Horse behaviour when catching?

Flibble

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Ok I have had my boy a whole 3 weeks now. He always plays around and then let's me catch him. Today I had spent an hour poo picking then got his headcollar. He saw me and the headcollar and galloped flat out along the top of the field, plunged a few times turned around to watch me and then let me walk up and pop his headcollar on.

He has 1 field companion a little mare who luckily didn't join in. So any ideas is he just showing off?
 
Turn around and walk away - if possible, leave him out for the night.

My TB's who were out of training on R&R always used to pull this trick once a year. And so I left them out. No hard feed, no hay, and get on with it.

They never tried it twice!
 
Wouldn't worry, as long as it doesn't go on long and you can catch him after antics.

My mare very occasionally still does this...I chase her away and walk back to the gate. She often comes over then. She used to be terrrible when I first got her...she even lay down once and refused to get up! she climbed in a river too! had to take boots off and climb in after her!
 
Errmm, is it neccessary to walk up the field to catch your horse? Personally all I have to do is call my horse and I get a lovely long drawn out whinny and a gallop up to the gate... But when I need to catch him, he's quite well behaved there too, very nice and easy.. thats partly his nature- hes a sweetie.... but also as he is turned out on his own at the moment, he is often much easier to handle when on his own, especially when it comes to catching- as they can often be a bit more of a handful when they are with their mates, however, if as you said the mare is fine despite his antics he may stop after a while, if he realises it doesnt wash with you or your mare. Perhaps the ignoring technique that the others mentioned would help here...?
Hope your catching dilemma is sorted soon. :)
AbbeyandApache
 
Well he is fairly new and he is really sweet. I do know another livery who goes to the gate calls and her horse canters up.
I am not worried by it just wondered why he does 5 mins mucking about then waits for his headcollar perhaps I will do the chase away as long as it doesn't upset the mare she isn't mine we just share a paddock.
 
My horse did this when I first got him! I clicker trained him to come over and put his nose through the headcollar himself! 99% of the time he does it without a reward, but every now and then if he plays up i go back to clicking him for doing the right thing
 
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