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

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Hallo2012

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just looking for ideas really anything i may not have thought of and if no new ideas, what on earth do i do!!!

background: pony is a 13hh 13yo sec C gelding. Gelded at 5 and WAS used before gelding and he has retained the hysterical and bolshy mannerisms that saw him gelded (although thankfully lost the rearing around with 5 legs issue!) we didnt breed or geld him, we bought him two years ago as a first pony and in many respects he does that job superbly as he is never fresh or silly to ride, he can have weeks off and then hack out in a gale, pops a small fence, does farm and beach rides and has never spun, reared, bucked etc.
he's a gem to clip and load so he has MANY plus points.

BUT.....he has two hugely irritating bad points and having tried everything i know, i'm at my wits end.

Not every day, probably twice a week on average he can be an idiot to catch and an idiot to lead (not always linked).

he will gallop up to the gate flat out kicking and squealing but then just keep running and spinning, refuse to be caught and will kick out if you persist. Normally if i can get in the field and get on the approach to him with a treat its ok, its mainly if he spots you first and once he gets like this he cannot be talked off the ledge, on some days we have had to herd him from the field in to a moving pen of electric and then herd him to the stable, its that bad!!!

theres only him and one other pony and he's worse if left till last (other pony doesnt care and ignores him)

food doesnt work as he will either craftily nick a handfull then spin and kick or ignore it totally and leaving a headcollar on doesnt help as he will just wrench away from you, spin and kick even with a long catch strap.

He's the same summer or winter not weather/grass related and he can do it after an hour out or 7 hours out, no pattern.

in the summer i will just keep him walking and moving, not grazing and eventually (30-40 min) he will cave. Harder in the winter as i am on clay so he makes a huge mess running around and i cannot physically run quick enough in wellies and mud to stop him eating, so it doesnt work as well.

as much as anything i am at my wits end as to WHY?!

he barely works, on average one hack and one school per week and a good variety of stuff (poles, jumps, beach etc) so 99% of the time he only comes in to be fed! He's my step daughters pony so she only rides him every other weekend and a lovely local girl hacks him once or twice the other week. Easy life lol!

saddle fits, teeth up to date.

he has a weighed portion of hay and then ad lib straw chaff year round as he's a fatty so cant have ad lib hay but he has straw in the stable and field all the time n addition to the hay or grass (and field does still have plenty of rough grass on it) and he DOES eat it, so i dont think hes hangry?

he's in a separate field to the other pony (as mine is a stallion and plays VERY rough) but tbh when he was in a field with another horse at previous yard he was worse and very quickly became impossible to separate at all........he is generally very clingy, if he's in the wash box and is left whilst you go to get something he will throw himself around like an idiot and has snapped the ties twice even if the other pony is in stable next door!

He is always led with a chain over the nose otherwise some days he can be caught easily and THEN decide to naf off over my garden and i do think this makes it worse as he doesnt like the chain over his nose but its the only thing that will stop him in hand (he is snaffle mouthed to ride at all times!) and of course once he goes, he's then spinning and kicking and cant be caught for hours :(

he is as bad with a bridle as a chain, ie some days you can get it on fine and other days he will spin and kick away.

Im probably making him sound utterly horrible but im at the end of my tether after nipping home on my lunch break to get them both in, taking 6 minutes to catch and rug the 5yo stallion and then spending 25 mins weeping in the mud trying to catch this idiot! and i had to leave him so he will be churning the field in to oblivion by time i get back :(

previous owners didnt have this issue but their fields had NO grass so suspect he was always keen to come in for food.

I know all his previous owners and his breeders, all lovely kind people i dont think he's ever been knocked around so not sure where the turning and kicking comes from.

