Catching Problems

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Frisket

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For some reason, since about May, my horse has been really, really hard to catch. From May-June I was the only one that could catch him, but then he saw the dentist, and now he's just crumbled. He hasn't been this bad since he was about four and the new grass at his new home (us) proved utterly exciting.

He's all fine and I can go and handle his head and feel him over and pick up his feet and everything in the field... as long as I don't have a head-collar on me at all. If he sees the head collar, he spins around and plays stupid games with me until I give up - normally after an hour or so. So, total sweet heart... as long as you don't want to do anything that involves, you know, leading him.

I've tried bribery to get him to stand for it, but he won't. In the past I made sure to put the head-collar on and fuss him and take it off and leave him in the field, to avoid situations like this. But it's happened anyway! Because he's scared of the dentist!

Any ideas?

He's in a fifty acre (yes, it's HUGE, which makes his 'games' even worse,) field with other horses, including my little pony, who catches like a dream.

Gah!
 
Foxhunter49 said:
Fence him off into a smaller area or leave a leather headcollar on him with a short piece of rope dangling from it so you have something to hang onto.
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Agreed, I would try and put a temporary fence or yard up so you can work on these issues and win, rather than have him win. 50 acres just too big.

Ideally you would not leave a halter on a horse, but if you do with a short length on it, try and make sure that if he catches on something, it is lightweight enough to break.

Join Up - Monty Roberts/ Parelli - Catching Game all work, but you need a smaller yard, ideally round yard or arena size to use these techniques.
 
Thanks guys - yeah when I move I'm hoping to take him to a smaller yard, but the trick will be catching him for the move!

I don't think I would leave a head collar on him - I've heard such horrible horror stories, but I do think fencing him off in a smaller field on his own would probably work. He tends to ignore me and go and wedge himself between other horses, so I'd be taking away that shield.

Thanks!
 
My horse would never be caught until we left a field safe headcollar on. It would take at least an hour before even if everyone else was out of the field. You could sometimes get all the way up to him and he would just turn and run. So put a head collar on him and could walk straight up to him and catch him. Strange but we tried everything and believe it or not he was the same in the school when doing join up and games. Would totally ignore you without the headcollar on but with the headcollar on he was a different horse.
Just dont leave a leather one or nylon one on.
 
When I had to catch a horse turned out in a large field and it just took off when you reached 25 yards to it, I got really fed up and gave up after a few attempts. Darn horse thought it had won but I returned on a friends trials motorbike and just kept chasing him fast for about an hour before he submitted to being caught.
It did not make him afraid of motorbikes either.
 
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