Trailer Loading While Staying Below Threshold
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2019
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Warwick Schiller is the most thoughtful mainstream trainer on the scene. Have been a fan for years, and was an early subscriber. Have absolutely loved seeing his evolution and willingness to "know better and do better" by the horse. A lot of trainers out there have egos too big to try anything new, even if it's to the detriment of the horse. Kudos again! Love that you're teaching people about respecting a horse's fear threshold. Such an important training concept, especially for those of us with particularly sensitive/reactive worrier horses. It builds so much trust and confidence in them and in their surroundings and handlers.
I love the way you describe his body language and what to watch for. And what to do to manage his reactions. So helpful. Thanks!!
A tip: watch movies on flixzone. I've been using it for watching a lot of movies during the lockdown.
Your videos puzzled me at first because they didn't seem to show the problem - the horses already seem really good during the demo. I wondered why you didn't show us the problem behaviour before fixing it.
Then I realised that to show the problem, you would have to act in a way to cause the problem, and that would break trust with the horse.
So in this case, to show this horse being scared of the trailer, you would have to rush the horse and ignore his signals (as someone might who hadn't learned your method), and he would then lose faith in you, causing more problems later.
It shows great respect for the animals and integrity. It's admirable.
Thank you
Seems most people see trailer loading issues as purely a respect/obedience issue. Sure, there are cases of that, but most horses I've seen that balk at loading are showing signs of fear. And who can blame them? Asking a prey animal to get in a cramped, dark, noisy, rattling/moving box. (To anyone who has never ridden in a trailer when it is going down the road, you would be amazed by how noisy it is in there.) I firmly believe most of these issues are a trust issue.
THANK YOU, Warwick, for showing folks how to work *with* the horse and his natural tendencies to get a willing partner who trusts his handler enough to get in that same big, cramped, scary box!
Thanks Warwick, every video you put up has enormous value. You have just the right magic. You piqued his curiosity when you took him away, when he was kind of expecting to have to go into fight mode. I often think the issues are not about the object, whatever it is, but about a struggle/fight syndrome. It takes two to fight. Calmest wins.
This comment is a little older but those last two phrases are exactly what I've been thinking, but struggled to put into words. My mare never had any issues with getting on the trailer until she accidentally hit her head at the top right at the entrance. Next time we tried to load her she was very reluctant and I made the mistake of handing her to someone from my barn who told me they could "fix it real quick". She started whipping her, at first not very harshly but it only made her more nervous and, obviously, she didn't get on. Then she started to really hit her with it, causing my mare to rear at her (which is something she has never done). I took the lead back after this, but the damage had already been done. Ever since, trailer loading has been an issue for us that we have to continously work on.
Had the trainer not started to go into "fight" mode, neither would have my horse. From that point on things are bound to escalate.
I always enjoy watching and I love the way you are teaching everyone to be AWARE of what the horse is telling you through their body language. This seems to be the most difficult for people to learn and see. Thanks for another great video!
This completely changed the way I work with a certain sensitive horse that becomes very reactive and dangerous once he is pushed over his fear threshold. I felt like nothing was working, especially not moving his feet and letting him rest like most horses. He would not stand still for longer than five seconds once something spooked him and he'd be on high alert anywhere outside his stall. I have slowly taught him to relax by returning to 'safe places' around the barn that he has learned to be relaxed and with me. It's still ongoing, but the science of thresholds is powerful! Thank you Warwick!
Warwick is definitely one of the people I would love to have hands on training with.
I love how thoughtful and considerate you are of the horse while at the same time saying "I'm not to be ignored unless I say so." Well done, Sir!
Notice that there aren’t 30 people standing around telling you how to do it. I’ve noticed that people can’t help offering their “assistance “ (opinions, two-cents, judgements) whenever they see a trailer loading in progress. My first move from here on out is to decline “help” that I don’t need!
People just can't help it, I bring my dogs down to a state park and we just hang out. People feel obligated to come over..." oh do you need water for them?"
