FFS, horse

[Caol Ila]

Foinavon wouldn't catch this morning for the yard staff. Apparently he's been tricky to catch, but this is the first time they haven't succeeded. He stayed out until I got to yard at 3pm. I went out to fetch him, and he spun and trotted off. I walked him down in a calm but determined way, caught him in less than five minutes, and we had our planned ride. A part of him clearly wants to still be wild, but that is not how this works.

I turned Hermosa around -- from running a mile in the opposite direction to coming when called, even when she's far from the gate and has to cross half her large field. And she was protecting a foal and not as motivated by food, so in theory, she was trickier. If I can sort that out, I can sort out a food-obsessed Highland with the right combination of pressure and bribes. But I'm still annoyed, on behalf of the yard staff. Sorry, guys. I'll try to fix it.

Horses.... who would have them?

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I had similar from B Fuzzy on Thursday, so I went back to yard, got a nice juicy carrot and stomped back up to little A who cheerfully had a piece of said carrot and pottered in with me.
B was very indignant at being ignored..... I left her to stew for another few minutes before inviting her to come. Fiery eejit pony turned into grovelling sweet faced soul......
Ponies, crafty monsters! ?

I will add, B is usually v good to come, even when you dont want her, it's just v rare occasions that she's a moose.

 

[Shilasdair]

I've never found a horse that didn't learn by walking it down. It takes patience (lots) and time (2 1/2 hours of walking around a field after one is my record).
I always find the time taken reduces very rapidly after the first day, particularly if a feed (token) is awaiting them.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yeah, I'm going to bring the nuclear option from Hermosa's yard.

The Lickit. Haven't needed it for her in months, so it's just been sitting, untouched.

I know he probably shouldn't have too much molasses, but a few licks of it will probably be an offer he can't refuse.

 

[Shilasdair]

Yeah, I'm going to bring the nuclear option from Hermosa's yard.

The Lickit. Haven't needed it for her in months, so it's just been sitting, untouched.

I know he probably shouldn't have too much molasses, but a few licks of it will probably be an offer he can't refuse.

I can't cope with Likits - I think they are like fly tape for daemons - I seem to end up stuck to everything!

If he's a Highland, there's no known foodstuff they refuse, incidentally.

Good luck with the campaign!

 

[Caol Ila]

Once he learns there's something in it for him, he will come. Just needs to be better than grass.

The walking down without the bribe worked today. I've gotten really bloody good at it, and he didn't f*ck with me for long at all. I think a tasty reward makes it better, though.

Hey, maybe the yard staff will catch him tomorrow, but if he's still in the field, I am going to go in there armed and prepared. Right after Hermosa had her foal, you could only approach her with a Lickit at the ready. We had some good times. Anything that isn't a ridiculously foal proud, barely handled two-year old has got to be easier!

 

[Auslander]

I've never found a horse that didn't learn by walking it down. It takes patience (lots) and time (2 1/2 hours of walking around a field after one is my record).
I always find the time taken reduces very rapidly after the first day, particularly if a feed (token) is awaiting them.

I have had one. We eventually reached an understanding - that if he wasn't waiting by the gate, he would be left out overnight (which he hated). He wanted to come in, but he didn't want me to catch him to get him in.
He moved up to more exciting hunting country earlier this year, and his owner couldn't catch him for 4 months...

This was one of the multiple times he didn't want me to catch him. Dear Alf tried to help me - bless his precious little socks

 

[Shilasdair]

I have had one. We eventually reached an understanding - that if he wasn't waiting by the gate, he would be left out overnight (which he hated). He wanted to come in, but he didn't want me to catch him to get him in.
He moved up to more exciting hunting country earlier this year, and his owner couldn't catch him for 4 months...

This was one of the multiple times he didn't want me to catch him. Dear Alf tried to help me - bless his precious little socks

I don't meant to be rude, Auslander, but Alf isn't exactly a normal horse, is he?

 

[Caol Ila]

Love Alf's angry face. "That guy's a d*ck."

Hope mine isn't like that!

 

[Auslander]

I don't meant to be rude, Auslander, but Alf isn't exactly a normal horse, is he?

He is not. At least I can catch him though, unlike the grey git

 

[Auslander]

Love Alf's angry face. "That guy's a d*ck."

Hope mine isn't like that!

This had been going on for over an hour - and he wanted a snooze!

 

[julesjoy]

*runs off to buy a likit* spent two hours walking down to catch idiot pony a few weeks ago. Food and removing the rest of the herd was of no interest.

