Catching a unhandled horse in a large herd and field

Thanks for posting this OP. There are 2 feral ponies in the field with my horses and one of them has had a head collar on that she's gradually growing too big for. Some good ideas on this thread, so I'm following with interest!
 
I've watched this thread but not commented because, having been the idiot trying to get hold of an unhandled youngster in a big field and herd in an emergency on far too many occasions, the simple answer is that there is no easy/nice/safe/sensible way to do it. Certainly trying to trap with tape or rope or take any form of food into the field with you is a sure fire way to get you or the horse injured.

The best advice to anyone else who might come across the thread is just don't do it. If you have an unhandled horse just pop it in a barn or a stable for a couple of weeks to start handling it and let it know that you = food, then turn out in a small secure paddock with one or two other horses that are easy to catch, then if all is well turn out in a proper herd.
 
DabDab said:
I've watched this thread but not commented because, having been the idiot trying to get hold of an unhandled youngster in a big field and herd in an emergency on far too many occasions, the simple answer is that there is no easy/nice/safe/sensible way to do it. Certainly trying to trap with tape or rope or take any form of food into the field with you is a sure fire way to get you or the horse injured.

The best advice to anyone else who might come across the thread is just don't do it. If you have an unhandled horse just pop it in a barn or a stable for a couple of weeks to start handling it and let it know that you = food, then turn out in a small secure paddock with one or two other horses that are easy to catch, then if all is well turn out in a proper herd.
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Great advice.
 
my first semi feral was rounded up, weaned, inspected and branded and literally carried into the stable by the breeder when I picked him up. we loaded/unloaded by reversing to barn, blocking off sides and letting him run on. he was kept in a section in the barn (with company) for two weeks while we got to know him. head collar etc was all done by me with no force whatsoever. this pony now gallops to the gate on call every day.

second one (different breed, different country), was herded into a small timber corral with 7ft high fences several times for different things, let back out with the herd each time with little handling other than manhandling to get cut etc-lifetime of catching problems among others, now retired as a non-ridden.

the knack I think is the horse believing there is no way out, rather than having strong walls etc as AA said I think, they will head towards light and space given that option so someone holding a rope or two strands of electric tape (having seen the injuries electric tape can cause) is crazy imo and setting yourself up to fail and potentially other issues. I would also not use heras panels.
 
FFAQ said:
Thanks for posting this OP. There are 2 feral ponies in the field with my horses and one of them has had a head collar on that she's gradually growing too big for. Some good ideas on this thread, so I'm following with interest!
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Do read the whole thread. One or two of the ideas are less than optimal, and you would do well to discount them. There's lots of more sensible advice, though.
 
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I'm surprised nobody has mentioned clicker training yet! I've done this with feral rescue ponies - not ideal in a field of other horses but I would think it'll be your quickest and kindest method, particularly since you've already got so far with carrots and gaining his trust! You can either click for him touching a leadrope, for example, or on one horse I clicked for her putting her cheek near my hand - etc.

Well done OP, and also for ignoring all the varied random judgments that seem to have gone on on this post! Good luck with him and post pics too :-)
 
I'm horrified personally that so many people think you can't work with a feral horse in a field, but need to flood him by shutting him in somewhere. "the knack is them believing there's no way out" above - what a horrible way to go about building a relationship. Shutting them in is inducing trauma, is dangerous, and is completely and utterly unnecessary.
The OP said in her very first post that she was going to gradually get to know him in the field, which is perfectly reasonable and doable, except of course for the minor issue of the louse powder.
 
Morgan123 said:
I'm horrified personally that so many people think you can't work with a feral horse in a field, but need to flood him by shutting him in somewhere. "the knack is them believing there's no way out" above - what a horrible way to go about building a relationship.
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actually cba to justify myself to someone making rash judgements. At no time did I say working in an open field wasn't possible, I just pointed out the folly of using ropes from a safety POV.
 
