Not interested in coming in

[Champion1969]

Its been 4 days I've been trying to bring my 3 year old in, seems she's loving the grass too much, she's not even looking up, nearly everyone at the yard has had a go. I can see she is looking sound, should I leave her, till my bad finger gets better? Part of me says she's enjoying the grass and it will do her good, then the other part of me thinks she needs human contact, her Thuja tablets and a bit of a feed?

 

[AmyMay]

Are you actually unable to catch her?

 

[bumper]

I really think that a horse should be "catchable" at all times, and do feel that the more you try without success, the more you inadvertently "train" her not to be, unfortunately.
I appreciate that you can't be feeling all that well, and low on energy, due to your accident and nasty injury, but I do feel it's worth being very very persistent. Move her around, keep moving her, don't let her put her head down to eat. Eventually, you will get capitulation

 

[Polos Mum]

I like to get my hands on my out 24/7 horses once a day just to check them over properly. If you just leave her she might get more and more reluctant to be in human contact.

Lots of threads on here for tips to catch tricky ponys - all involve lots of time/ patients!

 

[niagaraduval]

I was always taught to stay out as long as it took. My boy can be a real ****** to catch and I sometimes have to spend hours out there just stood near him or chasing him about to finally let me catch him. It really can take hours sometimes. The last time was last week when they went out to the summer fields, I couldn't get near him. Ended up standing with my back to him and slowly taking a step closer to him with my back still turned. When finally close enough to touch him I would stroke his face or neck still with my back turned. Once I see he isn't planning on taking off I slowly turn around and continue stroking him whilst slipping a rope around his neck. If I take the headcollar it's worse, I usually leave it by the gate and slip it on at the gate.

It can sometimes be worse if you abandon as they think they have won and know it's only a matter of time before you will give up and leave them alone.

ADD - I kept my back turned because the minute I went to touch him facing him he would just run off and wouldn't even let me put my hand out to him. It only seems to work if I keep my back to him until I have managed to get hold of him.

 

[Honey08]

I totally agree with the above posters, however...

my husband has had an operation on his finger last week, and has a big cut down his finger that is painful and has to be kept perfectly clean for two weeks. I wouldn't want him doing the horses, even catching them, until then, so I can understand.

In this situation I would leave her be for a week, getting near enough to check over without her "winning a battle" then deal with it yourself when you're "sound" again.