KBR Close-Up: "Quincy", P. 2

KBR Horse Net
Gallery Close-Up
"Quincy"
Part Two

And what are YOU???

Quincy had an accident in the trailer ride from Santa Rosa to Antioch so we put him up to rest at the ranch for the first two days of the workshop. He wasn't seriously hurt, but he was banged up a bit. It took a little work to get him loaded for the workshop so we left the 4-horse trailer there and everybody, including the clinicians, took turns trying to get Quincy to load correctly. Nobody had any luck.

When it was time to leave the workshop I took my lariat and looping it around his rump, got him to load in the trailer. Of course that isn't the desirable way to load, so we took him back to the ranch for some schooling.

To teach Quincy to load in the trailer, we did everything BUT work him around the trailer. We concentrated on getting him to pay attention, focus and respond to our cues.

On about the third day at the ranch, we decided to take Quincy to the trailer. It was parked in fairly tall grass near the neighbor's fence, where dogs were barking. We visited the dogs for a bit, then went over to the trailer.

"Walk up!"

Quincy put a leg in and backed out.

"Good boy. Now stay away from that grass!"

"Walk up!"

Two front feet went in, he looked around and backed out.

"Good boy, now walk up!"

In he hopped, exploring the trailer. I asked him to come out and we repeated the drill. By the third time I simply threw the rope over his back and he loaded himself each time I called "Walk up!" and gestured toward the trailer. He'd also come back out when I called him out.