Catching a unhandled horse in a large herd and field

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Tigerlily100

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Hey all,

So I have bought an unhandled 3 1/2 year old cob gelding, who is extremely wary of humans.
He's no bad history to overcome, just spent his life will fellow equines and not humans.

He is currently in a 20 acre field with 17 other geldings - and is new to this field since yesterday when he was delivered.
Unfortunately I didn't have the option to stable for a while once delivered.

His previous owner caught him by emptying the field and getting him to follow another pony into a stable to get him loaded for delivery.

I do not have that option, I can't empty a field of 17 horses from a logistical perspective and even if i could it would have to be a one off so not a long term solution.

So I have to find a solution within that field.
He currently has a field safe head collar on which is one positive.

I had originally planned on just spending hours in the field, gradually gaining his trust, getting closer and closer etc. Bribing with carrots, and taking as long as I needed to, and time wasn't such an issue. I've done this before with 2 youngsters and yes it takes time but it does work and I was in no hurry.

But I really must get him caught in the next few days for medical reasons and wow I am wondering just how the hell we are going to do this within the limitations of not being able to empty field out, him being new to the herd so looking rather dejected as he's the outsider right now, and not being able to currently get within 6 feet of him.

I can't be the first person to face this situation.
Ideas guys? The solution must be within the field and with the herd there.

Thanks :)
 
im not sure there is going to be a nice way to do it in that situ and timescale.

ive seen it done by splitting the herd with men on quads or dogs and running the one they want in to a holding pen but obviously thats only going to add to his trauma.

can you get him to eat a feed with a small amount of sedative in so you can get hold of him, but you MUST get hold of him as not safe to have a sedated horse in a herd.

is there any way you can at least reduce the herd by temporarily splitting some in to a holding pen?
 
Does he respect electric tape? If I have one in a herd being stupid/less handed, I use about 20 yards of tape to make a moving fence in a corner - it does need a helper or two with brains. Let those who are with him out and just leave with a friend or two and make 'yard' smaller - and then feed his friends titbits from a bowl. Hopefully he'll get interested enoug to get within catching distance.
 
There is no pen, and it's not my land so limited in what I can do.
It's not a medical emergency, it's suspected fleas and understandably whole herd has to be done together so I only need to get a hold of him to deosect him.
Another option is deosecting him without catching him in an ingenious way......
As long as I can get him treated this weekend and again in 2 weeks, that's all that really matters.

The rest, handling, catching, I don't care if it takes months.
I managed to worm him on arrival, and get a field safe head collar on him, his feet are awful and I suspect have never been done, so a few months more isn't going to make any odds.

He's the source of the suspected fleas! So no point treating herd if we cannot get a hold of him.

This is the problem of buying a ferel horse, you can't inspect closely! In hindsight I should have treated with deosect on arrival but hindsight is a wonderful thing!
 
JanetGeorge said:
Does he respect electric tape? If I have one in a herd being stupid/less handed, I use about 20 yards of tape to make a moving fence in a corner - it does need a helper or two with brains. Let those who are with him out and just leave with a friend or two and make 'yard' smaller - and then feed his friends titbits from a bowl. Hopefully he'll get interested enoug to get within catching distance.
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I have no idea, but yeah cornering him slowly might be worth a try with another pony at haying time as they all gather one end of the field. But the likelihood of him being in a corner is remote as right now the herd won't let him in as he's the outsider.
 
Has he made friends yet? I've always found grabbing a buddy and then approaching the hard to catch horse with them in in tow often helps as they are more trusting of their equine companions, I feed a couple of treats to them together then switch the leadrope to the one I really wanted to catch!
 
Fleas?! New one on me. Do you mean lice?

Honestly, for me, that’s not serious enough to be stressing the horse out. If he is being chased out of the group then he won’t be in close contact with them anyway.

I’d do the slowly slowly for now. Hopefully won’t take long.
 
