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FW: [RC] Hard Headed Horses - Mike SherrellI've struggled with many a hard loader, and so far none
has failed to yield to this:
Take a very long rope and tie a big loop in one end,
big enough to go around the horse's hind quarters, draping over her back and
coming up just above the knee joint of her hinds. The knot will be about where
your left calf would be if you were on her back. The free end of this rope runs
along the left shoulder and past her nose, where it is appx. level with the lead
rope.
Run the butt rope and the lead rope up through
whatever ring loop is in the front of the horse's area of the trailer, and back
to you, who are standing next to the horse on its left side. Wear
gloves. Have a hay bag up in the trailer where you want her head, and feed
her there while she is riding.
Pull on the two ropes while you urge the horse forwards
by cajollery or smacks. The butt rope is the one that delivers the physical and
psychological pressure to the horse; the lead rope is mainly to keep her in
line physically and to keep active the tracks in her brain that associate
tension on the lead rope with moving in the direction of the lead rope
tension.
When she moves an inch, immediately take up the slack.
Keep as much tension on the ropes as possible (i.e., wrap them around your
forearm and lean hard), unless she suddenly gives and simply walks in. However
if as you say she has a tendency to back out even once on, make sure that there
is no more than an inch or three of slack at any time.
You may need someone to keep up the tension on the
ropes while you actually lift the horse's feet one at a time and move them
forwards. Snubbing the ropes around the steel loop or pin in the trailer will
let you maintain position against any pulling back.
As long as the horse doesn't get crazy and start
dancing around sideways, this will get her on the trailer, guaranteed. Only go
through this struggle when you actually want to get her someplace; once you get
handy with this the routine is almost always quick enough that it's not really
very daunting. Repeat as necessary. I have found that necessary repetions have
ranged from zero to half a dozen progressively easier
efforts.
Regards,
Mike Sherrell
Grizzly Analytical (USA)
707 887 2919; fax = 707 887
9834
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michelle Aquilino Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2008 4:14 PM To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [RC] Hard Headed Horses I did a search on ridecamp to try to find anyone who has experience
with hard headed horses, but then decided to just send an email to the whole
group, and see what sort of responses I get. I have a mare who I have
gradually fallen completely in love with, despite multiple attempts at selling
her. She is great to ride (not perfect, as she is young and can SOMEtimes
be spooky, but she is pretty solid and trustworthy, and I always feel safe
riding her alone). But she is strong, smart, and hard headed, and I am
relatively timid. I have built up some confidence through some training
with the two of us, but when it comes to trailer loading even the trainer
couldn't get her to load when she didn't want to. I know that it's not a
fear of the trailer, as she'll walk right on if she wants to, no questions
asked. But if she doesn't want to, there's no getting her in, and she only
gets worse with more pressure and any of those techniques that most people
recommend (butt rope, for example). I can't figure out anything that works
for her, and feel like with the way she is, even if we get to the point where
she'll load, I know she'll test that requirement at several points along the
road together, as I know she knows full well that she'll win a tug-of-war
contest hands down. It's not a fear thing, so it doesn't seem like the
"desensitizing" needs to be done. It's more of an "I don't want to, and
even if I get on, I'm not going to stay on if you get near that door".
She's a great hauler though, is really quiet on the road, and unloads
beautifully, which makes it all even more confusing to me. I don't know,
but I am hoping to get some ideas, so that maybe I can keep her =)
Thanks! -Michelle
-- "Don't breed or buy while shelter animals die"
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