Help me clip and load my new horse?

Question

i just got a new 17.1 hand thoroughbred/quarter horse gelding. He is a beautiful animal and does most everything right, but two things.

he is extremely stubborn when loading and clipping.

he isnt scared, he just doesnt want to do it.

once he gets in the trailer he is fine.

its just getting him in there that is the problem.

and i have not actually tried clipping him yet, but the previous owner said he will only let you do his bridle path.

but i am going to be showing him so i need to clip his muzzle, legs, ears and such.

please help!

Answer 1

THE LOADING

First don't wait until you need to be somewhere, practice makes all things better. Don't try to load into a trailer that is not "hooked" to a vehicle. Start by leading your horse to the trailer if he makes no attempt to load put him to work. Ground work him in circles around the trailer. If he hasitates at the trailer be patient and allow him to smell look, etc. when his attention goes away from the trailer put him back to work. This can take 20 to 30 minutes before the tries to get into the trailer. When he tries to put a head, neck, foot into the trailer, if he backs out let him and start him toward the trailer again. If it takes  a hundred times, then take a hundred times.

When he loads DO NOT RUN UP AND SHUT THE DOOR.  If he backs out fine start over, put him to work. If he stands in the trailer, let him rest, LEAVE HIM ALONE or if it is safe go in and rub and praise him. Then unload him and load him again and again. I almost never go in a trailer ahead of a horse, I stand to the side and ask them to load. When the session is over take him out do your regular routine for ending a riding/training session and put him away.  I would do this a couple of times before I wanted to go somewhere. If the next time I go to load he loads eaisly, I wait for the big day.  Having a friend around is always good for safety, but what if you have to load to go to the vet, excape fire, etc.

CLIPPING THE HORSE

The other answer for clipping was good, but I would add after you have rubbed the clippers on the horse I would turn the blades away from the horse, turn the clippers "on" and massage the horse starting around the withers and going all over the body, up the neck.  If the horse starts to get upset when you start up the neck slide the clipper back toward the withers and start up the neck again rubbing slowly. Keep doing this until he pay little or no attention.

Good Luck

JLC

Answer 2

He just needs some training.  It is not natural for a horse to go into a creaking, dark, tin can on wheels and be happy about it.  Horses are claustrophobic, and while they tolerate the things we ask them to do, it is a significant effort for them and it goes against every survival instinct they have.  Understanding this will help you help your horse.  Horses do not have thought processes that they "just don't want to do this today".  That is not how they relate to stimuli.  He needs some training and you will have to desensitize him to the clippers.  It is odd that he allows the bridle path and not his ears, but again, clipping has to be taught to be accepted, your horse is not making a conscious decision that he is going to avoid this today.  The noise, the vibration, the movement of the clippers and the person in a very sensitive and critical area of his body is a reasonable thing for him to fear.  If his legs are injured, he could not escape.  Almost everything that is fear driven in a horse is because they think they are going to die.  I've seen people load their horse on a trailer and then they can't get them off.  Some horses are so fearful of backing, especially because they can't see where they are going.  When backing off the trailer, they think they are backing off of a cliff and they are going to die.  A horse is about survival, and flight then fight is his normal response.  You need to learn some techniques to help your horse or find someone who can do it for you.  If you have significant loading problems, I would surmise that your horse is not OK once he is in, he is just doing the best he can with what has been forced on him.  If he wasn't truly bothered by the clipping, he would stand still and silent and allow anyone to clip him.  Maybe he has had some bad experiences with loading or clipping in the past or he has just never had the opportunity to understand that he will not be hurt by these things.  Some people never learn to load their horses.  Sometimes it takes 10 minutes and then again, it takes 4-5 hours.    Work with your horse so he can trust you and be comfortable doing what you ask him.  These behaviors, again, do not come naturally to him, and he needs some help.  good luck.

Answer 3

Ha! I have had horses for most of my life and you have hit on the two most irritating problems I have run across. Not because they are dangerous or anything but, because if you are going to show, then both trailering and clipping are necessary.

A few tricks I have learned over the years might help you and can also build a closer relationship with your horse.

