Magic - 8/1/11

Came home today to help Robin load Magic to take her home.  Robin brought some shipping boots, so we put the on and let her get used to them before we started loading.  We did some practice loading and all seemed well.  But it always seems that, with horses, just when you think that all is going to be perfect....you are reminded that they are horses and God made them that way.  She was hesitant about getting into the trailer (that was brought to take her to her new home).  Her first step into the trailer, the rubber mat slid and after that she wanted nothing to do with loading into a trailer.  I used  a stick w/a string to lengthen my arm, but we still spent about a hour rebuilding her confidence that the floor of the trailer was not going to move.  Eventually she loaded, but when you have a horse that is hard to load...once you get them loaded, you should unload and do it again.  Preferably you should do it several more times.  Take the drama out of it, you cannot get mad.  The horse is not doing this on purpose, the horse is just fearful.  You are loading them into a steel cave and things that eat them live in caves.  Be patient, take the time it takes.  Parelli says do more now so that you can do less later.  That's good advice!