This evening I went to practice loading Odie in the trailer, again. I spent about 20 minutes moving him around between halfway in and halfway out. Before he spooked in there a couple of weeks ago, all four feet would go in. Since then only 2-3 feet.
Chipper was obliging me by standing nearby at the corner of the pasture, where I happened to park the trailer, so Odie could see him. Maybe he was really trying to tell me to get on with it so I would feed him, but horses can't be that smart.
So there I am, in the trailer watching the sun set, thinking that I am doing great because I got three feet in, when the old cowboy guy from across the road drives in with his beat pickup and the half-crippled dog in the back.
All the times I have ever seen this guy, he seemed to be cranky and even a little bit scary. To my surprise he comes walking over and says, "You still trying to load that horse?"
"Yes," I say sheepishly. "You got a whip?" he asks. "Well," I say, a little more assertively now, "he flipped out of a trailer once so I've been taking things kind of slow."
"All you need to do is tap him on the heels," he says, pointing, "I've done it a hundred times. I'm not going to beat on him." His voice is surprisingly kind, considering where I've pegged him.
"Look at him," he goes on, "He's not scared. He's just stubborn. If it doesn't work it doesn't work." The dog regards me with a cursory sniff. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I ran down to get my dressage whip.
I get back and hand over the whip. "Now you get in and don't pull on his head--just keep him pointed the right way if you need to..." and he begins tapping Odie on the heels--not hard, but like a metronome.
Odie is obviously feeling the need to remove himself from this situation. At first he looks totally shocked. Then the wheels start turning, and he's scooting left and right. Then it's like a light bulb goes on over his head--and he just plants himself.
Ol' cowboy is not fooled. He continues tapping, maybe just a hair harder. Tap, tap, tap, tap...and my horse jumps in the trailer, and stands there! I am about to yawp my joy to the heavens when I regain my senses and remember to praise Odie calmly.
After a few minutes, I back him out. My new personal hero is taking a call on his cell phone. He hangs up and says, "want to do it again?" "Is that ok?" I ask. "Yeah, normally I'd do this 10 or 15 times. But he knows now."
I ask Odie to walk back into the trailer, and the horse hops in. No tapping. "There's your whip," says the cowboy, tossing it in the road. He walks off back home and his dog follows. From inside the trailer I call out, "Thank you!"
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That's a great example of using non-coercive methods to provide just enough stimulation to the horse to keep the feet moving, while keeping the head pointed the right way - and voila! trailer loading! Very cool! I've done the same dinging the horse on the butt with pebbles, or even gently rattling a bag, just to keep the feet moving. The whip method to tap gently works too, unless you've got a horse that's scared of whips.
ReplyDeleteGotta love old cowboys - at least sometimes. He could have handed you the whip. ;) But that's one method I've been told to use - not on the heels but on the side of the haunch, little continuous tap. Apparently horses do wish to evade that! And marching on is one way.
ReplyDeleteGreat job keeping on with the training obstacles. Every horse owner should be like you and we'd have far fewer 'unusable' horses.
Kate...pebbles, whip or bag, I am just glad I am learning to load!
ReplyDeleteFL, you are too kind.