R2R
Well-Known Member
I cant catch the grey pony (the bolter) on my yard. Noone can?! Any ideas? We have tried join up, tried to herd it, tried to corner it, and noone can get near it?!
What to do?
What to do?
catching the uncatchable
- Thread starter R2R
- Start date
use a name
Well-Known Member
hehe.What about just keep on going after it nicely?Dont give up.It cant run forever with you walking after it.cos you dont really need to chase if it runs away anyway.Soon it should get bored and think i cant be bothered with this any more.(thats the idea anyway!obviously things dont always go to plan)
*hic*
village idiot :D
One of mine has to have all the others removed from his sight before you can catch him. Even then you have to approach him "right" and wait for him to be prepared to allow you to put a headcollar on - and it has to be his own headcollar. Walking after him is totally pointless, he will just keep walking, we spent five hours with various people walking after him one day with no joy.
When he's at home and in the turnout pen I'm afraid we open the gate, leave his stable door open and tell him to go in his stable and he does. This is a pony that's so traumatised that you can't necessarily get a head collar on him in a 12 x 12 stable. I've owned him over 8 years now. To put him out we open the stable door and the turnout pen gate and tell him to go out and he just walks out as sensibly as he came in.
Not the easiest pony to deal with!
When he's at home and in the turnout pen I'm afraid we open the gate, leave his stable door open and tell him to go in his stable and he does. This is a pony that's so traumatised that you can't necessarily get a head collar on him in a 12 x 12 stable. I've owned him over 8 years now. To put him out we open the stable door and the turnout pen gate and tell him to go out and he just walks out as sensibly as he came in.
Not the easiest pony to deal with!
BSJAlove
Well-Known Member
sit in the field with a bucket of food and a good book. just ignore him and munch on a carrot or apple. heck take a picnic. curiosity (sp) gets the better in the end! it just may take some time!
ETA:- make sure you go on the field and dont catch him!! or even attempt too. just go on and put a handful of feed in a bucket and put it down, watch him eat then pick the bucket up and leave. other times, go on with a carrot and feed him and leave. some people will disagree with using food as an insentive, but if hes as bad as you say, it may be the only break through
ETA:- make sure you go on the field and dont catch him!! or even attempt too. just go on and put a handful of feed in a bucket and put it down, watch him eat then pick the bucket up and leave. other times, go on with a carrot and feed him and leave. some people will disagree with using food as an insentive, but if hes as bad as you say, it may be the only break through
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use a name
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Damnation
Well-Known Member
I walk around after horses like that. As in just walk and walk and walk. Don't let the horse drink or eat. He will give in eventually!
LaurenM
Well-Known Member
I do join up with mine in the field. The other horses get bored before he does and they try and hold him still for me haha!
I spent two hours a day for two months trying to catch mine. In that whole time I only left twice without having caught him. He now knows that he'll always give in before me.
Approach in semi circles - never straight up to them, don't lunge yourself at their head - just give them a rub on the shoulder. Don't let them stop for grass, just keep them walking. Talk to them and don't get frustrated. I offer mine a mint when I've caught him. Also pop a head collar on and walk away - they'll think less of it each time they see the headcollar.
I guess the most important things are to remain calm, take your time and be consistent. The horse may drop its head, lick its lips or give you more eye contact when it's ready to be caught.
I spent two hours a day for two months trying to catch mine. In that whole time I only left twice without having caught him. He now knows that he'll always give in before me.
Approach in semi circles - never straight up to them, don't lunge yourself at their head - just give them a rub on the shoulder. Don't let them stop for grass, just keep them walking. Talk to them and don't get frustrated. I offer mine a mint when I've caught him. Also pop a head collar on and walk away - they'll think less of it each time they see the headcollar.
I guess the most important things are to remain calm, take your time and be consistent. The horse may drop its head, lick its lips or give you more eye contact when it's ready to be caught.
Tinkerbee
Well-Known Member
How big is it? Lassoo it? Rugby tackle it? 
With a very annoying pony who HAD to caught we rounded up all the people we could, everyone had a wooden pallet and it was slowly herded/trapped in a corner and caught. Wouldn't recommend it if its like to flatten you/jump you though!
With a very annoying pony who HAD to caught we rounded up all the people we could, everyone had a wooden pallet and it was slowly herded/trapped in a corner and caught. Wouldn't recommend it if its like to flatten you/jump you though!
kaiko
Well-Known Member
6 hours is my record for trying to catch my old mare once. There were tears and everything (i was a teen and she was super fit, damn my riding twice a day in the school hols).
It ended in my crumpled in a heap pretending to be dead, cue concerned pony coming over to sniff out why i didn't want to play anymore hehe.
Generally she would let me catch her only if i approached with only a lead rein (wrapped across my body so she couldn't spot it easily), a handful of nuts and a calm quiet walk, no eye contact. I would pretend to pick her front hoof up to pick out and then slip the lead rope around her neck. Over the years she got better and used to come to me but if she was playing up, we resorted to the fake hoof picking to be safe! Mares eh.
It ended in my crumpled in a heap pretending to be dead, cue concerned pony coming over to sniff out why i didn't want to play anymore hehe.
