Catching the uncatchable horse

[wench]

Just a moan more than anything. Horse has gone from being easy to catch in winter to this past week or so refusing to have anything to do with anyone, and just running around the field like a lunatic.

She's in a large (ish) field with some nice grass and other horses. No one to help me, and no chance of putting her in a smaller field.

Yesterday I was really mean, and made her canter round and round, tried to be nicer today and just went for trotting and a bit more "nicey nicely" approach, neither worked.

Ideally I'd be going into the field and giving her some food and walking away, however at the minute I can't do this effectively

Rant over bad pony

 

[MouseInLux]

I had a pony like that the other summer. For me the fix was the owner of the yard firing the help and hiring ones that are nice to the horses. This year I have my sweet pony back.

 

[Sheep]

Sorry, nothing useful to offer, but will watch with interest as I am awaiting my two starting this, very similar situation!

 

[Dazed'n'confused]

I feel your pain - my old pony was a devil to catch at times, it was as if she had a melt down now and then for no reason! I know she wasn't being badly done to coz they were at home and I was the only one handling them!
I just sent her round and round until she eventually gave in and started stopping and turning in - I would then quickly turn away and eventually she would stand as I went towards her with my body language soft and non confrontational.
My record is 5 hours - non confrontational took some chuffing doing then I can tell you!!
I learnt that it's perfectly possible to swear like a demon under my breath in a sweet, low key, sing-song voice!!! ;p

**Edited to add, this method always worked but it did take a day or so with the time taken getting less each time. She would then be ok for a few months before trying again! Sadly for her I was more determined than she was!**

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Oh you could be describing mine to a t!

Like yours it's usually around this time of year but can distinctly remember one Christmas day he stood in the corner of the field looking at me but would p off to the other end as soon as I'd go near him. This was despite it being freezing and everything else being in. Ended up herding him in with yo 's help.
Another time we left the gate of the big field open in the hope of him coming into the smaller one with less grass. Into the smaller one he comes go to shut him in it but he sussed it and went hurtling off into the bigger one. This was after about 3 hours so thought that's it he's lit up and out for the night not ideal as it was winter so everything else was in go have a final cup of tea and the sod was then starts calling to come in and is waiting by the gate.
If he's having one of his spells usually this time of year he will completely ignore you even if you have a bucket of feed. It's almost like you aren't there. To make it more infuriating he will let you think you've got close enough to get him but you'll reach out and he will high stepping welshy trot off!
He has refused to be caught for a whole week before. Last summer we ended up leaving him out at night then he came in during the day.
He refused to be caught Thursday so put his feed outside the gate but not in reach and then went to make feeds and hay nets etc and eventually he came and waited at the gate but had the grass been longer I don't think I would have been so lucky. I've found mine is almost worse if you play his game of going after him when he runs away so I just turn round and go out the field.

A hard to catch horse has to be one of the most frustrating and infuriating things so you have my sympathy.

 

[Corbie]

I feel for you with this problem, must be so frustrating g for you. Personally I don't give my pony any treats to catch her with, but once she's brought up to yard and tied up she can expect some treats, and to have a Haynet waiting there for her. Gives her something to look forward to coming in for...

 

[wench]

If there weren't other horses in the field I'd take a lunge whip with me and really make her have it... alas I fear that wouldn't be fair on the other horses in the field

 

[Frances144]

I have her twin sister who is pregnant as well. Due next month. Mare would like to be feral if she had her way and I am generously putting it down to hormones. She has always been tricky and angsty but never this bad.

Routine. I go armed with carrots and a headcollar. I give small bit of carrot and hold onto another bit. If she wants other bit, she has to let me stand alongside, hold chin and put on head-collar.

Things I've learned she hates - if I wear gloves, if my coat is not done up and flaps, a flappy rope attached to headcollar but mostly me standing eating her carrot.

She doesn't run away, just turns her back on me and has been known to lift a back leg. Being pregnant, I can't do much retaliation but I follow and follow and follow and follow and follow her. I don't give up. Whatever it takes. I talk in a low voice, I say mostly rubbish but keep talking to her.

Now, having never given up, I can catch her everyday, without much palaver, putting on her headcollar, giving her the other carrrot, kiss her nosey and tell her she is a silly girl and I have to do this.

