Catching the uncatchable horse

I probably haven't made myself clear in my original post - look up Parelli catching game on youtube and you'll see how it works. Probably a lot better than I can explain it on a horse and hound post!!

Obviously I'm not saying creep right round to the back end of your horse close enough to be kicked. You're driving away his hind end to get his head towards you. If he doesn't bring his head towards you, kicks out or runs off then you effectively do what wench and lar have been doing (sort of) and keep him moving until he wants to come to you, at which point you retreat and he will follow! Repeat the above until he is following you round and lets you halter him. As long as it takes (which usually isn't that long, I've done it with multiple horses and the longest it took was 35 minutes with a very fiery chestnut TBx). Every time you do it the time it takes literally halves. To the point where yesterdat (yay btw!! - first time) I flicked my rope on the ground, whistled and my pony brought his head right up and trotted to me :D
 
Last edited:
Sometimes when you are driving a horse away, that is all you are doing... driving them away.

Yesterday, if I approached my mare from behind, all I would have seen is her heels and bottom as she trotted off into the distance.

I am not going to start on about Parelli...
 
I do feel the pain as well. I was always rather smug that mine have always come to call-even my Exmoors who (as a breed) are notoriously hard to catch. Then I got my current horse who for the first couple of years was a complete arse -it wasn't a matter of herding him into a smaller area, catching the other horses, or parelli games-you just couldn't get close enough for that and he cares not if the other one goes. Oh, and he wasn't in work either. Its incredibly annoying and frustrating. Consistency has done t for him and he is much improved but I expect some trouble when they go onto their summer grazing (which is way too lovely).
 
My mare does this I've found if I stand, eating her apple she charges over and stands stock still until I give it to her, allowing me to put headcollar on.
 
Casey76 said:
Sometimes when you are driving a horse away, that is all you are doing... driving them away.

Yesterday, if I approached my mare from behind, all I would have seen is her heels and bottom as she trotted off into the distance.

I am not going to start on about Parelli...
Click to expand...


Haha okay you have your way and I have mine. Mine is 100% working for me.

I'll never understand people's problems with natural horsemanship and parelli. When traditional methods can bring this kind of relationship then please let me know: https://youtu.be/Hb7060_vI-I
 
Last edited:
xelliex123x said:
I probably haven't made myself clear in my original post - look up Parelli catching game on youtube and you'll see how it works. Probably a lot better than I can explain it on a horse and hound post!!
Click to expand...

That catching game needs to be done in a confined space, they key is to make them move as an aversive, and control that movement (prey animals are hard wired to conserve energy whenever possible). It has more to do with join up than just chasing them around an open field. Mark Rashid explains it better and I have done it so effectively horses owner thought it was magic - in a half acre paddock, and even then it was all I could do to keep close enough to influence the horse. And you are keeping them moving by the minimum pressure necessary, not chasing them, and your timing has to be spot on so that the INSTANT they even think about turning top you you remove the pressure.
And don't get me started on Parelli, a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Where are you - one of the IH RA's will show you how to do it better?
 
Think everyone gets a bit of this lol esp in spring! My gelding is walk up to type but he is also a run if anyone else dares side step and currently my yearling takes tail as soon as anyone comes in (noones stealing that one!!) which sets off the whole herd. My old brood is easily caught now, despite being my hardest to get. They all run to the gate which leads directly to the stables so they are all easy to get in, but i want to nip it in the bud now lol I plan some serious boot camping in the next few weeks.
 
JillA said:
That catching game needs to be done in a confined space, they key is to make them move as an aversive, and control that movement (prey animals are hard wired to conserve energy whenever possible). It has more to do with join up than just chasing them around an open field. Mark Rashid explains it better and I have done it so effectively horses owner thought it was magic - in a half acre paddock, and even then it was all I could do to keep close enough to influence the horse. And you are keeping them moving by the minimum pressure necessary, not chasing them, and your timing has to be spot on so that the INSTANT they even think about turning top you you remove the pressure.
And don't get me started on Parelli, a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Where are you - one of the IH RA's will show you how to do it better?
Click to expand...

Yessss I know all of this haha. But I'm glad there is somebody else who understands!! I was trying to explain the principals but there is literally too much to put into one post to someone who knows nothing about it hence why I said to watch it on youtube! I was trying to explain it simply in a way which people would understand, clearly this has got lost in translation.