Merlod said:
Has he made friends yet? I've always found grabbing a buddy and then approaching the hard to catch horse with them in in tow often helps as they are more trusting of their equine companions, I feed a couple of treats to them together then switch the leadrope to the one I really wanted to catch!
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No no friends yet as only arrived yesterday. In fact the herd have been horrid to him :(
He's looking very alone and dejected today.
I am going up after work so will stay with him from 4.30 until dark.
He only arrived yesterday at 2.00pm and was really stressed and quite upset, and YO has told me he's looking dejected this morning and alone or being pushed around. I know that goes with the territory and things will be different in a couple of weeks time once he's settled into the herd.
Him being outsider might work in my advantage as I can be his friend :)
 
ihatework said:
Fleas?! New one on me. Do you mean lice?

Honestly, for me, that’s not serious enough to be stressing the horse out. If he is being chased out of the group then he won’t be in close contact with them anyway.

I’d do the slowly slowly for now. Hopefully won’t take long.
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Yes I mean lice! Sorry I have dogs...dogs get fleas! Horses get lice!
I am not calling the shots here, YO is.
I have to deosect him this weekend no matter what.
 
I'd second JanetGeorge suggestion of using electric tape to make the area smaller, perhaps if you can get a quiet friend in with him, he would learn to trust you quicker.
 
I once caught an uncatchable horse with my friend by gently pegging out some electric fencing around him in the field, big enough for them not to be bothered by it, slowly make it smaller and smaller, let friends out, catch with food in bucket. Obviously only works if they know about electric fencing but we spent 3 weeks trying to catch this horse!
 
LaurenBay said:
I'd second JanetGeorge suggestion of using electric tape to make the area smaller, perhaps if you can get a quiet friend in with him, he would learn to trust you quicker.
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I may be able to get him cornered as a one off to treat once, but I cannot leave him in a contained area.
I am not in control here, if I'd had my way he'd have gone into a separate small field with my mare and I wouldn't be having this problem. but I wasn't allowed to do that.

So I have to work within the restrictions given to me, and that unfortunately is getting hold of him in a 20 acre field this weekend and in 2 weeks time - the rest doesn't matter as time and patience will solve.
 
Apple studded with ACP tablets used to be my go-to for feral ones. I know you can't technically get the tablets for horses any more, but might be worth speaking to your vet about mild sedation. Sedalin/honey sandwich perhaps?
 
Antw23uk said:
The mind boggles! No wonder flu is still on the up and strangles and disease are rife!
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How do you know he wasn't isolated and vaccinated etc. prior to delivery?
Well I can tell you he was, a lot was done the previous owners end to minimise risk as my yard doesn't have isolation facilities. His delivery was delayed for this very purpose.
Unfortunately i bought him in another part of the country and hadn't seen him since viewing him and he was extremely upset and stressed when coming off that trailer - lice inspection was the last thing on my mind with a horse up on it's back legs!
But thank your for your positive kind comment :)
 
In the past i've helped people to coral a difficult to catch horse with a lunge line/electric tape. The lunge line is alot more visible but if he respects tape that would be an idea. You could even make a temporary paddock and isolate him that way before coralling him into a corner i guess.

I would be furious if a newly arrived horse with lice was put into the herd my girls are in, i hope you aren't getting too much grief from the other owners over your yards lack of a specified isolation facility.
 
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Quite frankly you're going to get nowhere with this horse if you don't even have the use of a pen- how do you propose handling him in amongst a herd of horses?
He's going to hate you deosecting him so the only way you'll do it with him forgiving you after is by sedating him, you're going to have to hope he takes food with it in. But I would seriously consider other alternatives for where you keep him if you want to do anything with him.
 
The Trooper said:
In the past i've helped people to coral a difficult to catch horse with a lunge line/electric tape. The lunge line is alot more visible but if he respects tape that would be an idea. You could even make a temporary paddock and isolate him that way before coralling him into a corner i guess.

