please help(before I go insane)catching hysterical pony?!

My old pony was bad to catch (abused by previous owners so trusted nobody), I used to just make his stable up with his tea and everything and leave the gate open so he could take himself to bed. In the end used to just open the gate and he would just trot to his stable. Might be worth trying?
 
Not read all posts so apologies if this has been suggested. Could you make a permanent fenced corral area and scrape out the grass from this area. Put a large gate on one side and herd him into it and close the gate when he’s in. Possibly more chance of getting hold of him in there unless he opts to jump out...
 
I have never come across anything as bad as this pony but did once work at a riding school back in the 60's. We had a little 13hh native type pony that I really loved. Never had a problem with him until one day a child fell off him. I went to catch him and he spun round and backed up kicking out. We had to cadge some bread of a lady in a house nearby and bribe him. We also discovered that if he was turned out then was needed to come back in after what he considered too short a time he would pull the same stunt.
We would sometimes put a pony on the lawn to graze it down and one day it was his turn and a child went to try to talk to him. I managed to call them away before he kicked them thankfully. We had a driving whip in the tack room so I picked it up then went over to him, he did the usual, spun round and started kicking out. I used the whip just once round his heels. Stopped him in his tracks and he never did it again. He was too clever by half. He would also bully children who tried to groom him yet was a sweetheart with me.

Personally I have had several welsh and not had a problem with any off them, just lucky I guess after hearing about so many others. I would still love another welsh.
 
My first pony was a non catcher. One winter, fully clipped she refused to be caught. I spent more than an hor in the pitch dark walking a 20 acre field trying to get her. Gave up. It rained all night. Next morning I went up, and she was at the gate. I brought her in, changed her rug (no fancy lightweights, just canvas rugs then), and turned her out again.
That night, she was waiting at the gate, and I rarely had a problem after that.

Newest pony has massive catching issues. Have never caught him in the field, but he will come to the gate when the others are caught, and then you can get him. Currently to make life easy, there is a electric tape system at night which means you just open the gate and they come in and are posted into the correct stables. Sometimes he's first, sometimes he's last, but every time I do get hold of his rug and 'lead' him in, so we keep the connection established.
 
My fellow livery’s pony can be a sod to catch, usually when it’s wet and windy. Drives me absolutely mad, I can’t stand it! We usually employ the keep-him-moving approach, with the aim of herding him down to the gate where we have an electric fence safety zone that he’s usually dim enough to go into. Still struggle to catch him in there sometimes ? there seems to be no real solution, bar waiting for him to change his mind. You have my sympathies!
 
Could you do some 'brain' work with him if you have time?
Whilst I appreciate your stallion is only in work 1 or 2 more days a week more than the naughty one and yet still behaves, unfortunately some do seem to thrive on/need more work than others.
If you can do something like poles/football/trec/games type stuff to keep his brain occupied, it shouldn't necessarily make him too much fitter for your step daughter?

Have you tried a chain under the chin rather than over the nose? Or a thinner rope round the nose rather than a chain?
Something like this - https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-nylon-nylon-braided-rope-8mm-x-10m/1531336_BQ.prd
Though def wear gloves if using it as it can be slippery.

For catching, either herd him in if you can or walk away and leave him (if you can bear for the paddock to get more trashed!) Key is if you're in a hurry stop and force yourself to be slow and calm - pretty sure they pick up on it when you're rushing! It's ultimately quicker than then having them play up I guess.

You have my sympathy - nothing more irritating and always when you're in a hurry too!
 
In defence of welshes in general my other one is a sec B and is the easiest,calmest, quietest pony I’ve ever had! Nothing riles him, he never boils over, he’s the same every day bless him so they do exist lol!!!

the rig calm is a good idea abd I have some agnus castus (or angry cactus!) laying around I can try. He is very easily distracted by horses and is aware of mares more so than the stallion so it could be residual stallion problems...deffo worth a go!

I can’t muzzle him as that makes the galloping and kicking worse in as much as he won’t settle with it on at all and I thought he was going to have a heart attack from his running around the one time I tried :( he also does get hangry (?sore tummy) if his fibre is too restricted.

I think next time he won’t be caught for me I will try the penning and see how I feel, if he accepts it easily and my OH can do it then problem solved. If he looks like he might jump or barge out or kick more then I will go the one strike and out you stay and he can lump his horrible churned up field!!!

he was very relaxed when I topped up his hay and straw at 6pm but has just nearly gone over the top of OH in a panic (still had food left) which isn’t a new thing I just wonder where his head is at times!!! I swear Raf just rolls his eyes at him too like “MATE...WHAT are you doing?!”