If I miss out a day, then the next day takes twice as long and back to square one we go.

Best of luck.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I have to rugby tackle one of the shetland mares to catch her. Once she is caught she is perfect to deal with little madam. Then you get the Welsh cob who has taken to not wanting to come in the last few days. He has always been a total pita to catch and he normally wears a headcollar in the field but he has destroyed 3 in as many weeks and I havent got him another cheap one yet.

I hate, loath and despise ones that wont be caught.

 

[Antw23uk]

Yes, yes over here .... My gelding who is normally a saint is being a pr*t at the moment and the mare then thinks its a great idea to be the same, normally because I lose my temper with him and she will not tolerate me in that mood .....

I have them in the top paddock at the moment and it has a not very wide strip which is a dead end so if i get them there they give up immediately and then I just have to stop myself ripping them a new one once I've caught them because that wouldnt be the right thing to do and would certainly make them worse so I have to curse in a happy song tone and sing about how much I want to kill them!!!

 

[Skewbaldbow]

There is nothing more frustrating is there! Mine is a complete tw*t come summer turnout. You can usually find me chasing the b*gger around the field looking like a twit and yelling many expletives his way...

At the start of the summer I can usually trick him by convincing him to do his hug trick and then grabbing his nose, but it doesn't take long for him to suss that one out and we go back to running around the field. Then I resort to the if he wants to run he doesn't get to stop until I say so (at least it keeps me fit! ), and I will make him change direction and move until he gives in. The worst thing is when you've spent an hour running around after the rascal in 25C heat and someone else walks into the field (usually my other half) and he goes straight to them and puts his nose in the headcollar... many threats of turning him into a burger are then made...

 

[Ladyinred]

If there weren't other horses in the field I'd take a lunge whip with me and really make her have it... alas I fear that wouldn't be fair on the other horses in the field

That will REALLY make her look forward to seeing you next time

 

[Caol Ila]

That will REALLY make her look forward to seeing you next time

Yeah..... On the subject of what not to do, I once watched a fellow livery chase her hard-to-catch horse around the field. When she caught it, she lead to the barn, tied it up, and proceeded to whack the sh ** t out of it with the lead rope, to the point where myself and another livery who was there had to shout at her to stop. If I were that horse, I'd run too.

 

[Ladyinred]

Yeah..... On the subject of what not to do, I once watched a fellow livery chase her hard-to-catch horse around the field. When she caught it, she lead to the barn, tied it up, and proceeded to whack the sh ** t out of it with the lead rope, to the point where myself and another livery who was there had to shout at her to stop. If I were that horse, I'd run too.

Frightens me how dumb people can be.. All you have to do is make yourself a person your horse wants to be with, and that isn't hard to do. Our problem is the reverse.. getting rid of the horses when they follow us round the field and try to 'help' all the time.

 

[JillA]

Put yourself in the horse's mind - what is attractive about getting caught, unless it is either food and a regular routine which makes them anticipate the food, or quality time with the human who you are supposed to have a good relationship with, or a nice scratchy groom. What is a pain about being caught - stood in somewhere with little to do, or work, or what?
I had a semi feral Shetland who wouldn't be caught when she came, the only answer was to provide her food and water at specific times. And stand close so she had to approach me if she wanted either, then I shaped that into touching with my hand, touching with the end of a rope, rubbing rope on her neck, then passing the rope over her neck and so on. It can be done - but only if you LIKE your horse and can deal with the frustration without emotion. First step is reduce the area - can you not set up a corral with electric fencing?
Then work on your relationship............................

 

[Laika]

I'm also with you on this. My mare is usually a saint to catch but the other day I asked a friend to bring her in and all of a sudden she wanted to be one with the wilderness.

They love to show you up.

 

[Snuffles]

Mine has been a s*d to catch ever since Ive had him, I thought originally it was because he didn't want to be ridden as he's scared out on his own, but not been ridden for 3 years and still as bad ! If he gets in somewhere that he shouldn't be I have no hope of retrieving him.
It sometimes works if I get the other horse in and then he will come to the gate but not guaranteed. I have to pen him up in a corner somewhere with a white tape barrier and then he usually gives in, but the fight is getting him up into a corner in the first place !
I have tried the not letting him stop to graze and keeping after moving with a lunge whip ( not hitting him with it )till he gets tired, but these days its me that gets tired first. Its one of the worst "vices" for want of a better word in a horse I think,.

