Catching a unhandled horse in a large herd and field

[ihatework]

I did read the question, I do not know for a fact he has lice if that is what you mean as I cannot get near him to know for sure.

Yes that is what I meant!
So you are going to stress him out, plaster him in heavy chemicals, plaster the others in heavy chemicals and you do not even know he has lice?

Seems completely bonkers to me.

Take a couple of weeks to get hold of him, hopefully then you will have a stable free. Check him over, if clear of lice you will have saved a whole heap of aggro for everyone.

 

[Berpisc]

Can I also add that the treatment might well not be 100% effective at banishing lice from the herd.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

never mind lice, lets hope he doesnt have strangles/flu/mites. just read he was in isolation-even if that were true, the poor bugger must be stressed off his head being treated like this.

 

[AmyMay]

If the herd are exhibiting signs of lice, it won’t have come from him - he’s not been around long enough to transmit.

 

[Tigerlily100]

Your timeline of events is wobbly at best. I'm just going to stick you on UI.

I don't even know what UI means so your attempts at whatever have failed on me And no folks I don't need to know.
I may not be good at explaining myself, and have had to add info as I go with people asking questions but my problem is unfortunately very real.
At 47 years old, I have better things to be doing than to come on a forum asking for advice in a desperate situation not knowing what the hell I am going to do, trying to reply during my work tasks quickly.
If that makes my timeline of events wobbly, it's probably because it is.
I also wasn't physically present from viewing date to delivery date as he was in another part of the UK with his previous owner - the only certain facts I know is his vaccination dates as they are in his passport !
So whatever you are trying to imply with my wobbly timeline.....well whatever

 

[Tiddlypom]

I also wonder why the OP didn't get his feet done when when he was in isolation, seeing as she says that they are 'awful' and may never have been done before.

 

[Tigerlily100]

If the herd are exhibiting signs of lice, it won’t have come from him - he’s not been around long enough to transmit.

They aren't, it's him they suspect of lice. The pressure to desosect this weekend is to prevent the herd being infected and of course you have to do the entire herd together - hence my issue with the currently uncatchable horse.

 

[Tigerlily100]

I also wonder why the OP didn't get his feet done when when he was in isolation, seeing as she says that they are 'awful' and may never have been done before.

Because he is ferel and never had his feet done before, not been taught to pick them up - that's one for me to deal with now I have him.

 

[Tigerlily100]

Yes that is what I meant!
So you are going to stress him out, plaster him in heavy chemicals, plaster the others in heavy chemicals and you do not even know he has lice?

Seems completely bonkers to me.

Take a couple of weeks to get hold of him, hopefully then you will have a stable free. Check him over, if clear of lice you will have saved a whole heap of aggro for everyone.

It's not that simple at someone else's yard, I have been told I have to deosect him this weekend - hence my post and now being stressed and to be fair he probably does have lice so I understand as it's the whole herd!

 

[bluepegasus]

This used to be such a nice forum but as the years have past it's changed, and not for the better. Sorry Tigerlily100 that you have asked an innocent question and been bombarded with all manner of other questions which don't answer the one asked.
I think cornering with tape/lunge lines might be your best bet and then inspect for lice, possibly using a bit of sedation. Good luck x

 

[LaurenBay]

There is not much you can do if YO is insisting you treat him. I'd coral him into a smaller area, then get to know him. Bribe him with food if you must. When you get hold of him you can give a sedalin paste via syringe to hopefully chill him out for the deosect. After he has been de liced I would keep him in the coral so you can work on his trust and basic handling. Only when you are confident you can catch him, I'd make the coral bigger. Then he would be out altogether.

 

[TPO]

Can a small electric fence paddock be made for one of the injured horses just for that day? That would free up a stable for your newbie.

Then I would catch the quietest of the herd and use it as the lead horse. Separate yours from the herd- which doesn't sound like it'll be too difficult given he's not integrated- and Shepard him along behind quiet lead horse. Either I to free stable or wherever he was corralled to be wormed when he arrived. Once he is slightly more settled in corral/stable dope him and then dose him.

You'll need at least 3 helpers I'd hazard a guess at and you'll want people who are quiet and calm but quick thinkers. To help with the sheparding.

If the horse isn't in with the herd, can still see them and has a "buddy" in the lead horse it might be fairly straight forward (as these things can be) and the dope will help with deosecting.