He is the easiest soul to ride and the oddest one on the yard?!
 
chaps89 said:
Could you do some 'brain' work with him if you have time?
Whilst I appreciate your stallion is only in work 1 or 2 more days a week more than the naughty one and yet still behaves, unfortunately some do seem to thrive on/need more work than others.
If you can do something like poles/football/trec/games type stuff to keep his brain occupied, it shouldn't necessarily make him too much fitter for your step daughter?

Have you tried a chain under the chin rather than over the nose? Or a thinner rope round the nose rather than a chain?
Something like this - https://www.diy.com/departments/diall-nylon-nylon-braided-rope-8mm-x-10m/1531336_BQ.prd
Though def wear gloves if using it as it can be slippery.

For catching, either herd him in if you can or walk away and leave him (if you can bear for the paddock to get more trashed!) Key is if you're in a hurry stop and force yourself to be slow and calm - pretty sure they pick up on it when you're rushing! It's ultimately quicker than then having them play up I guess.

You have my sympathy - nothing more irritating and always when you're in a hurry too!
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missed this one..... has to be a chain as he will run through even a thin rope :(

the brain training is a good idea and his sharer does a lot of clicker training stuff at college so that could work well when she can’t hack :)
 
I’m another with a Welsh (B) that’s awful to catch! I just don’t. I have my paddocks arranged so she can bring herself in. The only time she wears a headcollar Is for farrier, vet and dentist and then it’s a case of getting her in the stable with a handful of hay then shutting the door. If I’m really unlucky we’ll do the wall of death round the stable for a while. She’s 26 now and I’ve owned her for 15 years. The others are all fine to catch. She wouldn’t dream of kicking me though so I wonder if you have a general lack of respect issue.
 
Sorry, nothing helpful to add, but have really enjoyed reading all the Welshie posts. All sooooo familiar. I once had a new groom on the yard who had done all sorts of Monty Roberts this and Parelli that, and what not, and was adamant that I was doing everything wrong by allowing my stroppy Section C to bring himself in as and when he was ready - I used to leave the gate open when I brought the others in, also Welshies, and he'd come in his own good time, check everyone else's stable and then go in to his own, but try to actually BRING him in with a headcollar on and you could be out there all day and all night. Anyway, she was convinced that it was all a training issue that she could resolve. Needless to say, after an entire week of drama and no actual work getting done, the pony won: headcollars were for babies and he absolutely wasn't having it. On another memorable occasion he dumped me in the sea and the to add insult to injury proceeded to free-school himself in a perfect 20m circle around me, going bananas if I dared to move. Well-meaning passers-by kept coming over to offer egg sanwiches and packets of Quavers (!!!) for me to tempt him with, but no, he made me follow him, at a distance of about six feet, for a humiliating, wet-booted trudge back to the lorry, where he promptly loaded himself up the ramp and started eating his hay.

He's Welsh. It's in the passport!

I've become more cunning since then and manage to outwit them occasionally, but mostly it's a drama a day.
 
Sorry, I am not helping at all here, but hopefully someone will take heart from all this...
There was another occasion where my sister was riding the uncatchable Section C in a WHP class and I was riding my other one. It was a qualifier for an NPS championship that I was desperate to qualify for. I jumped last and jumped the only clear of the class. Went to the second judge do my flat show, and just as I trotted away from the judge ,my other pony appeared at the side of us, without his saddle, bridle trailing about - he'd spun away from a 'helpful' steward with a clipboard while my sister was putting his saddle back on after stripping him, and had charged back into the ring to perform an impromptu tango with his stable mate! It took 20 minutes and a packet of Jacobs Cream Crackers to catch him, and to be fair, that was good going; he could easily have brought the entire show to a standstill. Our mum came dashing under the ring-ropes with said crackers, shouting, "Everybody stand still! He'll only be caught for his Grandma!" After that, the C I was riding was a little perturbed and couldn't settle in his flat show, so we ended up 2nd despite having jumped the only clear, and didn't qualify. I was stifling laughter as the judge handed me the 2nd place rosette, and she said, "I don't think I'd take it so well if someone else's pony had just cost me my qualifying position," to which I had to reply, "Well, actually, that one's my pony as well and this is a pretty normal day in my life." There are endless tales like this. It all sounds very Jill's Gymkhana and as though my sister and I were about 12. I was 44 and had had horses all my life. Nothing quite like a Section C for levelling you out!
 
