Ideas on horse that doesn't want to be catched?

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Parkranger

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Just after ideas really.....

Background is that I've known horse for 10 months, and he's been virtually left in a field due this owner becoming pregnant. So hasn't had much one to one interaction.

Fast forward to a few months ago and I took a liking to him and decided to buy him. Found him a bit of a nightmare to catch once or twice (especially when bringing him in at another time other than bring in) but he's getting worse.

Couldn't ride on Sunday as I couldn't catch him. Today I had half day and couldn't catch up - I spend over 2 hours out there on Sunday - he just kept running to the nearest horse and hiding behind it!

so tonight I thought once I caught him I'd bring him in, groom and put to bed so he doesn't associate me with riding only!

He's quite a headshy horse and was really nervous of me in the stable tonight.....I made him each his dinner while I was holding the bowl.....

any ideas? really need to sort this out as a horse that won't be caught has to be the most frustrating thing!!

x
 
Hi is there anyway you can create a small paddock say about 30 x 30m even with electric fencing you'll need it quite tall if he's a jumper!! I had a pony like this and she still has moments when she takes against being caught.

As long as you can get down to him twice a day it's better if you don't put water in there. You need to carry the water and feed to him. For the first bit, don't even try to catch him just teach him that he's not self sufficient - that he does actually need you to survive. He only gets the water and feed if he comes to you. Always carry the head collar and lead rein with you when your doing this in full view, but just pretend that it's not something your going to make a big issue out of. On a week end take a book down and a chair and actually sit in there with him, but totally ignore him, if he comes to you then give him a little tickle and then go back to reading your book. Curosity always kills the cat.

It took me about two months of this before my pony finally learnt that I was ok to be around and sometimes I think I'd be winning and other days well she'd be a stubborn s**t, but the method does work. Then we had to start the process all over again so my daughter could catch her, but it didn't take quite so long, only about two weeks.
 
disconnecting being caught from work is a good idea, when he connects nice things with being caught he will become easier - although on the down side the grass is coming through so he might be less inclined to come in
 
can you turn him out in a smaller area and preferably on his own? I had a cob who led me a merry dance and I discovered that keeping him on his own in a smaller area he would come to me after about 10 mins of being a royal pain in the bottom. You need to be armed with lots of patience, goodies and the will to win. Youre right in catching him and fussing only without riding him, hopefully he will start to look on you as a positive force in his life. I found that sitting down in the field and reading a book would have the uncatchable so curious that they would be tripping over themselves to look over my shoulder and ultimately be caught
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. Good luck
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How many others is he out with? would it be possible to catch the others and then leave him till last so he has noone to hide behind?
 
Reinforcement training and shaping works really well in these kind of cases. Reinforcing is rewarding a behaviour and shaping is when you start by rewarding the smallest insignificant thing they are happy to do and then only reward bigger and better efforts. Small treats work well, don't go for something they will easily get fed up of or don't really bother with. It is a version of clicker training.
Start with something quite insignificant like just touching the side of the neck - reward, when they are happy with that go to touching with the end of the lead rope and reward for that, then for sliding the rope over the neck and so on. Make the steps small, and soon you will find they are happy to go further and faster up your steps to where you want to be.
Most horses reach a lightbulb moment and you don't have to tiptoe around so much, and they really really enjoy the "game".
ONLY reward the behaviour you want though - if they do try to mug you for more don't reward that, let them learn that mugging doesn't get the treat. A side effect is that you have a horse who doesn't bother to mug for food!
Good luck, that sort of training is such fun, everyone enjoys it.
 
Agree very much with JillA's theory. You might like to consider using a field safe headcollar. make a habit of catching the headcollar (but never make a grab for it), scratching/titbitting then immediately letting go.
 
When we first got our pony she was grass kept. Shes was brought in to be fed every evening - but also ridden as well! She soon decided she wouldn't be caught. The cat and mouse game lasted a few weeks, but we just never ever left it if she hadn't been caught. I remember spending one very frustrating Saturday with my sister tryng to catch her, we were there for hours looking like right idiots. Perhaps it would help if you had another person to hep herd him in the right direction? Good luck.
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thanks guys - unfortunately there's no chance of him changing fields as the yard are really low on grass. Think I'll just try going up to him more and more in the field for no reason......
 
Would the yard owner not let you electric fence a small area that he is presently in so that he's with the other horses, but unable to get to them to hide behind. I know its very frustrating, but it just sounds like if your guy has not had anything done to him for about 10 months, he's just learnt he doesn't need people to survive. Even if you can spend time in the field jujst reading a book the others will become curious and hopefully so will he. Good luck I know how frustrating it can be, you do need loads of patience.
 
