trailer loading--the John Lyons method-- LONG!

[Horsestwo@aol.com]

Nancy and Amber;

Someone else has given a recommendation for John Lyons trailer loading tape 
and I am here to second that.  As opposed to many other methods of just 
getting your horse in, JL methods achieve a CALM horse that trailers and 
unloads, and with careful driving, will be no problem to haul.  JL doesn't 
change his methods for the type or age of the horse.  He won't make excuses 
about how hard this will be for Ol' Dobbin because he just hates ramp-load 
trailers!  He gives the horse credit for being able to learn a simple cue and 
then does his job by concentrating on teaching that cue (not on the evasions 
or the distractions).  This has been the biggest break through for me (the 
emphasis on focusing on *just* the cue and not the distractions) and the 
hardest for me to learn and stay with.  But it does work and changes, for the 
better, your relationship with your horses. I won't jump on anyone's method 
for getting it done but I want to point out *why* JL recommends some of the 
things he does.  

First, an explanation of some of the terms and the "how-to" part of teaching 
his methods.  He uses a "go forward" cue, which to him, is the kissing sound. 
 You can make it a cluck or whistle or anything you choose as long as you are 
100% consistent.  Having a dressage type whip (not too short, not too long) 
to be able to reach the hip while still standing at the horse's shoulder is 
necessary.  It would help immensely if you have learned/reviewed his leading 
lesson but you can teach this as long as you have a cue for stepping forward. 
 Since horses use their hindquarters to push forward you will be looking at a 
spot on his hip to *cue*.  You don't DRAG the horse forward by the halter.  
Don't put pressure on the lead except to ask his head to stay straight ahead 
(not allowing him to take his head to left or right) but no jerking on the 
lead.  Ask for forward movement (kiss) then follow with tap on hip spot if no 
forward mov't.  Continue tapping if horse doesn't move forward or if he backs 
up.  Stop tapping as soon as, and ONLY if, you get any forward mov't.  You 
aren't asking the horse to load; you are asking for forward mov't.  (YOU 
AREN'T TAPPING TO IRRITATE THE HORSE INTO JUMPING INTO THE TRAILER!!)  Once 
the horse has this figured out away from the trailer, walk toward the 
trailer, stopping when the horse does (this is where the horse is still 
comfortable). 

Assuming you are using a straight load trailer you should have both doors 
open and the fasteners out of the way.  You WILL NOT be getting into the 
trailer with the horse under any circumstances!  Do NOT have the feed door or 
escape door open.  It is NOT comforting to the horse to be able to see out.  
It is a temptation to the panicked horse to crawl out!  There shouldn't be 
any feed in the manger.  Make sure the floor doesn't have a build up of 
manure as it can be slippery.


From here you will ask for fwd mov't one step at a time, letting the horse 
stand quietly for a short period before asking for next step.  Pet and praise 
when horse is resting.  If horse backs up ask for him to return to where he 
was (no more) then let stand.  Soon you will have horse close to trailer.  
Let the horse sniff, paw as long as his focus is on the trailer.  This is 
where he might try to pull evasions such as pushing over the top of you, 
taking his head away from the trailer, etc.  Use your lead to keep his head 
toward the trailer or pushing on his shoulder to keep him out of your space.  
If he tries to swing his hindquarters away, DON'T make a circle and try to 
square him up to the trailer.  Keep his head pointed at the entrance and 
continue asking for that forward mov't.  If his head goes into the trailer he 
will figure out how to get the rest of him in!  In other words don't leave 
the trailer once you have started this lesson to come back up and start 
again.  You can choose to stop at any point and start again later or another 
day.  You don't have to get the horse into the trailer in one big lesson.  
But, I won't go into all the evasions and corrections. 

This is where you *must*  focus and ask for step forward and stop tapping 
when the horse even leans fwd.  You are telling the horse you are willing to 
reward any thought of going fwd.  You are going to ask the horse to load one 
foot a hundred times, then both feet a hundred more, then three feet a 
hundred more, then all the way a few hundred more.  This is only a slight 
exaggeration as you *must* take your time here.  Each time you load that foot 
you also get to unload that foot.  Most horses won't leave the foot there 
longer than a few seconds at first but as long as he complies with cue be 
sure to pet and praise him.  When the horse is OK with loading the first 
foot, ask him to leave it longer.  If you think he will take his foot away in 
2 seconds then ask him immediately to back that foot off.  Then more quickly 
ask again, giving him opportunity to leave it there.

JL likes to use the concept of a minute timer.  Ask the horse to leave his 
foot in the trailer for 5 seconds of the minute and 55 seconds with his foot 
out of the trailer.  Build up to reversing those numbers (55 in and 5 out).  
Let the horse sniff and check out the trailer as long as he is keeping his 
feet in the trailer.  Remember you are backing him (just his foot/feet at 
first) out of the trailer BEFORE he gets anxious.  You are getting to load 
that foot/feet multiple times so he is getting the right answer and lots of 
praise but you are also teaching him to unload calmly.  The cue to ask the 
horse to back out of the trailer (or just one foot at the start) is to put 
backwards pressure on the lead (pretty much common sense but I didn't want to 
assume!).

