Impossible to catch horse ... any ideas?

Fidgety said:
This is something that a very old horseman once recommended to me years ago and it worked very well with the worn the t-shirt pony that I was riding at the time. The rope doesn't need to be much more than 10 inches long or so, just enough to be able to grab onto.
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OP said if you grab the headcollar, the horse takes off.
 
Dave's Mam said:
OP said if you grab the headcollar, the horse takes off.
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Yes, I saw that bit ;). That's why it's easier to grab the rope under the chin - as somebody else also suggested.

It's a much more discrete movement to grab a short piece of rope under the chin rather than raising your hand to where the horse can see it in order to try to get your hands between the headcollar and face so that you can take a grab of it!

A horse than then also tanks off when then on a lead rope is an entirely different question.
 
FrankieCob said:
Could you put him in the pen without water and then you bring the water to him once a day and only allow him to drink from bucket you have hold of? Not something to do lightly but it wont kill him and it will work much, much quicker than waiting for him to get hungry.
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Clodagh said:
This. Cruel but necessary, and is a very N H thing I gather.
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Well it is mentioned in one of Mark Rashid's books as something the "old man" did. Not sure that makes it a "very N H thing". This probably would work and shouldn't do any harm providing the horse hasn't got a history of colic or anything, though personally I would go up with water twice a day.

The walking after them technique DOES work (every time in my experience) but you have to keep going until they give up. Unfortunately by giving up after two hours you have now taught him to persevere and it will take much longer the first time now so you may not want to use that technique.

If it was me I would get out an IH Recommended Associate as my first port of call.
 
Peter7917 said:
I would be putting him in a small section long term. Small enough that he runs out of grass quickly and has to rely on you for EVERYTHING that he gets to eat. Little sod.
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Clodagh said:
This. Cruel but necessary, and is a very N H thing I gather.
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I'd be going with these.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is more fustrating than a horse that won't be caught, especially if they have nothing to be afraid of, and it sounds like you and your sister have owned him for a number of years.

Random question though, have you had his eyesight checked? And perhaps his ears checked?
 
Sorry OP, just saw this on FB and thought of this thread!

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Hope you manage to capture him soon, must be so frustrating.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
We bought a youngster who were were told was difficult to catch,cthe breeder had only ever moved d her as part of the herd. On the 2nd day she was here she hopped over the wall to next door's pony, who unfortunately has the run of 60+ acres. We caught her easily with a bucket and a halter. She is very noise reactive and we thinkvthatcshe was put off by the jangly noise of a headcollar, could that be part of your problem, OP?
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I don't think so. He's actually wearing his head collar at the moment, so all I need to do is clip a lead rope on but he won't let me close enough to have a chance. Unfortunately food doesn't provide enough temptation at the moment, so I think I probably do need to get human back into his small paddock and wait until he's hungry enough!

Fidgety said:
Yes, I saw that bit ;). That's why it's easier to grab the rope under the chin - as somebody else also suggested.

It's a much more discrete movement to grab a short piece of rope under the chin rather than raising your hand to where the horse can see it in order to try to get your hands between the headcollar and face so that you can take a grab of it!

A horse than then also tanks off when then on a lead rope is an entirely different question.
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The problem with this one is he will just take off if you grab him like this. If he is allowing himself to be caught and you clip the lead rope on he is fine, but if you are trying to trick him so you can get close enough to grab him he will wrench the head collar out of your hand as soon as you get hold. It doesn't matter how quiet you have been. So I'm not sure if a but of rope would make any difference, though worth trying if I ever manage to catch him again! certainly won't do any harm.
laura_nash said:
The walking after them technique DOES work (every time in my experience) but you have to keep going until they give up. Unfortunately by giving up after two hours you have now taught him to persevere and it will take much longer the first time now so you may not want to use that technique.
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I know it works because my sister and I have both used it with him before. However, catching him does not become easier the more often you try it unfortunately. The last time I caught him (a few weeks before Christmas) it was by using this method, and he gave up after just over an hour. He was then WORSE the next time I tried it, and I got to nearly two hours and had to give up as the farrier arrived to trim the other horse. I think if I had all day I would probably get him by this method, but I work such long hours during the week that my weekends are then spent running round like a mad thing trying to do the shopping, laundry, clean the house, do my share horse, see the ponies etc that realistically I just don't have time to spend more than two hours. My sister is due a visit next time the farrier is here though so I might just make her do it :p

Damnation said:
I'd be going with these.

Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is more fustrating than a horse that won't be caught, especially if they have nothing to be afraid of, and it sounds like you and your sister have owned him for a number of years.