(i think it feels even worse as mine is so easy!anyones toddler or granny could catch him and rug him and mess with him, hes soft as anything so he makes Cedric look horrendous by comparison, and some days it feels VERY hard work dealing with him.....)

any clever ideas? its my own yard so i can try most things. I would say he's generally happy...until he's not and then he loses the plot (but NEVER under saddle). The stallion is very chill and totally ignores him all the time, never neighs to him or gallops around so its not like they wind each other up.

help.please :(
 
He certainly knows how to wind you up, I would be the same crying in frustration when they behave so badly for no good reason, I have had a few tricky ones but they all became ok over time, this sounds as if it is well past that even though he is generally easy and settled, my way forward if possible would be to set up a passage from field to stable and let him bring himself in to a token feed every day but have it set so once in it you can follow him with a section of tape in case he tries to turn back half way, that avoids both catching and leading but may not be suitable depending on your layout, it is a bit of a cop out but sometimes you just need to make life easy.
 
Hallo2012 said:
he will gallop up to the gate flat out kicking and squealing but then just keep running and spinning, refuse to be caught and will kick out if you persist.
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My Welsh is SO similar to what you describe. I've felt like you endless times.I am sure its breed related.

Although the issue with mine is he'd see me, gallop to the gate calling at me. Once I go in the gate, he'll spin and bugger off. There was then NO way catching him, I mean, you could try ANY method it did not work. It didn't matter if he was in work, out of work. Sometimes he'd be easy and put his head down but it completely depended how he felt. I remember going up in my dinner break, caught my cob within seconds. Heavy rain and freezing, couldn't catch the prat of a welsh. He was doing laps of the field, but wouldn't come within 200 yards of me. I gave up and left him out but had texts to say he was going mental so another lady eventually got him in. I've owned him since a youngster, previous owner was lovely and never had a issue but never had lots of grazing. He wasn't like it when i bought him as a youngster and moved him, he was in a herd with a gelding extremely bad to catch and that gelding turned into his 'best' friend so I am sure its all learnt behavior.

It was always worse in a herd or on a lot of grass, grass is the main issue and he is a pig so I am sure its not wanting to come off the grass. I couldn't catch him for 3 days previously as he went into a new field with grass up to his knees. Even when we took everything out, still couldn't catch him! I moved from that yard as it was so so stressful.

I now have my own paddocks, and found keeping him on minimal grass helped hugely. I've now lost my other one so not sure what he'll be like on his own but having him on minimal grass (give haylage in winter) makes life so much easier with the catching side of things.

Could you try giving him a smaller field and much less grass?
 
be positive said:
He certainly knows how to wind you up, I would be the same crying in frustration when they behave so badly for no good reason, I have had a few tricky ones but they all became ok over time, this sounds as if it is well past that even though he is generally easy and settled, my way forward if possible would be to set up a passage from field to stable and let him bring himself in to a token feed every day but have it set so once in it you can follow him with a section of tape in case he tries to turn back half way, that avoids both catching and leading but may not be suitable depending on your layout, it is a bit of a cop out but sometimes you just need to make life easy.
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i probably could do this although OH will moan about fencing all over the place lol, but i just cannot cope with the silly stress of it when ive got an exact 30 min to get them in and dog walked and then i have to go back to work. he always chooses the worst days!!!!
 
ForbiddenHorse said:
My Welsh is SO similar to what you describe. I am sure its breed related. Although the issue with mine is he'd see me, gallop to the gate calling at me. Once I go in the gate, he'll spin and bugger off. There was then NO way catching him, I mean, you could try ANY method it did not work. It didn't matter if he was in work, out of work. Sometimes he'd be easy and put his head down but it completely depended how he felt. I remember going up in my dinner break, caught my cob within seconds. Heavy rain and freezing, couldn't catch the prat of a welsh. He was doing laps of the field, but wouldn't come within 200 yards of me. I gave up and left him out but had texts to say he was going mental so another lady got him in. It was always worse in a herd or on a lot of grass, grass is the main issue. I couldn't catch him for 3 days before as he went into a new field with grass up to his knees. Even when we took everything out, still couldn't catch him! I moved from that yard as it was so so stressful.

I now have my own paddocks, and found keeping him on minimal grass helped hugely. I've now lost my other one so not sure what he'll be like on his own but having him on minimal grass (give haylage in winter) makes life so much easier with the catching side of things.

