Frustrating - horse gone feral and won't be caught

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Crazy_cat_lady

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Urgh H is being so infuriating atm. He started being difficult to catch the last couple of weeks but eventually still coming in but he's been out the last 2 days and stayed out as he just won't be caught in the evening.

I if possible like him to stay in a routine all year round hence why he's always in at night. There are other horses in the field next door but he's currently in his own paddock that's slightly smaller to try and make him easier to catch as he's usually even worse this time of year if he's in the big field with the ones that stay out nearly the whole time.

It's almost like he just shuts off- calling him doesn't work, he ignores food doesn't matter if it's nuts in a bucket or his hand held meadow treats he sometimes won't even look up. He had got better last year but now we've gone back to the ridiculous.

He will sometimes come over as if he wants to come in then swerve at the last minute and walk off. Sometimes you'll reach to get him and he will dart backwards just as you get near the headcollar. Other times you can't get near him at all. My mum who helps with him in the week says it's like he has headphones in when he's being like this. I use slightly less polite terms and say he's just being a pig!

He's also done it the odd day in the winter - one year it was Christmas day! He's also not bought in only for riding as some days I can't get up there.

He can definitely hear!

The only thing that worked Monday was ushering him in and not actually catching him but he's kept at a busy riding school so can obviously only do this when no one is around.

Does anyone have a horse that does this? He's 20 now! It's annoying to not be able to get him as then he's sort of getting away with it but very little works when he's like this.

McDonald's is currently looking very tempting! (Joke)
 
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He may be "winning" but having a routine does not have to be in at night, it can be in during the day in summer or out 24/7, you can still have a routine but be flexible depending on the time of year.

I would change his routine for the summer, it may be that at his age standing in overnight makes him feel stiff and less comfortable, get into a habit of catching, feeding then either turning back out or riding so he gets a reward every time and leave him out at night while the weather is good, it must be in your interests to not have to much out every day and pay for bedding so think of it as a positive rather than negative step.
All mine are out at night apart from the 2 at risk of laminitis who stay in but they would be out if I felt it was safe, less work for me and very happy horses who are all very easy to catch.
 
Don't have the McDonalds, there seems to be some sort brain altering substance in the food which makes people throw the rubbish out of car windows along country lanes and the like, as for the horse, Tranquilizer dart maybe ?
 
my first horse used to tell me when she wanted to switch over to night turnout, she would just not be caught one evening and that would be her cue for I am staying out now at night, so I would just leave her but she would happily come in in the morning,

I think your horse is just enjoying the yummy grass and the warmish weather so he thinks why should he come in, switching over to night turnout might help him realise he comes in but spends a much longer time out. I would give it a try mine are out at night and they quite look forward to coming in and having a sleep when it's hot.
 
I worked at a large sport horse stud for a summer and a lot of the mares had fairly minimal handling when they arrived so we had lots of catching strategies! Some we had to herd as you have suggested, but it could only be done at certain times of day and when there were enough people around.
Working with another person to help corner him might help, although they should ideally be a horsey person and you need to work out your strategy first.
A short piece of rope on the headcollar can be useful to help grab a difficult horse. I'm know you've tried feed in buckets and scoops; another tactic may be to have it in a really rustly package like a crisp packet to get his attention and to keep him close to you while you get hold of him.
We also used a lunge line between two or three people to 'pen' a horse - you need to wear gloves and be ready to drop the lunge line if he barges it or gets tangled up!
We also occasionally used sheep hurdles to pen or channel a horse into a smaller space or narrow alley to catch them - again this depends on whether it is logistically possible with your field set up. Another one that might not be practical but can work is to get all the other horses in first - can he be turned out somewhere that all the other horses come in at night?
Hope some of this helps!
 
I've got one like this. In her case it's just the new grass, and in a few weeks she'll be fine to catch again (touching all available wood!). I can't take feed into the field as she's out with about 20 other mares, and there is no point building a pen (even if the yard was happy for me to do so, which is not certain) as she's clever enough not to be caught the same way twice!

I put her out in a fieldsafe headcollar (tricky at this time of year because when she has her summer coat the clip rubs her face, so I have a very soft one with no clips, but it means I have to take a normal one to catch her as the soft one is not safe on the road). I take loads of treats that she loves, although she ignores them until she is caught. If she won't let me walk up to her I make her walk around me in circles until she starts licking and chewing, then I stop and see if she stops and turns towards me. If she doesn't it's more walking. The main issue is not to let them eat grass, so you have to be quick if they put their heads down. A lot of it is about timing - you have to keep them moving until they really want to stop. Then it helps to squat down and just let them relax a bit. Still no eating though! Mine is quite curious as to why I am behaving so strangely, so will have a good look and, if I'm lucky, even a sniff. You need a huge amount of self discipline at this stage not to make a grab! If you do, you are back to square one. Still squatting and talking to her, I sidle over gradually. If she goes to move off I immediately stop until she is relaxed again. Sometimes I even sidle right round her so I'm on the other side from the side I normally catch her from. Then, if she is still relaxed I will just gently touch a hoof and pretend I am looking at it. If yours lets you pick up a hoof at this stage that can work well, but mine is wise to that now. Sigh! Then I very gradually and gently work my hand up her leg, stroking her, pretending to check her over etc. Then hopefully I can get one arm under her neck and then either work my way towards the headcollar, or just stroke the other side of her neck until I can put my other hand up and get the rope around her neck. Patience and gentle, small movements are the key at this stage. It's not quick - on average it takes me about half an hour before mine will let me catch her, so you do need patience and self-discipline - and body language is also important. If she senses you are going to pounce she's off!

