I got Matt into the new trailer yesterday and successfully made it to Dee's Ride-A-Horse Arena ( I love that name) for a lesson. It only took 1 hour plus 15 minutes to get him loaded. I got dizzy lunging him and then trying again, I finally started just making him back up and then trying again. Finally put the butt rope around on him with a nose rope (which he pulled tight and hurt himself - I let him get hurt, my bad). I also had to hit him with the little crop. Matty still hates me today and won't hardly let me come near him. Grouchy old bastard.
He was good for Ella in class. He did slow western trotting and loping in prep for Saturday's show. Still had his big old head above the withers, but, oh well. He was good in the trailer and only kicked once when we made an over a hill and then cut back turn.
I go really slow (to the anger of people behind me, but too bad). I only had one crazy redneck pass me for going 50 in a 55 with oncoming traffic. Scared the be-Jesus out of all of us. I caught up to him at the 4-way stop and laughed at him. Stupid.
For coming home, Matt loaded pretty easily because there were a bunch of people to help and they got behind him and he followed me right in. I wish I had a helper at home to help me load him. Ella is chicken to do it, and I don't really blame her. She's only 10 and I don't want her to get hurt. R is chicken, also and is never around any more, anyway.
Dude was so sweet last night. He still loves me, anyway. He nuzzled my head while i scratched his favorite itchy spot under his jaw. He lets me scratch his ears a lot of times now, too.
Some day I'm going to take Dude to the show for HUS or maybe Western walk/trot if I get a bosal for him.
Monday Pictures
1 day ago
1 comment:
4H&H said: depending on his motivation for not wanting to get in the trailer, there are various things you can try. I don't have a whole lot to offer, because typically my horses load really easily and I don't have a lot of practice or experience teaching one to load. My filly taught herself, my Arab just followed me up (I was mom), my Justin learned via clicker training. << he's really the only one I had to teach.
I think a lot of one foot on, back off & relax, repeat forever, two feet on, back off & relax, repeat forever, three feet on, back off & relax, repeat forever, four feet on, back off & relax, repeat a few times works pretty well for a lot of horses - but you can't do it when you are planning on going somewhere. It's not necessary to progress through all the steps in one session either. And with someo horses, you may find that you start (instead of with one foot on) 10 feet away from the trailer, or with his nose at the door, just at a comfort zone for the horse, very gradually getting closer. Let the horse tell you when he's comfortable before you move another step further.
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