Could you try giving him a smaller field and much less grass?
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thanks thats exactly how he is, desperate to come in but wont come near me!!!

in summer he is on a small (20 x 20m approx) bare patch with soaked hay and ad lib straw and he can still be exact same :( if he didnt have the straw and was hungry i think it would work but thats horrible for him.

in winter i struggle as it gets so muddy, he's on about 1/4 acre of rough grass and it will be quite bare by the end of next month but by Feb he needs to be eating less grass and more straw anyway ready for spring but it doesnt make any difference catching wise sadly.

i do think in some way its food related as he will sometimes start rearing at the back of the stable when i take hay in (even if he has loads left!) but im not sure what is going on in his head.
 
Not sure it would be helpful or not but there is a series on Horse and Country at the mo all about catching techniques, there are a few in the series so bound to be loads of extra ideas (you would hope anyway) worth a look maybe?
 
I’d get him in more work daily. He’s probably bored out of his mind being alone and the only entertainment he is getting is taking the mick out of you. I don’t think a field buddy will help as you will just end up with two running but I’d try and do at least a ground work session with him every day and get him taught to be more respectful in a calm manner.
 
Hallo2012 said:
thanks thats exactly how he is, desperate to come in but wont come near me!!!

in summer he is on a small (20 x 20m approx) bare patch with soaked hay and ad lib straw and he can still be exact same :( if he didnt have the straw and was hungry i think it would work but thats horrible for him.
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Sounds so similar and after writing on a Welsh cob group a few years ago, it seems there are thousands in the breed the same. I spent hours trying so much techniques, nothing worked and people didn't believe me until they saw how bad he could be. Its weird as he has excellent manners in general. A vet said the Welshes are to clever for their own good.

I'd recommend @be positive's way then in honesty. It does work as previously when I couldn't catch him the only way we got him was by making a pen by the gate, then herding him into a pen area. He soon learnt if he didn't let me catch him, he'd be herded anyway so would just run to the pen and wait there. Then when I secured him in the pen I could catch him easily but he'd sometimes shake. Then he'd suddenly calm down like nothing happened. No idea why, never been hurt, hes literally lived the nicest life.. what goes on in their heads we'll never know!
 
Hallo2012 said:
just looking for ideas really anything i may not have thought of and if no new ideas, what on earth do i do!!!

background: pony is a 13hh 13yo sec C gelding. Gelded at 5 and WAS used before gelding and he has retained the hysterical and bolshy mannerisms that saw him gelded (although thankfully lost the rearing around with 5 legs issue!) we didnt breed or geld him, we bought him two years ago as a first pony and in many respects he does that job superbly as he is never fresh or silly to ride, he can have weeks off and then hack out in a gale, pops a small fence, does farm and beach rides and has never spun, reared, bucked etc.
he's a gem to clip and load so he has MANY plus points.

BUT.....he has two hugely irritating bad points and having tried everything i know, i'm at my wits end.

Not every day, probably twice a week on average he can be an idiot to catch and an idiot to lead (not always linked).

he will gallop up to the gate flat out kicking and squealing but then just keep running and spinning, refuse to be caught and will kick out if you persist. Normally if i can get in the field and get on the approach to him with a treat its ok, its mainly if he spots you first and once he gets like this he cannot be talked off the ledge, on some days we have had to herd him from the field in to a moving pen of electric and then herd him to the stable, its that bad!!!

theres only him and one other pony and he's worse if left till last (other pony doesnt care and ignores him)

food doesnt work as he will either craftily nick a handfull then spin and kick or ignore it totally and leaving a headcollar on doesnt help as he will just wrench away from you, spin and kick even with a long catch strap.

