Cat
10-12-2008, 05:47 PM
My horses have LOST it, Toby in particular. Its got to be due to the coming full moon or something. First Toby and Bandit get loose yesterday and have a grand ole merry chase through the woods. Then today we had a whole new type of excitement. :doh:
We spend a couple hours finishing up on the trailer. Its not "done" yet, but should be ready enough to go pick up the haflinger this week. So we then decide this afternoon to load up one of the horses in it and take it for a test drive. We were curious to see how the truck would handle the weight. Its only a 1/2 ton and a bit older and last time we were pulling a lot we had a 3/4 ton. However, I think with a little 2 horse trailer and just one horse it should be fine, even with some of our hills. But we wanted to try it out just to be sure.
So first we try Apache because he is our biggest. If it can pull him, it can pull any of our horses! We knew it would take a while because he hasn't been in a trailer since he was a foal, but usually so willing I didn't think it would take to long. Well he started off pretty good and would put one foot on and then step off. Finally got all 4 feet on and decided he did NOT like it and back pedaled. Ever time we got him near the trailer after that it was "back, back, back" on his part. He just plumb tired me out! I was happy when I got him back to 2 feet in the trailer again and I said "enough!" to hubby and figured we would stop there on a good note.
So then I figured we would load Toby. Granted he is a bit shorter than the haflinger we are getting, but shouldn't be too much lighter. Plus I figured this would be a breeze because Toby has ridden in a trailer plenty of times in both 2-horse and larger ones. Never had a problem with him. Might have to coax him for a couple minutes, but usually he loads right in and is calm the whole ride.
:eek: My calm pony turned into a flighty freak. He would step up 2 feet and then would half rear, trying to resist going on - and that was to us putting some pressure on his halter and asking him to "step up" which is the command he learned as a yearling. Then when we finally got all 4s in the trailer he wouldn't go all the way to the front and would stick his head into my side of the trailer and try to come over. "No Toby, you can't climb over the divider." :rolleyes: So finally we get him all the way up to the front and I pet him and talk to him quietly and tell him he is such a good boy. Then I tied his lead rope and started to leave and got the butt bar and door in place. He REARED again and got both feet stuck up on the flat section that held his hay! :nono: He backed up and got one foot down but one was still up there. I'm not sure how such a short boy could have a foot stuck up THERE without pulling a muscle, but I guess he is a very flexible pony.
I call for hubby for some :help: and by the time he gets there, Toby again has BOTH legs up in the hay area again. :eek: And what does hubby ask? "What do you need me for, what can I do about it?" :trout: Umm - undo the door and butt bar so i can get freaking out :crazy: pony out of the trailer before he hurts himself! Because at this point I am at the front of the trailer trying to undo the tie and getting Toby to get some senses!
As Hubby is undoing that, Toby decides I am the safe zone and tries to LEAP to my side! :eek::rant: I AIN'T CATCHING YOU TOBY!!! Flailing hooves = Heart attack. Your not catchable size, even if you are a pony! He did clip my wrist as I ran for my freeking life. Thaknfully its only sore when I move it a certain way.
So Toby FLIES out of the trailer and then looks around like "what's all the fuss?" He's lucky I didn't do this ->:deadhorse: So after all that, I finally got him to step into the trailer, but he wouldn't go all the way in - and I sure in the heck wasn't pushing the issue after everything that happend. So after I was satisified he would atleast step in, we were done with him.
Tried Drifty - but the last time he had been in a trailer was 2 years ago. He was actually doing pretty well, but wouldn't get that 4th leg in. It was getting towards dusk, so we gave up on the horses.
Got the donkey. Last ditch effort. Donkey was in a trailer a year ago, but it was a 4 horse stock and heck, barely new how to lead. Granted we trained him to lead, but not much else since he has been here. He has mainly been a pasture pet. Well I figured he would plant all 4s and that would be the end of that. Nope - stepped right on. A little iffy about being tied at first - kept wanting to look behind him, but otherwise accepted it.
Not the trial run we were hoping for witha 13 hand donkey, but better than nothing! Thankfully the truck handled fine, even with our windy curvy hills - stopped fine on them and rode smoother due to the weight in back. Granted the new horse will weigh some more, but I think it can handle it.
