Catching a young horse - HELP

[EllieAndCoffer]

So I've had my youngster 3 months now and he's been letting me and others catch him fine up until 2 or 3 weeks ago. Now he runs around the field for a good half an hour and still doesnt stop, he will continue walking around so we dont get the chance to put the headcollar on him.
So we have had to take a bucket of food across with us and that works because he comes over to get the food and it gives us enough time to get the headcollar on. But we dont want to continue using the food because soon enough he will rely on it!

Any tips for catching a youngster??

 

[Arizahn]

1) The moment he makes to take off, you walk away first. Ignore him. Make a fuss of the others. Exclude him until he settles. Then stand quietly and wait for him to approach you. Praise him.

2) Now walk away again. Leave the field. Go have a cup of tea, muck out a box, whatever.

3) Go back to field. Repeat the first part. This time, drape the lead rope around his neck and use it to prevent him taking off whilst you put on his head collar.

4) Bring him in and then give him a treat.

This way he wont assume that you are always bringing food or trying to catch him. I used it on Hippo and it worked perfectly. Good luck!

 

[Waffles]

I don't see that there's anything wrong with using a food reward every time you catch your horse. If it were me, I'd go to the field 3 or 4 times each day and give the horse a couple of bits of carrots or something like that, then go away, making absolutely no attempt to catch it. Then, when it cottons on to the idea, have a few treats/carrot bits - go up to it, but a few yards away, and let it come to you for the treat - don't even attempt to stroke the horse. If it follows you a little distance, give it another treat, then go away. Gradually build up till it follows you to the gate, let it do this a few times, then when you start bringing it in, give it a handful of mix or something in a bucket, then turn it out again. I expect plenty of people disagree with giving tit-bits, but it's always worked for me and my horses.

 

[pixiebee]

sounds like the spring grass is coming through, mine can get a bit of a p in the a to catch this time of year!

 

[welshied]

I went through this for like a year with my youngster i tried everything like sitting in field with me so he can't resist coming to see you (doesn't work as soon as tried to get headcollar or stand up he would run away) food worked for so long but then as there got more grass he wasn't interested in the food and i agree you don't want him getting into that habit as he should just come no matter what.
The thing that worked best for my youngster was for me to stand at the gate calling him while another couple of people went behind him so he was chased towards me and after a week of doing this he realised there was no point and would just come straight across.