Trailer Loading - Day 11

I got to the barn just as Sarah was taking Jake out of the pasture, so I let Graf turn out there and play with Ansel for a couple of minutes while I got their buckets ready. I put the buckets in the trailer mangers and opened up the doors and then went and collected the boys.

Usually when we go somewhere, we have two people to help load each horse - one in the manger with the goodie and one to lead him up and close the door after him. So having a horse in each hand and trying to load, was a little unusual for all of us. I had Graf in my left hand so he could go into his normal left hand stall. I asked him to load first (as usual). He started up the ramp and then decided it felt a little strange. So I asked him to come back out and stand while I looped the lead rope around Ansel's neck and then asked him to load. He hopped in and started munching. I closed his door and then asked Graf to get in. In he hopped and I closed his door. And then closed the ramp.

They munched happily for a few minutes. When both guys were finished, I asked Ansel to come out. He came out just fine, but his front feet slipped and he ended up kneeling with both front knees just off the end of the ramp. He managed to stand without slipping further and didn't seem injured or too upset about it. It rattled Graf a little and I had to wait for a minute or so until he quit pushing backwards against his butt door. Then I opened his door and asked him to come out - which he did without undue fuss. I walked them back to Ansel's pasture and let them have a good romp while I closed up the trailer. And then we went down to the other end of the ranch for a shower.

Published August 5, 2007