Random question though, have you had his eyesight checked? And perhaps his ears checked?
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Not since he was vetted, which was quite a long time ago. There's no obvious sign that he has problems with them (and he has always been hard to catch) but this is something I will definitely do if/ when I manage to catch him again.


After reading everyone's responses (thank you for all your suggestions) I think the best way forwards is to get him back in his small paddock and just see what happens when he gets hungrier. I think I have to be a bit "meaner" to him and just stick with it for as long as necessary. If I manage to catch him I think I may then put his grazing muzzle on and let him back out into the rest of the field. He hates his muzzle so it's an easy way to ensure I can catch him!
 
Dave's Mam said:
Here's another angle. Do you ever go in the field & NOT do anything to do with the horse?
I tried this with one that was "Uncatchable" It took a few weeks, I basically went and ate my lunch in the field every day. She came near, I moved. I made her nosey. I made her so nosey, she come over as soon as I arrived. After a day or 2 of this, I gave her an apple on the floor & walked off. Moved to a brush over & eventually a rope round her neck. .
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This ^^
How I catch my horse when she's like this ( she runs at me as well! :s) If she thinks I'm poo picking/ doing fence she is more likely to approach me nicely. There is absolutely no way of catching her safely unless she wants to come over.
 
Sorry haven't read all the replies and I'm sure this will have been suggested but...

My daughters pony can be an absolute cow to catch. When we first got her I made a very small pen in front of the gate, about the size of a stable. Between us we managed to herd her in there and then I just leaned over the fence and popped a leather headcollar on her. I then did 20 mins of groundwork with her and did this every day for a week and she improved vastly.

I have to keep the headcollar on her all the time. As long as the headcollar is on, she knows I'll get her eventually so she doesn't put up much of a fight, but as soon as it's off she'll gleefully trot off with her tail in the air knowing I haven't a chance of catching her.

It is THE most frustrating thing to have a horse you can't catch!

ETA: I now always have a few nuts in my pocket which I reward her with if she approaches me in the field. I feed her a few and then walk away so she associates me with something pleasant and doesn't assume I'm always going to try and catch her.
 
I think the problem is because he doesn't have much interaction and he now doesn't need humans for food, he's just gone feral. If it were mine I'd make a point of spending some time every day in the field with some chopped carrots. Give the other horse a bit and if he comes close enough throw a bit on the ground.

I don't think forcing them to be caught works very well (unless in an emergency) and just makes it harder the next time. It would take days or perhaps weeks but by taking the pressure off and going in every day he'll start to see your presence as positive.

Withholding water is cruel and unecessary imo.
 
He doesn't sound feral to me, just rude and too clever. Would you be able to ride up to him on another horse/pony? Sometimse it works, and if you can catch the headcollar and slipe a rope through he might be more amenable. Withholding water is a last chance saloon method; it might take several days before he is thirsty enough to allow himself to be caught.

Walking a horse down (if it is basically civilised, has been caught before and NOT feral) will work eventually, but you MUST persevere and keep going until he gives in and allows himself to be caught. I used to have a mare that took up to four hours to catch. You couldn't catch her in a stable either, until she was ready.
 
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To be honest I would probably shoot him. (JOKE!). Not being caught is probably the most frustrating thing any horse can do.
 
Someone I know has a mare that was difficult and sometimes impossible to catch - even if she was the last out, etc. She had to be left out all night at times as she was so tricky.
They had someone come and clicker train and to teach the mare that 'catching the human' was a good game. That was 2 years ago and she's not had a moments trouble since. The mare will just come to her to be caught and even put her head in the headcollar. Honestly this lady thought the mare would never be good to catch, but this made such a huge difference. I was sceptical, but it really has worked!
 
Going on what has been written, it sounds like all the tricks in the book have been used and are now ineffective because that's what they are - tricks. They don't change the behaviour, they just mean you can catch them today. Tomorrow you need a new trick.
If it were me I'd forget a timescale needed to treat, or use tricks one last time to get feet trimmed etc, and then start again, every day, multiple times a day where possible, making friends, teaching him that you aren't going to catch him every time, teaching him that catching doesn't always mean anything more than a scratch and he can go again. Stop grabbing headcollars (using a length of rope is different as you can take hold gently, but grabbing implies a sudden movement and that's probably what makes him pull back) and work on gently touching and then taking hold, then clipping ropes on.
I was going to suggest clicker training but thought I'd be laughed out, but as someone else has I'll back it up. My semi-feral foal took a long time to learn how to be caught - once caught she was a sweetie - and what changed it was clickertraining her to put her own headcollar on. She just wanted to have the choice and be ready to be caught, these days I just offer the headcollar and when she is ready to be caught she puts her own head in - only takes a few seconds, but she just needs those few seconds to be ready to give up her freedom.
Stop trying to trick him and turn it around, give him a reason to want to be caught rather than giving him no option but to be caught.
 
