Loading an unhandled horse

Trying to load reluctant horses into horse boxes can be frustrating as it requires enormous patience and calmness. Fighting with and forcing horses up the ramp is dangerous for both the handlers and the animal. I was horrified to be be told, many years ago, of a man who lost his temper with a horse and beat it with a whip until the horse reared up, fell backwards off the horse box ramp and broke its neck in the yard.

Time is your friend when loading horses, especially unhandled ones. If at all possible, it’s a much better idea to train young horses to lead before attempting to load them. It is also advisable to take a few days to teach them to load, walking them through the box and letting them stand in it for short spells. Sometimes, however, we don’t have that choice.

I was watching some owners loading an unhandled three year old filly recently. I offered to help but they were happy to do this on their own. Experienced horse people, they calmly waited while the filly stood on the ramp, reassuring her and patiently lifting one leg at a time further up the ramp, one of them holding a scoop of feed at the top. The horse box was the standard Ifor Williams version. At one stage, after about half an hour, the filly almost walked in but then ran back down the ramp. I came back an hour later and they were still there, the filly standing calmly on the ramp but refusing to walk in.

I lent them my lunge rope to put behind her but, not used to this yet, the filly objected strongly and started throwing herself about, so that was no use. There was no partition but I lent them a small pony to stand in the box. The filly wasn’t interested. The owners were about to give up and leave her for another day when I suggested trying my horse box as a last resort.

This was the larger Ifor Williams 510. We put it in the gate way where the filly would have nowhere to go except either into the box or backwards. I also put the quiet, small pony on one side of the partition. Then I opened the top door of the front ramp to give more light and a feeling of space. To our surprise and delight, the filly walked straight in and we quickly closed the ramp.

Was it the bigger box? The feeling of more space being less frightening? The calm little pony standing there? The filly travelled home happily with the pony and he was delivered back to me later.