horse wont be catched; help!

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moodymare123

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As per title really.
But my pony just won't be catched! He currently has a head collar on to get caught easier but even that won't do anything as he is far too clever! He won't even come to food in a bucket he just stands there as if to say 'I will not come any closer until your out of site'. I have also tried sitting in a field with him for an hour but no use!
Any ideas??
 
You just have to keep "following" him around in a very calm and nonchalant manner... almost pretending as if you don't want to catch him. Keep saying nice things to him in a nice voice and when you get close, give him a rub and a scratch first so he doesn't think YOU = CAUGHT.
 
Make sure you've got PLENTY of time, follow him round calmly and non-aggressively until he gets fed up and lets you catch him, give him a big fuss and or food reward, then let him go again. You might have to do this lots of times ... Next stage is catch him, bring to the gate and feed/reward, then let go. Eventually catch, give small treat for letting you do so, and bring in for whatever you want to do. Sorry, there is no easy way :(
 
I found it easier to be patient when my pony ran away from me. I stood quietly in the field and just watched him eat, and bit by bit I approached when he looked relax. Everytime you go forward and he doesn't move, stop to release the pressure. Also everytime he looks at you with his ears pricked, stop and take a few steps back to praise him for being respectful. Just take it slow, you may have to do it a few times, but it worked on my pony when he was running away!
Also when you approach him, I find it's best if you slump your shoulders a bit and look down to make yourself smaller and less threatening and approach him from the front/diagonal, preferably the front as you're not putting pressure on his drive line.

If this doesn't work after a bunch of times try doing what claribella said, send him off. Make him run and think it was your idea for him to run. If he stops and looks at you respectively with his ears pricked, stop and step back. If not, keep sending him on. Eventually he should start lowering his head, licking his lips etc. Try stopping and seeing if he'd come up to you then by slumping your shoulders and looking down. If he doesn't come just repeat the sending off until he does.

I know how frustrating it is, just be patient and he'll give in!
Good luck! :0)
 
Also there is a good old saying out there I'd thought I'd chuck out there; "If you act like it's going to take five minutes, it will take all day. If you act like you got all day, then it will take five minutes."
This can apply to all aspects of life, really!
Just take your time and enjoy watching your horse running around, kicking up his heels, having fun! I loved watching my pony run around being a little rebel! :D
 
A friend had a pony like this, no matter what the weather this mare made you walk around the field after her for quite some time. I spent many an hour in the pouring rain walking after her bottom in the field. Only way to do it was keep walking until she stopped and turned to look at you, then sometimes you could turn away and offer her a treat, if she took it you could quietly grab her headcollar, but only with the hand offering the treat. If you moved the other hand she was off like a rocket. It was utterly soul destroying trying to catch her but my friend had let her get away with it for years so the pony thought we'd give up if she held out long enough!

This method works, but never run and never try to corner them and like someone else said sometimes you catch, treat and release, other times bring them in, feed and release, then eventually when it starts getting easier to catch them I'd have a routine of catching them every day at the same time no matter what but don't always work them so they never know if today is a work day or a treat day.

Finally I'd say never feed in the field either. My friend would give up and just thow in a bucket of dinner and it just made everything worse, back to walking around for two hours the next day!

Sorry, it's tough and it takes a long time but it's the only way to fix it. The pony I'm talking about managed to go a whole summer without being caught once, used to really worry me in case she injured herself.

Good luck and I'm sure if you persevere and never let them win you'll find it gets easier.
 
Follow the pony at a walk. Dont chase him so he trots or canters off, just walk behind him and move him on gently if he stops. If he is not allowed to stop he will eventually want to stop, allowing you to catch him.
This can take quite a while the first few times, so set aside time to do it. If you have to walk away because you run short of time, pony wins and will be harder to catch next time round.
 
Good Luck, all the usual advice.
Horribly frustrating when they are like that.

If I had one like that when I did catch him he would be spending his time in a much smaller paddock, preferably a bare one so that he had to rely on me for food. A case of "come to me mate, or you go hungry." I simply don't have the time to walk a horse down for hours unfortunately :(
 
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echo what the others have said regarding the 'join up' type techniques- but please do be careful, wear a hat etc. as some horses will initially react with a buck and a fart in your direction!
 
I'd try join up, but with a couple of helpers if the field is large, just to keep her on the move.

Mine kept walking off constantly when I first got her. I kept following her and she could be caught after a few minutes but it was the same every single day and although she could always be caught it was quite tedious to have to do it every time I wanted to get her. After the first join up, she comes to see me now so a little time invested with join up has saved time in the long run really.
 
