Catching a difficult horse

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B_2_B

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New girl Connie is a nightmare to catch. She had her headcollar left on but it keeps getting took off by people who do it automatically when the others get theirs off.

Now on Sunday we tried twice, for about half an hour each time with no luck. Food didn't work, and she knew we had it even if we hid it.

She's a bit shy/jumpy even just getting up to her and quite big so she sticks her head up and trots off looking very pleased with herself lol.

Once she's caught she's an angel on the yard though.
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Any tips?
 
How big is the field? Is it possible for two people to hold some electric tape and gradually 'corner' her? Not a long-term solution unfortunately.
 
How big is the field? It definetly helps to put a horse like that is a smaller paddock for a bit just so she gets used to being caught. Also sometimes just standing there waiting for her to come to you works, our YO has been known to be up in a field for nearly an hour, she just waits until the horse decides to trust her, after a few times horse became fine to catch
 
How do you approach her?

I've always found that head down, approaching with my body at an angle and walking wide around to their head is most effective for hard to catch horses. A lot of people unintentionally chase them away.
 
bring all the others in if you can. a bucket with nuts in to rattle, and a lot of patience. sometimes, sitting reading a book in the field will eventually intrigue them enough.
bringing her in some times, fussing and feeding her, then turning her out again with no work... this works.
good luck, nothing more infuriating than a horse that can't be caught.
 
sound stupid, but carrot trick. Go out into field when you don't want to catch sit down and get mare's attention and start eat a carrrot, very quickly she be interested in fact your sit down and noise of carrot!!!
then of course reward, and then repeat....... so the time you really want to catch she'll be then cos you eating a carrot, i know sounds mad!!!!!!!!! But it does work
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On saturday mine wouldn't load at all. So instead of getting crossed out came carrot and started eating. the speed he popped into trailer was brilliant!!!. And i was laughing all the way to lesson.
Think to remember is they have more muscle but we do have extra brain cells
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I'm not sure how big the field is, pretty big though, but the the smaller field has a flooded stream in it right now and the other field is even bigger so field size can't be changed.

DM - I think cornering her is a last resort and hard to do in the field aswell.

Jess - Yeah, we've trid that but she doesn't come any closer. I suppose if we sat there for an hour it might help but we normally don't have the time.

Blackhawk - thanks, i'll try that next time! It's often the younger volunteers who will go to get her so i assume they go for the hands stretched out approach.

kerilli - we can only bring all the others in when it's feeding time. It's getting just her out that's the problem and then we can't bring all the others in just to take her out for a ride (thinking ahead here, she isn't shod until the 9th ocotber). Will try the bringing her out and just grooming her with no work next Sunday. She can't be ridden yet anyway so at the minute she is brought up, fed and put back.

kick-on - thanks!
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i'll try that too
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I'm afraid the one that usually works best for me is the one that takes loads of time!

Follow her around the field at a stroll, with food in pocket, not getting bothered when she runs away. Might take an hour or 2 but usually eventually they get fed up at being moved on the whole time and will stop and see what you want. Give her the treat, a pat, and then walk off. Go away and come back in half an hour and do the same. Feed treat and go.

Leave it another half an hour and repeat, taking a headcollar with you this time. Hopefully she'll stand still long enough for you to put it on. Give her a treat, make a big fuss. Then take headcollar off and walk away. Do this all day long if you have the time.

She'll be extremely puzzled by your actions, but it's the fact that just because you go and put a headcollar on her doesn't mean that you're going to take her away from her friends, that will hopefully cement in her mind that being caught isn't always a bad thing.

Just one idea?
 
Sorry, yes, that was a last resort or 'must catch right now' idea. My favourite is to sit on an upturned bucket and wait for the horse to approach, give a scratch, a carrot, then try again another day and after a few days catching hold but then letting loose again.
 
Gypsy was hard to catch, i would go stand with her buddy and give him loads of attention, she would get jealous enough that she would come walking over eventually.

I agree with the sit and wait, ive seen that work on a horse that no one could catch!
 
I usually try to shadow them and follow at a safe distance just to the right or left when they move away without changing pace. When they stop, I reposition myself so that I am approaching at the shoulder and try not to make eye contact, often without saying anything. Sometimes ignoring them and appealing to their nosey nature helps.
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When I was a teenager I used the running after them shouting and swearing and trying to get them into the corner approach, but many hours of unsuccessful catching and then not riding meant a fresh look at catching technique.
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Oh and a big dollop of perseverance!

It is one of the most annoying things in the world and I feel for you.

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Big Bird can be a "pickle" to catch, and I've worked out the equation for it.

The harder the rain/the later you're running/the sooner the farrier is turning up = the more you can't catch the bloody thing!
 
Baron can be difficult to catch for a good month or so when they go out 24/7 in april.

I do leave a headcoller on most of the time. He usually lets me get close to him but as soon as I reach out he trots off and circles me for ages. I NEVER give up. It sometimes takes me a good hour. At this time he approaches me head on so he can grab a treat but I cant get hold of him as he wont let me near his side.

I show him what I have and position myself level with his shoulder. I crouch down (only if its safe) and slowly move towards him, then when im about 6 foot away I slowly stand up and turn my back to him. He then gets bored and wants to know what I have got, I have to move very very slowly but once I do have hold of him he is good.

Oh and fussing a horse close by usually makes him want to come to me.

If he doesnt have a headcoller on I find showing him the treats then putting them on the floor in the center of the headcollers noseband, so to get the treats he has to put his nose into the headcoller, then pull it up and fasten it quick. It so much easier as the head is low down (hope that made sense)/.

Also dont only bring in to ride. Make sure that some days you bring in, fuss them, give them a feed and put them back out.
 
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