Horses that are difficult to catch

Flibble

Flibble

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Quick question - Do horses that are nervous to be caught generally grow out of it with a bit of patience ?

Going to try one this PM amd they have said thats the main issue (its at a dealers yard and I should point out he is a good friend)
 
I had the sane question 2 months ago when I got my Buddy on trial and I did keep him. I love him to bits and he is a fab horse BUT the catching can really get to you!

We got much better over the weeks until yard owner one day had to fetch him because the hedges were about to be cut and I wasn't fast enough there. She didn't get him in the end and gave up after 20 mins. Now I'm most days back to square one as he just trusted me not others.

Set backs can be very frustrating, especially if you have a schedule to catch. Think who needs to be able to catch him if you aren't there and let them practise right from the start too.

Think about it before you view him and fall in love ;)
 
Ha ha ha ha ha - I have a 24 year old retired eventer - had her since she was about 9 - she is quite a nervy mare - chestnut - wrote the book on how to be a chestnut mare. From the day I bought her she has been difficult to catch - thinking nothing of jumping, fully rugged, over a 4ft electric fence to avoid 'capture' - she has to be turned out in a head collar, approached with caution and always be the last one to come in - nothing has changed her - she has done Monty Roberts Join Up - made not one jot of difference - if she doesn't want to be caught - no chance!
 
Yep this is what I need to know he is better than when he arrived I will interrogate in detail. Is it just the catching as I did know a mare who was practically perfect in every way except for catching there are ways you just dont want them on yards where someone loses patience.
 
Flibble said:
Quick question - Do horses that are nervous to be caught generally grow out of it with a bit of patience ?

Going to try one this PM amd they have said thats the main issue (its at a dealers yard and I should point out he is a good friend)
Click to expand...

Yeah they can improve - just forget about riding for a week or two and make sure when you bring in there's good hay/hayledge and also give a little hard feed before you turn him back out. Also try turning him out alone on poor grazing for a bit until he gets into the habit of coming in.
Be aware though than if he changes owners he may well revert to being difficult - I have just put a horse out on loan who has done this, despite going into the field alone he is not playing at all nicely for his new loaners - oops....
 
Mine has been out on the scrubbiest bit of land, in freezing rain and howling gales and still wont be caught. I dread to think how many farriers appointments she has missed because she was put out and wouldn't be caught. I love her to bits but oh does she try my patience. :D
 
When I bought my shetland earlier this year the woman advised I turn him out with a head collar and 10ft lunge line as i'd never catch him!! I turned him out with a head collar and 20cm piece of rope attached to it. Could catch him no problem within a week. He now comes to call and is the first at the gate when my daughter shouts on him.
 
had my pony since she was 8 she's now 25 and still a complete witch to be caught tried everything - rugby tackle works quite well lol!
 
Having owned one for a loooong time (a bloody minded one - perfect description), and spent many many hours (sometimes in tears of frustration) just trying to catch the damn thing for routine stuff (he wasnt even ridden!) I can safely say never ever again. The joy of just owning my 3 who all come to call is literally indefinable :)
 
:D One of mine, 20+ and then some, hasnt been 'caught' in all the 15 years I've had him :D:D Don't think he will change now, bless his long white socks :D:D

Luckily he will 'catch' himself if I leave the yard gate open and he will come in search of goodies (or maybe another means of escape); once in the yard he is fine :D

F
 
Apparently our 20 year old pony was bad to catch when younger,so bad that the yard owner was the only person able to catch her and bring her in.I discovered this after we'd owned her 3 months and spoke to her first registered owner about something else entirely.We've not had a problem catching her so far,but have probably jinxed myself now by saying that.The person we bought her from said she is harder to catch in a bigger field,but will always come in for food.So possibly she has improved in the past 16 years,or maybe she is lulling me into a false sense of security.:D
 
My mare - Jasmine, when I went to see her, got to the yard and the man let her out of her paddock, Jazz ran around, head in the air and wouldn't let anyone near her. When I got her home, she wouldn't be caught, turned her out with a Headcollar for a while until she grew to trust me.

With her, I found that it was just gaining her trust. She seemed to have been treated with a heavy hand, she's a TB and didn't even get to a race, back hard trainer etc.

Now that I've built up trust, she will come to me and her personality is starting to shine through, it took a while though.

In saying that, in a group of horses in a field, she will still try it on sometimes, and she doesn't get on greatly with my OH...
 
Hi thank you all for being so quick to reply. I was told that the horse had been extremely nervous when he arrived and was now settling in.

He was waiting patiently tied up on the yard and a very nice chap indeed. A bit cobbier than I want but I am fast learning its the sitting on that counts. I had lots of warning about not taking by surprise. I said I would sit on so dave tacked him up and hacked him down the lane then rode him for me he seemed fine. We took him back so I could get on and he was reticent to leave the yard with me but did. Half way down the lane my stirrys were too short so bearing in mind he was nervy I was very slow and carefull about adjusting them he was wary but fine.

I got to the field and my mate Nicky was advised to shut me in 'just in case' thanks Dave.

He rode nicely and was responsive and although he looked as a horse was led thru the field he didnt worry. I was going to pop a jump so I gently leaned down and touched the girth area to check and he had an absolute panic spinning in both directions and shaking like a jelly.

So I thought no be sensible he's a nice horse but I would worry both of us worrying in case he was worried. Went back to gate and patted him a few times and went to quietly show my mate his reaction and he shook like a leaf.

Took him back to yard and very gently dismounted and untacked and he was fine but wary. He has been there about three weeks and Dave said he is heaps better than when he arrived. Poor lad Dave is a patient man but obviouslly somewhere over the sea someone hasnt been so patient.

The good thing is its another horse tried and Dave knows if he gets something that is suitable on the yard I'll be there to try it.

So how many have I tried hmmh lets see now about 9 and that includes one that failed the vet.

I prophesise that some time over the next couple of months there will be a phone call come and see the perfect horse and needless to say it will either be Xmas Eve, the day I have a hnagover from Hell or it will snow overnight and I will end up trying it in 2 ft of snow :cool:
 
Mine is a so and so to catch. I have to get the other horse in the p[addock in first and then he will sometimes be caught,especially if theres no grass ! If something out of routine happens, (tractor going past, noisy people) he gets frit and wont come. The only way when hes like this is to get him up in a corner with a lunge line but that needs two people and most of the time im on my own. Really worries me that if at any time he has to go on full livery no one will be able to get him. Dont recommend a hard to get Im afraid
 
It is solvable with a technique called advance and retreat - but its a skill and your timing needs to be absolutely spot on. Have been paid by pros to catch youngstock this way, they are pretty much cured if all the staff who catch them learn the basic technique. So there is hope.
 
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