Catching Problems - PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEE

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margou

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Please please can u help me. My horse WILL NOT be caught. Short story - He is in a field with approx 20-30 other geldings, turned out after the winter aout 3 weeks ago. I knew when i bought him that he could be difficult to catch but to be honest over the past 18 months i have had him he has been ok with me so long as i take a treat with me. Since he has gone into the summer fields he just doesnt want to know, as soon as he sees me he saunters off and stays just about 10ft away jus nonchalantly grazing and looking at me but not really interested. I took the day off work last week and spent 5 hours walking him down and eventually had to give up to pick kids up from school (and i was about to collapse), the problem with this is that he just walks over to the other horses and stands behind them, as i get close again he saunters off to the next horse. It is so frustrating and upsetting. I,ve tried feeds (nearly been sat on by other horses doing this!!) and he still wasnt interested. I was wondering if there would be anyone who does natural horsemanship who would take up the job of trying it, maybe they would have better luck than me. Friends have tried and he doesnt seem interested in them either. I think he is so glad to be out of his stable that he just doesnt want to come in, but I wish he would understand i only want to give him a treat and check he's ok. I'm in Cheshire if anyone knows someone who can help, I'm so worried that I wont be able to get him until October
 
My mare can be a pain to catch but when she is i send her away and she will eventually give in and come in.
I sometimes leave her out with a fieldsafe headcollar on which makes it easier when she's in her strop.
Also when approaching my mare i have to go in with a dropped shoulder, head down and not looking at her or she will run off or charge around when in her moods.
i usually have a treat ready to give upon catching, not before.

When going to catch - be prepared to be out there for a long time, as being in a rush or giving up will make it worse ..
 
I had a horse like yours, I sorted my problem by putting him in a field on his own, he was stressed for a few days but he has been totally different with everything since I did this, I made a point of going to see him every 3 hrs with treats and then walking away. Now whenever he see's me walking around my yard he comes over to the gate and call to me. I replaced his herd and Alpha horse with me basically, now he gives me total respect when I come to bring him in. It sounds harsh but it has worked a treat. It may not be possible for you to do this in your situation but you could always section off a small area within the horses field so that he is sort of on his own.
 
Not the most safe option but my ponio can be a devil to catch - I can usually get close to her back end and pick her foot up then reach forward and grab the front one, drop and back one and lift the front one and stick a rope round her neck. She's only small tho which makes reaching from back to front easier...
 
i know it's a nightmare, but you need all the other horses brought in so you can get him. (then stick him in a smaller bit if at all possible.) it's herd instinct, and laziness, and having all the grub he needs right at his feet.
advance and retreat, offering food and then stepping away immediately so he gets something for nothing a few times... there are lots of ways that might help, but t.b.h. if he's in with loads of others, having a good time, and he's always been a bit tricky, you are really up against it.
if there is no way of bringing in the others, then get a few people to help you corral him in a secure corner (good high fencing is essential) with a lunge-line spread between you. but you need about 5 or 6 good, quick-thinking people for this to work... and my pony used to jump the line occasionally, so you need people to whip it up high quickly as a deterrent if necessary.
very best of luck.
 
I have a 22 year old Connemara mare, who has always been very difficult to catch (very choosy about who she will come to!) and the spring grass doesn't help!
Good idea to get as many of the others out of the field as poss and go up with a waist bag with treats. Walk up to your pony and if she lets you get close stop, turn away at 45 degrees, keeping your gaze to the ground and wait and see if she approaches you . If not walk towards her again, and if she moves away follow her and swing the head collar rope, the idea being that if she won't let you get near to her she has to work. Don't chase her just follow her calmly and keep her moving. Try the stopping again and see if she will stop. Eventually she should let you get near enough to stroke her and if she does reward her with a treat, but don't attempt to grab her. Do this several times and then try slowly stoking her with the end of the rope, making her work if she moves away, remwarding her if she lets you touch her, gradually repeat until she lets you slip the rope gently over her back , reward her and take the rope off, before repeating so she knows you are not going to grab her. Work up to showing her the headcollar, rewarding her is she sniffs it , then remove it and show it to her again until she is happy with this and knows sh'll get a treat each time she sniffs it, and gradually move it onto her nose a little , if she stands still reward her and remove it repeat until she eventually lets you put it on, at no time attempt to grab her during this final stage. I know it takes tilme but trust me it works. Once you have caught her, walk her round for a few minutes and then take the headcollar off so she learns being caught does not always mean being taken away from her friends.Other people who tried to catch my pony have no success, I can now walk up to her, show her the headcollar and she whickers, walks over, puts her nose in it, I fasten it up and she nudges me and looks at the treat bag, obviously saying 'OK, Mum, I've done what you wanted give me a treat.
 
I had this problem a little wjile ago and i have solved it since getting a tip off here. Two things: First leave a headcollar on him. This is then really quick just to clip the rope on him MUCH easier than trying to get the headcollar around them before they go again!
Second thing, get him in to feed him, then if he doesn't come in then he goes hungary!
Also sometimes just go up ti him, stroke him and walk away, dont always go there to catch him! Get him in, brush him, turn him out. Keep him on his toes too!

This REALLY worked for me. I was the same and would chase around for hours. All this helped me!!!! x x x
 
drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!
 
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drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!

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PMSL
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[ QUOTE ]
drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!

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i would not do this.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!

[/ QUOTE ]
shocked.gif
frown.gif

i would not do this.

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i think thats horrible.
 
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drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!

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hope this is a joke!
 
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drive a car in the field and chase the s*** about for an hour till hes dripping sweat and exhausted then see how much he wants to argue!

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I too hope this is a joke
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What I do when my mare decides she would rather stay and eat the nice green grass is take a lunge whip into the field (though you really need the other horses out the way tbh) and chase her round until she gets tired and stops. She gives in within 25 seconds always now.
 
hiya thanks for all the replies, it is sooo frustrating, i would have put him up for sale if he wasnt the perfect horse in all other aspects. I know he doesnt understand the way we do, but it makes me sad to think i looked after him so well during the hard winter months, struggling before and after work (as i suppose many of you do) and now the bugger wont come near me, you would think i'd been a cow to him, although i do think if he has been like this before i got him then someone has battered him when they have eventually caught him. He has always been a little head shy but we overcame that and he was 100% better, maybe thats what has made him so hard to catch because he has been hurt when he was caught. I will try again the walking down thing and ask some people at the yard maybe to help corrall him with lunge lines as a last resort - failing that he will have to stay out till the grass goes down, i'm sure he'll come when he's hungry, fingers crossed. x.
 
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