 

[turnbuckle]

Once patience is exhausted, you might consider a large NET. Or a bolas. Google it.

 

[fburton]

Put yourself in the horse's mind - what is attractive about getting caught, unless it is either food and a regular routine which makes them anticipate the food, or quality time with the human who you are supposed to have a good relationship with, or a nice scratchy groom. What is a pain about being caught - stood in somewhere with little to do, or work, or what?

What JillA said. Catching is easy if your horse wants to be caught. So how to make your horse want to be caught? In the words of Johnny Mercer "You've got to accentuate the positive // Eliminate the negative // And latch on to the affirmative".

 

[Casey76]

Haha... I can really sympathise. I was just congratulating myself on getting to work at 8:30 this morning, when I got a call at 8:40 to say that T has escaped from her field at 8am, and no one could get near her.

I had to go back to the yard to catch her, where she had just been left to wander over acres of unfenced farmland (including woods) with a fairly busy road just a couple of minutes walk away. I was soooo p*ssed off, even though I knew that the YO would have no chance of getting anywhere near her as he is just too high energy, even though he thinks he is approaching quietly.

It took a while to find her, as upon first sight she turned tail and highlighted out into the woods, but in the end it only took about 20 mins and a jot of patience, and knowing how my own horse reacts (plus a bowl of scrummy (low starch!) mash). Once I had managed to circle around her and got in front of her, I crouched down and started scratting around in the feed bowl, and she practically came trotting up to me.

YO was amazed that I managed to catch her so quickly. The one good thing to come from this is that the YO has eventually fixed my fence, so I now have a two strand gate again, rather than one strand. I had become quite blasé about the whole thing, as my ponies are usually so good; but T is majorly in season at the moment, and she is being especially cheeky, so ducked under the top strand to help herself to the grass she hasn't been allowed on for a year. Of course now, I am on a major PSSM-attack alert, as she hasn't had 2 hours on rich grass since this time last year.

I'm no stranger to difficult to catch horses (unfortunately), and know all kinds of tricks, but it is mainly just patience.

 

[Kezzabell2]

My pony is a sh it too, so I feel your pain, however at 31 inches its a bit easier for me to block him into a corner and grab! our current routine is herd him in to the field shelter area, leg it over, close it off with those electric fence gate spring things! and then he'll run either to the back of the field shelter or back to the gate way and I can then scratch his bum and get hold of his head collar!! I can't do this in any other area of the field!! just these 2 places!

 

[cobgoblin]

I've always expected my horses to come to the gate when called, queue nicely, put their head over the gate and into the head collar, come through the gate quietly and turn automatically while I latch the gate. No way am I going to chase a horse around the field or trudge into the mud...once in they get a small feed or haylage and a fuss.
Older horses have taught younger ones what is expected and when we get a new horse I reinforce the pleasure of being caught by randomly going up to them in the field and giving them a scratch without carrying the head collar.
The only time they act up is if they can hear the hunt...in which case I call them, then go back into the house. They finish hooning around and then queue at the gate as usual.
I would never go into the field with any sort of whip or chase them...that would undo everything. As it is they follow behind in single file and you can't get rid of them.

Interestingly, OH goes just into the field to put head collars on...so if they see him coming then they stand back a little from the gate.

 

[Tiddlypom]

If there weren't other horses in the field I'd take a lunge whip with me and really make her have it... alas I fear that wouldn't be fair on the other horses in the field

Wow, with an attitude like that, I'm not surprised that your mare won't be caught. You reap what you sow...

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

If there weren't other horses in the field I'd take a lunge whip with me and really make her have it... alas I fear that wouldn't be fair on the other horses in the field

I have been spending since last September working with my current mount, as someone has done exactly that! :mad3:

She now comes to call, but is still painfully worried about all whips. So much so, that she is a very nervous loader (been beaten onto any transport), worries being lunged - and I am only just teaching her that I can carry a whip when riding.

Her previous owners had difficulty selling her, probably because they resorted to violence, just as you advocate here! :rolleyes3:

The trust is really building, she calls to me when I turn up, will load for me after thinking about it, but someone like you would set this back immediately.....