He's the same summer or winter not weather/grass related and he can do it after an hour out or 7 hours out, no pattern.

in the summer i will just keep him walking and moving, not grazing and eventually (30-40 min) he will cave. Harder in the winter as i am on clay so he makes a huge mess running around and i cannot physically run quick enough in wellies and mud to stop him eating, so it doesnt work as well.

as much as anything i am at my wits end as to WHY?!

he barely works, on average one hack and one school per week and a good variety of stuff (poles, jumps, beach etc) so 99% of the time he only comes in to be fed! He's my step daughters pony so she only rides him every other weekend and a lovely local girl hacks him once or twice the other week. Easy life lol!

saddle fits, teeth up to date.

he has a weighed portion of hay and then ad lib straw chaff year round as he's a fatty so cant have ad lib hay but he has straw in the stable and field all the time n addition to the hay or grass (and field does still have plenty of rough grass on it) and he DOES eat it, so i dont think hes hangry?

he's in a separate field to the other pony (as mine is a stallion and plays VERY rough) but tbh when he was in a field with another horse at previous yard he was worse and very quickly became impossible to separate at all........he is generally very clingy, if he's in the wash box and is left whilst you go to get something he will throw himself around like an idiot and has snapped the ties twice even if the other pony is in stable next door!

He is always led with a chain over the nose otherwise some days he can be caught easily and THEN decide to naf off over my garden and i do think this makes it worse as he doesnt like the chain over his nose but its the only thing that will stop him in hand (he is snaffle mouthed to ride at all times!) and of course once he goes, he's then spinning and kicking and cant be caught for hours :(

he is as bad with a bridle as a chain, ie some days you can get it on fine and other days he will spin and kick away.

Im probably making him sound utterly horrible but im at the end of my tether after nipping home on my lunch break to get them both in, taking 6 minutes to catch and rug the 5yo stallion and then spending 25 mins weeping in the mud trying to catch this idiot! and i had to leave him so he will be churning the field in to oblivion by time i get back :(

previous owners didnt have this issue but their fields had NO grass so suspect he was always keen to come in for food.

I know all his previous owners and his breeders, all lovely kind people i dont think he's ever been knocked around so not sure where the turning and kicking comes from.

(i think it feels even worse as mine is so easy!anyones toddler or granny could catch him and rug him and mess with him, hes soft as anything so he makes Cedric look horrendous by comparison, and some days it feels VERY hard work dealing with him.....)

any clever ideas? its my own yard so i can try most things. I would say he's generally happy...until he's not and then he loses the plot (but NEVER under saddle). The stallion is very chill and totally ignores him all the time, never neighs to him or gallops around so its not like they wind each other up.

help.please :(
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It does seem as if he might be bored with so little work and is therefore making up his own games. Are you able to call his bluff? By that I mean you go to catch him and he has that one chance to comply. If not you turn, walk away and leave him to it. No feed, no hay. Next day repeat - and repeat until he gets the message. If you are happy that his diet is not being seriously compromised by this then it wd be worth trying it out. You certainly seem to have tried everything else!!
 
I can't help but I want to say how much I sympathise. My first horse forty years ago wouldn't be caught and nothing winds me up more.


.
 
ycbm said:
I can't help but I want to say how much I sympathise. My first horse forty years ago wouldn't be caught and nothing winds me up more.


.
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It is the most frustrating thing ever. I have written many 'sell' adverts for my Welsh before, purely because of his erratic personality but never published them. I love and hate him at the same time...
 
Trouper said:
It does seem as if he might be bored with so little work and is therefore making up his own games. Are you able to call his bluff? By that I mean you go to catch him and he has that one chance to comply. If not you turn, walk away and leave him to it. No feed, no hay. Next day repeat - and repeat until he gets the message. If you are happy that his diet is not being seriously compromised by this then it wd be worth trying it out. You certainly seem to have tried everything else!!
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I:m inclined to agree, although i now this isn't how you like to keep your horses (and that's fine!)
i have a couple of horses that like to throw a bit of crap my way at catch in time. The old man HAS to come in, and it's not a massive issue, as he's easy to catch. He sometimes throws an enormous wobbly if he thinks i'm being too slow - rearing, bucking, screaming and generally throwing himself around at the gate (he has been known to throw himself on the floor if he's really cross!) I don't go into the field until he's standing nicely, and if he starts again, I go back out, close the gate and wait til he settles. The other one can be a complete arse to catch, and i have implemented a one strike and you're out method - if he doesn't come to the gate, and let me clip his rope on, or he runs when i go to clip the rope on - I walk away and leave him out overnight, which he doesn't like at all!
Both of them have learned that dicking about isn't going to get them anywhere (literally!)
 
