Impossible to Catch Pony. Any ideas?

I had one like this I used to sit in the field and eat my lunch and just sit quietly russtling things and every time he came over just gave him a polo and then turned away let him walk off and the same again and then putting headcollar on and taking off etc :D
 
Every horse is different so never forget that what works for one will not work for another.

I have a shetland (like arabs very very bright!), he had a couple of weeks of being roughed up before I got him and has never forgotten it! He is not greedy in any way so food never worked, far too bright to go into a coral and lunge lines etc would have just caused an accident.

In the end I gave up and let him get on with it. I would open the gates and call while leading the others in and sure enough he would follow on and put himself to bed. I can now occasionally get him in with a head collar after following him around for 5 minutes but most of the time I just open the gates and let him get on with it while I get on with other jobs. In over ten years he has only ever wandered off once and that was round the back of the barn rather than into his stable and he came back and in when called. Everyone thinks I am mad (was poo picking on Sunday while he wandered in) but it works for us, neither of us get stressed and its all very calm and happy. Once in he is a duck and very loving.

I couldn't do this with the other shetland who is easy to catch (just need to put a hand in your pocket and he is there) as he would be off down the road in search of adventures and mayhem.

Some horses just like to make the decision themselves I guess?
 
I was just going to suggest what Paddydou has. Not herd him in but bring him in without any head collar if safe, even if you have to make a walkway by taping off exits? (those bungee lectric tape things are good??) do some join up with him so he is used to following you then just open the gate and walk off?? i do if with well not quite pony, 17.2 ISH, he does not have an 'issue' (he has many but this is not one) he is just a stubborn nightmare who thinks its hilarious (picture donkey from shrek and size if up 10 times = finn), we were able to make a walk way by taping off an exits, i just do them up as i go to get him, not that expensive, i can then herd him in myself. at the moment he has not come up with a way round it.

Please not give up on him, you sound like you are giving every chance and i think that is so admirable, there are a lot of little miss understood beasties out there that need people like you to get the best out of them! the fact he then goes and jumps amazing double clears with and for you obviously shows he loves you, at least he is putting as the effort into his work for you. good luck and keep us all posted.xx
 
Have you tried feeding him some treats just before and as you are putting the headcollar on, my horses are good to catch in the field but I always give them a treat when they are being caught, that way they always want to come in! their favourites are the Herb treats as they smell really strong, so you can lure them with them!

Also sometimes you could catch and bring in and not necessarily ride, but just groom or feed, so they aren't always associating the being brought in with doing work!

It's a shame that hewas mistreated in the past, and that is probably why he doesn't like being caught- I do hope you manage to get it sorted, good luck!
 
Our old pony was impossible to catch without a head collar on, he was perfect in every other way. He was very head shy, we believe that he was whacked over his poll as a youngster as he hated having the head collar passed over his poll when it was being done up. He was good to bridle though.

However, from time to time we would let him out without a head collar, as we didn't really like him having it on all day in the summer (he had the field safe head collars that would break easily if they got caught on anything). But we couldn't catch him without a head collar. ~One summer we couldn't catch him for 3 weeks! Despite trying everything, from bringing feed, treats, chasing him to tire him out, sectioning off bits of the field- it was a huge field he was in. We spent several hours chasing him round and round to tire him so he would then give up, but he was really, really fit!

In the end, some holiday liveries, suggested taking out all the horses out of the field, and then trying to catch him with food. There were around 15 horses in the field. We managed to get some liveries to help and it worked, he was easy to catch. That was the only way we could ever catch him without a head collar!
 
thankyou for alll the support guys :) touch wood, he's still be a good boy! Thuoght he might be funny this evening, but once we got his nosey, baby field friend out the way, and he saw his owner he was more than happy to come in!
While his owner was about we played about with some 'Join Up'. She said she'd done alot of it when she first got him as he was so untrusting and much too underweight to be ridden or anything. I think it went quite nicely, he now follows me round like a lost puppy :)
Only thing is, it could go either way from here onwards. With the prospect of snow (on the bucks/herts border so hopefully we won't get too much!) he will either decide he hates the cold and damp and lack of grass and wants to spend all his time in orrrr he's bored mindless of not enough work (school freezes the moment theres any cold!) and no competing and decide he's never coming in again if he has to be cooped up in his box.
Hopefully he'll go for the former! He's also picked up a funny new habit of making little noises when I bring his tack round...like others do for their feeds :/ Never had a horse do this, but I'm assuming it can only be a good thing and that he's enjoying his work :) haha bless him! xxx
 
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