Cody Chronicles: Ugly In The Beginning

"Back out? Make me!"






















TRAILER SESSION 1

It’s time to show JR what Cody does with the trailer. From the day I brought him home, the horse refuses to back out of the trailer. Thankfully, I have a wide three-horse slant load, so there’s plenty of room in there for him to turn around and come out front-ways. This is not ideal, but since he loads nicely for me and I’m just trying to make it through the day with this herd of horses that have enslaved me, I let it continue.

Actually Danny and I have tried, to no avail, to teach him to back out of the trailer. I got as far as getting him to place one back foot out of the trailer. That totally freaked him out. Back in he jumped. To turn around and come out the way he likes—where he can see what’s coming.

After JR’s first session working with Cody in the trailer, I learn that Cody is claustrophobic. And I’m an enabler. I really thought I was over the enabling thing… apparently not. Watching the whole event was rather traumatic. I saw Cody looking scared, mad, frustrated, terrified. In the end, JR had to let the horse turn around to get out of the trailer. But it was only Cody’s first session with the trailer. I’m thinking—maybe it’s just fine to leave this alone. It doesn’t really bother me.

Well, as it turns out, Cody is not as comfortable with the trailer as I thought he was. Just because he jumps in and trailers quietly does not mean he enjoys the experience. He would probably prefer to stay home. All the time. As he tried to tell me when he then refused to get on the trailer! We are trying to teach him to just “step” up into the trailer, not “leap” into it with both front feet at once. That’s how he likes to do it, which really has never bothered me…but in order to teach him to back out…we need to not let him get totally in. That was the plan.

TRAILER SESSION 2
Cody’s plan was to not get in the trailer at all. Never since I’ve owned this horse has he ever refused to get in the trailer. And now, after getting freaked out about backing out of the trailer, he is getting belligerent. After an hour of trying to “send” him into the trailer, “lead” him into the trailer, “pull” him into the trailer, “beat” him into the trailer, and "beg" him to get in the trailer….I asked Danny to help me and with both of us encouraging, Cody hopped on the trailer in his usual, unconfident leaping fashion. Yay! He got on! We did this a couple more times to make sure he was no longer resistant.

I really want to give up on this trailer-unloading thing. Who cares if he doesn’t back out or load in a trailer with me standing on the ground simply pointing my finger at the door? He gets in, rides, and gets out. That’s all I need him to do. I don’t want to create a new problem trying to solve another. Here I go again…enabling.

Well, I’ll try again tomorrow with “sending” him onto the trailer and see how that goes. I’m learning that there are some things I may just not want to learn!