equi said:
I’d get him in more work daily. He’s probably bored out of his mind being alone and the only entertainment he is getting is taking the mick out of you. I don’t think a field buddy will help as you will just end up with two running but I’d try and do at least a ground work session with him every day and get him taught to be more respectful in a calm manner.
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i am hoping once the weather gets better his sharer will do more again, she was doing 3/4 days a week hacking over last summer. I struggle to do more myself as i have mine and 2 jobs so a night to mess with him is rare (but obviously i make sure he is 100% looked after and fussed, he isnt just ignored)

however the other side of that coin is that i dont want him super fit for when step daughter does ride him and tbh mine was only working 3 days a week last year so only one more day and is the model of good behavior??
 
ForbiddenHorse said:
Sounds so similar and after writing on a Welsh cob group a few years ago, it seems there are thousands in the breed the same. I spent hours trying so much techniques, nothing worked and people didn't believe me until they saw how bad he could be. Its weird as he has excellent manners in general. A vet said the Welshes are to clever for their own good.

I'd recommend @be positive's way then in honesty. It does work as previously when I couldn't catch him the only way we got him was by making a pen by the gate, then herding him into a pen area. He soon learnt if he didn't let me catch him, he'd be herded anyway so would just run to the pen and wait there. Then when I secured him in the pen I could catch him easily but he'd sometimes shake. Then he'd suddenly calm down like nothing happened. No idea why, never been hurt, hes literally lived the nicest life.. what goes on in their heads we'll never know!
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yes i think im going to put some tape in to the hedge (neatly) so i can herd him on to the small hard area just inside the gate and then pull the tape behind me?
 
Auslander said:
I:m inclined to agree, although i now this isn't how you like to keep your horses (and that's fine!)
i have a couple of horses that like to throw a bit of crap my way at catch in time. The old man HAS to come in, and it's not a massive issue, as he's easy to catch. He sometimes throws an enormous wobbly if he thinks i'm being too slow - rearing, bucking, screaming and generally throwing himself around at the gate (he has been known to throw himself on the floor if he's really cross!) I don't go into the field until he's standing nicely, and if he starts again, I go back out, close the gate and wait til he settles. The other one can be a complete arse to catch, and i have implemented a one strike and you're out method - if he doesn't come to the gate, and let me clip his rope on, or he runs when i go to clip the rope on - I walk away and leave him out overnight, which he doesn't like at all!
Both of them have learned that dicking about isn't going to get them anywhere (literally!)
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nope you've got a point! i was forced to leave him today at 1.30pm and he came in like at lamb at 4.30pm for my OH but i had said if he didnt BEG to come in, to leave him out and i think i may try this a few times and see.
 
You don’t want to come in? Fine, you can stay out, your choice. And mean it. Go back after a few hours,( or the next morning) and again he gets one chance. Might mean a bit of a trashed field tho so maybe fence a smaller area that you can sacrifice.
 
I also sympathise Fatty (sect C) can be a complete idiot at bringing in time which sets Rose off. He is normally absolutely fine to catch but just occasionally he will gallop up closely followed by Rose, snorting fire as she demands to be the first in. Today OH and I stood at the gate with the pair of them behaving like complete loons as Fatty wouldn't let OH catch him and I couldn't get hold of Rose because she was bucking and kicking out at Fatty. Just a horrible accident waiting to happen. Eventually OH managed to get a lead rope on Fatty and I managed to get Rose who is polite once she has a head collar on. I just hate it, we have just discussed putting them in the same field but separate however that means moving to another field as I can't do this with the winter field. bloody horses, most of the time it's fine until it isn't!
 
How frustrating for you! Nothing worse than a horse that won't be caught, it's enough to drive you mad!! My welsh A is extremely quirky, he can be quite territorial about food, and has been known to be a pain to catch if there is plenty of food. Luckily he is fairly routine orientated, and hates bad weather, so as long as there is more food inside than out, he will always comply.

