Catching a horse that doesn't want to be!!

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Leary

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Was just wondering if anyone had any tips on catching a horse that doesn't want to know. I haven't had my horse long so I know its all fairly new and she is still getting to know me but its making life a little difficult. It got to the stage where I couldn't take the headcollar in the field as she would see it and peg it as fast as she could with her ears flat to her head. What she then does is circle me like she's on a lunge. I then started taking a bit of string in my pocket, walking very quietly up to her and slipping it round her neck. She then makes no attempt to pull or be strong, and happily walks to the gate where I pull out the hidden headcollar, again, she happily stands for me to put it on. But we are now at the stage where I can't get near her. She's off as soon as I approach her, winding up the other horses and circling me the whole time. I've tried ignoring her and talking to the others, she'll then quietly graze until I make my advances. I've tried walking away when she walks away and I've tried chasing her. Tonight the only way I could catch her was for the other horses in the field to be taken in, she was then very keen, standing at the gate almost putting the headcollar on herself!!! But this isn't feasible all the time. It's not like she's only caught to be worked, and she is fed when she's caught so it should be a nice experience. I'm concerned because I can't catch her to put her fly mask on or put suncream on so she's suffering at the end of the day
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. Any suggestions would be gratefully received
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ummmm cant really suggest much apart from taking food with you each time! twiggy has become very odd recently to catch, if i go up to her in the field she will just keep walking away so i cant get to her to put the headcollar on her but then she will turn and walk towards the gate alongside me loose and then stand near the gate and let me put her her headcollar on. Its almost as if shes saying 'dont worry mummy i can do this bit myself!'
 
I've tried food, I've even taken a bucket out with some chaff in, she extends her neck to grab a mouthful but as soon as I get near her, she legs it, leaving the food behind!!
 
I would try a bit of food then repeat this without even trying to catch her as often as you can throughout the day. My friends horse - who was a real bugger to catch was cured eventually by going into the field as many times a day that she could and just making a fuss of him or giving a titbit then putting the headcollar on and taking it straight off.
It took a while but then she would catch him to feed him about 3 times a day.
The thing is, you can understand why they don't want to be caught when they are in a group enjoying their grazing - why would they want to be led away from that?! It takes some horses a lot of convincing that you can offer them something nicer than being in a field with their companions!!
 
The only thing that worked with Cat was when the big square field he was in was transformed into a triangle when a bypass was built through it. O/h & I could then chase him into one of the pointy bits & he would give up. When we moved here, one of our fields goes to a point, which has the same effect.

I know how you feel as I was often late for or missed shows/lessons in summer cos he would just gallop about or do that infuriating invisible lunge line thing that you described.
 
Well she sound similar to how Bean is when she feels like it, she will circle round me in trot, so I keep her going, keep telling her to trot and eventually she gets bored and just stands there and lets me catch her...this may be difficult if there is lots of other horses....but if you can even when she wants to stop, keep her trotting until she refuses to move then catch her if you can and reward with feed.

Or if its possible you could put her in a field away from her friends...?
 
I use a 'Walk the horse down' technique with some success. Basically you go up to the horse and if they move away you follow them quietly and just keep following them in walk. If they go to eat grass then you make noise and do anything to make them stop - even if this means making a run at them! Eventually the horse will give in and stop (this could take anything from 15mins to over an hour!) Then you go to the horse and tell them they're good, pat them and walk away without catching them. Then give it 15-30 mins and do it all over again. Eventually, they'll get the idea and will give in sooner. Then on the next visit, you can catch them. I've found with some horse who I do this with, will follow me to the gate on the first visit, but I still don't catch them but give them time to think about what just happened!

If there are other horses in the field, I wouldn't advise bringing a bucket in as this could be dangerous. You could have some food in your pocket though
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I do the 'walk them down' bit, same as Akelly but I have to ask, if she's done this a couple of times to you, why on earth haven't you left a leather headcollar on her with a little dangly piece of rope attached to make life easier for yourself? Make sure it's leather mind, (it doesn't have to be a dear one, you can get a foreign one for a fiver but it is perfectly safe and strong enough to be a field one) a nylon one left on is just too dangerous.
 
Agree with the MFH and akelly.

Have found that works, though if you're in a huge field it ends up being a 'run them down' as you've got to keep them moving and if they've run all the way across the field you've got a helluva run to get yourself back across that field!

Having been in that situation with a previous horse I was lucky in that out of the 10 acre field we had a 1 acre bit post and railed off so used to chase him into that and then he did all the running and I only had to walk!

The worst thing about horses that are difficult to catch are that I get infuriated and want to scream, but you've got to hide that and smile (through gritted teeth!) otherwise the naughty ned won't let you anywhere near it!!
 
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Agree with the MFH and akelly.


The worst thing about horses that are difficult to catch are that I get infuriated and want to scream, but you've got to hide that and smile (through gritted teeth!) otherwise the naughty ned won't let you anywhere near it!!

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I have been known under extreme pressure (catching in for blacksmith type thing!) to actually throw the bucket at it too!
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They're usually so busy hoovering up the nuts that have scattered far and wide it's easier to grab hold! Doesn't always work though and then you have to go and fetch bucket - but it makes me feel a whole lot better!!
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Mine is exactly the same as yours! When he wants to come in - no problem at all. But when he doesn't, you can't get near him! And he can be aggressive, as well. I have had success 'walking him down', that is, just following him at a walking pace for an hour, not letting him graze and not changing my pace, just quietly and steadily catching him up if he runs off and following him constantly. He eventually gives up, and after that I just have to get into 'following mode' for him to give in. This lasts a few weeks, before I have to do it again.
Otherwise, the only things I have done is to call him very rude names, throw the headcollar at him and have a cup of tea.
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Try some pieces of melon, horses love the smell of it. I have one at the moment that is a *!"! to catch, so he is out with a headcollar and leadrope. Strangely enough I'm not having too much trouble catching him now. We have a nylon leadrope attached to his headcollar so there are no metal clips from leadrope to headcollar, and the rope is nylon so if he does tread on it whilst grazing it will slide out from under his feet.
 
Thanks for your tips. Gonna try the leather headcollar and walk her down approach together. Hopefully may get some success!!!
 
Cazza, that sounds interesting, may have to stock up on some melons as well. How long do you think you will leave your headcollar and leadrope on before you give hime another chance!?
 
TBH, I haven't, but then I have him on a short term loan for the season, and he's always been like that with his owners, they are happy for me to leave the headcollar and rope on him so that's what I have done. He did lose his headcollar the other day and took me 10 minutes to get him so quite pleased with that, but unfortunately I don't have the hours to go trawling round the field after him every time he needs exercising as we have so many others in work as well. He is the only horse on the yard of over 50 horses that is a pain to catch though. You can go down the route of shortening the lead rope over a period of time, so he just gets the mindset that with the headcollar on you can get him regardless though.
 
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