 

[Shilasdair]

I admit I have fantasized about buying a whaling harpoon and attaching it to a winch on the front of a Landy Defender...

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I've never found a horse that didn't learn by walking it down. It takes patience (lots) and time (2 1/2 hours of walking around a field after one is my record).
I always find the time taken reduces very rapidly after the first day, particularly if a feed (token) is awaiting them.

Have you ever had a hill bred native?
Not worth walking them down, other tricks get employed. (And owing to long term injury, I'm not walking far).
The late L Fuzzy I got because she didn't load, couldn't be caught. A v good pedigree pony but in most instances absolutely worthless because of the combined issues.
Took me 6 months before I could actually get to her in a field, took about 5 days to learn being driven at a walk into a stable though.
Cracked the loading over time too.
Nothing done either with any food tho as she was not remotely food orientated except for winter hay at night.
However, I agree that treat/feed/token does work for most.

 

[Shilasdair]

Have you ever had a hill bred native?
Not worth walking them down, other tricks get employed. (And owing to long term injury, I'm not walking far).
The late L Fuzzy I got because she didn't load, couldn't be caught. A v good pedigree pony but in most instances absolutely worthless because of the combined issues.
Took me 6 months before I could actually get to her in a field, took about 5 days to learn being driven at a walk into a stable though.
Cracked the loading over time too.
Nothing done either with any food tho as she was not remotely food orientated except for winter hay at night.
However, I agree that treat/feed/token does work for most.

See post 13 for guidance.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

See post 13 for guidance.

?????

 

[Caol Ila]

Have you ever had a hill bred native?
Not worth walking them down, other tricks get employed. (And owing to long term injury, I'm not walking far).
The late L Fuzzy I got because she didn't load, couldn't be caught. A v good pedigree pony but in most instances absolutely worthless because of the combined issues.
Took me 6 months before I could actually get to her in a field, took about 5 days to learn being driven at a walk into a stable though.
Cracked the loading over time too.
Nothing done either with any food tho as she was not remotely food orientated except for winter hay at night.
However, I agree that treat/feed/token does work for most.

He's effectively a hill bred native. Any useful tips? I'm reasonably confident that my Lickit will be like crack, and I can do 12-hour mountain days so I can walk really far, on tougher terrain than the horses' field, but if all else fails, tricks are good.

We had to get really clever with Hermosa. And unorthodox. The walking down wasn't working, and we couldn't do more than a couple hours of that because the foal, who was a little less than a month old at the time, was getting exhausted. But once we got the headcollar on her, she was far more amenable to cooperating. They spent about 10 days in one of the hardstanding winter pens being handled daily, then went back into a field. She reverted to being slightly feral once in the field, but she wasn't quite as nuts, so gentle walking down + bucket got her catchable. Then she started coming to call, and we slowly weaned her off the bucket.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Took my yo and the groom over an hour to catch in mine the first time, years ago. The groom sent me a video earlier this year, showing him walking away from her and ignoring her then when she caught up to hI’m, he looked genuinely surprised (git). He’s generally not bad these days, but the now grown up helpers still can’t get him. It happens, you’ll get there.

 

[Peglo]

I feel so lucky with the old TB. When i wanted to ride I would go in the field with her head collar and she would see me and as I approached she might turn to walk away so I would immediately change direction to the ponies who would be easily caught and give a treat and TB would be too nosey and come and see what was happening and be caught.
I’m happy for you that you are his favourite human CI. Even if it’s an inconvenience for the yard staff ? love your updates with your highland laddie

 

[Equi]

I had a “you have homework” text from staff too. My horse is walking too slow for them and taking too much time to bring in ?? tbf he is mega laid back and his field mate is the opposite so we need to find a happy medium and no more walking on the end of the lead rope allowed. He can walk normally but I spent time making him not barge when he first came and he took it a little too much to heart lol

as for the little ones, they’re all feral. My neighbour must have hours of blooper reels of me trying to catch the little friggers. In their defence they don’t need caught much and generally just come to call unless I actually -need- them then they know and run away lol

 

[Slightlyconfused]

I am not above bribery and corruption to get a horse on from the feild.

One of mine has huge awareness of strangers so when the yard has to get in i leave a bucket of grass nuts for them.......strangers are fine if they have food.....

 

[SEL]

My friends mare used to jog around you in 20m circles to avoid capture! She only improved at a new yard where everything was on the same routine and it was either in for dinner or stay out with no food and no friends

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Both my old grey Shetland and the Welsh cob can be tricky to catch. Ie. It was once in a blue moon you could catch either of them in the field! It just wouldn't happen! But open the gate and let them into a smaller area and you had absolutely no issues what so ever. Food never, ever worked. As soon as you pulled out a headcollar or rope they would scarper and then you wouldn't even be able to touch them in the field for a week ???