YES! This happened to me at a clinic I went to. My horse didn't want to load but I was going slow and being patient with him. This lady came up to me and said, do you have any experience loading horses? I know she meant to help but it was so rude. I said, yep.. I got him here and I'll get him home. She stuck around and stared at us for a while and eventually walked away.
I love your approach! We often rush them creating a bigger problem.
"Hi, mister! How you doin'?" Wonderful video and so useful for all kinds of situations. Thank you so much!
I appreciate this video today as I will be trailering my horse for the first time (my first time not hers) in a couple of months and plan to start work on it this wknd. Thanks for the lesson and I love how you are listening to your horse!!
Hi Warwick, another informative and education video. I love how your thinking has changed over the last few months. I am so happy that it did too. It works for both you and the horse. What wisdom you are learning and now will be able to teach. I think you are just wonderful. Keep doing what you are doing for those precious majestic animals. Thank you. Have a Happy Day!
I may have only been publishing about it for the past few months, but my perspective has been changing for 2 or 3 years now.
You have such a good, calm energy with horses. It is a pleasure to watch you work. I learned a lot from this video.
You’re the best, Warwick!
Amazing. Thank you for everything that you do !
Excellent info. Thank you.
you've given me the piece I needed. "below the threshold". Have a horse who goes on, but has learnt to back off and push thru whatever is behind. Looking forward to trying again, and hopefully keeping him below the threshold. Your are an awesome horseman, thank you so much for sharing:) Very grateful.
Thanks for the video Warwick.
Have been following you for ages. Using your relationship method on my new unbroken mare and seeing slow and steady results, particularly in her relaxation and appears pretty connected too!!
First time I've found this video. This is what I needed to see to work with my older horse. I can get him to load fairly easily and travels well but he's always let me know he's not comfortable with it, head up, eyes tense, breathing changes, everything you mention and more 🤦. He tends to rush out when backing out, some of that would be due to my smooth tailgate that they can slip on, getting changed this week. I tried working on it yesterday but feel I made him more anxious and struggled to get him back down..
This is the way I need to go with him. Once I've repaired yesterday 🤦
#Journeyon20
I absolutely love this explanation of threshold.
Great video!!!
thank you
Love, love, love!!
Another piece VERY WELL presented, that can be applied to so many things
Thank you sir !
This video was instrumental in helping me to train my horses to load. One of my favorites and I highly recommend all training videos by Warwick #journeyon20
I love the relaxed way this gets explained. Since watching this more than once I have built more confidence myself which has transferred unconditionally over to Jumping Jack. . He was quite a handful to get to load but now he is a total dream. Thank you Warwick and Robyn. If it wasn't for you guys I will sti be at a total loss with huge frustration. I have learnt toms of super ways to get my relationship with JJ on a better even understanding 😘 #journeyon20
Another exceptional video....thanks so much!!! When will you be in western Canada next?
My horse jumps o the trailer before I am even ready, HEY wait for me!!!
Set up for success . . thank you best advice
Wowsers! This reminds me of Grisha Stewart’s BAT. It’s wonderful.
The concept of staying below threshold is a good one to hear articulated. I’ve been working with this concept in general, but didn’t have a phrase for it. Thank you for this. Am I seeing that the horse in the video has a right front club foot?
I absolutely love you !
Excellent!! Can you please tell me the dimensions of the arena, and what type of sand you had brought in? Thanks in advance, if you have time to reply.
Honestly that was a great example, if you go that slow they should be more curious about it like that.
Great but I'd like to see success with a really difficult loader.
My horse only gets concerned when I go to put the back bar on, and then he goes out backwards before I can get it on. He'll stand there quietly and relaxed as long as I'm not putting the bar on. Unfortunately when I'm loading him I'm usually on my own so can't get someone to stand in there with him while I put the bar on the back. Any tips for this?
