Alleluia - Loading

[fallible]

Some of you guys know that my girl is a bit thrawn to load, so i thought i would share progress so far with you.

Had an awful time a month or so back.
Fal still would not load in the lorry and i had no access to a trailer.
I had bummed a lift from a friend to take the highland i ride to a teaching clinic (x/c). Heather started off well, then was a complete bag and managed to stop so violently that (because she had put on too much weight) the saddle slipped and i went over her head. Of course I hung on (as you do) and my arms got grated raw as she pulled them back over the log. Anyway, we carried on jumped one more to prove a point but as she was not enjoying it any more than i was i called it a day. (have since got to the root of that problem)
I trailed around after everyone watching and at the end spoke to the instructor (will not name or say how qualified as you may figure out who it is) Said to instructor that H was obviously having an off day but that WHEN my hanovarian x tb loaded i would take her.
Well if i did! then got a condescending explanation on what i was doing wrong and how to cure it!
1. the instructor had no idea of Fals past history.
2. the instructor had never seen her loading.
3. the instructor did not ask about how much experience i had working with horses.
I found this not only condescending but depressing.

Was I ever going to get anywhere with my potentially talented but awkward mare?

The summer dragged on (yes it was summer as we had great weather) and shows passed. I did not even have access to the lorry any more because of things parked in front of it in the yard.
So i organized a lift with a Friend in her trailer for a hack out somewhere different. (Friends hacking really bad)
It took 30 minutes to get Fal in the trailer not bad i thought.
Then it only took 10 mins to get her in for the run home. Yippee!
So 5 days later the lorry was free of interference, I moved it so that the ramp was on a slope which made the angle of the ramp less severe.
Took me 50 minutes BUT FAL WENT IN!
Patience and carrots pay off.
I will try again next week but with heather in the box first and maybe take her for a wee run.
I am sooo chuffed!
Can't help feeling a bit smug (crosses fingers here. plays havoc with the typing) as my patience won over that horrid instructors brute force and ignorance. ;D

[fimacg]

WELL DONE!!!

in my experience brute force and ignorance never work - Chomps was a dreadful loader 2 -3 hours in many cases, now with everything open he walks straight in. I am trying to get him used to loading with the breast bar in place. At the moment I have to load him then put the breast bar up and then put the ramp up. It took me 3 weeks of practicing every day to do this but in the long run slow and steady works better than forcing the issue

[spotti]

I was thinking about loading just this morning actually so I'm glad you brought this up. My main conclusion of my mornings ponderings was "using patience and carrots you get wonders" and "If it takes forever [to do i.e. tiny steps and every day, even if its just 30 seconds!], it will last forever. End of."

First of all, i'd like to say well done! Patience and carrots really do work wonders!

Secondly - that instructor had no right to tell you what you were doing wrong without even seeing the pair of you in action BUT he/she could well have thought that they were being helpful...

Got my fingers crossed for next time. Hope you get to have fun again soon

(I see what you mean about the crossed fingers playing havoc with your typing...it's taken me about 5 mins to write this last bit with crossed fingers!)

[brigadier]

Well done- echo above!

[maximum]

so you can come down here for hacks now!!and a play in the huge school! after tonight Max will show Fal how to gallop- we had a blast tonight.

that instructor really did get up your nose didnt he!

[fallible]

Sept 5, 2008 20:42:51 GMT maximum said:

so you can come down here for hacks now!!and a play in the huge school! after tonight Max will show Fal how to gallop- we had a blast tonight.

that instructor really did get up your nose didnt he!

Had not thought of hacking out down at yours BUT am now!
Maxi was trying so hard to keep instructor anonymous and you have to point out that he was a he! ;D

[maximum]

well it does only narrow it down to half the population!

[duckles]

I love these stories fallible and hope one day to print my own!! WELL DONe.

[ceej]

Hope you dont mind - I modified the post to add Loading to title - it really helps in FAQ's so the threads can be referred to again ;D