Am i catching my horse wrongly

J

JTeighty

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Hi,

So I am sharing a 12yo tb exracehorse. He's my first share. I had only had riding lessons at a yard before hand and had no experience caring for a horse. I had learnt how to groom, pick feet, put on tack etc but I was never taught how to catch a horse from the pasture. The first few times I tried it took ages to catch him (like an hour or so). I brought a feed bucket with a bit of grass and he'd come and take it allowing me to put on his halter when he was eating. Slowly that didnt work so I'd bring in treats and he'd come to me. Eventually he'd come when I called his name. I then went away for a month and since i came back 3 weeks ago he hasnt been coming. He seems very unsure when he sees me and only when i show him treats does he come close. I put the rope around him when he comes and he tries running off bucking. I often need to fight him to get him calm. Now he doesnt come easily when I have treats either, only when he sees the other horses coming to me. I only have him a few days a week and the owner has no problems getting him to come. He's the dominant horse in the flock so not scared of the other horses attacking me for treats as they dont do much. Btw he is a stubborn horse even when caught. I also groom him and treat him a lot when I catch him so don't ONLY ride.

Am I catching him wrong? Is he meant to come to me without treats and just let me put on his halter without putting the lead rope around his neck?

Thanks

Jeremy
 
Some horses just aren't that good to catch. If your managing to get him each time even if it takes you a while then you must be doing something right!
 
Why does he have to come to you?

I've always regarded it as a luxury if whichever horse I'm trying to catch will come to me.

When i go into a field to catch a horse, my expectation is that it will stand still or carry on grazing and allow me to get close enough to put a headcollar on.

Perhaps that would be a starting point to aim for?

I'm sure other people will have time to be articulate about the advantages and disadvantages of using food as a training aid.
 
horseloaner said:
when you walk up where is the headcollar in your hand so he can see it or behind your back?
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Yup it's blue! Put it on my shoulder. Always thought if i dont show it he'll feel deceived and not trusting..

AnneCam said:
When i go into a field to catch a horse, my expectation is that it will stand still or carry on grazing and allow me to get close enough to put a headcollar on.

Perhaps that would be a starting point to aim for?
.
Click to expand...

Is he meant to just stay still and let me put on his collar? He used to do so but now if i dont put the rope round his neck theres no chance he will. He usually fights and when i win he'll let me put it on. Prob is that he's really strong..
 
Unfortunately some horses take the pee! There are some who walk up to you and barely need a headcollar to follow you, there are some who give you the runaround for hours and even some who just won't be caught sometimes! Mostly they will allow you to walk up to them anyway. I guess as you are sharing you are only going on riding days to do this whereas the owner probably goes to do non riding things quite a lot like just bringing him in to feed... He might just need a bit of time to trust you as sometimes they like to test!

I don't think you are doing anything wrong, what is your body language like? Sometimes if you walk at a side angle towards them your stance is less 'threatening' and also hiding the headcollar behind your back, however I do think he is being a git rather than afraid! Hopefully it will improve with time, I'm sure others will give you some better catching tips. Giving him a treat or catching him in to be fed will probably work, maybe limit any treats to that time so he doesn't know he will get them anyway!

Also if you can go up to him in the field when you are not going to catch him that usually helps, like if you go into the field to do poo picking or just say hello and leave again :-)
 
Try spending your spare time near him in the field, make him curious enough to see what you are doing, touch him and stroke and walk away, then give him another and walk away just keep doing it, then you could try with the head collar but don't actually put it on then walk away until he associates you with strokes and the odd treat and occasionally the head collar.. keep him thinking and try not to walk up to him head on, kind of from the side, keep calm and friendly
Good luck
 
Personally I dont put the rope around the neck as one of mine tanked off once and gave me rope burns so I am wary or either the pony or I getting hurt now, I now stand at the shoulder and hook my right hand and arm under the pony's gullet to encourage it to stand still and keep its head down. the headcollar goes on first now and then the rope is clipped on after

Maybe lots of practice catching and putting the headcollar on followed by immediately releaing the horse may help, he could just be wanting to avoid work or being stabled and if thats all he is being bought in for its what he associates being caught with
 
Make sure that you approach him from an angle. I don't mean take him by surprise, that way could lead to him kicking you but equally don't approach him from the front. If he is standing near a fence , approach him from the other side so that there is no obvious 'escape route'. Stand at his shoulder to put the rope round his neck and then put the halter/headcollar on as you would the bridle. Keep a treat in your hand so that he has to put his head into the noseband to get it. I also recommend watching the owner carefully to see the horse's normal catching routine.
 
JTeighty said:
Is he meant to just stay still and let me put on his collar? He used to do so but now if i dont put the rope round his neck theres no chance he will. He usually fights and when i win he'll let me put it on. Prob is that he's really strong..
Click to expand...

I'd say so. You doing the walking and him doing the standing while the headcollar goes on seems like a well-mannered solution.

If you've not done much catching, how long does it take you to get a headcollar on?

I would expect a horse to stand while i put on and did up a headcollar. I would not expect it to stand there while i dropped it on the floor, undid the noseband instead of the headpiece, took ages to get it untangled etc.

I'm not suggesting you're that bad but is he wandering off while your attention is off him and on sorting the headcollar out.

What does he think of you putting headcollars and bridles on once he's on the yard?
 
How are you putting on the headcollar? Nose and on then flick the long strap over the neck or nose and on and headband over the ears? Might make a difference.

I've recently started catching in a mare who can be a right cow. Her owner advised taking a lunge whip and cracking it on the ground. I refused because I don't want to cause a stampede! She has learnt that she gets a carrot after hvaing her headcollar on, not before.
 
I do what works for me. So I use rope head collars. I saw a good method of putting them on on YouTube which I much prefer now and have been doing it that way ever since. My helper, a titch, doesn't agree and continues struggling the conventional way with horses she can scarcely reach!:D

Just scrunch the collar up in your right hand, holding onto the long end that goes over the poll in your fingers of the same hand. Scratch the horse around the face, head, and neck with the scrunched up head collar. Then neatly drop the head collar "bundle" over his neck, not forgetting to keep holding the long end. Reach under the horse's neck with your left hand and you've got him. Now complete putting on the head collar.

The reason I like this method is that you can routinely give your horse a scratch/rub of the face without showing the head collar, then just drop it over his neck, catch it with the left hand, and you've got him! I can approach all of mine and give them a scratch and they never know if they are going to be caught until it's too late!;)
 
My ex racer got like this last year for a time- think spring grass. Couldn't catch him for hours at a time. In the end i turned out with head collar on for a few weeks so i could catch him without having to put it on. Didn't ride every time caught but always bought in and gave a feed then turned out again. Even now he has times when he reverts so once caught head collar on for few days and he gets his manners back.
In winter he comes as hungry in summer or spring i have to hide head collar behind me as i walk up and i do put rope round neck them head collar on- as soon as he feels rope he knows not to run, I don't hold it tho only draped over so if he did run i wouldn't be hurt as i wouldn't be able stop him from his neck.
Good luck-
 
Advice I've been given before (have never had to use it luckily) - use lead rope like a lunge whip and keep horse moving until they are fed up and realise its easier to stand politely instead!
 
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