers. Since MM has issues, maybe even put down “dirty” shavings from her stall before you load her the first time or two.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby blob » Mon Mar 28, 2022 2:37 pm

demi wrote:Blob, just a thought, but when you get your new trailer, you might want to haul RP in it first so that it has a familiar horsey smell before MM gets hauled. Even my older good trailering horses have been skeptical when Ive gotten new trailers. Since MM has issues, maybe even put down “dirty” shavings from her stall before you load her the first time or two.


Good idea! I will make sure RP breaks it in the new trailer. My trainer's place will be just 10 minutes down the road. So, it will be easy to take him over for lessons a couple times before I even have to practice loading her up.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Kyras_Mom » Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:25 am

Anne, my last mare was like that. It took a long, long time, even doing regular trailer training (like 1-2x/week in good weather). She was just the claustrophobic sort and it took her a long time to yes, understand that it is OK. I can't say as I blame them. Asking them to get on a small moving box/cave is just not what a prey animal is prone to do.
Good for you to just be patient and calm. All the work does eventually sink in.

blob, that sounds like a great idea to haul RP a few times to break in the trailer. Smart idea demi!

I looked like a genius once. Some people were trying to load a gelding and were getting nowhere. I asked them if they wanted some help...I said I'm not touching the horse but try turning your truck and trailer 180 degrees. I explained that he didn't want to leave his buddies who were behind him . They did turn the trailer around and the gelding walked right on. I looked like a genius just because the horse wanted his buddies. Bless his heart for making me look good :lol: .

Susan

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Re: training to self-load

Postby StraightForward » Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:46 pm

Nice ideas, Susan and Demi!

Blob, congrats on your trailer too. It is fantastic being able to haul the ponies around.

Yesterday I took my girls to get their saddles checked. I've been practice loading Tesla this winter, and she's been self-loading fairly OK, but I haven't taken her anywhere since I think October. It will be interesting to see if she will load today for our vet appointment. Bless Annabelle, she is a point-and-shoot loader now.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby blob » Tue Mar 29, 2022 2:56 pm

StraightForward wrote:
Blob, congrats on your trailer too. It is fantastic being able to haul the ponies around.



Thank you! I'm excited! But right now there are many delays, so the trailer that was supposed to arrive in March is now coming in June, hopefully it doesn't get delayed further. I am very eager!

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Anne » Wed Mar 30, 2022 5:26 am

Ooof, that is quite a delay Blob, how frustrating... but exciting too, congrats!

Susan, yeah, Fergal's a claustrophobic sort too, and I can hardly blame him, especially as we think he had a couple of bad experiences with people forcing him on to a trailer before he arrived here.

Today was another small success, we closed the bum bar and ramp without his buddy on board. He was much more worried, and wiggled back and forth quite a bit, but with some quiet reassurance and a few treats he did settle at which point we quietly let the ramp down, and asked him to back out. Just going to keep going slowly, and hope he continues to gain confidence.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Anne » Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:39 pm

Joyful update! Such a relief when the training pays off : Last week we moved 1000km south to our new property..... Fergal went straight onto our trailer (with his buddy), and coped perfectly with the first leg of the journey, 6 hrs. The 4 boys had a 3 night layover at a yard, then a commercial transporter picked them up for leg 2..... we could not be there to help load, but we explained that we had a tricky loader and I was not at all sure he'd be straight forward to load onto a strange truck. However, Fergal loaded up perfectly, they had 7 hrs on the truck, then another layover, as the transport guy didn't want them arriving at a new property near dusk. They arrived the next day, exactly to-the-minute when we were told they would arrive (so impressed with our transport guy!), and spent the day checking out their new surroundings. (fuzzy low res. photos below :-) )

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StraightForward
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Re: training to self-load

Postby StraightForward » Tue Aug 09, 2022 8:42 pm

Wow, what a gorgeous location!

Glad the training stuck with Fergal. Sometimes after training, one long trip and it unravels and it's almost like starting from scratch.
Keep calm and canter on.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Moutaineer » Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:47 pm

Gorgeous Anne! Whereabouts?

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Anne » Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:58 pm

It's the very southern province in New Zealand, nearest 'city' (population ~55,000) is Invercargill.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Moutaineer » Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:57 pm

NZ is on my bucket list...