Generally she would let me catch her only if i approached with only a lead rein (wrapped across my body so she couldn't spot it easily), a handful of nuts and a calm quiet walk, no eye contact. I would pretend to pick her front hoof up to pick out and then slip the lead rope around her neck. Over the years she got better and used to come to me but if she was playing up, we resorted to the fake hoof picking to be safe! Mares eh.
nikCscott
Well-Known Member
In this subject, I am now an expert.
I have an 11hh grey gelding who didn't like to be caught.
I tried following him around field for a WHOLE day (whilst staying calm and TRYING to laugh at how daft I looked)- no joy he just walked a pony length ahead the whole day. Close but not close enough!
I tried sitting in field for 9 hours! Picnic and a chippy tea was brought in too pony ignored me all day.
So I then got a 150m length of fence tape and tie one end to a fence and then calmly circled field until pony was between tape and hedge and slowly take in the tape until you're close enough to attach the rope or slip on head collar. Sid was a bit freaked out the first few times, then he went through motions and let it happen, then after a few weeks he'd see tape in my hand and he'd go and stand at the spot where we usually end up- now he comes to call and will even leave others in the field.
Good luck!
I have an 11hh grey gelding who didn't like to be caught.
I tried following him around field for a WHOLE day (whilst staying calm and TRYING to laugh at how daft I looked)- no joy he just walked a pony length ahead the whole day. Close but not close enough!
I tried sitting in field for 9 hours! Picnic and a chippy tea was brought in too pony ignored me all day.
So I then got a 150m length of fence tape and tie one end to a fence and then calmly circled field until pony was between tape and hedge and slowly take in the tape until you're close enough to attach the rope or slip on head collar. Sid was a bit freaked out the first few times, then he went through motions and let it happen, then after a few weeks he'd see tape in my hand and he'd go and stand at the spot where we usually end up- now he comes to call and will even leave others in the field.
Good luck!
LaurenBay
Well-Known Member
I would do some practice with him (if you finally catch him hehe) put the headcollar on and give him a treat then take it off and walk away, Keep doing that with him. As you don't want him to think everytime he see's the headcollar it means he has to come in.
I'm another one that follows them untill they give up (usually works with my share Horse)
If you really have to get him in, I would section off a very small area with electric tape, herd him into that and then will make it easier to get him.
I'm another one that follows them untill they give up (usually works with my share Horse)
If you really have to get him in, I would section off a very small area with electric tape, herd him into that and then will make it easier to get him.
Maddie2412
Well-Known Member
okay so its more of a summer method but foolproof so don the waterproof trousers...! crawl on all fours really messes with their brains i give it 10 mins top to work then they just HAVE to come find out what the hell your doing... never failed me! x
RuthnMeg
Well-Known Member
I've just had a 'naughty catching pony' experience.
On my first day at new p/t job, the 2 little horrors escaped from their electric taped pen and went on the rampage. (still don't know the names of them, so go by colours!) Little Roan, trotted right past me, did a double take when he saw packet of polos and came over, caught 1.
Little Chestnut (LC) was playing with my will power, trotting past, ears back with a NO, you won't catch ME look. I had a handful of food, and after I ambled around, he trotting past numerous times, his circle was getting smaller. I was pretending that I didn't know he was playing grandmothers footsteps, I then walked away from him, and that foxed him. He then was caught no problems, although I wasn't sure if I trusted him to be a nice pony to lead in MY direction! We made it though. Whole perfomance took about 30 mins, so not too bad. The owner was surprised I caught LC, as he had a lot of grass to keep him very happy for the rest of the day. Oh well, I told him he has to watch his waiste line = maybe thats why he had his ears back at me??!! lol
I can only recommend people power and lots of time to catch the uncatchable. Good luck.
On my first day at new p/t job, the 2 little horrors escaped from their electric taped pen and went on the rampage. (still don't know the names of them, so go by colours!) Little Roan, trotted right past me, did a double take when he saw packet of polos and came over, caught 1.
Little Chestnut (LC) was playing with my will power, trotting past, ears back with a NO, you won't catch ME look. I had a handful of food, and after I ambled around, he trotting past numerous times, his circle was getting smaller. I was pretending that I didn't know he was playing grandmothers footsteps, I then walked away from him, and that foxed him. He then was caught no problems, although I wasn't sure if I trusted him to be a nice pony to lead in MY direction! We made it though. Whole perfomance took about 30 mins, so not too bad. The owner was surprised I caught LC, as he had a lot of grass to keep him very happy for the rest of the day. Oh well, I told him he has to watch his waiste line = maybe thats why he had his ears back at me??!! lol
I can only recommend people power and lots of time to catch the uncatchable. Good luck.
SusieT
Well-Known Member
Build a pen round pony as small as you can without him suspecting you. Repeat within said pen ( may need to be multiple strands of electric fence actually electrified if he is likely to go over/through//under it) until it is a v. small pen. Feed him several times a day within said pen. He will get the idea and/or you will make the pen small enough he won't have to!
alternatively build a pen, put food in it, feed him in it several times a day and once you have him in, close entrance and catch.
alternatively build a pen, put food in it, feed him in it several times a day and once you have him in, close entrance and catch.