I started with mine in around a 80*40ft rectangular field so definitely not suitable in a huge field and with other horses... I am NOT saying just chase them! MATCH them is what I said, until they show you the 'good' signs - curiosity, acceptance, wanting to be with you etc!

I'll just explain because it's pretty frustrating people thinking I know nothing or not understanding what I am trying to say-.-

It is best to do it in a small round pen as opposed to a rectangular field but it's all I had so I worked with it. When I first bought my horse he was difficult to catch and sold to me as this. I bought him with the prior knowledge of natural horsemanship and wanted to use this with him. The previous owner had to bring out a bucket of feed and hold the halter over the feed to get him to put his nose into the halter to get the feed so she could put it on. So when I got him I would go up to him in the field fine, but as soon as I had a halter or tried to put it on he would spin and run off, when he did this I would drive and say 'ok go!'. As I was in the rectangular field I maintained whatever he was doing next to him. Not emotional or frustrated just rational and calm. Not chasing or driving just matching him and maintaining next to him. If he is trotting then I am trotting. If he slows down then I slow down. If his energy comes up then my energy comes up too. He realises that I'm not leaving and he gets curious about me rather than using his flight instinct. I am not chasing him as a predator would, I am just insisting that he pays attention to me. As I see him get curious (slowing, ear fixed on me, licking and chewing), I back off slightly. If he follows this up by continuing to get curious and showing more signs of wanting to come towards me I will continue to back off. As soon as he turns and comes towards me I will turn around and walk off. TIMING IS EVERYTHING, yes you have to reward the thought before it becomes an action, otherwise you have missed your chance. Yes you are right you need the minimum pressure which means something to the individual horse. My horse is sensitive so this is barely anything. In a round pen it would be slightly different - when his attention is on me I am not driving him at all, as soon as he takes it off me I throw my rope out behind him. When he starts to lose his adrenaline (licking, head lowering etc) and begins to actually think about me and become curious about me as opposed to using his flight response and instinct, his neck will curve towards me, ear fixed on me and as soon as he comes to me I will turn around and walk off.

Thank you for your reply, I am very happy with how we are doing at the moment so I don't need anybody to come out :) I don't use any of this any more. This is what I did for the first about 4 days. After that he would follow me every where and saunter over as soon as I walked into the field. After more groundwork, now (I've had him 8 months) I just go into the field, flick my rope on the ground and he comes trotting over to me.

Parelli catching game was what I used as a base, we are dabbling in and out of Parelli but more or less doing our thing with the principles of NH. I don't understand why people are so opposed to it though, anything that encourages people away from traditional methods is a good thing in my eyes. I'm open to any kind of horsemanship but I have the principals and theory so pretty much just base everything I do on those. I'm regretting even posting my OP in the first place, I didn't come onto this post to justify what I have done with my horse or my knowledge, I was just trying to help! :(
 
My old git thought catching was a great game. 99% of the time he'd come cantering to the gate but on the days he was feeling cheeky I'd have not hope. Chasing was the thing I could do, he thought it was a great wheeze and in a 20 acre field he'd gallop 300m then eat while waiting for me to arrive, it was impossible to keep him moving.

The only thing that worked for me was to take a bucket of feed, a chair and a book into the field, put the bucket under the chair (it had to be tall enough that he couldn't get his nose into it under the chair) sit down, read my book and totally ignore him. He would always come to investigate, at which point I'd ignore him for another 5 minutes then get up and walk away, taking everything with me. The next time I went to the field - whether it was 15 minutes later or the next day - he'd come cantering to the gate at the first call! It might be worth a try although he was quite unique!
 
My old git thought catching was a great game. 99% of the time he'd come cantering to the gate but on the days he was feeling cheeky I'd have no hope. Chasing was the worst thing I could do, he thought it was a great wheeze and in a 20 acre field he'd gallop 300m then eat while waiting for me to arrive, it was impossible to keep him moving.

The only thing that worked for me was to take a bucket of feed, a chair and a book into the field, put the bucket under the chair (it had to be tall enough that he couldn't get his nose into it under the chair) sit down, read my book and totally ignore him. He would always come to investigate, at which point I'd ignore him for another 5 minutes then get up and walk away, taking everything with me. The next time I went to the field - whether it was 15 minutes later or the next day - he'd come cantering to the gate at the first call! It might be worth a try although he was quite unique!
 