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Well my 5 weeks stint of attempting to catch my ferel foal in a 20 acre field who flatly refused to be caught or follow its mother out of the gate involved copious amounts of apple baby purée #briberywinsintheend
 
Mother of Chickens - you suggested shutting in was a good way to go about it. I vehemently disagree. There's no rash judgement, I just completely disagree with you because I think there's a better way than shutting in OR using ropes OR walking down. :-)
 
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I don't think it is the 'best thing' no, sometimes it might be a necessary thing and sometimes thats the way its been done for that particular breed and it would be nice if it were to change.

the best thing would have been for this horse to have been handled properly at the first opportunity and set up to succeed-you know, so if it needed vet treatment it could be brought in and given in with little stress to the horse.

but if someone IS going to try and corral unhandled horse in a hurry then the way to do it safely (for horse and handler) is to have something more substantial than two strands of leccy tape.
 
Yeh I don't think anyone thinks electric tape is a good idea do they?!

I still think the whole point is that the OP IS trying to handle the horse properly at the first opportunity, she's only had it a few days! Anyway. My view - clicker training for the win.
 
Morgan123 said:
Yeh I don't think anyone thinks electric tape is a good idea do they?!

I still think the whole point is that the OP IS trying to handle the horse properly at the first opportunity, she's only had it a few days! Anyway. My view - clicker training for the win.
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Actually no.
Some on this thread have suggested leccy tape.
Also the OP was about how to capture the horse quickly under the orders of YO and they didn’t have time to do their preferred way ... hence the trend of the thread
 
Sorry must have missed the electric tape - but STILL! The point is, she can already touch his neck. Clicker training - a few sessions. Quick and safe.
 
Morgan123 said:
Sorry must have missed the electric tape - but STILL! The point is, she can already touch his neck. Clicker training - a few sessions. Quick and safe.
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I think you also missed the bit about her having to catch him and deosect him asap due to the requirements of the YO. Most of the answers related to that question, not how to handle a feral youngster over a limitless timescale.
 
I didn’t miss it, that’s exactly why I’m saying clicker training - she can already touch his head, you’re likely talking a few 15 min sessions to catch him. Even if longer it’s be much much quicker than walking down, or trying to corral him somewhere with or without electric taps.
 
Have a look at the #dontbreakyourvet videos by Gemma Pearson which show how quickly and ethically you can make changes to behaviour. Catching is same.
 
Having a bag of treats in the middle of a herd of horses, trying to give them to the horse at the bottom of the pecking order, while constrained by having to get the timing of giving a treat spot on in order to teach a horse clicker training who is completely unfamiliar with it, is just a bit mad from a personal safety pov.
 
Morgan123 said:
I didn’t miss it, that’s exactly why I’m saying clicker training - she can already touch his head, you’re likely talking a few 15 min sessions to catch him. Even if longer it’s be much much quicker than walking down, or trying to corral him somewhere with or without electric taps.
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For most of the thread, nobody was aware (not even the OP) that they could get near enough to feed carrots :rolleyes: - hence the other responses.

FWIW in these circumstances I wouldn't be using electric tape, lunge lines OR treats unless I wanted a trip to A&E and a vet's bill.
 
So what would you do? The way I see it, she’s said she has to catch him. There’s no ideal option. Choices are:
1) try and corner him with whatever - anyone who’s tried that knows it won’t work and is dangerous
2) remove the other 17 horses and hope that means you can corner him more easily - not ideal as he will be super stressed, but I guess vaguely possible if you can do it logistically
3) somehow get him in a barn as suggested by lots of people, tho I don’t think she has a barn and even if she did you’ve still got to catch him once in the barn
4) “walk him down”. If you’ve got a week to do it....
5) clicker train him - yes the other horses are a pita but as she’s already doing this it’s just a case of keeping your treats hidden and ignoring others if they come along
6) lassoing? Sedation dart? Sedative in a carrot??? Any others ???
Seems to me it’s the most practical and safest option.
 
