Horse gets a shock, now can't catch her! Help!

[chessy]

I feel like a prat posting this but I'm at my wits end.

When bringing my horse in from the field last week, I foolishly forgot to turn off the electric fencing. My horse unfortunately touched the fence when I was putting her headcollar on, and got a shock. Really stupid of me but what's done is done and I won't be forgetting to turn the damn thing off again!

Damage has been done though. Since then, my usually-fine-to-catch mare has turned into a nightmare. Not even a bucket of feed or carrots will tempt her. She looks at me and my OH like we're going to kill her with more nasty electric shocks. She is associating being caught with getting a shock, and I can't blame her for it really. We managed to bring her in last time by using her field mate to lure her out, but we still could not get close enough to get the headcollar on and she had to follow us from the field to the yard, walked into her stable and I finally managed to catch her... not ideal, I don't want her getting used to it, and it's unsafe - loose horses on the yard is never a good idea!

I wondered if anyone else has had a similar experience, and how you managed to solve it? Tea and cakes for anyone who can help!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Can you go into the field and catch her away from the electric fence? I expect that you would then need someone else to move the electric fence to let you out of the field, as she will probably be like mine and bounce around if she sees the fence moving when she is anywhere near it.
Good luck!

 

[Miss L Toe]

The only thing I can suggest is that you turn her out with head-collar on, (instead of using the buckles, fasten it with self amalgamating tape or insulating tape which will break if she gets caught up), then try the bucket near the gate not the fence, go from there.

 

[Fellewell]

Can you make a gate somewhere else so she doesn't have to go to that part of the field to go out. Or even another field for a while until she 'forgets'

 

[MrsMozart]

If she's able to stay out for a few days and night's, leave her out.

Go up to her, feed a Polo, give her a scratch, then you turn away and leave her. Let her learn to 'trust' you again.

 

[chessy]

Thanks all for the advice. She was avoiding us again today - yet once she's out of the field she is fine! Would rather not keep her in all the time, but have lessons going on this week so really don't have the time to spend so long trying to catch her, so I'm keeping her in for a few days.

I think that next week, I'll not have my lesson or sharer up, and I'll turn her out and dedicate some time into just getting her to trust us in the field again.