I would suggest at this point tough love... If he won't be caught the first time, then he gets left for at least a couple of hours. Then try again, if the same thing happens, leave him. Not nice for him to be left, but you've pretty much exhausted all the 'nicely nicely' options! If he does let you catch him and lead him in, maybe give a treat once the head collar is on? So a clear distinction between 'bad' which gets totally ignored, and 'good', which is rewarded.

Good luck!
 
I think I'd either go down BP's route and skirt round the issue, or else as suggested leave him to it a few times and see if he can learn that it's better to just get on board with your routine.

I also sympathise, my first pony was an absolute arse to catch, there were days when I had to get the farmer to pin her into a corner of the stable with a spare gate because I couldn't catch her in there either! God knows what made me want to keep going with horses because the tears of frustration shed over that were endless :p She was another sneaky one that could grab a bucket and then turn her heels on you. So hard to manage.
 
Not a solution, but I have a Welsh A that is a pratt. His only amusement is to do the opposite of what you want, he will dodge through any space, knock things over, escapes and heads for the roses or anything you do not want him to eat or the only occasion he got out through the main gate trotted a mile down the middle of the road. He has been the same since he was 3 and he is now 24. He was a second pony, hunts , drives and is the perfect off roader,and he is never going to dump a child.
My theory is that they are just too inteligent, life in a field is boring, all the other ponies are annoyed by him and he is left to graze on his own, so they are left looking for drama or any reaction to entertain them. I would try and electric fence box around the gate that you can close behind him or leave him to get hungry in the day and he is only fed when he comes in. Mine likes children because they are have the same sense of humour.
 
My god that sounds frustrating :eek:

Hard to know from a forum post what he's really like personality wise but there is a type of (predominantly) gelding that has an art and a love for the melodramatic and ridiculous. They seem to derive much amusement from having random bouts of being a tit, and they always know when you're short on time or patience. I have one such creature, who while never difficult to catch in the field, can escape from most enclosures I put him in, but only does so when you're there and he can then tear round while you chase pointlessly after him like something from a cheesy comedy film. Subsequently all antics get ignored, while I loudly make feeds for the other (well behaved) horses or similar. He soon gets over himself and comes in, but if I went traipsing around after him I would be there for hours, sobbing and swearing in equal measure.

Mine also does the random melodrama stuff in the stable, like spooking when I go to throw a rug on him once every so often. It's not just humans though - he will go out of his way to wind the other horses up in the field. On the plus side, as a result of him my mares are pretty much bomb proof to random loose horses coming flying up the side of them...they don't even lift their heads to look at him anymore.
 
I also have a Welsh D who can be a swine to catch. He once wouldn't be caught for a week! Then just one day walked up to the gate and stood looking over it as if to say why have you forgotten me ?

I'll never forget one memorable cold either Christmas or Boxing day but he would not be caught, got all the others in yet he was stood in the far corner without a care in the world! Eventually YO and a couple of others opened the gate to help herd him in as he was clipped so it was far too cold for him to be out alone though may have given him 2nd thoughts! Hes also done similar when I was allowed to open the gate into a smaller field to the one he was in, to allow him to hopefully come through the gate into a more manageable field. Well after a lot of hanging around in the cold, though the gate he comes. Go over to shut the gate and what does the sod do? Whip round and p off back through the gate into the big field, now all riled up I could have cried!! Went and tidied up thinking he will have to stay out as no chance of getting him now, he then starts calling frantically to come in ?

While he doesn't try and Mount or anything like that if he is turned out next to girls he will stand gazing adoringly over the fence at them and loving any attention they return to him! Fortunately YO is understanding of this and he isnt turned out next to them as if you go to catch him and he's doing this he will completely ignore you and not let you near him.

He is also not at all food driven, I'll go out with his treat ball even which he loves and he wont even look up if he's having an I refuse to be caught day. If the hunt are near he will stand in the middle of the field ramrod straight, head up listening and completely zone out to any subsequent catching attempts

He is on global herbs rig calm, would that be worth a try for the pony? Especially as he was late cut? When old yo was selling I looked at potential yards in case of having to move and one said how they turn out mares and geldings together funnily enough I immediately passed on that one! While I don't think he would Mount them and doesn't really call to them or anything he's just a bit too distracted if he is near them.