Hallo2012 said:
none loaders and none catchers=THE PITS!!!! ugh :(
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Mine is perfect to catch but a nightmare to load. Her record was 5 and a half hours!! I couldn't give up because we where moving home from 200 miles away, but she made me want to leave her behind in fed up Ness. So I agree with this statement 100%
 
Im sure its the dragon blood!

my section C is an absolute angel, we are now week 15 of box rest and had to start ridden exercise, i just hopped on and went for a walk!
He is normally an absolute angel to catch but just occasionally he gets it into his head to not be caught. We have tried everything to catch him, best thing to do is just walk away and leave him to it. Try again in a few hours.
Welshies are too intelligent for thier own good sometimes
 
Hallo2012 said:
In defence of welshes in general my other one is a sec B and is the easiest,calmest, quietest pony I’ve ever had! Nothing riles him, he never boils over, he’s the same every day bless him so they do exist lol!!!

the rig calm is a good idea abd I have some agnus castus (or angry cactus!) laying around I can try. He is very easily distracted by horses and is aware of mares more so than the stallion so it could be residual stallion problems...deffo worth a go!

I can’t muzzle him as that makes the galloping and kicking worse in as much as he won’t settle with it on at all and I thought he was going to have a heart attack from his running around the one time I tried :( he also does get hangry (?sore tummy) if his fibre is too restricted.

I think next time he won’t be caught for me I will try the penning and see how I feel, if he accepts it easily and my OH can do it then problem solved. If he looks like he might jump or barge out or kick more then I will go the one strike and out you stay and he can lump his horrible churned up field!!!

he was very relaxed when I topped up his hay and straw at 6pm but has just nearly gone over the top of OH in a panic (still had food left) which isn’t a new thing I just wonder where his head is at times!!! I swear Raf just rolls his eyes at him too like “MATE...WHAT are you doing?!”

He is the easiest soul to ride and the oddest one on the yard?!
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My sister's is also a devil to catch and is also a Welsh (D). I once couldn't catch him for 3 months! I found penning was the only thing that worked. He will jump out if panicked so I had to be very careful and very slow about it. I used to start with a large pen that took up the width of the field (fortunately both my summer and winter field were long and narrow!) and started about 20 metres away from the gate (so essentially I was just running 1 strand of electric tape across the whole field). I had to leave a fairly wide entrance for him or he wouldn't go in! Then I'd bring his field companion in, leaving a feed for him in the pen. Once he was in the pen (he loves his companion so always followed) and eating the feed, I would sneak back past and close the entrance. Then I'd start reducing the size of the pen. I had to do it pretty slowly so as not to panic him. The pen needed to be roughly stable sized before I could catch him, but it always worked! It's not the quickest method, but the only one I found that consistently worked. I'm on a different yard now with an easier set up, as I can let him out of the field to follow up to the stables when I bring his companion in. If there's a feed involved he will always go in his stable eventually, so it's much easier and quicker!
 
meleeka said:
I’m another with a Welsh (B) that’s awful to catch! I just don’t. I have my paddocks arranged so she can bring herself in. The only time she wears a headcollar Is for farrier, vet and dentist and then it’s a case of getting her in the stable with a handful of hay then shutting the door. If I’m really unlucky we’ll do the wall of death round the stable for a while. She’s 26 now and I’ve owned her for 15 years. The others are all fine to catch. She wouldn’t dream of kicking me though so I wonder if you have a general lack of respect issue.
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I wouldn’t say so as he’s very polite with grooming/washing/clipping/standing at the block etc. He will hold his front legs out for me to clip armpits and lower head on command, he’s good to rug and picking up feet and he’s very easy to hold away from home-no spinning or pushing etc it’s just these two field related issues (he’s fine leading around the yard it’s just coming in he can mess around)

I wouldn’t say he’s disrespectful at all he just gets in a flap acts like he’s expecting a beating but I know he never has been, odd!
 
My mini can be a sod to catch. If she's being a pain, I catch my other mare and bring her in. Then I go in and have a cup of tea. Guaranteed every time mini will be stood at the gate waiting to come in when i go back out!

It is the most frustrating thing though especially when you are in a rush!
 