All along it is up to your judgment when the horse is OK at that level and 
when it is time to ask for next step.  If the horse is relaxed, neck soft and 
he's chewing it is obvious he is ready but you need to be able to "read" 
whether he is OK with what you have asked so far.  JL also has a theory that 
horses have a learning curve that goes: he's good, then bad, then much 
better, then really bad, then really good.  Most of us stop with the good 
stage and then the horse goes thru the other stages at a later date where we 
loose our patience and use all the colorful language we've picked up over the 
years!  We end up undoing all the work we had done by forcing the horse in 
the trailer because we are convinced the horse is just being stubborn or 
stupid.  We just didn't work thru all the stages at the teaching stage no 
matter how long that takes.  

They will let you know when you are finished as they will be calmly walking 
up to and stepping all the way in with one request.  At this point it is OK 
to have the horse back out and take him away 10-15 feet and then walk up to 
and load into the trailer. Horses are individuals and take various amounts of 
time to really teach how to calmly load and unload.  You don't change the 
cues or the expectations because the horse is older, had been abused, had 
been in a wreck or is an Arabian(!)  You proceed with the next stage when the 
horse is calm with the preceding one.  The horse figures out you aren't 
rushing him into anything and if you focus on asking for just that ONE step 
and he gets that right, the pressure is off.  The horse will, as I stated, 
try some evasions.  As long as you keep your cool and fix the evasion while 
still asking for the step forward then the horse WILL learn that the pressure 
is released only when he complies.  Don't focus on the evasion and punish 
him; focus on fixing the evasion and getting the EXACT thing you asked for .. 
forward movement.  If he rears then you can use the whip on his front legs, 
below the knees, for as long as he is in the air.  Continue with the cue and 
if he moves slightly forward, stop and praise.  Don't hold a grudge for any 
misbehavior on his part.  Get the mov't and be lavish with the praise.  

Once the horse is loading all the way in, don't close him in yet.  Ask him to 
stay longer and longer while you bang the butt bar or touch the door and 
swing it a little.  If the horse objects to these things and wants to back 
out it is OK a few times then start asking the horse to step back forward 
when he takes the first step back.  Remember the horse MUST comply with a 
step forward if you give him the cue (kiss) or tapping on his hip until he 
complies.  He might be halfway out before he stops backing and steps forward 
but at that moment stop the cue.  Give it a moment and then ask him to step 
all the way back in, continue with the normal noise that will be made when 
you go to fasten the butt bar/chain and then ask him to back out and praise 
him.  Ask him to go back in as he has hundreds of times already and repeat 
until you are sure he is OK with the normal commotion (sound and motion) that 
is normal for trailering.  Don't close him up until you are sure he won't 
panic.

This doesn't completely explain the methods as well as watching his tapes or 
reading his books.  He has done a whole series in his Perfect Horse magazine 
also.  I am only trying to get you interested in a way that is successful 
even if it takes a little longer.  I've seen all kinds of methods from 
winching to butt ropes to whacking with a broom but even if you manage to get 
the horse in uninjured (unlikely) then all you've got is a very scared wreck 
of an animal in there who will hurt himself eventually and probably will come 
flying back out in a hurry when finally released.  This will get horses and 
people injured also.  


Using treats/hay/grain in the trailer is actually a distraction to getting 
the horse obedient to a cue.  Distractions can be anything from another horse 
walking by as you teach your horse to load or a dog barking, etc.  You would 
want to minimize the number of distractions when teaching something new 
(i.e., don't start teaching at feeding time when all the others are eating 
and your poor horse can't concentrate).  Some distractions are unavoidable 
and are a gauge as to whether your horse is learning (and focusing) such as 
performing what you ask as someone walks another horse by.  If you keep 
asking in the same manner, as though the distraction didn't exist, and the 
horse performs then you know the horse is focusing.  But when you have food 
in the trailer you can't be sure the horse is responding to your cue or his 
gluttony.  Often you get a horse who overcomes his fear for the moment it 
takes to get into the trailer and once he has a bite panics because of his 
surroundings and comes flying out.  What if you are riding with a friend who 
doesn't put feed in the trailer?  Or if your horse is colicking and you need 
to get him to vet hospital and vet advises no food?  The best reason is that 
leaving food out of the equation means the horse is responding to your "go 
forward" cue.  This also pertains to having another horse loaded in the 
trailer.  Is the horse loading because of being buddy sour?  What will happen 
when no other horse is available to baby-sit?

The main gist of what you are teaching is that the horse will load into any 
kind of trailer even if you haven't practiced with that kind before such as 
slant, straight, stock, step-up or ramp.  He is loading because you are 
asking him to do something he knows how to do and is comfortable about it.  
You haven't made life so unpleasant outside of the trailer that he is willing 
to get in just to get away from constant tapping.  He has learned a cue.  You 
can even practice having the horse step onto a piece of tarp (with the edges 
held down with weights) which is a great beginning to teaching to load.  
This, of course, carries over to stepping into a wash rack or grooming stall. 
 The best thing is that you have taught your horse how to learn and get the 
right answer.  You will have a horse that leads better, loads and unloads 
calmly (despite distractions) and should travel well.  

Sorry this reads like a book but I wanted to make sure I explained as well as 
I can the "how" and "why" of JL method for loading.  I am NOT affiliated with 
JL in any way and you must realize that I don't begin to fully explain his 
methods.  I highly recommend getting his tapes, books or magazine.  If you 
have a certified JL trainer in your area then I would recommend looking 
him/her up.  I am lucky to have a *really* good JL trainer near me (Jean 
Franzmeier in N. Phoenix) and so have access to her lessons, seminars and 
clinics.

Good luck and always be safe!

Melanie in AZ


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