First, please remember that trying to handle either problem by yourself CAN be dangerous! My TB is 17 hh and I am 5foot 120lbs. I know what I am talking about! I had the loading problem with him. I had purchased him "off the track" and he hated the trailer. I guess it always meant he was headed for another race, which he also hated. I could get him to the opening and, most times, a foot up but then, out of nowhere, he would take off and it would take me hours to catch him. He would load if I could get someone behind him with a whip and once, even had 2 men bend his ear. Apparently, this is done a lot at the track. I didn't like it and didn't want him to load under stress...I wanted him to go willingly. So, after being late for many shows and even missing a few, I decided to do it the right way. At 8:00 a.m. one morning, I took him out to the trailer and brought along some of his favorite treats (ginger snaps). I also took my cell phone and a bag of chips and a pepsi. First I just sat on the side of my trailer and let him graze for about an hour. Walking up to the trailer, he was already getting anxious so this gave him time to settle down. After about an hour, I gave him a few treats...this got his attention on me. By 11, I was on my cell phone talking with friends just to kill time, handing him a snap every so often and walking all around the trailer and, of course, he was following because of the treats. Then I quit with the snaps...sat down again and ate my chips and he went back to grazing...all the while, as close to the trailer as possible. I would also move around the trailer at times and bang on it just to make a little noise. Around 1, I opened the trailer. Lead rope in one hand and cell in the other...I just kept casually walking around the trailer talking with a friend again. Every so often, again giving him a snap. Then, worked my way over to sit on the edge of the inside and just kept talking. At that point, he was nosing me for treats and I would hand him one or two. At around 2, I led him back to the barn for a drink, got a pat of hay, and then right back to the trailer where I again sat for about another hour. I gradually worked my self back farther into the trailer and he would stand in the grass and his neck would stretch as far as possible into the trailer to get a snap. I never tried to pull him in...always kept slack in the rope. The first time he stepped in to reach me, he immediately jumped out. I just kept chatting on the phone and ignored him, still holding out a treat. He did this 2 or 3 times, all wide eyed, and then stepped halfway in calmly. I gave him a treat and then backed him out by his halter and then went right back to my phone. It didn't take 2 minutes and he was in again and, again, I gave him a treat and backed him out each timeas if to say "I don't want you in here." And we all know, horses LOVE to do what you don't want them to do. At this point, I put the pat of hay inside the trailer all the way to the back...just put it on the floor. Within an hour or so, he was coming all the way in and standing until I backed him out. I would not give him a treat every time but, often enough to keep him interested. Instead, I would simply pat him on the neck and tell him "nice" which is the word I use when they do what is asked.

I eventually got out of the trailer and went back to sitting on the tire and talking on my cell while holding him to graze on the lead rope.I think it was around 4 p.m. when I felt him walk into the trailer by himself to eat the hay. I just kept talking away on my cell. In the next hour or so, he went in and out on his own and I just ignored him. After a while, I again backed him out and then went in myself and he immediately followed. I backed him out. Again, the same thing...I backed him out. Then again, only this time I let him stand in there and kept talking on the phone trying not to even look at him. He just stood quietly. I suppose, waiting for a treat which he did not get...though he did get a "nice". Backed him out again and closed the door. Then opened it and just walked in myself and he followed and we just stood...this time a treat. Then out...then in. The last few ins...I would walk to the gate and he would just stand... then I would back him out. All the while busy with my phone and paying no big attention to him. The last time he followed me in, I threw his lead out the side, closed his divider and then the gate. I waited a few minutes and then got him out. We then sat around for about another hour and I put him up for the night. The test was the next morning.

At around 10, I took him out to the trailer, opened it and walked in and he followed like a dream...and let me close the divider. I then closed the gate, went around the side and gave him a treat and said "nice". We did this only once every morning for a week. Believe it or not, that was 5 years ago and he has never balked since!! The main thing I learned from that experience was HE was reacting to me. I learned not to make a big deal out of the whole thing and it put him much more at ease. Not to mention, it was, and still is, one of the best "social" times I have ever spent with one of my horses. It was just a very laid back day and we both enjoyed it very much...and both learned something. I have learned to use the "I am ignoring that silly behavour" in just about all of my training and it really helps move things along.

It might not work as fast for you or maybe it will but, i can gurantee you, you will both learn a lot about eachother, he will eventually load nicely and you will both look back on it as a pleasant experience! Just try to plan "the day" in advance so you don't have any interruptions.

As for the grooming...I began by asking anyone else grooming their horse to please do it in front of my horses stall, if possible. I groomed my other horses there as well.

I had several clippers, so I would take my older ones and hang them over his stall door or wall and just let them run. Of course, he would become part of the back wall real fast  and shake like the big old mean lion was gonna eat him. I would simply ignore the whole thing all the while keeping a good eye in case he got to jumpy. Every time I though about it, I would turn clippers on around him. Then I started hanging them over his wall at feeding time. This took a couple of weeks but, eventually he would go to his bin and  ignore the buzz.