Also if he is being naughty to catch (does exactly the same thing as you I'll either reach up to get his headcollar as he's turned out in one, be within touching distance and he will run backwards snorting or I'll walk up to him even with food and he walks round me and just a far enough distance away I cant reach him! I almost get the impression that if he could he would have 2 fingers up sneering and laughing at me knowing he's just far enough away I cant get him!

Now what I'll do is if he pulls back or walks off even just the once I'll walk straight out the field with the feed not leave any for him. I'm telling him I wont play his game. I've also tried the walking down but I ran out of stamina and he would just run each time. I'll then leave it about 10 minutes and then go back and try again. Sometimes I can attract his interest by having a chat to the other horses but that is less reliable. It's also quite time consuming and annoying if you had plans to ride!

As you have your own land could he go in a smaller field with less grass? Mine is worst in spring when the grass is coming through fortunately he's in one of the smaller fields though still more than enough space for him to peg it, I think if he was in a big field like some have I'd never see him again!

It is one of the most soul destroying "vices" and would be top of my list if I was ever to buy another one that it must be good to catch! Interesting quite a few of the others mentioned in this thread are Welsh!!! He also isnt nasty in the slightest but very neurotic and hysterical if something upsets him. Yet like yours never under saddle
 
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Just to stick up for the welshies, mine is the easiest to catch I've ever had, she follows me around the field when I'm doing jobs until I finally relent and put her headcollar on. Welshies get enough of a bad reputation, this isn't a breed trait :p (though they are clever buggers and lots do live for the draaaaaaaahhhhma)
 
Oh, also is it worth looking the rope over his nose and back through the head collar to give you control when leading rather than using the chain? Might be less objectionable to him and give you the same amount of control
 
Forgot to add- interesting comment from Ninja Pony about their Welsh being fairly routine oriented as mine is exactly the same, he almost has a "window" for catching, you try outside this window you can jog on! If he'd been turned out in the am and I suddenly decided to go up mid morning and ride I would not be riding as I'd have no chance of catching him! I do envy people who can just walk into the field whenever they want and fetch their horse in with no trouble whatsoever!
 
Sounds a lot like my welsh D, apart from he is always an angel to lead, he can have a jog and a buck but would never pull bless him, he would be devastated if he hurt anyone. Cant leave him alone tied up or in his stable or he will have a melt down. 13 years on we haven't cured the problem but we learnt to live with it. We even had a natural horsemanship specialist out in the early days whom tried join up type exercise, we couldn't get near him for a week afterwards!
We have found he is better on individual turnout as he gets separation anxiety if with others, it was great when he had a field shelter with a door on as we used to follow him in and catch him in there but I have had a swap around so its not possible at the moment.
Who ever catches him has to quietly follow him to the gate in walk, no way will he be caught anywhere else in the field (although will allow you to scratch his butt whilst poo picking!).
He wears a field safe headcollar and will only be caught from the right hand side and with a treat his favourite being bread/hotcross buns.(eyes are fine!)
We have a square set up with tall posts and electric fence at the gateway in case he has a bad day, he has learnt once this is shut he may as well stand still but we dont often shut it now....although this works for me and the girls on the yard (and maybe a random stranger!) I know I would be in trouble if a man/farrier ect had to catch him as it wouldn't happen!
 
milliepops said:
Just to stick up for the welshies, mine is the easiest to catch I've ever had, she follows me around the field when I'm doing jobs until I finally relent and put her headcollar on. Welshies get enough of a bad reputation, this isn't a breed trait :p (though they are clever buggers and lots do live for the draaaaaaaahhhhma)
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Same as MP, I never had an issue catching my old Welshie. She wouldn't quite follow me around the field, but she'd never be too far away. Only time I ever had difficulty catching her was the day I wore my hair in a high ponytail instead of a low bun, and for the life of me I couldn't get near her until I'd taken it out. Welsh eating that hair style was apparently! :rolleyes:

But they are definitely far too clever for their own good and need to be kept occupied or they make their own fun. Is there no way of getting him to use his brain a little more whilst out in the field with his hay or feed?
 
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