Cortez said:
He doesn't sound feral to me, just rude and too clever.
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This is a very accurate description of him. He has no reason not to want to be caught as he is retired through injury, so all that happens when he's caught is he gets a bit of a fuss or occasionally something like the farrier (which he always seem to enjoy!). He just doesn't want to be caught at the moment, so he won't let himself be!

Crazydancer said:
Someone I know has a mare that was difficult and sometimes impossible to catch - even if she was the last out, etc. She had to be left out all night at times as she was so tricky.
They had someone come and clicker train and to teach the mare that 'catching the human' was a good game. That was 2 years ago and she's not had a moments trouble since. The mare will just come to her to be caught and even put her head in the headcollar. Honestly this lady thought the mare would never be good to catch, but this made such a huge difference. I was sceptical, but it really has worked!
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I will seriously look into this, it is certainly worth a try!

dollyanna said:
Going on what has been written, it sounds like all the tricks in the book have been used and are now ineffective because that's what they are - tricks. They don't change the behaviour, they just mean you can catch them today. Tomorrow you need a new trick.
If it were me I'd forget a timescale needed to treat, or use tricks one last time to get feet trimmed etc, and then start again, every day, multiple times a day where possible, making friends, teaching him that you aren't going to catch him every time, teaching him that catching doesn't always mean anything more than a scratch and he can go again. Stop grabbing headcollars (using a length of rope is different as you can take hold gently, but grabbing implies a sudden movement and that's probably what makes him pull back) and work on gently touching and then taking hold, then clipping ropes on.
I was going to suggest clicker training but thought I'd be laughed out, but as someone else has I'll back it up. My semi-feral foal took a long time to learn how to be caught - once caught she was a sweetie - and what changed it was clickertraining her to put her own headcollar on. She just wanted to have the choice and be ready to be caught, these days I just offer the headcollar and when she is ready to be caught she puts her own head in - only takes a few seconds, but she just needs those few seconds to be ready to give up her freedom.
Stop trying to trick him and turn it around, give him a reason to want to be caught rather than giving him no option but to be caught.
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Catching this horse never means anything more than a scratch or cuddle or, at very worst, the farrier. He's retired. When I am with both ponies all that happens, unless they have the farrier, is they get a stroke and a cuddle, plus usually some apple or mints. My mare absolutely loves coming over and getting head rubs and cuddles, but this horse will only get near enough to take any food that's on offer but won't let himself be touched. I'd also like to stress that I haven't been grabbing at his head collar - other posters have suggested it and I have simply stated that I know from previous experience with this horse that it is a very bad idea. The one time I tried it, probably about 3 years ago, he pulled back so hard I was lucky not to end up with a dislocated shoulder. Plus he's so flighty when he's in a won't be caught mode that I don't want to do anything that will cause him to spin and buck!

While I agree in theory with what you're saying about making him want to be caught, the ultimate problem is that in all the time my sister has owned him we haven't found any way to make this happen. That is why we have ended up resorting to tricks, because they are sometimes the only thing that works and when you desperately need a horse to see the farrier you can't be too sniffy about the methods used! The odd thing is that his behaviour is not consistent - all the time he was in the summer field (two months) he was desperate to come and say hello, so both me and the YO were able to stroke him and fuss him and put his fly mask on etc. Since he has been in the winter field, possibly because of how much grass there is, he doesn't see any reason to let himself be caught.

I do however think that clicker training might be worth trying with him. It's something we'd not thought of, but I wonder if it will channel his sharpness into something other than refusing to be caught.

If you'd seen him with me today you wouldn't have realised there was any problem. He was standing right next to me taking pieces of apple out of the palm of my hand. However, he would not let me even stroke him - any attempt to put a hand anywhere other than directly under his muzzle and he leapt backwards. He is back in his pen for now so I will see if it helps at all.
 
I would be looking if any of these are close enough http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/recommended-associates/
They are trained up to a standard and are interested in long term solutions rather than quick fixes - they will be studying body language to assess what is really going on. Yes, some of them use join up but only when it is necessary and justified. And most don't charge the sort of fee which requires a second mortgage.
 