As well as all of the above;

Double check your body language; make sure you are not approaching him square on or looking him in the eye. Don't walk straight up to him, try walking in sort of semi circles and meander a bit.
You should aim to look passive with rounded shoulders, head bowed and approach him with your body at an angle- you could even try walking backwards, but still approaching, once you get somewhere close to him.

If he looks at you, stop going towards him and turn away. Once you've got his attention he may come to you, or follow if you walk away. When you get close give him a gentle stroke then go away and do it again.

You really need to be catching him alot and doing other things than riding him i.e. feeding, grooming, groundwork etc. to build on your relationship.

Good luck
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patience. Thats what worked for me ... and a bottomless pocket of polos! I would sit in the field wait for her to come to me, give her a polo and a pat and then walk off to another spot and do it again! Took about 2 months but was worth being described as the mad lady who sits in the field!!
 
My pony is a nightmare to catch if she has food so she lives in the starvation paddock with haylage during the day. If she is in a mood and won't be caught I tie the lunge whip into a loop and sort of lasso her as once something is over her head she just stands there.

As I have more time for her than her old owner she is loads better for being caught twice a day and given food etc. She rarely comes in to work - I usually work her before turning her out.
 
i have one of these on my yard who is on part livery which is a very hard situation. My only solution was to elec fence her in a tiny paddock and leave her headcollar on ( I know) and that seems to have solved it. The only time she still wont come in is if its raining!! they you have to wait until its dark then she may/may not come in. If she doesnt I phone her owner and they decide whether to come up and try or to leave her out for the night

May try the lunge line lasso trick tho!!

ps also cant put her out on days she has a lesson/farrier/vet etc just incase
 
We have a pony on livery here who was really naughty to catch. The owner took advice on join up and it has helped. She does the join up and in hand work in the arena as we dont have a round pen. I couldnt advise as have not done it myself but it has made a difference over the winter. The pony now will be caught and will follow her round. We have yet to see if it still works when the grass comes through!
 
Ok sorry, I would never ever leave a horse without water or feed no matter how hard it was to catch...

There are many ways to teach the unctachable horse how to be caught, the method im going to tell you now is physically hard work, particularly with other horses in the field, but is something that i think would suit your situation best, assuming ive got the right impression in the fact that your horse is fine when caught and isnt nervous of you.

Ok first, is he scared of having the headcollar on? if so, you will make your life alot easier to leave it on at the beginning. Second, find a form of food he really likes... its not hundred percent necessary, but a pocket full speeds things up with alot of horses.

The actual technique is all about body language... Tie headcollar and lead rope around your body in a way that can easily be grabbed, but is not the first thing the horse will notice as you walk across the field (I tend to put hadcollar over my shoulder, and lead rope round the back of my neck, then secure ends by clipping them together behind my back so that from the front all you can see is to straps round my shoulders). Walk towards the horse, and play a bit as air78 has previously described, have your shoulders rounded, dont look the horse in the eye (prefereably at ground, but pay attention to the horse too...) walk up sideways arm stretched out (helps to have treat in it too). get as close as possible, ife wont have any of it, then stand up and push the horse away (this is where the phsyical bit comes in!) you will probably find all the horses join in, but keep your eyes focused on your horse, keep your body language loud, as soon as the horse shows signs of looking at you/wanting to stop immeditaly take submissive body language back and try again, repeat this as much as it takes. If your horse allows you close, but not close enough to catch him, chuck a treat on the floor near him, this lets him realise you have them. When you do get near him, start by touching whatever he will let you (if its unlikely he will kick, this can even be his bum) and work your to the neck as slowly as is required. When you get to his neck, work your arm up and around his neck, once you have your arm around his neck, you can quietly slip you other hand round your back, and slowly remove the leadrope as unnoticably as possibly, and bring this up to the hand on the other side of the neck. You then have him caught, but dont relax yet, you need to get leatrope attached to headcollar/ headcollar on. Remember to talk soothingly at all times that your carrying out submissiveness, and just dont talk at all when being dominent.

I would suggest doing as much as possible with him, sometimes just go out to the field, catch him, and spend some time in the field with him, then give him a treat and let him go. It doesnt take them long to cotton on to the fact that eing caught is less hard work if they let you carry out rather than play silly ponies. This only works with horses that arent genuinly scared of people mind, that sort of horse needs to be dealt with in a a different way.
 
just to clarify she did have a trough of fresh water (whether left out or brought in) and was in a fenced off field of grass so always had something to eat as well
 
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