When I had reached the point where he couldn't care less that the clippers were buzzing on his wall I began bringing him out..DID NOT TIE HIM...but would hold him on the lead with one hand and run clippers with the other...sometimes as much as 6 feet from him. If he broke loose from me (and he did a few times) I would simply let him go until he stopped, pick up the lead and calmly walk him back to the clipper spot and continue. NEVER made a big deal about it. I did this until again, he couldn't have cared less. Then I began moving in on him. At first, it seemed like it was all for nothing but, eventually, I could stand right up on him with clippers running. Using the same technique, I started with his shoulders and would move towards his chest and then up his neck. (Please...don't do this with him tied or without any body else around! You could really get hurt if he decided to get funny, especially as yours is so big.) I eventually worked my way to his bridle path and ears then muzzle. If yours will let you do his bridle path, you shouldn't have too much trouble with the ears. If yo have too much trouble with the muzzle, don't worry about it. They have those little show razers that are 20 time closer and E-A-S-Y!!!! I much prefer them to the clippers on the muzzle. The whole clipping thing took about 3 months! Deffinately not as easy as the trailer and it still isn't ideal as, he will be clipped but not if he is tied...which is really fine with me as he doesn't take off anymore. We are still working on it and, while it has been slow, it is working.

I think the main ingredient, in both cases, was patience and NOT making a big, hairy deal about ANYTHING. They respond to that very well. If you can be cool about it, eventually, they will too.

Again, Please don't do the clipper thing alone. Always make sure there is someone else close enough to see if you get in a bind. As you probably already know, if a horse gets spooked, it does not always run away from you...sometimes it runs over you instead and you are no match for a 17 hand TB.

This also helps build a closer relationship with the horse...I call it the "Alaskan clipper dance" and it will probably take the full 6 months!! Ha! But, in the end, it is worth it because the horse was not forced to do anything and, that alone, will make him more predictable in the future. I have seen horses made to trailer, clip, stand for the farrier, bathe and tie in a matter of minutes but, I have never seen those horses do any of those things willingly or, at the very least, without very wide eyes and a good case of the shakes. Patience goes a very long way and in the end, is permanent.

I hope this helps give you some ideas and don't worry if you miss the first season of shows...the important thing is to build that trust. If you can do that, everything else will fall into place nicely. There will be plenty of shows!

Good luck and, have fun with your big guy! AND BE SAFE!!!

Answer 4

For clipping, an easy way is to get a hand-held massager that you can get for $2 at Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, etc. by the checkout. It makes the same sound as a clipper, but feels good! If you do that along his body he'll associate that sound with something that feels good, massage, and start to LOVE that sound and stand still, with his head down, for clipping.

Trailer loading, please please please check out the Parelli trailer loading DVD (www.parelli.com) because there is a LOT of good information on it. I taught my horse to load (she wasn't very good), and now she sees a trailer and goes straight in, I just point to it and in she goes. Please check it out, it's really worth it!

Answer 5

Well for trailering you need two people. One person will be leading the horse, just try to load him like usual. If he doesn't go in turn him in a wide circle. If he still doesn't go in have your partner pick up a longe whip. Have the partner hold it behind your horse but DO NOT hit him with it. That would only freak him out more. You can also keep a hay bag in there. That would get him excited about going in the trailer so he can eat. Once he loads praise him. Pet him and tell him how  wonderful he is.

For clipping, I would try first. If he doesn't like it take out another horse and tie him next to your horse start to clip the other horse. Your horse will realize it isn't that scary and if another horse can do it, so can he! When it comes to actually clipping him pet him and turn on the clippers. Before you turn them on rub the clippers all over your horse. He will realize God made clippers to rub him. Go back to his face and start clipping away! He should be fine....

Good Luck! I Hope This Helped!! =D

Answer 6

for the loading, put a couple horse cookies in your pocket, but dont let him know that you have them. use the loading technique that the first poster suggested, and when you get him in there, clip on the trailer tie, let him stand for a second, give him a treat, then unload him. lunge him in a circle (tight circle, fast trot) for a minute or two, then load him again. do the same thing with the treat. repeat this over and over but after the third or fourth time, dont give him a treat every single time you load him. but load and unload him over and over until he readily goes in with no whip or other pressure. he'll begin to associate the trailer with food and rest, and outside with work, and he'll want to jump right in! my TB and arab both didnt want to load, and this is what i did, and they both caught on fairly quickly.

now about the clipping... start very slow, and rub him ALL OVER with the clippers turned on. and not just on the places that you will eventually clip him regularly. dont do the actual clipping the first time; just rub. then slowly move up to it. dont try to clip him everywhere until he is completely fine with the clippers being rubbed all over and doesnt blink an eye. then just do it gradually; dont rush him with all the clipping. just be patient and he'll come around. another thing is to work on groudwork a whole lot, to gain his respect. if he respects you, he'll understand that even if he doesnt want to stand to be clipped, he HAS to. as long as he's not in pain, there isnt anything wrong with a horse respecting you and standing still. =]