I would be furious if a newly arrived horse with lice was put into the herd my girls are in, i hope you aren't getting too much grief from the other owners over your yards lack of a specified isolation facility.
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Only temporary separation on the day is possible, not longer term.
No, no one is going to be furious I don't think, the horses in that field have had lice several times before, they've caught them from the deer that frequently run through. My own horse has been treated before for this very reason and deosect treatment isn't hard......unless it's my new horse :(
These things happen. We have paid for the whole herd to be done, and will be there to treat the whole herd, I don't think we can take any more responsibility than we have.
It's also not actually confirmed he has lice......we're just guessing right now and trying to take precautions.

This is open fields, not a yard with facilities. We do have 2 stables for emergencies but unfortunately both currently have injured horses in them.
 
TheMule said:
Quite frankly you're going to get nowhere with this horse if you don't even have the use of a pen- how do you propose handling him in amongst a herd of horses?
He's going to hate you deosecting him so the only way you'll do it with him forgiving you after is by sedating him, you're going to have to hope he takes food with it in. But I would seriously consider other alternatives for where you keep him if you want to do anything with him.
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It's called time and patience and worked with my other 2 youngsters that both went onto be well handled cracking riding horses. No stable, no round pen required. I was in no hurry then and would be in no hurry now if it were not for lice!
It is what it is, just have to find a solution!
 
If you didn’t check for lice when he arrived, and haven’t got near him since, how do you even know he has lice????? Sorry if I’m being dim.
 
Tigerlily100 said:
How do you know he wasn't isolated and vaccinated etc. prior to delivery?
Well I can tell you he was, a lot was done the previous owners end to minimise risk as my yard doesn't have isolation facilities. His delivery was delayed for this very purpose.
Click to expand...

How can he have been isolated prior to delivery if his previous owners herded him in to a stable from his field prior to delivery??
 
ihatework said:
If you didn’t check for lice when he arrived, and haven’t got near him since, how do you even know he has lice????? Sorry if I’m being dim.
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He was a real handful off the trailer, we got him into the coral and we couldn't keep him still at all, he was very upset and stressed and going up on his back legs etc. We managed to get a field safe head collar on him, get a wormer into him and we had to let him out as 17 geldings had spotted him by then and were going nuts at the arrival of a new horse only feet from him.
You can't contain a horse under those circumstances, you just have to let it go for safety.
 
Tigerlily100 said:
He was a real handful off the trailer, we got him into the coral and we couldn't keep him still at all, he was very upset and stressed and going up on his back legs etc. We managed to get a field safe head collar on him, get a wormer into him and we had to let him out as 17 geldings had spotted him by then and were going nuts at the arrival of a new horse only feet from him.
You can't contain a horse under those circumstances, you just have to let it go for safety.
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Re-read the question
 
amymay said:
How can he have been isolated prior to delivery if his previous owners herded him in to a stable from his field prior to delivery??
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I do not understand your question?

He was not caught and isolated, stabled and delivered same day.....?
He was caught at the point of paying a deposit, he then stayed isolated and stabled whilst I organised the vet to sort his vaccinations etc. This was last month. He only arrived yesterday.
This was done as we do not have isolation delivery end.
Hope this makes more sense.
 
Tigerlily100 said:
I do not understand your question?

He was not caught and isolated, stabled and delivered same day.....?
He was caught at the point of paying a deposit, he then stayed isolated and stabled whilst I organised the vet to sort his vaccinations etc. This was last month. He only arrived yesterday.
This was done as we do not have isolation delivery end.
Hope this makes more sense.
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Ah, my mistake. No wonder the poor guy was desperate to get in to the field after being stabled for two weeks.
 
amymay said:
Ah, my mistake. No wonder the poor guy was desperate to get in to the field after being stabled for two weeks.
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No worries. And unfortunately I wasn't with him at that time as in another part of the country. The next time I saw him was off that trailer once delivered and he was very upset and a real handful. Hoping a few days in the field to calm down will help.
 
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