I am so looking forward to the spring grass being over.....good luck OP.
 
Have you tried making coming in just for five minutes with a treat?

I am guessing here as have been very lucky that no horse I have ever owned has been difficult to catch. I never only bring in to stay in or to ride, sometimes it is to groom, sometimes to feed, sometimes to ride, sometimes to shoe etc., so there is no I always come in to .............

And ours have been in corrals all winter with no access to grass. He still lets me catch him but he is 12 now and I have owned him since he was 4 so I would say daily contact is key - even if it is for 5 minutes.

You could just start by offering a treat in the field and then walking away. I would start that way if it was mine - sometimes I don't even bother to catch mine, just go and say hello, and then leave.

I think going out there with no head collar and a treat would be a start - tedious I know, but they are pretty bright and understand intent only too well - mine often before I know it!!
 
Cowpony that sounds exactly like mine! I think it's because the grass has grown lots this year and like yours it is mainly this time of year, he's still completely shut down despite looking lathargic well his fault if he's tired he has a nice bed waiting for him! He's just like your mare as well in if he senses you're about to pounce he's away- I've gone out and sat on the floor with a bucket before he's come over then half moved towards him and off he goes again. Horses that are hard to catch are the most annoying thing! I also can't wait til the grass dies down.

Iron horse will store your catching techniques I have penned him in with a lunge line before but like you say it takes quite a few people and I feel bad asking the yard to help! They have offered but I don't always like to ask, the field possibly could be made smaller with some barriers so may try that.

He could possibly stay out over night but then we could possibly have the same issue with him being a pest for them to catch in the morning as they don't really have the time to keep trying so could end up with the same situation.

Pedantic I was thinking more the horse could be used to make the macdonalds but then I'd have to catch it to make it into one (jokes!)
 
You could try join up, worked a treat with a horse we had who was impossible to catch after some idiots chased him in his field with a transit van!
 
Is he telling you that he wants to be out 24/7?

Ours would do this, and then when he wanted his warm stable for the winter he would just stand at the gate and refuse to move until we brought him in.
 
Only thing that works for mine is perseverence. Don't go to catch him, go to move him. Don't let him stop to eat, keep his feet moving. Don't run like a lunatic, just walk after him, shooing him along. If there are other horses, make it obvious that it's your horse you want. They may stick together at first, but they'll soon realise that if they get rid of your horse, they'll be left in peace.

There will usually come a point when the horse stops and let's you catch him. Mine ends up trotting circles round me, then stops and faces me with a pitiful look of failure in his eye. This is the sign that I've won.

The first time, it will take ages. The next time, it will be a little quicker, and so on. The important thing is not to give up - all that does is teach him to evade you for X amount of time until you give up.
 
We have one like this - in fact, "feral" is the main word we use to describe him! He is hard to catch all year round, but at his absolute worst this time of year when the grass has come through (he's easiest to catch when it's -1, blowing a gale and sleeting sideways!). He's a very difficult horse, because penning, herding and cornering him don't work as he is inclined to panic and will jump out rather than let himself be caught this way. Following him until he gives up sometimes works, but you have to be prepared to follow him for 40 mins plus and he will be just as bad next time you try, no matter how often you do it! Treats and feed also don't work. The only advantage with him is he doesn't like being alone, so we can use that to help catch him. On livery yards this means my sister (he's hers) has had to bring in multiple horses before she can get her own! Luckily we now have the ideal set up. He lives with my mare, who he adores, and if we need to catch him we just bring her in first and we can guarantee he will be waiting at the gate when we go back. There are horses in the field next door him and I did worry he might find their company enough and refuse to be caught, but luckily he has lived with my mare for so long now that only she will do!

The easiest thing with (most) horses who are hard to catch is taking all company out of eyesight. Obviously it doesn't work with all of them, some just don't care! This may not be possible though if you're on a fairly large yard - bringing in 3 is alright, any more than that and it gets silly! Otherwise, I agree with whoever suggested making your field smaller. Could you put some plastic posts across your field to split it in two, then when you need to catch him run some electric tape across to shut him into the smallest section? A warning though - this can be risky if he is likely to jump out. We've done this before with my sister's horse but we had to be very careful and move like snails as any sudden moves and he was likely to jump over the tape! He's a spooky so and so though, and is at his absolute worst when refusing to be caught. Once he's in he adores a fuss and a cuddle, but when we're trying to catch him he acts like he's been horribly abused and can't bear to have people near him (this is not the case, I hasten to add!).
 