Okay, I need to try this with my horse. I think he may just be concerned of the trailer at some point. Otherwise I don't know what Else I could try. Because my boy is going into the trailer like it is nothing special, he is going out slow and straight, he is even staying in there but there he is always going to panic at some point. Eyes wide open, hard breathing, he even reared up once and then fell on his back. I can tie him anywhere and he is standing still - except inside the trailer. But maybe I just oversaw some signs which tells me that he is pretty concerned about all this at some point. Anyway thank you for all these great videos! I always think it's like you were a horse in another life and just now what they think. 😂
My boy has gotten stubborn about going in. I've done the threshold thing and am very patient and calm. He's not had a bad experience traveling with me. I'm very careful with stops and turns. I feel he just doesn't want to go anywhere. He's usually a sweet, well mannered Rocky. 19 yo. I've owned him 2 years. Do I just start over as if he's never been trailered?
Question: if I wanted to work on this but let’s say I have 2 hours time, don’t get him in or close to the trailer in these two hours, is it ok to stop and pick up where we left off in the spot my horse was relaxed around the trailer next time? Possibly have to start further away again?
I noticed you didn't make him back out. Do you do this all the time or horse by horse basis? I'm fairly new to trailering and let my horse make the decision if he wants to back out or not as long as he's not going to make a jump for it and knock me over. I have several horses and it depends on the horse and how calm he is at time of unloading.
A horse by horse basis. If I back the out I back them out really slowly, and didnt want the camera to be staring at the back of the trailer for 30-45 seconds without me appearing while I was backing him out.
lets do this again with a difficult horse
The "difficult horse" may be 100 ' from the trailer when you stop the first time. Failure to recognise that point is what makes the horse difficult.
Below threshold?
threshold of discomfort
PITBULLS 4 LIFE .....the first sign of mental alertness/alarm at the very idea of a trailer. What happened here is that Warwick indicated to the horse in the first instance that he had no intention of getting into a fight over it, gave the horse time to have a think about it. It is the standover tactics that make them afraid, they need a little time, once they get worked up the whole game is lost. Anyway, the man is a magician, and horses "know".
Could staying below the threshold also become another principle of training?
L Flow ....It is called "advance and retreat". Really, a basic principal of training. Can't catch him? Get as close as you can and before he moves off, you back away. That is non-threatening, makes them curious. When you've worked up to touch him, back off. You have touched him and it didn't kill him? He begins to trust. Same with objects to shy at. Allow time for him to figure it out for himself, take the line of least resistance. If you fight, he will make more of an issue of it than if you stay calm and reassuring, because he is actually looking for leadership. One step forward is a win, let him relax and think before asking for the next one. We have to be benign. Our fear runs along lead ropes and reins, plus I think they can read our minds. The very moment Warwick meets a new, perhaps troubled, horse, that horse "knows". Here is someone he can trust. Insisting doesn't cut it with horses, they simply need time to understand, and they'll do anything for you. Warwick is a magician.
Louise Cassidy . No I get how it works. I was just curious If this was going to be added to the principles of training videos.
@@lucasa1849 Staying below threshold falls under the "dont go to bed angry principle", which is about noting when your horse starts to get concerned, and getting them back relaxed again.
WarwickSchiller . Alright, thankyou. I’ll add that to my notes.
This is simply Approach and retreat while paying attention to your horse and giving whenever they have anxiety. No offense meant, But this method has been around for a very long time. It's amazing how much people forget.
I never said it was new or they I invented it
Now try it with a horse that doesn't trailer.
I have :-)
And he did
Sorry if you took that sarcastically. It was a vid request. I meant, like to put a video together with one that has never trailered. As in from scratch. Maybe show the steps that you personally use and we can see how a green horse reacts to your technique. It's rough doing a search and all you find is horses with practice or experience and half the time It's a trailer with a ramp. I've had to do the last min loading, to help friends, or get to the vet quick. But I parked my trailer near the stall door and put breakfast in it, gradually scooting it farther in. She went to a facility, but I'm going to bring her home for winter so she's comfy. Im not sure how she'll respond, so I was just being opened minded about everyone else's techniques, in case I hit a wall with my big girl this week.
Question: if I wanted to work on this but let’s say I have 2 hours time, don’t get him in or close to the trailer in these two hours, is it ok to stop and pick up where we left off in the spot my horse was relaxed around the trailer next time? Possibly have to start further away again?