Why doesn't she want to be caught? Generally horses don't do anything for no reason. Do you ride her or work her every time you catch her?

Perhaps when you do catch her, just give her a treat and let her go again. I know it is annoying when you have spent ages trying to catch her, but if there is something in for her, she will co-operate. It won't take long before she will be caught easily, and provided you don't always do something she isn't keen on every time you catch her, I would think the problem will go away.
 
tallyho! said:
You just have to keep "following" him around in a very calm and nonchalant manner... almost pretending as if you don't want to catch him. Keep saying nice things to him in a nice voice and when you get close, give him a rub and a scratch first so he doesn't think YOU = CAUGHT.
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this. mine is a sod to catch and this is how i do it :)
 
We get this problem quite often - either with visiting brood mares - or with groups of our own weanlings/yearlings who go 'off' us after gelding!! I really CANNOT be arsed - nor do I have the time - to try all the softly, softly approaches.

So, I take a long length of electric tape and attach it to the fence post next along from the gate - then I use that tape - fully extended - to 'walk' the non-catcher into the gate corner. When I have a 'pen' - 12 feet wide by 60' long with horse in it I gater up the long length until the pen is MUCH smaller - about 12' x 6' - and attach the spare tape to a fence post 12 foot along the other side of the fence from the gate and pull it up tight. That gives me a nice triangle in which I can catch the horse - or number of horses easily. (Obviously if there's a few to be caught together you DO need a helper. If there's a shelter shed in the field it's even easier - you attach the tape to the side of the shelter shed and walk them in there.

Once you've done this a couple of times they generally realise that you WILL catch them - and they give in.
 
My grey can be a sod to catch. I have found that these tactics work for her;

1. Wave a carrot at her - she's so greedy that she'll canter down the hill and as long as you only give her the carrot once the headcollar is on, she's yours. ;)

2. Catch the gelding instead. As soon as she thinks that he's going to be doing something fun without her, she wants to come in too.

3. Do fun stuff once caught. She's being backed at the moment and if my friend (who's helping to back her) is here, she wants to be caught. I assume that she enjoys her little work sessions. :)
 
Caught. When u try, don't make eye contact with him, look down and fiddle with something like a horse treat as u follow him. Feed it to him the second u catch him.
 
Spotsrock said:
Caught. When u try, don't make eye contact with him, look down and fiddle with something like a horse treat as u follow him. Feed it to him the second u catch him.
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'You'.

If you're going to correct someone, at least make sure you're beyond reproach yourself. (And no, I don't excuse 'txtspk') :p
 
English is becoming the forgotten language, my favourite bugbear is ignored, often pronouced egnored, I asked our 12yr old grandson if he had spelling tests, the answer was no, no surprise his spelling and handwriting is crap then, this is an intelligent kid, there is nothing about computers he does'nt know, yet he can't spell for toffee.
Another bugbear peculiar to the North East is fud instead of food, drives me mad when my sister who has a PHD says it.
Off my soapbox now
 
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flirtygerty said:
English is becoming the forgotten language, my favourite bugbear is ignored, often pronouced egnored, I asked our 12yr old grandson if he had spelling tests, the answer was no, no surprise his spelling and handwriting is crap then, this is an intelligent kid, there is nothing about computers he does'nt know, yet he can't spell for toffee.
Another bugbear peculiar to the North East is fud instead of food, drives me mad when my sister who has a PHD says it.
Off my soapbox now
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Even worse are the automatic spell checkers that correct perfectly good English with bastardiZed AmericaniZations!:mad:
 
Just to agree with those saying don't look or walk directly at your horse. These horses are very sensitive to eye contact, and looking directly into a horses eye in horsey language means "go away". So walk in zig zags, head bowed when he is stood still but if he walks away, look directly at his eye and keep him moving. He will end up circling back, and lowering his head so then drop your eyes and shoulders.
It definitely works and will work quicker every time if you get your timing right with eyes on - eyes off, pressure on when walking away, immediately off when he comes back round to face you.
Good luck;)
 
Mine was a bit of a muppet to catch initially even when I was armed with his treats of carrots and xxx strong mints. I realized that if I went into the field, called him then turned my back on him and waited then he was then curious enough to come up and nudge me to find out what I was up to. Worked a treat and now as soon as he sees my car he runs up to the gate to greet me.
 
