Site Menu:
This is an archived Horseadvice.com Discussion. The parent article and menus are available on the navigation menu below: |
HorseAdvice.com » Training, Behavior, & Conditioning Horses » Behavior and Training » Trailer Loading a Horse » Loading Questions » |
Discussion on Neurologic horse won't load | |
Author | Message |
Member: cekoz |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 - 5:35 pm: Hello,I took my horse to a vet school for an EMG (uncovered some nerve deficits). He had some trouble getting on and off the trailer on the way there, and now he ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT get back on the trailer. The neurological issues are in the back end, and he'll put his front feet on the trailer, then rear back and out, and refuses to put his back feet on the ramp/ in the trailer. We tried a set-up trailer AND a ramp trailer, and the same thing happened for both; he absolutely wouldn't put his back feet on the ramp or step up with them. He has ALWAYS loaded perfectly, I've never had a single issue in the 6 years I've owned him with trailering, and we show and travel quite a bit. We tried everything to get him in, including some force methods that I wouldn't use if I felt there was another choice (people pushing on him, a rope around his butt... even food bribery and sedation!). He wasn't worked up or upset, he just wasn't going to do it. I honestly think it's because he doesn't feel stable in his back legs, either putting them in the trailer/ on the ramp, or possibly because he anticipated being unstable during the haul. He has NEVER refused to do ANYTHING in the time I've had him, he's a very calm, willing horse and he never makes a fuss about anything... and on the off chance he does make a fuss, a little coaxing is all it every takes. Does anyone have any experience loading a neurologic or unstable horse??? Or possibly one with pain in their hind end??? I know other people must do this, but I can't imagine how. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone help me! My horse has been stuck at the vet school for 2 days, and we're no closer to getting him home! I'm absolutely desperate! |
Member: hpyhaulr |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 - 6:55 pm: Have you tried finding a depression in the ground and park the trailer there? If he is not taking a step up, the pressure is less on the hind quarters. You should be able to walk him on then. |
Member: mcbizz |
Posted on Saturday, Feb 17, 2007 - 7:55 pm: Christina, if it's a nerve issue, or you suspect it might be, wouldn't the vet school have the facilities and staff to further diagnos him and since you're there, maybe that would be the quickest solution?I have a problem loader, kind of similar, but ongoing since I've owned him. (Probably my own fault). Yours sounds like a physical thing. Best of luck to you. Sounds like your guy needs to be looked at. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 10:06 am: I do believe getting the trailer lip as close to the ground and secure footing important but as for training the horse to go forward onto the trailer, I do not know of any program has successful as the one outlined in the article. I am regularly asked to teach horses to load on trailers and have never failed with it.DrO |
Member: hwood |
Posted on Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 12:16 pm: Christina, is your trailer a stock trailer or a two horse? Cindy O. and Dr. O. have the best suggestions, but my first thought was "maybe he'll back up the ramp onto the trailer and ride backwards." I know that if he has neurological problems that backing may be out of the question for him, but if not, maybe it would work, especially if the ramp or trailer floor can be made level with where he is standing. Would it be easier or harder for a horse with back end problems to ride facing backward? |
Member: freshman |
Posted on Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 10:25 pm: I'm sure that you have tried everything possible, but I've seen the most success with backing the trailer up to a grassy curb that is more level with the trailer. There is much less of a "step" to get on, and the grassy footing seems to make horses feel more secure and confident.You could also try changing the type of trailer that you are asking him to get into. You don't mention what sort of trailer that you have, but he may be more likely to get into an open stock trailer versus an enclosed horse trailer.Lots of horses have serious reservations about getting into a small, dark, enclosed space and do much better with the stock trailers. You might enlist friends to bring up their trailers that are different than your own. Unfortunately, staff at many clinics and schools are a bit bound by insurance regulations that don't allow them to intervene too much with loading/unloading processes. It sounds like they have tried to help, even sedating the horse, and that is something some will not do. A sedated horse on a trailer ride, especially one that is neurologic, is always a risky prospect. You might try having someone else try to load the horse, preferably a calm, confident horseperson that you trust and hasn't been involved in trying to load the horse in the past 2 days. It is possible that the horse has been feeding off some anxiety that he feels from you about him being trailered and, after two days of trying, is also reading your frustration with the whole thing. Again, I'm sure that you guys have tried just about everything possible to get the horse on. Have you tried loading another horse onto the trailer first? A horse buddy from home might really give him the confidence and motivation to load behind him. If you are far from home and it isn't possible to return home to pick up a friend, the vet school might have a resident clinic/research/blood donor horse that they would be willing to load for this purpose. Make sure that you practice a few times with a loaner horse to make sure that he will load easily, or if he doesn't load smoothly every time, just put him on the trailer before you bring your horse out. Most of these teaching horses are relatively cooperative by nature, but some may have not been loaded in a long time, or simply marked it off their list of things that they will do. I hope that your boy decides to load for you, soon! No doubt that his extra stay is costing a pretty penny. Perhaps he is enjoying the heated barn and is reluctant to leave the spa. |
Member: cekoz |
Posted on Sunday, Feb 18, 2007 - 10:41 pm: Caroyln:The vet school has been trying to diagnose him for quite a while now, unfortunately what he has they've never seen and are having difficulty uncovering through standard tests. Everyone else: We tried both a step-up stock trailer, and a straight-load trailer with a ramp; unfortunately, these are the only two available to me. The problem with putting the trailer up to the curb is that I live in the midwest, and we recently recieved quite a bit of snow, and because they've been plowing the parking lot, there are tons of snow over all the curbs (and basically anywhere that isn't the parking lot). We even got shovels and shoveled out part of the curb and backed the ramp trailer up to it, but they're low curbs and I don't think he even noticed the difference; he had the same problem as with the ramp on the ground. He has always been an extremely easy loader, and has never been herd bound, so I don't know how much another horse would help. The trailer I have access to are both 2 horse, and him being a large horse, I think having the trailer half full might actually make him less likely to load, although I guess I'll try anything once. It's just so frustrating! Having to deal with his health issues, and then this. I think tomorrow I will have someone else try to load him. I am actually employed as a horse trainer, so I don't know what they'll do differently, but perhaps the fresh face will help. Arrgg! Anyways, thanks everyone for your suggestions! If anything else comes to mind, please do mention it. |
Member: mcbizz |
Posted on Monday, Feb 19, 2007 - 4:07 pm: Christina,one more suggestion,although you've probably already tried this. Is it possible to place a small corral (portable pipe corral or similar) immediately behind the open doored trailer with ramp or step-up lowered as far as possible with his food inside and see if he will load himself if he gets hungry enough? Again, I feel your frustration!!! Let us know... |