View said:
Is he telling you that he wants to be out 24/7?

Ours would do this, and then when he wanted his warm stable for the winter he would just stand at the gate and refuse to move until we brought him in.
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thats what i thought too.
 
Yup. Why give yourself the hassle/expense of bedding etc? Why not give him the freedom of movement and ability to graze? Nothing wrong with changing the routine a couple of times per year. I'd leave out unless particularly bothered by the flies in summer in which case in in the day or weight management issues. Oh, and let him have some company too! Very little benefit to an outdoor herd animal in being alone in a small box. He is just showing you what is best for him!
 
That still won't necessarily solve the problem. Mine is out 24/7 all year round and she's still very tricky at this time of year.
 
Cowpony said:
That still won't necessarily solve the problem. Mine is out 24/7 all year round and she's still very tricky at this time of year.
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I was going to say this. It's all very well some posters saying that the pony wants to be out 24/7 etc, but leaving him out won't necessarily make him easier to catch! Our boy lives out all year round and he's still nigh on impossible to catch.
 
I've posted many a time on catching threads about my old git. He thought playing catch was great fun. 9 times out of 10 he was fine, but when he wanted to play, I was stuffed. It wasn't about grass or work for him, it was just a game. He'd trot round me in 5m circles and the second I took a step towards him, he was off. Not allowing him to eat was impossible as he'd run to the other end of the field (18 acres) and it would take me 5 minutes to catch up. You could almost see him laughing at me. If I started to chase it could go on for 2 hours and I'd end up giving up before he did.

The only thing that worked for him was to write that day off and not react at all when he ran. I'd simply walk away and return with a chair, a bucket of feed and a book. I'd put the bucket under the chair (it needs to be tall enough so he can't get under the chair and get his nose in the bucket) sit on it, read my book and completely ignore him. Within 5 minutes he'd be there. I'd ignore him for another 10 minutes then get up, take everything away with me and pay him no attention at all. The next day, I'd return with the same bucket, rattle it and he'd be at the gate in 10 seconds flat.
 
Another vote here for join up. We had a madam mare at livery with us who would run at you, ears flat back. We put her in a smaller paddock, got the lunging whip to 'push' her on, and it took very little time, approx. 5 minutes, for her to be following her teenage owner around the field.
 
annagain said:
I've posted many a time on catching threads about my old git. He thought playing catch was great fun. 9 times out of 10 he was fine, but when he wanted to play, I was stuffed. It wasn't about grass or work for him, it was just a game. He'd trot round me in 5m circles and the second I took a step towards him, he was off. Not allowing him to eat was impossible as he'd run to the other end of the field (18 acres) and it would take me 5 minutes to catch up. You could almost see him laughing at me. If I started to chase it could go on for 2 hours and I'd end up giving up before he did.

The only thing that worked for him was to write that day off and not react at all when he ran. I'd simply walk away and return with a chair, a bucket of feed and a book. I'd put the bucket under the chair (it needs to be tall enough so he can't get under the chair and get his nose in the bucket) sit on it, read my book and completely ignore him. Within 5 minutes he'd be there. I'd ignore him for another 10 minutes then get up, take everything away with me and pay him no attention at all. The next day, I'd return with the same bucket, rattle it and he'd be at the gate in 10 seconds flat.
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That's just awesome :)
 
Crazy_cat_lady said:
Urgh H is being so infuriating atm. He started being difficult to catch the last couple of weeks but eventually still coming in but he's been out the last 2 days and stayed out as he just won't be caught in the evening.

I if possible like him to stay in a routine all year round hence why he's always in at night. There are other horses in the field next door but he's currently in his own paddock that's slightly smaller to try and make him easier to catch as he's usually even worse this time of year if he's in the big field with the ones that stay out nearly the whole time.

It's almost like he just shuts off- calling him doesn't work, he ignores food doesn't matter if it's nuts in a bucket or his hand held meadow treats he sometimes won't even look up. He had got better last year but now we've gone back to the ridiculous.

He will sometimes come over as if he wants to come in then swerve at the last minute and walk off. Sometimes you'll reach to get him and he will dart backwards just as you get near the headcollar. Other times you can't get near him at all. My mum who helps with him in the week says it's like he has headphones in when he's being like this. I use slightly less polite terms and say he's just being a pig!

He's also done it the odd day in the winter - one year it was Christmas day! He's also not bought in only for riding as some days I can't get up there.

He can definitely hear!

The only thing that worked Monday was ushering him in and not actually catching him but he's kept at a busy riding school so can obviously only do this when no one is around.

Does anyone have a horse that does this? He's 20 now! It's annoying to not be able to get him as then he's sort of getting away with it but very little works when he's like this.

McDonald's is currently looking very tempting! (Joke)
Click to expand...
We have one here. We get everything in and leave gate open so it goes onto the back yard and then horse trapped on the back yard easier to catch
 
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