I NEVER catch my horses. I'm far too old and lame. They have to come to me from day one. Have to admit immediately that it's very easy for me to train them, as our little stable yard opens straight onto the field, and the horses are always kept as a herd (herd of 3-4!!).

I just stand and call (really cheerfully is very important) and my mare immediately answers me and comes at a canter. The others (my livery horses of the time) follow. They are always all rewarded, even the ones I don't want, with a handful or two of cool mix or a carrot. If there is a new horse in the herd they have to come right into the yard, so that I or someone else can shut the gate behind them. One they've learnt, they almost put their heads in your arms.

Your pony sounds as though it is kept on its own, which does make it more difficult. But really you need to start this routine on a day when, for whatever reason, the pony WOULD like to be caught. As others have said, Join-Up is the first thing to do, and after 3-4 days you should be able to call the pony to you.

I have used tape etc. when helping other people. IMO it's dangerous, and not always successful.
 
muff747 said:
Just to agree with those saying don't look or walk directly at your horse. These horses are very sensitive to eye contact, and looking directly into a horses eye in horsey language means "go away". So walk in zig zags, head bowed when he is stood still but if he walks away, look directly at his eye and keep him moving. He will end up circling back, and lowering his head so then drop your eyes and shoulders.
It definitely works and will work quicker every time if you get your timing right with eyes on - eyes off, pressure on when walking away, immediately off when he comes back round to face you.
Good luck;)
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Yes, body language is SO important!! You could be inadvertently "sending him away". There are quite a few good suggestions here.
Create a smaller space.
Watch your body language.
Reward being caught with a feed/treat then turn loose again.
Go into the paddock with a pocket full of treats and "do jobs", like poo picking, fixing fences etc and when horsie comes up close give him a treat - like a piece of carrot!!
Take the time it takes - allow all day. Time taken now will be saved many times over in the future....!!!
When the catching is established then take to another area, groom, turn loose again. Eventually you will be able to incorporate a nice hack into the odd catch up!!!
 
Alyth said:
Yes, body language is SO important!! You could be inadvertently "sending him away". There are quite a few good suggestions here.
Create a smaller space.
Watch your body language.
Reward being caught with a feed/treat then turn loose again.
Go into the paddock with a pocket full of treats and "do jobs", like poo picking, fixing fences etc and when horsie comes up close give him a treat - like a piece of carrot!!
Take the time it takes - allow all day. Time taken now will be saved many times over in the future....!!!
When the catching is established then take to another area, groom, turn loose again. Eventually you will be able to incorporate a nice hack into the odd catch up!!!
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Adding on to this - get onto the horse's eye level (safely obviously - wear a hat and be very careful). If the horse's eye level is lower than yours - crouch down and remain still for a while with a treat in your outstretched hand. Be VERY careful obviously though.
 
Rose Folly said:
I have used tape etc. when helping other people. IMO it's dangerous, and not always successful.
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Obviously you wouldn't use it on a horse who is seriously 'wild' - AND you have to do it properly (quietly and calmly!) But I have done it - probably more than 100 times - with individuals and groups of up to 10 youngsters - with complete success and no harm to horses or humans!
 
Moomin1 said:
Adding on to this - get onto the horse's eye level (safely obviously - wear a hat and be very careful). If the horse's eye level is lower than yours - crouch down and remain still for a while with a treat in your outstretched hand. Be VERY careful obviously though.
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I have used this technique with foals and found it very good. However with older horses, the averted eye and relaxed "turned away" body posture works equally well....You do need to observe your horses body language as well!! Wearing a hat won't protect you as well as good observation skills!! Imo you can take all the body armour you want (and I use all possible!!) but the best protection of all is understanding where the horse is at! Obviously the "wild" horse will need more sensitive and careful handling than a horse that has been handled since birth and is simply being "exuberant"!!!
 
Alyth said:
I have used this technique with foals and found it very good. However with older horses, the averted eye and relaxed "turned away" body posture works equally well....You do need to observe your horses body language as well!! Wearing a hat won't protect you as well as good observation skills!! Imo you can take all the body armour you want (and I use all possible!!) but the best protection of all is understanding where the horse is at! Obviously the "wild" horse will need more sensitive and careful handling than a horse that has been handled since birth and is simply being "exuberant"!!!
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Yes agree Alyth - sorry not read all of the thread and probably not explained fully. I meant for OP to get their head onto the same level as the horse's head - at a safe distance obviously. Your approach sounds sensible with averting the eye contact. :) With regard the hat - I was just trying to suggest OP was as safe as possible in all situations - but obviously they should keep a very close eye on what is going on too!
 
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