|
Post by smiggs on Jun 8, 2010 14:42:08 GMT
HELP.....my 7 week old colt, wont load in to the wagon, wont follow mum on either and she loads first time everytime... he has a paddy rears up boxes and throws himself on the floor.....the only way I can get him is is blind folded and in backwards, which obviously is no way ideal!!.....any suggestions!!?? (The annoying thing is he is totally obliging in every other way!!)
|
|
|
Post by sageandonion on Jun 8, 2010 16:37:22 GMT
Is it essential you load him at this young age? If not then leave him be, poor chap is obviously frightened and could be badly hurt.
|
|
|
Post by nutwood on Jun 8, 2010 16:48:43 GMT
Have you tried using 3 of you to support him in? Ideally one person to take the front end and two others to link hands behind and push him up the ramp. You need to be very positive and keep calm. Load mum first, keeping foal as close as you can, so he does in fact follow her up, but with lost of encouragement!
I have been loading foals for over 25 years and we have only failed once. The reason - due to ill health we left it until the colt was six months old and very big and he just sat on us!!!
|
|
|
Post by armada on Jun 8, 2010 16:55:47 GMT
I was going to say the same as Nutwood, unless of course he is quite tiny and can be carried safely on board (we do that with the small riding pony foals). Also, how big is the step onto the ramp? sometimes that really fazes them as they have to first take a step up and then continue up a slope and it can worry some, they must feel like they are going to fall over backwards. The bottom of our ramp is nearly a foot off the ground, so we had a 'baby ramp' made which slides up to meet the bottom of the ramp and is down to the floor, like a triangle shape, it stopped all our problems, its a pain to get it into the living to take with us, but the foals load better and dont get as stressed.
|
|
sarahp
Happy to help
Posts: 9,510
|
Post by sarahp on Jun 8, 2010 17:03:38 GMT
I've done it with two people, one each side with hands linked both in front of his chest and behind his quarters.
|
|
|
Post by smiggs on Jun 8, 2010 19:18:41 GMT
thanks for all your tips...the wagon fortunately does have a very low ramp and is not steep...our first show is on 2 weeks, so fingers crossed we get there!
|
|
|
Post by owl on Jun 9, 2010 11:56:36 GMT
can you load and feed in the wagon at least twice a day- it will be just like going into his stable then and he will accept its not going to hurt him, I have backed mine up to a stable door and let them run in and out to be fed, just for a couple of days, in the past,
|
|
|
Post by brt on Jun 9, 2010 16:39:16 GMT
In my experience, if you start to try and load keep going until he's on! They wise up very quickly at that age and will have you over a barrel in no time!! As had been mentioned, pick him up and chuck him on!!
|
|
|
Post by smiggs on Jun 15, 2010 12:49:28 GMT
Thanks nutwood....using 3 people worked...I have now got one happy chappie walking on and off the wagon. Thanks again x
|
|