Some days things just happen to work out right. I normally am a pretty humble person but yesterday I was able to gloat a little bit. 

I got a call in the afternoon from my neighbor. She had gone to pick up a horse and things were not going well. They had already spent over two hours trying to load him and were wore out trying. I know it took a lot for her to call and ask if I would make the one hour drive to help out. She asked if I thought I needed to stop at her house and pick up some drugs or was I confident I could load him. I chose no drugs. He wasn't a baby. He has been in trailers lots of times. He just grew long ears.

It wasn't fun or particularly pretty but I did get him loaded.

She then had to pick up another one and didn't get home till 10:30. The problem horse was supposed to come to my place but since it was so late I told her to unload him and I would take a trailer in the morning to get him. This morning I got there early and had him in the trailer all by myself inside of five minutes. My neighbor was ready to come out and help if there was a battle brewing. I took him home and unloaded and loaded him twice more.

I felt a little bad she had to call me but at the same time glad she did have enough faith in me to call.

The deal with this horse and others that should know better is not to be too nice. Nine times out of ten they just need to be tied off hard and fast and not allowed to pull anyone around or to break anything. People use lead ropes as tie ropes. I have seen a great many broken bull snaps and tore up halters. I use a 25 to 30 ft nylon rope. It is long enough that when it is run through the halter ring, around the horses neck and tied with a bowline, I can still take a couple wraps in the trailer. I can allow the horse to get slack if I want to but I can hold any horse, no matter their size with one hand. Generally they might set back a time or two and pull. I want them to. Funny thing is when they can't get away and nothing breaks, they will usually walk right in. No matter how hard they pull the bowline will not tighten on their neck and choke them and the knot can always be untied.

The question I get the most from some of my friends that I have helped is how I tie a bowline. A good many years ago I was introduced to it in a cute way that always stuck with me but alludes others I share it with. Holding ath long end of your rope in your left hand, make a small loop over the rope to your left. That is the "hole". Then take the end of the rope( the part you would put around the horse's neck). This is the "rabbit". The rabbit goes up the hole, around the "tree" (long part of the rope) and back down the hole. I know that probably only makes sense to those that already know how to tie it. Best I could do with words alone.