I would tie a small length of plaited baler twine to the field safe. It just gives you something to get a hold of when you start working with him. Then just use the next two weeks to catch, handle and what not so that 2nd round of deosect should be a lot easier.

Good luck with it

 

[Tigerlily100]

This used to be such a nice forum but as the years have past it's changed, and not for the better. Sorry Tigerlily100 that you have asked an innocent question and been bombarded with all manner of other questions which don't answer the one asked.
I think cornering with tape/lunge lines might be your best bet and then inspect for lice, possibly using a bit of sedation. Good luck x

Thanks
Yes I've sat back and thought exactly that - I've not once asked about vaccinations, trimming his feet etc. how to tame him in the long run, or judgement on my yards isolation procedures etc.
I shouldn't have to justify his past - I am not responsible for it regardless of what it is nor had any control.
I deliberately left detail out out as I didn't want it to go off topic, but I've spent my whole time trying to explain why, the how's etc.
I think we are going to try the corning technique, it's worth a try anyway

I've spent years on here under another login, but can't even remember my user name and no longer have the email account so can't even reset. But I do know the forum really well and agree it used to be really nice and you'd get a straight answer to a straight question.
Still do from some

 

[Tigerlily100]

....

 

[Tigerlily100]

Thanks TPO. I may be able to herd him into a coral - but it's still a big area of probably 1 acre. This is where we got the headcollar on and wormed him but of course he came off a trailer with a head collar already on so we didn't have to catch him, just change the heard collar and we did this getting the new one on over and then taking the old one off.
The stables are opposite side of yard and a track with cars coming up and down between so I can't under any circumstances not have him out on it without a head collar and leading him.
I think once we've caught him we will manages as we will take our time, it's the catching him that's the issue.

Edited to add: He can't stay in the coral, he has to then go back out with the herd.

 

[ozpoz]

Honestly, there is no quick way from stressed/unhandled to being able to treat him. I would go with the idea of making a small corral for him, where he has everything he needs and spend as much time as you can gaining his trust. Bribery and quietness. if he is not in contact with the others then the risk of transferring lice isn't the worst thing. Once you have his trust gradually ask a little more every day. if you fire in to try and do things to him he'll be even more wary, on top of just unhandled.

 

[Tigerlily100]

Honestly, there is no quick way from stressed/unhandled to being able to treat him. I would go with the idea of making a small corral for him, where he has everything he needs and spend as much time as you can gaining his trust. Bribery and quietness. if he is not in contact with the others then the risk of transferring lice isn't the worst thing. Once you have his trust gradually ask a little more every day. if you fire in to try and do things to him he'll be even more wary, on top of just unhandled.

I am not allowed to do this - it's not my yard.
2 paramenters I have to work in:
He has to stay in the 20 acre field with 17 other horses - yes if I can catch I can bring him out into a coral of 1 acre and work with him and return him and return him later that day - there is no "small" space to keep him.
Second is I have to deosect this weekend.
Hence my problem
Really hoping to get there this evening to a calmer horse

 

[Tiddlypom]

How about finding him a more suitable yard to keep him at for now, with access to a stable and more suitable turnout facilities? Then you can start getting him used to being caught and handled.

 

[Leo Walker]

So he was in isolation for a month and was vaccinated but in that time no one taught him to catch or lead or did his feet? And no one noticed lice? At which point he was delivered and thrown into a herd of 17 adult horses? You have no facilites at all, and no way of getting hold of him without causing him further trauma. Jesus, the poor little sod

 

[Tihamandturkey]

This used to be such a nice forum but as the years have past it's changed, and not for the better. Sorry Tigerlily100 that you have asked an innocent question and been bombarded with all manner of other questions which don't answer the one asked.
I think cornering with tape/lunge lines might be your best bet and then inspect for lice, possibly using a bit of sedation. Good luck x

This 100% very best of luck Tigerlily 🙂

 

[windand rain]

In this instance I would borrow, beg or buy heras panels and make a stable sized pen, Get a lot of people who are calm and sensible to walk him into it. If he isnt with the herd yet he should be relatively easy to isolate from them but still see them then close the pen behind him make sure he has good tasty food in there. Wait a short while then go in with him and try to get his headcollar on I assume the field safe one will just fall apart if he tries to run while you are holding him. Once you have him move the panels in to make the area smaller so he cannot swing round on you and use iit a bit like a crush to get the deosect on him. If you sedate him in his tasty grub all the better
This might take all day but the panel pen can be removed once its done and can be used each weekend for you to handle him

 

[{97702}]

To misquote Mr Shakespeare, a Rosie112 by any other name would sound as unlikely in the stories she tells....