Dynamo said:
Sorry, nothing helpful to add, but have really enjoyed reading all the Welshie posts. All sooooo familiar. I once had a new groom on the yard who had done all sorts of Monty Roberts this and Parelli that, and what not, and was adamant that I was doing everything wrong by allowing my stroppy Section C to bring himself in as and when he was ready - I used to leave the gate open when I brought the others in, also Welshies, and he'd come in his own good time, check everyone else's stable and then go in to his own, but try to actually BRING him in with a headcollar on and you could be out there all day and all night. Anyway, she was convinced that it was all a training issue that she could resolve. Needless to say, after an entire week of drama and no actual work getting done, the pony won: headcollars were for babies and he absolutely wasn't having it. On another memorable occasion he dumped me in the sea and the to add insult to injury proceeded to free-school himself in a perfect 20m circle around me, going bananas if I dared to move. Well-meaning passers-by kept coming over to offer egg sanwiches and packets of Quavers (!!!) for me to tempt him with, but no, he made me follow him, at a distance of about six feet, for a humiliating, wet-booted trudge back to the lorry, where he promptly loaded himself up the ramp and started eating his hay.

He's Welsh. It's in the passport!

I've become more cunning since then and manage to outwit them occasionally, but mostly it's a drama a day.
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Sorry Dynamo - but I am having such trouble trying to stop laughing at this!!!!:D:D
 
Hallo2012 said:
He is the easiest soul to ride and the oddest one on the yard?!
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How are you getting on? You described mine perfectly with this comment.
Mines just started going back out, small paddock with minimal grass and has already started getting into his bad catching ways. I can’t leave him out, hes recovering from a tendon injury (from being a prat in the field) so have to get him in some way or another as he could easily re injure it. Friend couldn’t get near him today and text me with the words ‘Oh, well hes turned into a wild Dragon and won’t come anywhere near me. He won’t take treats or a feed either’ grrrr.

He makes me so mad I could easily rehome him at times, its so so irritating. I’m going to make an electric fenced off ‘pen’ this evening by the gate, so I can herd him into it and shut it then grab him. That’s usually how I’ve had to catch him previously and within a day he tends to learn what to do and when I walk behind him, he walks into the pen on his own. Hope it works.. can’t be dealing with this.

Hes very odd, for instance. Can’t just walk up to him and grab him he’ll act terrified. If the lead rope is clipped on his left side he panics but his right side hes fine. If the lead rope is dragged on the floor in the field like a ‘snake’ he freaks out, yet on the yard he doesn’t care!
 
My first pony was a b!tch to catch, the only person who could get her was my Dad who she seemed to like. In the end my Dad would catch and tether her before going to work and I would get her by starting at the tethering stake and moving along the chain until I got to her head. I sustained many catching injuries including massive kick bruises and having my thumb nail bitten right through. I'd like to say she was a dream to ride but she wasn't; she bucked like a bronco and had me on the floor nearly every time I rode. Inexplicably I loved her to bits and she never put me off riding.
 
well we have had mostly good days since this but no real logic as to why. I have been putting him a bit more hay and straw mix out to nibble in case it was hysterical hanger but tbh he was leaving some anyway and he has only thought about doing it twice since- the first time my OH walked away, poo picked, tried again and got him and this Tue he wouldn't let me approach from his left but let me come up on the right and slip the headcollar on from that side(buckles on both sides thankfully!) like you say he acts for all the world like he expects a beating????? He was then also an idiot to walk in, passaging and snorting and flinching? my retired neighbour confirms NOTHING ever happens whilst he's out-he can see my whole fields from his garden so its not like anything has spooked him, says he just randomly sets sail some days.

however he saves his bacon under saddle as he hacked in a full on gale after being ridden once since xmas and was foot perfect for step daughter so i cant fault him in that respect!!!!

so for now we will continue the one strike and walk away and see if the lessons is learnt or not.

(i did have a 15 min sit on him last week and he feels fine under saddle, straight, sound, eager, but not tense)
 
could you try only handling him on the right hand side for a while and see if he is better to lead in from the right side. i know it feels wrong for us but maybe his sight isnt very good on the left so he gets anxious. worth a try
 
Hallo2012 said:
this Tue he wouldn't let me approach from his left but let me come up on the right and slip the headcollar on from that side(buckles on both sides thankfully!) like you say he acts for all the world like he expects a beating????? He was then also an idiot to walk in, passaging and snorting and flinching? my retired neighbour confirms NOTHING ever happens whilst he's out-he can see my whole fields from his garden so its not like anything has spooked him, says he just randomly sets sail some days.
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Sounds so so similar to mine, who I can confirm also hasn't had a beating his entire life and owned from a youngster knowing his previous owner who bought as a 5 month colt. Does yours act riggy at all OP?

