Testing the trailer.
Well, we all knew what was going to happen. Even Muratah’s mom was very anxious when did some training with trailerloading with her 10 month old son last weekend.
Actually, the trailerloading, 2nd time in his life ever, went surprisingly well. It was a horsetrailer with step-up and a ‘walk through’ option, a door at the front side where he could go out again.
He walked straight in within 3 minutes, but then hit his neck and shoulders on the bar which should have stopped him at his chest. He walked backwards, lifted his head and *bang*, hit his head this second time. He then wanted to see where he could go to, turned his head and *bang* there was the wall. He then lifted his head up and walked quickly backwards. Right, it was 25cm lower as he expected behind him, so also there he had something he did not expect and almost rolled out. All this time I sat at the front and walked a bit towards him to give freedom at the rope.
(It doesn’t make sense to try to pull back 200kg with my 65kg, so I better learn him not to fight me but follow me - also, with a stallion, better give 3 meters of rope instead of 1. He has got long front legs :)
After all this I expected him to turn around and run away but no.. He stood still and had a look what hit and bit him in his neck, head and nose.. He had another look with his other eye and snorred. I sat down again and he looked at me; while lifting his hoof to tap on the trailerfloor. It was steady enough to put weight on again.. and within 2 minutes he was in the trailer again. This time I had taken the bar away and let him go through - a bit faster than I wanted though. A third round we made, also within 2 minutes he was on the other side of the trailer again. The third time, when he came in, I stood up and hold my hand on his chest. He watched the open door behind me, he watched me, lifted his head, rolled an ear backwards and with a soft push on his chest I could ask him to go backwards. He did it perfect, slowly walked out and looked why his mom was screaming at him.
Amazing, second time ever he goes into a trailer, and then after the first time going so wrong, he feels fine and confident enough to go in again. Better even, I could easily persuade him to stop walking through and quietly walk backwards. For claustrophobic creatures like horses, this really amazed me.
I also wanted to say thanks to my other lil’ bright mind, giving me hands full of cloverleafs when I needed them, without that I even asked for them :)
No, no pictures, I was way too busy ;) There should be a video from the 3rd time he’ll be going into a trailer soon :)
Here’s lil’ man when he was a bit younger inside a trailer while driving with his mom:
And here’s lil’ man where he walks out into his new home in the Odenwald:
(I now remember that there were people suggesting I should put him on a line to let him walk out - but I did not. He’s pretty tough and doesn’t get scared easily :)