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Re: training to self-load

Postby blob » Wed Aug 10, 2022 11:16 pm

looks beautiful! What a great update!

Also a timely revival of this thread as I'm back on the trailer training track--this time trying to get MM to remember her good progress and apply it to my new trailer, which once she gets comfortable with, will be her usual/reliable ride. Right now it smells new (not great), and is a bit shorter than the trailer i was practicing on. in general she is good with tight spaces but being shorter means that she really needs to step up to the chest bar with confidence. I am planning ot practice again this weekend!

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Re: training to self-load

Postby chantal » Tue Aug 16, 2022 12:06 pm

We've been trailering out so much and I've taken advantage of it to work on self-loading. Mikey will walk into a trailer with another horse or a person at the front but won't go into an empty trailer. It's been 4 trips so far but I think in time he'll just go on. What do you guys think?

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Re: training to self-load

Postby khall » Tue Aug 16, 2022 12:35 pm

Chantal most times I have to load by myself so teaching my horses to self load is a necessity. I like using good yummies in the trailer so the horse wants to go in. Rip is the only horse I will lead in occasionally but I still do not require a second person. He stands on the trailer no problem for me to put the butt bar up.

For my horses because they do not get alfalfa hay much I use yummy alfalfa as their reward for getting on.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby chantal » Tue Aug 16, 2022 2:38 pm

khali-I do need to get higher value treats. And when we were on just loading way back when, he did stand for me to put up the butt bar. I think I'm the one that's afraid of him backing out, though a reasonable fear.

And most of the time I have someone available to help but I do want him to be solid on this so we can be ready when we have to do it on our own.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Kyras_Mom » Tue Aug 16, 2022 8:20 pm

Chantal, When I got Kyra, I dedicated a couple sessions to trailer loading. I was able to pull it into the arena and I probably spent an hour tops both times and that was all it took for Kyra. She was henceforth a reliable ‘point and shoot’ loader. Now the mare I had before her was the claustrophobic sort and it took several months of regular trailer sessions to get her to be a so-so but mostly reliable point and shoot loader.

I am almost always alone and they just have to get on and stay on ;) .

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Re: training to self-load

Postby chantal » Wed Aug 17, 2022 6:28 pm

Kyras_Mom wrote:Chantal, When I got Kyra, I dedicated a couple sessions to trailer loading. I was able to pull it into the arena and I probably spent an hour tops both times and that was all it took for Kyra. She was henceforth a reliable ‘point and shoot’ loader. Now the mare I had before her was the claustrophobic sort and it took several months of regular trailer sessions to get her to be a so-so but mostly reliable point and shoot loader.

I am almost always alone and they just have to get on and stay on ;) .

Susan


Point and shoot, that's a good description. He's so reliable at following, right on no matter who's trailer, horses, no horses, and even a friend's brand new trailer. Didn't even blink an eye. This was the one he self-loaded on on the way home when his friend was already on.

I may pull it out where they are stored and load in the middle like I did when we had to work on loading 3 years ago. But I'll give him a couple more times as we are trailer a lot right now. Thank you for the calm, matter-of-fact approach and voice. It just has to be. Like everything else. He's not a baby anymore and I'm not making excuses anymore. Did that for too long and got called on it. :oops: Upward and onward.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby chantal » Sat Aug 27, 2022 9:37 pm

Guess who self-loaded twice yesterday? I went in with a different frame of mind, not asking but telling him to. And he went right on. He questioned me after our lesson at a new place, but then went right on again. Woo hoo!!

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Quelah » Sat Aug 27, 2022 10:32 pm

Congratulation!

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Re: training to self-load

Postby Moutaineer » Sun Aug 28, 2022 5:14 pm

Excellent, Chantal! So much safer for all concerned.

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Re: training to self-load

Postby exvet » Sun Aug 28, 2022 7:20 pm

Congratulations, Chantal. Sometimes you just have to insist that they step up to the plate <period>

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Re: training to self-load

Postby chantal » Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:14 pm

Thanks guys, yes, so much safer. And insisting he step up is my my motto for the year. I've been thinking he's a baby for the past 4 years, we're past that. Upward and onward.


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