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  • 29-12-2012 6:48pm
    #1
    HoofRocks
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭


    Hi All,

    I have two three year olds (rising four in jan) that we have been getting going slowly for the past year.

    One fella is a draught and done a hunter trial and couple of charity rides. The other boy is a half bred and he's done some jump cross and a bit of private show jumping.

    Anyway to start off with they were a dream, easy to do anything with. I could load the two of them on my own. But for the past two times we've been away the half bred is refusing to load and getting very aggressive at it to.. he double barrells back in a flash. He's an excitable kind but he isn't dirty when riding him. Once you get him loaded hes started swaying in the box and he even starts double kicking the back ramp when moving. I don't know what to do with him and I don't want to stop bringing him off. He has never had a bad experience in the box. I've been with him on every journey and he's never even sweated up.

    Just looking for some advice on what we can do to get him back to way he was?


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    #2
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    It there a partition in the box?Could the other horse be nipping at him?What about loading him on his own, giving him a feed in the box and then unloading without going anywhere?


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    #3
    HoofRocks
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭HoofRocks


    byhookorbycrook wrote: »
    It there a partition in the box?Could the other horse be nipping at him?What about loading him on his own, giving him a feed in the box and then unloading without going anywhere?

    No partition. Once loaded he eats away just kicks the.crap out of the.box and unloads through front ramp as easy as you like. It's just loading.


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    #4
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    Do you cross tie them and give them hay nets ?


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    #5
    HoofRocks
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭HoofRocks


    byhookorbycrook wrote: »
    Do you cross tie them and give them hay nets ?
    Each is tied in their own side and one hay net in the centre. Of the two this fella is definitly the boss so I don't think its the other horse.

    Its a 510 box to and although they are 16.2 + they have lots of room


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    #6
    convert
    Registered Users Posts: 9,338 ✭✭✭convert


    Is there any chance your horse lost his footing when going around a bend or when you were breaking? Or did he get a fright with a lorry or other large vehicle driving close behind? Or maybe did his heel get caught in the ramp when it was being closed, which has caused him to kick out at hit? Or maybe the boxed swayed a little which has caused him to be anxious? Don't forget, even when you think you're driving slowly, it appears that you're going much quicker if you're actually in the horse box rather than in the vehicle, so maybe that's something to think about.

    Is there any chance he finds walking into his side of the box very narrow and is afraid of catching himself on the sides of the box? If you have a partition where you can open the back part of it so the 'opening' or space that he's walking into appears bigger it might help.


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    #7
    Tegan
    Registered Users Posts: 31 ✭Tegan


    One of my horses was the same he was as good as gold to load and one day just would not go in, i was the same as you i was there for every trip with them, could not figure out why he was being so bad at loading - i then found out that the teenagers that sometimes ride them pairs at hunter trials took Taz ( the other horse) out of the box and walked him away from the box to bring him to the wash bay to clean of his legs after jumping and they had left teddy standing alone in the box and they said when they came back tad had swetted up- long story short was he left standing alone in the box if he was not used to this as he could be worried the same will happen again..


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    #8
    HoofRocks
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭HoofRocks


    Tegan wrote: »
    One of my horses was the same he was as good as gold to load and one day just would not go in, i was the same as you i was there for every trip with them, could not figure out why he was being so bad at loading - i then found out that the teenagers that sometimes ride them pairs at hunter trials took Taz ( the other horse) out of the box and walked him away from the box to bring him to the wash bay to clean of his legs after jumping and they had left teddy standing alone in the box and they said when they came back tad had swetted up- long story short was he left standing alone in the box if he was not used to this as he could be worried the same will happen again..

    Thanks for all the advice folks. We went on a trip.Sunday and got him in after two attempts.so he is getting better. Were off this Sunday again so fingers crossed we can get him back in the normal.routine by relaxed behaviour.


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