This Is How We Do It

My boyfriend and I bought a trailer over the summer. It was very inexpensive, but still very solid. Since it is older, it is really small...which means there was no way any horse wanted to go in it.

I moved Sonny to a new barn the beginning of August. Before then, he hadn't been trailered in two years. The first day I worked with him was a slow process. I was taking the time it takes, which was a lot! After a while he managed to get his front feet in and we stopped at that.

The next day (which was the day before the move), Linda posted this on her blog. I can't even begin to say how much that helped! I had his front feet in the trailer within a couple of minutes because of reverse psychology! The day of the move came and I was able to get him in confidently. It took a long while though; lots of in and out and in and out. I knew we were missing something, the trailer just wasn't a 'sweet spot' for him, yet.

Once he was settled in his new home, we brought the trailer back. I knew I had to make it not about the trailer, but to make it about the incentive. He didn't want to get on not because he was scared, but why should he? To make it a sweet spot, I knew I had to make the right option easy and the wrong option hard. So, what does an LBI love? Treats of course! And lots of rest. We started out our first day with the trailer at the new place by suggesting he go on. If he declined my suggestion, that was fine. I would just take him back into the arena and we did lots of trotting, cantering, jumping, and things that required energy. Then I would take him back to the trailer and ask again. If he even touched the ramp he got to sit there for a bit, then I would kindly pull him out and go back to things that required energy. Every time he went further into the trailer he got to rest longer. Eventually we went in far enough to reach the place where you put hay and guess what? There were lots of treats! What a great surprise!

This video was from the 3rd day at the new barn, or his 6th time playing with the new trailer. It was such a sweet spot by that 6th day, he wanted to get on.

 

This was my lesson as to how important reverse psychology is, especially with LBIs! Now I apply that with everything. If I want him to go faster, I first slow him down. It is hard to always think about things that way, but the more you do it the easier it gets. And as always, be sure to take the time it takes so it will take less time!