How many times have you been ready to go somewhere and Noggin has other ideas.
After standing there for what seems like hours tugging and huffing' and puffin, this usually happens when you have an audience too! How are you going to get him into that box/trailer?
Well short of picking him up and putting him in there yourself you are going to have to stand back and re-evaluate the situation.
Have a look at where you are parked is the ground flat so that the ramp doesn't shout at your horse?
Has your horse ever been in transport before? If not then it could be a horse eating monster just waiting to eat poor Noggin.
If he has travelled before what has made this occasion different or is he always a Noggin to load?
Does your transport look inviting? Is it light and airy or does it look dark and inhibiting? Make sure that you have got the top door open if its a trailer and plenty of light if a box. The front ramp can also be down if you have one (trailer), just make sure you have the breast bar across so Noggin doesn't go straight out the other end, also remember to duck if he goes barging in! There is nothing worse than knocking yourself out on the breast bar. (Bin there done that!)
There are several different methods used to get Noggin to load. From lunge lines crossed over, whips, feed, loads of people, and I have even seen one being tempted by a pack of chocolate biscuits! (He ate them all and still wouldn't go in!)
One of the easiest ways is preparation!!
Never leave it till the last minute (the day of the show or whatever), you are stressed enough without the extra hassle and Noggin might like it there so much he won't want to come home! And may want to show everyone there that he is really the boss!
It can take up to a couple of weeks of patient slow handling but it is a guaranteed method.
Day 1 - Pull out transport and open all doors, put some of his own bedding in there so it smells familiar, get a small feed for after. Pop in a haynet. Show Noggin the ramp and stand on it, let him have a sniff and then walk him away from it, repeat this a couple of times and then put the feed at the top of the ramp if he still wont go to the feed, then walk him away put the feed on the ramp and call it a day.
Day 2 - Repeat the above but this time ask him to stand on the ramp and feed him at the top. If he is brave then feed him inside and then take him out straight after.
Days 3-7 - Start to introduce feeding him every day inside the transport and after each feed leave him in there for a bit longer each day. Building up to leaving him in there for about half and hour.
When he is in there shut the entrance ramp so he can only go forwards not backwards. If he does start to panic let him straight out.
After a couple of days Noggin will soon be wanting to go in there for a feed. If he does revert just repeat the previous days work.
Following week- Once Noggin is happy to be in the box munching quietly on his hay. Start the engine and see how he reacts. Do this a couple of times so he gets used to the sound.
If he is calm over this then take him for a very short drive, to the end of the road and back and then give him a feed after.
You can gradually increase the driving time to a short outing and then reduce the feed to a titbit. Giving him a feed on returning to the yard.
And there you go the simple way without the need for whips, sticks, and other gadgets.
A horse that is no longer Noggin, is happy to load.
There will be some days when it does go a bit pear shaped and Noggin returns but with calm, quiet but firm handling and a reassuring voice, he will go in. (Also handy to carry a bit of food with you just in case!)
He will always try it when there are a lot of other horses and people about so that they can all see how clever he is, and how cross you get! Try and stay calm you do not want to be the topic of someone else's conversation unless it is about how many rosettes you have won.
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