And I know what my horses are in store for this fall now that we have the trailer in shape. Trailer-loading boot camp!!
We spend a couple hours finishing up on the trailer. Its not "done" yet, but should be ready enough to go pick up the haflinger this week. So we then decide this afternoon to load up one of the horses in it and take it for a test drive. We were curious to see how the truck would handle the weight. Its only a 1/2 ton and a bit older and last time we were pulling a lot we had a 3/4 ton. However, I think with a little 2 horse trailer and just one horse it should be fine, even with some of our hills. But we wanted to try it out just to be sure.
So first we try Apache because he is our biggest. If it can pull him, it can pull any of our horses! We knew it would take a while because he hasn't been in a trailer since he was a foal, but usually so willing I didn't think it would take to long. Well he started off pretty good and would put one foot on and then step off. Finally got all 4 feet on and decided he did NOT like it and back pedaled. Ever time we got him near the trailer after that it was "back, back, back" on his part. He just plumb tired me out! I was happy when I got him back to 2 feet in the trailer again and I said "enough!" to hubby and figured we would stop there on a good note.
So then I figured we would load Toby. Granted he is a bit shorter than the haflinger we are getting, but shouldn't be too much lighter. Plus I figured this would be a breeze because Toby has ridden in a trailer plenty of times in both 2-horse and larger ones. Never had a problem with him. Might have to coax him for a couple minutes, but usually he loads right in and is calm the whole ride.
:eek: My calm pony turned into a flighty freak. He would step up 2 feet and then would half rear, trying to resist going on - and that was to us putting some pressure on his halter and asking him to "step up" which is the command he learned as a yearling. Then when we finally got all 4s in the trailer he wouldn't go all the way to the front and would stick his head into my side of the trailer and try to come over. "No Toby, you can't climb over the divider." :rolleyes: So finally we get him all the way up to the front and I pet him and talk to him quietly and tell him he is such a good boy. Then I tied his lead rope and started to leave and got the butt bar and door in place. He REARED again and got both feet stuck up on the flat section that held his hay! :nono: He backed up and got one foot down but one was still up there. I'm not sure how such a short boy could have a foot stuck up THERE without pulling a muscle, but I guess he is a very flexible pony.
I call for hubby for some :help: and by the time he gets there, Toby again has BOTH legs up in the hay area again. :eek: And what does hubby ask? "What do you need me for, what can I do about it?" :trout: Umm - undo the door and butt bar so i can get freaking out :crazy: pony out of the trailer before he hurts himself! Because at this point I am at the front of the trailer trying to undo the tie and getting Toby to get some senses!
As Hubby is undoing that, Toby decides I am the safe zone and tries to LEAP to my side! :eek::rant: I AIN'T CATCHING YOU TOBY!!! Flailing hooves = Heart attack. Your not catchable size, even if you are a pony! He did clip my wrist as I ran for my freeking life. Thaknfully its only sore when I move it a certain way.
So Toby FLIES out of the trailer and then looks around like "what's all the fuss?" He's lucky I didn't do this ->:deadhorse: So after all that, I finally got him to step into the trailer, but he wouldn't go all the way in - and I sure in the heck wasn't pushing the issue after everything that happend. So after I was satisified he would atleast step in, we were done with him.
Tried Drifty - but the last time he had been in a trailer was 2 years ago. He was actually doing pretty well, but wouldn't get that 4th leg in. It was getting towards dusk, so we gave up on the horses.
Got the donkey. Last ditch effort. Donkey was in a trailer a year ago, but it was a 4 horse stock and heck, barely new how to lead. Granted we trained him to lead, but not much else since he has been here. He has mainly been a pasture pet. Well I figured he would plant all 4s and that would be the end of that. Nope - stepped right on. A little iffy about being tied at first - kept wanting to look behind him, but otherwise accepted it.
Not the trial run we were hoping for witha 13 hand donkey, but better than nothing! Thankfully the truck handled fine, even with our windy curvy hills - stopped fine on them and rode smoother due to the weight in back. Granted the new horse will weigh some more, but I think it can handle it.
And I know what my horses are in store for this fall now that we have the trailer in shape. Trailer-loading boot camp!!