My mare is a madam to catch anytime of year if she doesn't have a head collar on, with a head collar on you can usually (unless new field and lots of grass) walk straight up to her. She used to lull me into a false sense of security, would take head collar off after a few good catching's as think oh she'll be ok and then next day she wouldn't let me within 100 yards of her so now head collar stays on 24/7 regardless and she's usually fine. When she's not, she hates being on her own so if I really can't get her I will bring the other 3 in from the field and leave her on her own for 1/2 hour to fret and then she's begging to come in when you go to the gate. Or depending on which field they are in, herd all 4 of them straight in the yard or a tiny paddock and then you can corner her. I hate bad catchers, its an ultimate bad manner! I also find singing follow me everything is ok to her sometimes works!! Her filly who is 5 this year is the most friendliest thing in the world and begs for attention the minute you to field though so she thankfully didn't take after her mum on that one!
 
My old boy could on occasion be difficult to catch. He would get the others in the field to run around with him so it wasn't his fault! The classic occasion was when he was cantering big circles around me with a wicked look on his face. I asked for trot and then canter, both of which he did, then trot again and down to walk asked for halt. Walked up to him put on headcollar. The expression on his face was unprintable.
 
I have this problem too, when the grass is good. Currently the fields are still quite bare so she actively wants to come in for some hay, but I'm dreading the grass starting to grow properly..... She's in with over 20 other mares, so I can't take feed into the field, can't take all the others out, just have to persist and not give up until I have her. I now know the look in her eye, so I can tell from quite a long way away if it's going to be an easy day or not.
Things I have tried:
-pretending to walk to another horse and veering towards her at the last second. She's not fooled by that one bit!
- wrapping the leadrope around my waist so she can't see I've got it. Ha! The human must think she's stupid!
- my sharer has got her children to catch her, but she's got wise to that one.
- just going up to her in the field, giving her some treats and going home, so she doesn't always think she's got to come in. No appreciable effect, apart from that she gets more treats.
- bringing her in but just feeding and turning out again, so she doesn't think she always has to work. Ditto above.
- getting super tasty treats (current favourites are carrot, mango and honey - more sugar than she should get in a week, but if they work.....). This works sometimes, when the grass isn't a more attractive snack. Although sometimes she snatches the treat and runs off, little madam!
- leaving fieldsafe headcollar on all year round. This definitely helps but in summer her coat is too fine and I have to take the headcollar off to stop it rubbing. And it only helps when you are close enough to get hold of it.
- making her move on if she refuses to be caught, until she is ready to stop. This has to be done very carefully because when she's in one of "those" moods she will happily gallop from one end of the field to another (and it's a BIG field). So I've found that a calm walk is best, and I try to get her walking in a circle round me. It works best if I can walk her round another horse, but I have to pick the horse carefully or we are both in danger of being kicked.
- pretending I'm not going to catch her at all, but just coming in to check her over. So I stop and bend down to look at her legs etc. This worked well a couple of times, but she got wise to it.
- bending down and picking grass in the same rhythm as horses eat. Surprisingly this usually does the trick as long as I keep my energy low. I get to the point where I can reach a finger out to touch a hoof, then gradually move my hand up her leg, still bending down, until I can work my hand up to her neck, along it and down her head to get hold of the headcollar. Again, care needed about where the other horses are, as I don't want to be trampled.
What I have found does work (usually less than 20 minutes, touch wood!):
- keeping energy very low
- when making her walk around me, just stopping occasionally to take the pressure off
- keeping body language non-aggressive - not looking her in the eye, angling my body away from her etc
- making sure she can smell the treat, but not giving it to her until the rope is safely attached to the headcollar
- not trying to catch her when I'm on a timetable. If I really need her in she stays in overnight
- not trying to catch her at 6pm when other horses are being turned out
- catching her at certain times of day when she's having a quiet moment (although this needs to be extended as I'm not prepared only to catch her on her terms). Usually very early morning, about 10am or lunchtime work well
- never EVER ever ever trying to grab. Very tempting when I'm within arms length, but that just makes her more suspicious and her adrenaline shoots through the roof so she's off at speed
- never getting frustrated
 
One of mine sometimes does this, tanks off the second he has an inkling that I'm going to catch him. I make sure I always have a handful of nuts or something on me to give him religeously every single time he's caught (or in passing if I walk past him to another horse), seems to help. Otherwise, can you just take a bucket of noisy feed with you and shake it - will he come to that?
 
Just remembered, my old mare was generally OK to catch but if she wasn't in the mood she would go straight up to the EVIL retiree who had a habit of giving humans both barrels and hang around his back legs with a sweet smile on her face.

Self-preservation made coming back later the best option.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top