I think I messed up with my mare – Hey, all you natural horsemanship people out there !!!?
February 28th, 2010
So, I’ve been doing natural horsemanship (mostly Parelli, with a bit of Anderson in the mix) with my mare over the last 2 months… and while I started out just aiming for —- here, I ended up getting ————————————————————————————————————————— here with her. She’s doings things and acting in a way I can’t believe. I just can’t believe my eyes. It’s been going so well…. and today we were working on one small point with her that she hasn’t been exemplary at since I’ve bought her – loading.
Since the N.H. began, she’s been getting on better and better and better, and today – for the first time ever, she self loaded. All by herself. I just stood there and she went on. And she did it again & again.
Then, I went to stop, but I walked back in the trailer to get something and she hesistated. So I tried to put her on again, and was not able to. I know I should have stopped while ahead, but……..
I didn’t… and I never did get her to go back on before I ran out of time and had to stop.
So, my question is… I know I messed up, by not ending on that phenomenally positive note I had at the start…. so do you think I pushed it too far by keeping on trying??
I am just worried that next time I school trailer loading she won’t walk right in without me like she did today. I know I should have ended it sooner, and now I am kicking myself for not.
I’m worried I might have messed up big enough that it is going to affect our work next time I do a trailer loading.
What do you think?
As you know by studying Parelli, it’s not about the trailer and getting her into the trailer! It’s about building her confidence up around the trailer and making it so she wants to be in the trailer. Yes, you should have stopped earlier, but she is not ruined due to this!! Remember….the goal is nose, neck, maybe the feet. Next time you go back to the trailer don’t go for loading! Play some games around the trailer and work on nose, neck and allow her to be ready to put her feet in. Don’t set any intentions of how far you will get or you will find yourself pushing to meet your expectations. Then as you know…it won’t happen. At least not in the way that you got to experience! Her so willingly wanting to go in for you!
Horses are very forgiving and so you will be able to get past this. Just use the naturael way that you have learned and you will succeed!!
February 28th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
the next loading session… do it again in like 2 weeks, then that session might be hazy in her memory and will be fresh for her… i don’t really know what to say.
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February 28th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Then you just need to start from the ground up again. Start doing your baby steps, you must of already brought her this far, so just begin that training routine again.
We all mess up, without our messups, we wouldn’t learn. Just know what you do and move on to restarting her to load again.
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February 28th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
You sound like someone still new to the game, but you’ve worked to educate yourself to compensate. That’s good. Natural Horsemanship or not, as a trainer you’ll learn ;1.) loading is rather elementery, 2.) as you train, ataining one level after the the last, one must from time to time,"break" something in an effort to get to the next level. This forces you to take a step or two back but sometimes this is required to reach higher. Don’t sweat the small stuff.
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personal exp
February 28th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as you are consistent in how you are training her, rewarding her for good behaviour (I’m not talking giving her treats, but giving her rest from work, release from all pressure, etc. when she does the right thing) will win in the long run.
I’m not a fan of Parelli or Anderson, but I do know that their trailer loading techniques are about the same as mine. It just requires patience and repetition. Try it tomorrow, and if she doesn’t go in right away, don’t sweat it. You want to stand firm and wait on her until she does go in. My whole trailer loading advice is at this link:http://liverystable.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18
So I won’t write it all again, but if you are just patient and consistent with her, she will learn to load. She hasn’t learned until she will load EVERY time, though…so don’t quit teaching her and training her until it is no longer a problem. Good luck!!!
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February 28th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
More than likely, you did not mess her up. Since she sucessfully loaded several times, she should retain it. If you would have spanked her for not loading, then you would have sent the wrong message and then had to start over again. But since you did not do that, I ma sure that she should be fine. She may have been tired, bored, and ready to go on to something else. Try her again in a few days and let us all know how it went. Good Luck!
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Horse Owner for 35 years
February 28th, 2010 at 5:46 pm
horses are more forgiving then we think, sounds like you know what you should do. If you need to go back to baby steps do, just be calm and walk her right up to it without baulking. Many of us wish we would have stopped a little bit sooner in a good place. One thing to remember in horse training is that you cannot be on your schedule, but on theirs. good luck
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February 28th, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Honestly, it all depends on her. Most likely, one time will not mess anything up. When you ask next time, make sure to bring some treats with you inside the trailer- she will see the trailer as a place for treats, not a scary box. We have been able to teach a lot of horses to load just by using the treat method. Once they realize the trailer is not going to kill them, they are fine.
If she hesitates next time, stand in the trailer and hold treats. Do not force her to come to you- give a little tug on the rope, show the treats and say some encouraging words. Look and act calm. Eventually her curiousity (and hunger) will win over. Every step she takes towards the trailer- praise her like she just won at nationals. Try to get one foot calmly in the trailer, then quit for that session. Try again later for two feet after a break, then do more next time, keeping it in short sessions.
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February 28th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Feed her in the trailer. When we have one that has trouble loading or doesn’t load we start feeding them in the trailer. There is not a horse on our place that when we open the trailer doors they are lined up to load and they don’t even have halters or leads on. We open the doors and they jump in. Good Luck
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February 28th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Don’t worry, you are doing all the right things or you wouldn’t have got to that point. We all make little mistakes, no one is perfect. But, as one of the other posters mentioned, horses are more forgiving then we give them credit for.
When you have your next session, work her the same way you did on your successful day, working up to the point of loading. Try it again. (cross your fingers, hold your breath, and then let it out—–relax) and try loading her. If she loads up, as you described, don’t even ask for a second loading. Praise her and give her whatever treats you give; rub down in fav spot, etc.
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February 28th, 2010 at 7:43 pm
As you know by studying Parelli, it’s not about the trailer and getting her into the trailer! It’s about building her confidence up around the trailer and making it so she wants to be in the trailer. Yes, you should have stopped earlier, but she is not ruined due to this!! Remember….the goal is nose, neck, maybe the feet. Next time you go back to the trailer don’t go for loading! Play some games around the trailer and work on nose, neck and allow her to be ready to put her feet in. Don’t set any intentions of how far you will get or you will find yourself pushing to meet your expectations. Then as you know…it won’t happen. At least not in the way that you got to experience! Her so willingly wanting to go in for you!
Horses are very forgiving and so you will be able to get past this. Just use the naturael way that you have learned and you will succeed!!
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Have been studying Parelli for years and have gotten the same results with many horses!!!! Don’t give up! It will work!
February 28th, 2010 at 7:49 pm
take a break
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