RE: Re: safe loading in a slant load

["Kathy Mayeda" <kathy_mayeda@atce.com>]

My gelding always checks out all escapes if I don't tie him in first.  I use
a bungie type cord, and he just accepts it.  He just looks at me and goes,
oh, okay, so you want me to stay.  Otherwise, he just turns around and wants
to follow me out around the divider of my slant load as I try to shut it.

I had to use a chain a la Linda Tellington-Jones for my mare.  With the
right timing I "pull" her in.  I bungie cord tie her, too, otherwise she
would bolt out.  I tried not tying her, and it was real scary when she BODY
SLAMMED me on her way out when I tried to load her in my new slant load.  At
least her head would be controlled and she learned that she couldn't break
out.  She didn't like trailering, but once she knew she couldn't escape, she
would just accept it.  She's sent off on a breed lease, otherwise I would be
spending time utilizing Parelli methods to get her to feel more comfortable.

Before I had the bungie cord tie, she broke three lead ropes, so she learned
that she could escape if she pulled hard enough. This was before I had my
slant load and was borrowing a walk-thru straight load.  I would have to
walk her through, tie her lead rope, and by the time I would walk around to
get her butt bar, she'd be out of there with a broken lead rope and a pissy
look on her face.  And I'd have a pissy look on mine too. (This is before I
learned safe trailer training methods.)

I love my bungie cord tie.  It's a lot safer than a regular trailer tie.
Once a horse figures out that they can't break loose, and it gives a little
bit when they pull back, they seem to settle down and just accept it.  Once
they learn that they can break a tie, they will always break a tie.

After talking to many people regarding trailer loading, there are many
thoughts on what's the best way, and nobody seems to really agrees.  The
only thing that I would agree upon, is to keep calm and not loose your
temper, be very quiet and let your horse think about the process, rather
than rushing them.  Any method that allows the horse to think about the
process is okay by me.


-----Original Message-----
From:	Suzanne Mounts [mailto:mountss@usfca.edu]
Sent:	Monday, March 27, 2000 3:41 PM
To:	CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com
Cc:	ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject:	RC:  Re: safe loading in a slant load

>
>Tying the horse prior to closing the divider is a good way to have a
wreck
if
>he sets back.  Send the horse in, go in and close the divider, and THEN
tie
>him.  If he starts to move back, you are only two horse-widths away
from
that
>HUGE door!
>
>Heidi
>

I'm about to pick up a new two-horse slant load and so am watching this
discussion with interest.  What Heidi says above re closing the divider
and
then tying up the horse makes a lot of sense to me.  But what about with
the rear horse?  Assume I am loading two horses by myself.....  There is
no
divider to keep him in place.  Is there any alternative to tying him,
stepping out of the trailer, going over to get that "huge" door, and
then
closing it?  Seems like that gives the rear horse a long time to think
about "setting back" before I get him closed in.

Suzanne


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