If your interested in clicker training our Horse Sanctuary does a day course they are in Leeds www.hopepastures.org they use their own animals but it gives you a good idea about the whole training process and style.
 
I have a mare who can be very difficult to catch. I think one of your issues is that you don't have time to spend more than 2 hours catching him. Every time you don't catch him you are teaching him that he just needs to spin it out and you'll go away. You need to catch him every time. Even if it takes 4 hours and you just give him a scratch and let him go again. He can't be allowed to win.
 
HashRouge said:
I'm genuinely curious as to whether anyone has ever encountered a horse like this before and, if so, how on earth they dealt with it! My sister's horse has always been hard to catch, bordering on impossible at times. When he was stabled overnight it was always possible to get him at the end of the day when all the other horses came in, as he doesn't like being alone and knew his dinner was waiting for him in his stable. Since he has been living out, which is by far the best thing for him as he is a chronic crib biter, things have been slightly harder but we have, until now, managed quite well. When we rented a field and needed to catch him, we would take my mare (his companion) out of the field and hide her behind the hedge until he could be caught (usually fairly quickly). On our old yard, where there were other horses, we would simply bring my mare onto the yard and he would let himself be caught once she was out of sight, even if there were other horses in neighbouring fields. This worked 99.9% of the time, though there would be the odd occasion where he would be uncatchable unless all other horses were in.

Fast forward to now. My sister is living abroad and I have moved both ponies to the other end of the country. In many ways we have the perfect set up - 24/7 turnout all year round, plenty of grass, lots of natural shelter, plus the YO feeds and checks for me during the week, which means I don't have to hunt them down in the dark over winter. Very helpful for two grass-kept, retired horses and convenient for holidays too.

The problem - I have managed to catch my sister's horse once in the last 8 weeks :(. When they first moved they were in the summer fields and not only could I catch him when needed, he was positively friendly and always coming up for cuddles and carrots when I was at the field. There were other horses in the neighbouring fields, but even if he was in a tricky mood I could catch him easily by bringing my horse out of the field. Then in November they moved to their winter field. It is on a different part of the farm and has a lot of grass and more or less from the first day he became absolutely uncatchable. I have tried everything I can think of to get him. He no longer cares if he can't see my mare - he will whinny to her but won't let himself be caught. I have brought in all the horses in the neighbouring fields, but he doesn't care because there is a field of young stock behind the hedge so he isn't really alone (they don't belong to our yard, but to a neighbouring stud farm, so not much I can do about them). I have tried herding him into a smaller section of the field then following him around until he gives up. This worked once, but since then he has decided that he can outlast me. I can't mentally manage more than two hours and he just won't give up, even if he is dripping with sweat and obviously exhausted. I have tried feeding and fussing my mare and ignoring him. I tried making a small paddock at the top of the field, herding him in and then withholding his feed for almost a week to see if he would get hungry enough to give up - didn't work (obviously he had grass, though not much). Needless to say I have tried all forms of food and bribery. You can't corner him as he panics and starts jumping fences or runs through people.

What on earth do I do with him? He has missed his vaccinations and his last farrier appointment. The vet has given me some ACP to see if making him dozy works, which I will try before the farrier comes again, but I'm convinced that even if he gets dozy he will wake right up as soon as I try to get near him. By the time the farrier comes again it will be 16 weeks since he had his feet trimmed, which I'm trying to convince myself won't kill him. I'm genuinely at a loss. I've known this horse for years and there has always been some trick that we can rely on to catch him, but none of our tried and trusty methods are working and to cap it all off I'm having to deal with him on my own as my sister is out of the country.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or has anyone had experience of a similar horse. Bear in mind he's more than just difficult to catch!
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Have you seeked a professional to help you?? lor learn to lasso him :D



I would try putting him restricted grazing maybe one near the yard so he is easier to corner. Failing that hobbles or tethering, personally i would not keep a horse who I could never catch, specially in emergencies or vaccinations etc.
 
I am delighted to report that my YO has texted me to say she was able to stroke and pat his neck today, after just two days in his small paddock. This is the first time this has been possible in months! I think what this tells me is that there was too much grass in his small paddock when we tried this before, so he didn't get hungry. If I hadn't been going home for Christmas and had been able to persevere for longer, it probably would have worked originally. YO has also only been letting him have his feed if he takes it by hand. I am going to go down after work tomorrow and if I can catch him I will let him out of his paddock in preparation for Thursday's horrendous weather as I want him to be able to shelter at the bottom of the field. Fingers crossed!
 
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