Next level float loading

Preparing for travel.

My worst nightmare is getting somewhere with my horse and not being able to load on a float to come home.

Last week Cooper had his first session float loading in our old trailer. We had practiced his lead forward cue many times and tested it over and onto a range of objects such as the bridge and the podium.

This week we took it to the next level, Nigel came home from his holiday and came home with a surprise for Amber and I.... I GIANT new podium. Apparently he has been brain storming for our EQUITANA freestyles while he was away. This fitted in perfectly to this weeks work as I have been preparing Cooper for his first outing.

We thought we should test the podium  first with one of our Arabian mares, however she wasn’t going to have a bar of it... Best we take her away and work on our lead forward cue, before she works on it next week. Then it was Wranglers turn.... Enter professional podium horse, strait up and on to the mega platform. Amazing !

It would be a hard act to follow for Super Dooper Cooper but I was sure that the confidence that Cooper built last week would show through. I decided to use our send forward cue, the same cue I use to send cooper to push a ball. As I sent him forward he shook his head walked around to the short side pf the Giant Podium and stepped up rather forcefully with 2 feet. Bang! Bang! He thought the sound of his front feet stomping the podium was great... ears up looking at me as if to say “look how good I podium”.

Most of the time I only ask Cooper for his front feet to step onto the podium but today I was asking for all 4. If we are going to load successfully to come home from our first outing I want to KNOW I can ask Cooper to take all four feet forward no matter the object that is in front of him.

After rewarding Cooper with release for his first attempt at the Giant podium I backed him off one step at a time, returned him to the correct line and gave the send forward cue once again. No head toss this time all four feet stepped up in rhythm.  Check out the Giant podium Video on our YouTube Channel Equine System

I am please to report that Cooper enjoyed his first outing on Friday to the beach.... will give the full story in next weeks update. I will however say that prior preparation prevents piss poor performance....I was incredibly proud that Cooper loaded perfectly leaving for the beach and self loaded using his send forward cue to come home