FinkleyAlex
Well-Known Member
I've had my 9yo since he was 1. For the first 6 years I looked after him twice daily on grass or DIY livery and he was always a saint to turnout and catch. I then had to move him onto full livery for the last three or so years, again he was always a saint for the staff to turnout and catch for the first 2.5 years of being on livery (at two different yards).
Six months ago we moved to a new yard, where he'd go out from 8.30 - 4pm, more or less the same as previously. I was told he was very easy to catch at 4pm when everyone was coming in, but after some time of being there if the staff needed to bring him in early for the vet, or for me to ride, he suddenly turned into a real twit to catch (i.e. impossible unless a bucket of feed was brought to the field). I experienced this myself on a few occasions, which I didn't take too seriously, thinking he was just annoyed that he was being asked to come in after only a few hours of turnout. I should add that he always comes in to either a full haynet or feed, and would go back out after the vet/I had ridden. He was out with one or two companions, surrounded by other horses in adjacent fields. The grass wasn't particularly brilliant.
Due to circumstances out my control, we have had to move back to where we previously lived, though he is now on grass livery in a big field of good grass with 2 permanent companions (and an additional 3 daytime companions) instead of full livery for the summer. I've realised that his catching issue is actually a much larger issue that I'd thought - it's taking me at least 10-15 minutes to catch him each time (which I realise isn't that bad, but is still irritating), as the minute he sees me coming he starts walking away from me. He's never ever had this sort of behaviour before.
Things i'm trying: giving him an apple/carrot every time he is caught as a reward, I don't always bring him in but sometimes just catch him to check him over in the field (so he doesn't always think he'll have to leave his friends), and he gets a feed every time he does come in to the yard as a reward. When he comes in I don't always ride him, sometimes he is lunged, sometimes he is just fed, groomed and put back out. Bizarrely once he's been caught and released back into the field, he will let me go back over to him to put a fly mask on or pat him etc, and won't move away from me.
Has anyone else had a horse who's developed a catching issue later in life? I want my nice easy to catch pony back...
Six months ago we moved to a new yard, where he'd go out from 8.30 - 4pm, more or less the same as previously. I was told he was very easy to catch at 4pm when everyone was coming in, but after some time of being there if the staff needed to bring him in early for the vet, or for me to ride, he suddenly turned into a real twit to catch (i.e. impossible unless a bucket of feed was brought to the field). I experienced this myself on a few occasions, which I didn't take too seriously, thinking he was just annoyed that he was being asked to come in after only a few hours of turnout. I should add that he always comes in to either a full haynet or feed, and would go back out after the vet/I had ridden. He was out with one or two companions, surrounded by other horses in adjacent fields. The grass wasn't particularly brilliant.
Due to circumstances out my control, we have had to move back to where we previously lived, though he is now on grass livery in a big field of good grass with 2 permanent companions (and an additional 3 daytime companions) instead of full livery for the summer. I've realised that his catching issue is actually a much larger issue that I'd thought - it's taking me at least 10-15 minutes to catch him each time (which I realise isn't that bad, but is still irritating), as the minute he sees me coming he starts walking away from me. He's never ever had this sort of behaviour before.
Things i'm trying: giving him an apple/carrot every time he is caught as a reward, I don't always bring him in but sometimes just catch him to check him over in the field (so he doesn't always think he'll have to leave his friends), and he gets a feed every time he does come in to the yard as a reward. When he comes in I don't always ride him, sometimes he is lunged, sometimes he is just fed, groomed and put back out. Bizarrely once he's been caught and released back into the field, he will let me go back over to him to put a fly mask on or pat him etc, and won't move away from me.
Has anyone else had a horse who's developed a catching issue later in life? I want my nice easy to catch pony back...
