How often do you see people struggling to get their horses to load? Would you like your horse to load by themselves because they actually want to go in there and stay in there? Horses are naturally very claustrophobic animals. They don’t want to be trapped in a small closed area where they can’t move.
You can’t teach your horse to load by forcing them in there. After an hour or so and trying with food, lunge lines, lunging whips, brooms etc you might get your horse to load but they didn’t learn anything from it. Only that when the trailer comes out then there is going to be fight. I teach horses to load by making them think that it was their own idea to go in and stay in there!
I want them to want to go in to a trailer not because they have to!
You wouldn’t get in a car that immediately starts moving when you open the door and once you get in having to do your seatbelt and adjust/check the mirrors while the car is moving. Why would you get on a horse that doesn’t stand still. Having said that most of the cases it’s not the horse’s fault at all as the horse has never been taught to stand still for mounting. I want my horses to stand completely still till I get in the saddle, do my girth up, adjust the stirrups if needed and once I’m done with all of that my horses will move when I ask them to not when they feel like it. If I want to stand there for 5-10 mins without moving I will and I want my horse to be happy to do so.
Have you ever thought why horses walk off when you are getting on them? Often they start moving as soon as you get your foot in the stirrup. Many horses start walking as soon as you sit in the saddle.
Horses are very good at anticipating! Most of the time that’s what they are doing they are anticipating going somewhere.
As soon as someone gets on their back they are always going somewhere and they just want to be one step ahead of you.
You can’t make or force your horse to stand still. If they want to move, they will. What you can do is show them that standing still is the easiest option. Make them think that it’s their own idea to stand still and your horse will always stand when mounted till asked to move.
Horses don’t know they are stronger and more powerful than us unless we tell them. Once they realise they can dominate you it becomes a problem and the more they keep practicing moving your feet the problem gets bigger and bigger till everyone is afraid of the horse and now we have a very dangerous horse. All the horse is doing is just establishing the pecking order with people. Remember the first one that moves looses!
You have to move your horses feet not other way around! Never let your horse move you. Even if your horse is a little pushy, soon he will became very pushy till the day he starts pinning his ears back and striking out at you or biting just to make you move.
Fearful horses can be just as dangerous as dominant/aggressive horses. Remember horses are prey animals and they are always looking out for predators. Us humans we are their predator. If a horse goes into a flight mode and feels like there is no option to run they will fight because they are scared for their life!
Please get in touch to discuss any problems you may have with your horse π