Morgan123 said:
I'm horrified personally that so many people think you can't work with a feral horse in a field, but need to flood him by shutting him in somewhere. "the knack is them believing there's no way out" above - what a horrible way to go about building a relationship. Shutting them in is inducing trauma, is dangerous, and is completely and utterly unnecessary.
The OP said in her very first post that she was going to gradually get to know him in the field, which is perfectly reasonable and doable, except of course for the minor issue of the louse powder.
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I believe you can absolutely work with a feral horse in a field BUT the issue here is the 17 other horses will make that rather difficult! I wouldn't personally choose to shut them into a stable or any small area, but I would definately just want to seperate the horse away by fencing off a corner or something so she can work with it in piece and use food etc. Food IMO works wonders for gaining a horses trust as it provides the interest for the horse to approach. I like clicker training but again that's not the easiest thing to do with 17 other horses milling about...
 
Morgan123 said:
6) lassoing? Sedation dart? Sedative in a carrot??? Any others ???
Seems to me it’s the most practical and safest option.
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Its not practical or safe to be messing about with clickers in a field with 17 other horses and would end up with the young horse getting a hiding, at best. However seeing as this isnt actually a feral, untouched youngster at all and is happily eating carrots, then yes, sedation inside a carrot. We've used jam sandwiches previously, but carrots, and especially apples work really well to hide sedation in.
 
LW I don't understand why you think this can't be a feral youngster because it's happy to take carrots after a day?

I've had two and both have taken carrots quickly, one after only a couple of hours. Each was delivered with his mother on the lorry and herded directly into my 90ft barn. One two year old, one three year old.


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If only you lived in a place where someone knew how to lasso a horse....Said with slight jest.

I cant really comment on the how tos, but i hope you find a solution and will eagerly await and update.
 
ycbm said:
LW I don't understand why you think this can't be a feral youngster because it's happy to take carrots after a day?

I've had two and both have taken carrots quickly, one after only a couple of hours. Each was delivered with his mother on the lorry and herded directly into my 90ft barn. One two year old, one three year old.


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Because they've never seen carrots and have no idea what they are. All of the ones I had, had to be shown about bucket food and treats by other horses. They dont learn that from their mothers if their mothers arent fed.
 
Leo Walker said:
Because they've never seen carrots and have no idea what they are. All of the ones I had, had to be shown about bucket food and treats by other horses. They dont learn that from their mothers if their mothers arent fed.
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This has been my experience as well, the exmoor didn't know and wasn't interested in those or bucket food. The Lusitano didn't at 3yo-he left them in the bottom of his bucket for a few days. Often they will only try novel things when they see others eat them first (bananas with my lot) .
 
Morgan123 said:
So what would you do? The way I see it, she’s said she has to catch him. There’s no ideal option. Choices are:
1) try and corner him with whatever - anyone who’s tried that knows it won’t work and is dangerous
2) remove the other 17 horses and hope that means you can corner him more easily - not ideal as he will be super stressed, but I guess vaguely possible if you can do it logistically
3) somehow get him in a barn as suggested by lots of people, tho I don’t think she has a barn and even if she did you’ve still got to catch him once in the barn
4) “walk him down”. If you’ve got a week to do it....
5) clicker train him - yes the other horses are a pita but as she’s already doing this it’s just a case of keeping your treats hidden and ignoring others if they come along
6) lassoing? Sedation dart? Sedative in a carrot??? Any others ???
Seems to me it’s the most practical and safest option.
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You have said it - there is no ideal option. And it is far better that this is the message from this thread rather than pretending that you can go skipping into a field with sunshine and rainbows, a bag full of treats and a clicker and everything will be just fine.
Personally (and this is in no way an instructional, because you have to be fairly used to dealing with big boisterous youngsters), I used to walk up alongside and use a bit of slight of hand to drape a rope over their neck and catch hold of the other end of it and then hold on like hell with my shoulder glued to the horse's. And once they've got over the initial shock, slip a rope halter on. If the horse wouldn't let a human get within rope sliding distance then I used to ride alongside on another horse, then hop off and get hold once I'd draped the rope (not really suitable unless you're pretty young and nifty - I couldn't do it now), including walking down the horse with the horse I'm riding if required.

Like I said, far far from ideal. But when a 3yo colt has got a bit big for his boots with the others and ended up with a big lump missing out of him (for example), there's not really much choice.
 
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