 

[fburton]

I hope Wench didn't mean that literally and was being ironic!

 

[scats]

The hooligan can occasionally be a pillock, competly for no reason. About 6 weeks ago he started pulling away as I put his headcollar on and galloping off (with back legs in my direction, clearly as a **** you!). Fortunately he is only out with the Diva, so I let her through to my sectioned off front part that I was allowing to rest but kept him in the other part and then set about poo-picking and completely ignoring him. He had the cheek to come and seek me out, clearly wondering why he hadn't been allowed on the new grass, but I ignored him, so he hovered around the adjoining fence line.

Fifteen minutes later, I decided to try and get him, only for him to repeat his original trick. So I just kept him moving nice and steadily in walk and trot, as I followed him. Not chasing him, but not allowing him to stop and graze. I kept this up for half an hour, until he eventually stopped dead and gave me a look to say he'd had enough of a game that he was no longer enjoying and could he please come in!
One nil to the human...

 

[xelliex123x]

Do the opposite of what you think you should do! Parelli catching game works every time for me (my pony's old owner used to have to coax him with feed buckets and have him put his nose through the halter to get to the treats before quickly doing it up. She said he was a little **** to be caught! When I first bought him I played this game once, took about 20 minutes and we've only had to go back to it once or twice since I've had him now - 8 months!). To sum it up simply:

- When your horses attention is on you take all of your attention away from him (turn away, look down, THINK about something else)
- As soon as he takes his attention away from you (looks away), creep round in the direction of his bum almost like a predator (you look kinda weird haha but its fine)
-As soon as he looks at you again stand up nonchalant, turn away, look away etc.
-Repeat!
-He will probably start to be confused and either want to come over to you or run away from you.
-If he comes over, walk off and continue walking off until he stops, at which point stop and repeat.
-If at any point he goes to run away DRIVE him away MORE! Continue driving until you see the signs that he wants to stop or come back to you (neck turning towards you rather than away, turning to face, ear on you etc). As soon as he stops and turns to look at you turn away, look away, walk away etc.
-Repeat
-He will learn that when he is paying attention to you you retreat, back off, are non confrontational and happy. As soon as he ignores you or chooses to go away from you you pursue him until he pays you attention again. The most important thing is the RETREAT as he comes towards you. This is his reward!

A couple of things to note:
Head towards the HQ - it will make him disengage his HQ and face you. It puts you in a better position to send him away if he wants to go and then it's his choice to turn his head towards you. If he turns his head towards you but as soon as you go to touch his face he swings it back the other way to run away again, flick your rope at his bum to get him to disengage, or repeat the catching game! But the best thing to do is a lot of walking off with him walking behind you. Remember you have to match his energy! No use being nicey nicey if he is being rudey rudey

Hopefully this makes sense if you want to know any more then let me know

*Edit* may I also note that my horse follows me everywhere now, walk and (usually ) trot so it definitely does work if you do it right. But you also have to make sure that you're doing things for your horse aswell which will make him want to be around you. So even if just once or twice a week you take him for a walk and let him hang out and graze for a while, while giving him some good scratches etc. Show him you care about what he wants to do aswell

 

[fburton]

Lots of good suggestions. Another trick is to go to catch another horse, get the interest of the one you want and then deftly switch at the last moment.

 

[Laika]

I hope Wench didn't mean that literally and was being ironic!

agreed!

 

[lar]

I'm going to stand up for Wench and unashamedly say I have chased my pony with a lunge whip when he was being obnoxious.

In a 15 acre field and without 10 hours to spare, the nicely approach and retreat method just didn't work. Ellie123 - if I'd tried creeping round his backend to get his attention I would have just got kicked! This pony took great delight in letting you get in close then spinning round and kicking out. A lunge whip meant I could get him to move without putting myself in danger. I didn't BEAT him with it of course - just a flick to get him to move, and then another flick to make sure he KEPT moving - not really any different to lunging really just on a bigger scale.
Bear in mind this pony has a sense of humour, I don't think it ultimately did our relationship much harm and when he did give in he always did it with such good grace that he'd get a cuddle and a treat off me - and then come in to a nice hay net.

And the lunge whip was really only needed for about a week - then he'd realise the joke wasn't funny anymore and come in no bother.