Mines only been out a few times as recovering from a tendon injury, but decided to ask a friend to get him in today as hes been so calm but today he had 2 mares in the field next door. Well.. Worst idea ever, because she couldn't get near him and he turned into a 'wild dragon' as she described on her text. I got him in at lunch time, well, I walked down the track. He called at me, ran over. Stood at the gate all happy, my dad actually said aww look hes happy to see you. Well, as soon as I went under the fence he ran away. So I played him at his game, just kept walking towards him but herding him towards the gate. When he stopped, I stopped. He was cantering, skidding, bronking (great to do with an injured tendon that’s just recovered) even when I just stood still and then he suddenly stopped and walked over, licking and chewing. Managed to lead him in, but like you said OP he was acting like he’d been abused and terrified. Snorting, trotting sideways. Tendon feels ok, no swelling but the field. Wow.. the field looks like 50 wild horses have cantered in circles for 3 hours. It was immaculate this morning.

I think I know what it is now and what triggers it.. The skid marks are all towards the mares field. As if hes trying to get in with them?! Hes quite ‘riggy’ in behaviour in general and is obsessed with the mare and filly next door. Mares also love him, every mare on the yard loves him. Hes known as the ‘stud’ because they all just idolise him. I should get him rig tested really although hes never had any interest in mounting them (was turned out with mares a couple of years ago) and my vet before wasn’t concerned, he did have 2 testicals removed as a yearling but hes always had a thing for mares and thinking of it, this triggered the bad to catch issue originally.

It seems it was those he didn’t want to leave and is now going frantic in his stable calling to them (although for 3 months box rest he didn’t call once)

Wonder if you can buy any ‘rig’ supplements? Sorry to hijack the forum OP.. but wonder if it would be worth trying!
 
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He was gelded at 5 and covered before gelding, he does act colty and is far more tricky to handle around other horses than my actual stallion lol!

he wont eat agnus castus in his feed but syringing it down didnt improve his behaviour sadly :( but i would say deffo worth a try for you as its not mega ££££ and may work differently on yours :)
 
Hallo2012 said:
he wont eat agnus castus in his feed but syringing it down didnt improve his behaviour sadly :( but i would say deffo worth a try for you as its not mega ££££ and may work differently on yours :)
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Ha! They are funny. You'd think mine was a stallion, I've been asked before if he is. My old YO said about getting him rig tested 3 years ago but the vet kinda palmed it off. Its only just made me think about it because of how he was today and how desperate he was to get to the mares. They all melt at his feet too, which makes it worse. He must be like David Beckham but horse version.

Thank you.. worth trying! Mines a major fuss pot though, so might have to disguise it...
 
Aren't welshy's a delight??? :p

My old C stallion would only be caught by my daughter. From the age of 3 to 14 (Daughter's age) I would send her in to the field with his lead role, she'd give him a scratch and put the rope round his neck. Then I could follow in and put the head collar on him. If I went straight in he would stay just about arms length away. He was an angel in ever other way but being caught.

Have you got a small person you can send in to play/scratch catch him?
 
My Welshy could also be a nightmare to catch on occasion. 99% of the time he was fab but when he started, it rarely ended quickly! He thought it was brilliant fun and the more I tried to walk him down the more he thought it was a giant game of chase. He'd trot round me in 5m circles and the second I took a step towards him he'd b***** off to the other end of the field, wait for me to get there then go back. The only thing that worked with mine was to write that day off, walk away and come back with a chair, a bucket (needs to be tall so a water bucket not a feed skip) with feed in it and a book. I'd put the bucket on the floor then put the chair down over it so he could see and smell the food but couldn't get his head in the bucket. I'd then sit down and read my book. Within a few minutes curiosity would get the better of him and he'd be sniffing around. I'd completely ignore him for about 10 minutes until he was absolutely desperate for the feed then get up and take everything away without even looking at him. The next day he'd see my car pull up and would be at the gate before me. The other horses in the field showed some interest sometimes but that only increased his curiosity. They'd normally get bored and wander off sooner or later when they realised they weren't getting the food.

I'm not sure it would work with yours if he's likely to kick you though!
 
Thats the Angus Cactus liquid ordered.. be interesting to see if it makes any difference.

Mine is definitely worse when the mares are in the field next door and he definitely starts acting 'riggier' so worth a try for £20!
 
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