New youngster wont let me catch him!

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Otimoo

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Hi everyone, i wonder if anyone can give me some advice? i bought a new horse on Saturday he is 18 months old, and has been handled but not too much.

Anyway i had him in a stable on the Saturday night to settle in as i didnt want to stick him out in a big field in the dark and not be able to see him and him not knowing where he is or where his boundaries are. he was fine in the stable very friendly and would come up to me no problem and if i sat in a corner he would come and stand by me with his head down at my level.

So the next day i gave him his breakfast and took him for a walk, all fine so i turned him out (as the plan was he would live out) i stayed with him for a while to check he settled in ok with the others he is only out with 2 shetties at the mo. he settled in fine and he kept walking up to me no probs so i took his headcollar off as i was worried if he got it caught on the fencing. and now he wont let me catch him! he will come up to me to get a carrot and i can stroke his face but i cant get any nearer to get head collar on or even leadrope round his neck!

i have tried getting him with food no luck even taking the others out of the field again no luck, any ideas on what i can do i am getting desperate! i dont really want to try making him follow the others as there is a good chance of him getting into one of the bigger fields.

PLEASE HELP ME! i know its my own fault for taking the headcollar off in the first place but he seemed fine
crazy.gif
 
OK I will probably get shot down for saying this but ho hum, it will/should work!

Try again for the next 2 days, it is not going to be detrimental to him to be out there either way, he will live. Do not feed him hay/feed in this period.

If all else still failing can you pen him in to a small ish area (not that small) again with no feed etc for a day let him feel a bit cold slow and poor, and try again.

I am probably sounding like the most evil person in the world but if it is THAT bad then it will work.

With youngsters the best thing to do re: catching (for future notice) is turn them out in a small area with headcollar and ensure they always come in to a feed. that way, going into a stable = food = easily catcheable neddy.
 
If he was mine i would get him in back into the stable asap and put his head collar bcak on in there. It may mean u have to heard him in with a friend or two (obviously try not to scare him too much in the process). Once the head collar is on, leave it on as the chances are he'll be alot easier to catch. Its likely that he's only ever had a head collar put on him once before and the same head collar has been left on since. You can buy field safe head collars that snap easily if the foal gets caught. Good luck!
 
I'm having a similar problem with my youngster atm - luckily I can fence off between my stables and his paddock with electric fencing where he can't escape (which I will be doing tonight!) so he will be coming in for breakfast & dinner from tonight onwards
 
Thanks everyone it is so frustrating!! i will have another go tonight as he will hopefully be hungry! i think i will try and pen him off or herd him in, i hope he will follow! thanks for your advice i will let you know if i ever manage to catch him!!!
 
My coblet did this when i first got her, she was 11 months at the time and completley tried it on with me!! like yours she would let me stroke her but as soon as she saw the halter she would run toss her head about and was anightmare!! so i made a tiny pen, one where she couldnt run from me! i coaxed her in it with food then tied it shut with elec tape, i then managed to get the halter on and it was easier as she couldnt run!! she did try to throw her head about but i just managed it, took me about an hour! then i left it on for a few weeks untill she trusted me/got to know me/stopped trying it on! spent lots of time grooming her etc then eventually took it off, 6 months later shes fine, can take it off and put it on and shes never done it since!!
Good luck, i know what its like!!!
 
Ah thanks milly spaniel/chestnut cob i will try that i was up there at 6 o'clock this morning trying to catch him! left at 7.30 soaking wet and still with no horse! when its on i definately wont be making the same mistake until he comes to me and basically puts the head collar on himself! he really is trying it on and he's a bit too wise for my liking and he's a big baby aswell at 18 months he stands at 15.2 so its hard to whip the leadrope round his neck as i need to put my arms up and he knows what i'm upto then! grrr, i will keep trying if you dont hear an update i am probably in a mental hospital sufering a break down!!
 
i actually wouldn't use food as then the day you try without a carrot you will be buggered!

i would simply walk him down, don't chase him but don't let him have time to settle and graze.

it may take 10 minutes, or an hour or 2, but once he has stood still approach his shoulder, give him a scratch and walk away a few paces.

then go to stroke him again and if he walks off, walk him down again.

keep doing this until you can walk up and scratch him without him running off.

then start with the headcollar. i find it easier to do with the head strap done up and the cheek clip undone if that makes sense?

so you pull it on like a bridle and means if they make a move you can hold the headcollar and it won't come off.

i have done this routine on anything i have had in that is difficult to catch (including youngsters) and it works a treat.
i have never had to spend more than a day doing it, even with really tough horses!
 
To be honest if it was me I would just leave him to settle for a bit. He's 18 months old probably the first time he's moved homes and is just a bit unsure of himself. If he's 18 months old do you really need to bring him in? Why not go out give him a stroke and a mint and then leave it at that for a bit?

I agree with Millitiger walking them down really is the best way. Mine used to be really bad when I first got her but has settled down now and is never a problem anymore.
 
With my youngsters I normally take a wheelbarrow out in the field and poo pick and just totally ignore them they are such nosey creatures they have to come over and have a look. I have a lump of bread or carrot give them a scratch and just walk away and then just push the wheelbarrow away from them and don't try and get them in.

I do the same again later and they generally come over for a nose but you need to change the focus from a wheelbarrow and not always have a treat until you can get it down to a nice scratch . It does work but you need to be patient to begin with they generally end up being a nuisance in the end and your can't get anything done!
 
I especially agree with the last few comments here. I've had more than my fare share of hard to catch ponis in the past (in more than one way!), and I find that perseverance is the key. I have never given up and left a field without the pony, EVER (unfortunately even when injured). If you leave, they know they just need to wait you out, or do 'that naughty thing' that made you leave the field without them the first time/last time. walking them down and 'monty roberts'ing' them would be worth a try.

Don't give up, these things are never easy.
 
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