Trailer loading

For the last couple of weeks I have been riding a friend's horse for him. Koko is a 10- year-old chestnut Arabian gelding. He has a quirk about trailer loading. My friend told me that if Koko refused to get into my trailer, I should take a chain, like the one at the end of a lead rope and jingle it. Then I should act like I put around his nose, but not to really put it on him, and he will get in. Well, it works every time.

Yesterday and today it took Belle three seconds to get in the trailer. I'm so proud of her... We even did the "in the trailer dance" as my friend Bernie calls it--that's when you ask the horse to take three steps forward and three steps back, just move around the trailer, get used to the sounds of her hoofs on the floor and so forth. She was an absolute star! Perhaps it was because she knew I had horse treats in my pocket, but I only rewarded her when she was in the trailer and standing next to me. Not only does she load, but she self-load. I just point to the trailer and she gets in!

Okay, so, we took a bit of a hiatus on loading for a few weeks, but today I thought we'd try again. First I brushed up her ground work, making sure she was longeing correctly, and leading her all over the property. She did great at the longeing, and I even got her to canter a bit (she's so smart) for the first time. Now she walks, whoas, trots and canters on voice command on the longe. I also did a bit of natural horsemanship type driving with her--swinging the rope and pointing in the direction I wanted her to go.

After a few attempts at trying to just lead her in (she'd put two feet in and then stop), I decided to try to drive her in. I could tell right away this was what she was comfortable with! Right away she looked like she was ready and eager to just jump in, and after our third attempt (turning, but never letting her go past the trailer--just asking her to step to the side and head off the other way, then turn toward the trailer). I got her walking briskly, swinging the rope and pointing to the trailer and low and behold, she just jumped right in and stood there. I even asked her for a few more steps forward (from outside) so she'd be all the way up to the front. Then I gave her a carrot! We did it twice more, and I'll probably do it again tomorrow. I'm so pleased it didn't turn into a big deal! She learns really fast. Sometimes she stands and stomps, and has a mini-trantrum, and then she just does it!. She's looking more horse-like every day, so I'm thinking of sitting on her pretty soon.

So what is the difference between bribery and reward? It's a thin line, I guess, especially when your horse can smell the treats in your pocket. Belle's getting both front feet in now in a lot shorter time, and she knows when she does she's going to get a treat. Sometimes she'll get that really long neck, stretching way out and toward me (standing up in the front of the traler), as if to say, If I reach her she'll give me a treat. Well now that she's coming right with me into the trailer and standing there with two feet in, two feet out, and waiting for me to back her out instead of flying out herself, the next step is the dreaded four feet in. So I plan to quit rewarding her now that she's doing two feet, and reward her when she's doing four feet in only.

So today I used the Parelli yo-yo game to work with Belle on the trailer loading issue. At first she was much worse than yesterday. She still will take one step in, and then feel insecure and just stand there, like she doesn't know how to get the other foot in. So I yo-yo-ed here in and out and in and out, but she'd still only put one foot in. Then she got frustrated, stamped her foot, kicked out, and generally said, Look Ma, I'm trying, I really am. And then. She got both front feet in! I rewarded her and made her stand there and eat cookies for a few minutes, and she didn't seem at all afraid of the trailer.

Since we're having this discussion on trailer loading, I thought I'd give it a try with Belle, who is just three.

As a foal, I trailed Belle over to a friend's house, to a horse show, back to my house, to another friend's house. She had absolutely no issues with the trailer. But today, after a year's hiatus from the trailer (i just haven't gotten around to it), we tried again.

It wasn't easy.

She didn't seem afraid, just more confused about how to get her feet up inside (it's a step up). She's put one foot in, and then stand there. The first few times she managed to get both feet in, she backed up very quickly, as if the noise had startled her. After a few more tries, she got both front feet on the trailer, and stayed there. I rewarded her with a treat and lots of praise. I tried to repeat it (just to make sure) and again we struggled with the one foot in, three feet out thing.