It's no hassle for me to do this with the Welsh Cob, it takes less than a minute to catch him and I don't end up calling him every name under the sun because he is doing laps of the field at full pelt!

 

[Caol Ila]

Arrived at the yard today to find the pony in his stable at the time he should be in his stable. Yard staff reported that he wasn't a problem this morning. Maybe he took my threat yesterday to do 'join-up' type work seriously! After he spun and jumped away from me, I started walking him down with the body language and manner of, "I am going to move your feet until you decide to be caught" and he chose being caught within a few minutes.

Who knows what sort of mood he will be in tomorrow. One of the staff said, "Well, he is a pony."

 

[Caol Ila]

Pony refused to catch for staff. Ugh. And he had a hot date with the vet for jags and teeth. More ugh. Vet likes mornings. I do not (anything before 1300 = morning). Even more ugh. But I got my sorry butt to the yard early enough to give myself buffering time in case it went pear shaped. Then I marched into the field like a zombie with a Lickit, because I really don't do mornings. Foinavon, luckily, gave in to the power of the Lickit, and I had him within a couple minutes.

The vet noted that he had some gaps between his teeth, which had compacted a bit, along with some sharp edges. Enough to make him uncomfortable and maybe explain some spooky behaviour, but nothing so weird that it would be terribly expensive to fix. So he rasped away. Once pony was awake enough to be abandoned, I went to Hermosa's yard, and she was cooperative and willing and not doing anything that made me question life choices. Caso's owner agreed that the alfafa could be heating up the pony, and do you know who needs a high protein feed, i.e. alfafa? Our nursing teen mum! I stopped by the feed store, bought Foinavon some Pink Mash (as per a suggestion on another thread), and when I got to his yard, I threw my opened bag of Dengie Hi-Fi into my car.

There's no way that could wrong.

 

[[153312]]

He is a native pony, lol. They're crafty barstewards at times....

A thought:
Does he need hard feed at all? (Apologies if have missed anything pointing to a resounding yes).

 

[Caol Ila]

He's on Forageplus hoof supplement, which has to go in something. That's the only reason I'm giving him a hard feed

 

[Red-1]

He's effectively a hill bred native. Any useful tips? I'm reasonably confident that my Lickit will be like crack, and I can do 12-hour mountain days so I can walk really far, on tougher terrain than the horses' field, but if all else fails, tricks are good.

We had to get really clever with Hermosa. And unorthodox. The walking down wasn't working, and we couldn't do more than a couple hours of that because the foal, who was a little less than a month old at the time, was getting exhausted. But once we got the headcollar on her, she was far more amenable to cooperating. They spent about 10 days in one of the hardstanding winter pens being handled daily, then went back into a field. She reverted to being slightly feral once in the field, but she wasn't quite as nuts, so gentle walking down + bucket got her catchable. Then she started coming to call, and we slowly weaned her off the bucket.

Oh, how I wish I could magic this post back in time and place it on your earlier thread about Hermosa, when you were wondering how on earth you were going to cope with the unfolding situation. Just so you could be reassured that it will all be OK, you got this.

As an aside, how do you phonetically pronounce your horse's name? I do it a number of ways in my head!

 

[Annagain]

I've never found a horse that didn't learn by walking it down. It takes patience (lots) and time (2 1/2 hours of walking around a field after one is my record).
I always find the time taken reduces very rapidly after the first day, particularly if a feed (token) is awaiting them.

You never met my old boy! 99 times out of 100 he'd come to call but when he decided he wanted to play he perfected the antidote to being walked down - just run faster than I could as far away as possible and he could eat to his heart's content until I got there. At this point I'd know there was no point playing his game. I'd have to get a chair, a bucket of feed and a book, put the bucket under the chair so he couldn't get his nose in and sit reading my book, ignoring him until he'd come to inspect. Within a minute or two he'd be begging for the food. At this point I'd get up and leave, taking the food with me. The next day he'd be at the gate as soon as he saw my car arrive. If I didn't do that and just tried to catch him again the next day, I'd have the same rigmarole.

 

[Shilasdair]

As an aside, how do you phonetically pronounce your horse's name? I do it a number of ways in my head!

It's a mountain.
https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/corbetts/foinaven
There's Scots and Gaelic pronunciation at the top of that page.