trouble catching in

serena2005

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 April 2006
Messages
1,971
Location
London
Visit site
Please give me some tips for catching a horse that refuses to be caught!!

It takes me at least an hour to catch her.
Iv had her about a month and since moving to the lush winter field she's loving the grass so much she just don't want to come in.

I leave a head collar on and I tempt with treats, buckets of feed but she's not interested. It's a test of wills or catching her off guard!

Tonight one of the other horses helped by blocking her against the fence while I got her!

It's a nightmare, she was ment to see the vet for her jabs tonight, but no one could get her.

Help!! It's so frustrating
 
My horse was the same when I got him!
I used to keep walking after him not letting him stop. If he trotted i'd run after him waving my arms. It's VERY hard work, especially on a hill! First time took over an hour. when he was eventually caught I'd let him graze for 5 mins while I got my breath back,lol! Trouble you have is the other horses, how many are there?
Somebody else will probs have a better idea but the above worked for me.
I wish you the best of luck!!
 
My 2 tips keep horse moving all time(yes hard in a large field but keeps you fit) just dont let them grase. dont mean running around just moving. takes time but does work. Not saying you do but once caught dont ride everytime sometimes fetch in give small feed or treat in bucket then turn iut. dont even fetch in everytime just catch a scratch and then let go but do that regularly :)
 
This reminds me of how sasha was when we first got her!!!
I just did ground work with her, in a round pen, not quite like Monty Roberts!!! Just kept working with her, now 6 months on she is much better, has to have field safe headcolar left on, she will leg it if she sees a roap before I've got a hand on her nose band . I started by leaving her till last to be caught, she soon gave in if she was left on own, then I confined her to small turnout and if she kept walking away I would stand there and rattle small scoop with nuts in it, it did not work at first, I used to give up and leave, then after a few weeks she would come to me , I gave a reward and left. Sometimes I went to her several times in a day, rewarding when she came, but never brought her in , then one day I did bring in, groomed, gave dinner in stable, turned out again, she has not given much trouble since, can have odd day when she don't want to come in, but fetch all others in, left on own she will call to come up to yard!! I just used patience and reward when she was good. I will admit if she is out in the heard in the big field, I don't often get her to come in first.. But she is getting better.
 
There's about 6 others out with her, and none of them come in!
If I bring her in she won't eat. She only eats after iv ridden as she knows she won't go out until she has!
I do follow her around the field like you suggestd lol she usually just trotts around me like she's lunging! The cow lol

I'll try the Monty Roberts join up :) I'll try anything!!
 
As Babymare and WelshRuby. This is Monty Roberts join-up without the round pen, and works well.

Because I'm old, lazy and arthritic I will NOT go for my horses. They come to me, as will the rest of my livery horses, though they often won't come for their owners! This is not me being clever - I just stick to a routine, call them, by name, in a very - for want of a better word, excited - "co-oop co-oop". The moment I see them lift their heads or move towards me I up the enthusiasm, and ALWAYS everyone who comes gets a treat - whether I want that horse or not. I may sound nutty to passers-by, but it's lovely to screech and to get a chorus of whinneys. You've just got to make coming to you feel like the best thing ever.

So, try the 'not join-up', have the treat ready for being caught, use the 'co-oop co-oop noise quietly while feeding treat and fussing. Then let horse go. It needs to feel that you are catching it for the pleasure of its company, not because the vet or farrier is there or you need to do something with it. I've just counted up. I've had 20 livery horses over the last 20 years and all have learnt to come to call. Keep trying, and good luck.
 
Top