 

[Tigerlily100]

So he was in isolation for a month and was vaccinated but in that time no one taught him to catch or lead or did his feet? And no one noticed lice? At which point he was delivered and thrown into a herd of 17 adult horses? You have no facilites at all, and no way of getting hold of him without causing him further trauma. Jesus, the poor little sod

Thank you so much for your constructive comment, you truly do live up to the reputation of this forum for helpfulness.
Do have a good day

 

[AmyMay]

Thank you so much for your constructive comment, you truly do live up to the reputation of this forum for helpfulness.
Do have a good day

To be fair, the first part of the post is sort of correct though.

 

[{97702}]

Thank you so much for your constructive comment, you truly do live up to the reputation of this forum for helpfulness.
Do have a good day

Which begs the question, why bother posting if you feel the forum is so unhelpful.....

 

[TPO]

Thanks TPO. I may be able to herd him into a coral - but it's still a big area of probably 1 acre. This is where we got the headcollar on and wormed him but of course he came off a trailer with a head collar already on so we didn't have to catch him, just change the heard collar and we did this getting the new one on over and then taking the old one off.
The stables are opposite side of yard and a track with cars coming up and down between so I can't under any circumstances not have him out on it without a head collar and leading him.
I think once we've caught him we will manages as we will take our time, it's the catching him that's the issue.

Edited to add: He can't stay in the coral, he has to then go back out with the herd.

If he was ok to headcollar then hopefully once in the smaller paddock, and perhaps with lead pony at gate on other side, to keep newbie comfortable if you approach at his shoulder it should be easier to work up to getting a hold of his field safe. Having had a halter on before hopefully he'll stand with the pressure and allow you to put a halter back on to sedate and treat him.

Although far from ideal it sounds as though this isn't your first rodeo. If possible it would be good to keep that paddock up or put it up and make it his comfort zone (feed in it) so you can work on handling him.

Back in the dark ages I worked on cattle stations in the outback. Feral 2/3yr olds were mustered and brought into the cattle yards. They had to be all ridden away within a week... as I was bottom of the pack order being the Scottish traveller I got all the runts and "sharp" ones. We did have pens but still had to draft one out to work it or sometimes work around others if there wasn't much space. Coming from my "traditional" background I couldn't quite figure how you went from feral to work horses within a week but it happened and all remarkably quietly. Not saying I could do the same these days or that given the choice I wouldn't take much longer but it worked. After they had approx 10days actual riding in them, usually tailing cattle back out to fresh grazing, they were turned away again until the middle of the next season. Then it was only a few days to restart them and put more work into them and they became "work horses" from then on. So given you have all the time in the world it is possible even in less than ideal settings.

 

[blitznbobs]

Tbh it sounds like a recipe for a trip to a and e... I can’t see any way of doing it safely without removing the other horses

 

[teddypops]

Tbh it sounds like a recipe for a trip to a and e... I can’t see any way of doing it safely without removing the other horses

And surely if all the horses have to be treated, they have to be caught anyway!

 

[TPO]

And surely if all the horses have to be treated, they have to be caught anyway!

My take on it is that the other 17 are domesticated so no issues with catching and treating them. Also there aren't stables to bring the 17 into or remove them from the field to isolate the newbie.

I think OP acknowledges it's less than ideal circumstances but it is what it is so can anyone suggest the best way to go about doing something that has to be done as it's non-negotiable instructions from the YO.

As the horse isn't integrated within the herd it is plausible that he could be calmly herded into a smaller paddock away from the others to give OP the chance to get him haltered and/or sedated.

 

[pippixox]

I understand your YO has rules. But I feel they could hopefully be temporarily bent! I would put a smaller pen in the existing ‘coral’ as you will struggle with the acre.

My friend had a youngster who had lice- apparently younger horses can be more suceptible. But none of the other caught it even though they were kept together before she noticed the lice. Given the new horse doesn’t get very close to the others it seems like a waste and the deosect is horrible strong stuff.

Good luck! It’s a shame he isnt allowed to stay in the one acre for a bit.