Won't be caught

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pip_dog

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My mare is being awful at the moment. She has refused to be caught for days now. I've tried treats. Smaller field. Sending her on when trots off. It's thoroughly depressing. What can I do. I can't catch her to show her it doesn't always mean work. I am stuck
 
Thoroughly depressing, I know.

Firstly I would never try to catch her when you don't have time to see it through. If you have failed to catch her for days she will know that if she gives you the runaround you will go away again. I would expect that next time will take a loooong time, so plan that time in.

Next up, I would make it easier for yourself by restricting the amount of space she has. Is there a smaller area that you can use? Is it maybe the next paddock so she can be herded in? If not I would set up a small area, say 20m x 20m, with electric fencing, and herd her in there.

Next up, is the difficult one. Once you catch her then let her go. Have a break and catch her again. Then, let her go and catch her again. repeat, repeat, repeat.

Make each time a nice time with a treat and a rub (if she likes that). I would not be too effusive in your enthusiastic praise, many horses do not like that! If she does not wish to be caught I would follow so she does not get to rest. If your area is only 20m X 20m then you will be able to get her if you keep following, and stop if she does, and back or look away if she pays attention. In fact if you keep emotion out of it, then she will eventually come to you, unless she is truly feral or scared of you for some reason.

I would keep her in the restricted paddock until she will catch easily. Maybe start by doubling the area.

Good luck!
 
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pip_dog said:
My mare is being awful at the moment. She has refused to be caught for days now. I've tried treats. Smaller field. Sending her on when trots off. It's thoroughly depressing. What can I do. I can't catch her to show her it doesn't always mean work. I am stuck
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depends on the size of your field.
I have once used electric tape tied onto the gate then I walked up the field past her she ran down and so did walking across her path thus gathering up the tape as i went She was corralled in it.

Al i can suggest is a smaller field and if she doesn't get caught then do the corral thing, failing that learn to lasso her lol
 
HGA-12 said:
depends on the size of your field.
I have once used electric tape tied onto the gate then I walked up the field past her she ran down and so did walking across her path thus gathering up the tape as i went She was corralled in it.

Al i can suggest is a smaller field and if she doesn't get caught then do the corral thing, failing that learn to lasso her lol
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Lasso sounds good to me mine is being a cow ATM , it's mainly cos the pony she's in with (not mine ) heards her away from me and threatens me , then I get them in small aa and pony is like wahoo less space easier to kick you human !!! Takes two of us.... Ne dostracting pony wi carrots and me pretending I just want to scratch my horse and opppps you all of a sudden have a lead rope around your head..... Can't leave head collar on her as it rubs her face and don't like it on all the time anyway
 
A friend of mine has the same problem and after hours of running around she (for some reason) decided to crawl to her pony... And it worked!! Obvs not a good idea from the back end, but you could give it a try. :)
 
can completely sympathise! such a pain when you have a show, farrier etc my mare was impossible to catch for years (running at me with teeth bared and kicking, also doing what I called 'the circle of death' cantering around me looking in with ears back lol) and has now just magically stopped and become great to catch and I have no idea why. She now is turned out 24/7 and I can just walk up and grab her could never have done that years ago.
I can share my experiences/ideas of years trying to catch her though... I know with some horses if you stay in there they get fed up of running about, but mine just going more 'hatey' so I would just walk up and down the fence perimeter with a bucket of feed and after galloping up and down she would be more inclined to stick her head over fence and she what I had *grab*. I also had a crazy routine of keeping her in 1 week and ride everyday, then out a week by which time she was bored and easier to get hold of. I found generally she would come in at night in the dark, but if it was sunny/daytime forget it. In this nice weather they just don't want to know you! Making the field smaller with electric tape saves you walking round, but didn't always work for me either. I just had to work with it and just left her alone a bit longer. All of a sudden she is now an angel to catch, bizarre. I guess she has just decided 'I'm too old for this ****' lol
 
oh forget another crazy idea that worked great for a while until she sussed it out, go in with wheelbarrow and do some poo picking, mine always came over to investigate and smell the poo 'why??' then I pounce lol
could also try sending someone else in, that horse doesn't know, this also worked for me. But I had to keep out of sight. Surprised I didn't get a personal complex for my horse :P
 
Agree with red-1 never try to catch her unless you have time do follow your actions through. We had this exact problem with my daughters new pony. Very frustrating and Im sure they can sense it.
If pony turned and trotted or walked away i would think' if your going to go, go properly' send them away untill they stand to be caught and don't let them win. The minute you give in and go home they have won. Has taken me up 45 mins I then catch give treat and let go again. I only did this 4 times with our mare and amazingly she is now first to the gate. They soon realise its far easier to be caught than work. Good luck it's always when you want to do something quickly.
 
Nothing useful to add just so so pleased I'm not the only person with a witch of a mare! I swear to God I'd harpoon mine if I could! Threatened to have her shot yesterday and was only half joking......... :-(
 
Also glad there is someone out there who sometimes hates their mare too! Today she is sweetness and light. Bloody cow!
 
Once you do manage to catch madam, have her back and neck checked over - many horses don't like being caught as they have low grade chronic pain.

I'm fortunate in that I can't get rid of mine - they see the car arrive and are at the gate whickering. Makes taking photos difficult though!

In the past though I've had to catch other peoples naughty horses and I've found the hound it till it gives up works really well. Take a lunge whip with you and if she moves off, follow and the moment she goes to slow or stop send her on again.

Just expect to be at the paddock all day and keep at her, when she finally turns to you and stops then go up to her, be ready to drop the whip out of your hand if it looks like you'll catch her.

I always give mine a peppermint whenever I catch or visit them. Really helps to bribe them! :D

PS - Hope you are fit. Make sure you have a water bottle and some snack bars on your belt so you can eat and drink on the run :D
 
I've got one who can be a swine to catch. The chasing him down technique works, but if I don't have time to faff about, i just bring all the others in and leave him alone for a few minutes to reflect. Never fails.
 
Auslander said:
i just bring all the others in and leave him alone for a few minutes to reflect. Never fails.
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This, both of mine used to be sods, they were in a large group before so if they didn't want to be caught they'd wind the group up and you'd have 10 horses charging around!. I used the chase technique, sending them away, not allowing them to stop and eat. It soon worked, no point in being in a field if you can't do your own thing! But I used to do this most days for about a year, most of the time I'd spend so long catching one that I'd just take it to the gate put it on the other side then let it go again as that was all I had time for!
They're now in a field with just each other and if they're ******* I'll bring one in and leave the other, they soon decide to join me. I also make sure I give them a polo/ carrot just before I take their head collars off when turning them out and when I'm poo picking ill randomly go up and see them and again give them a mint (naughty I know but they don't hassle me or anyone else for treats) just so they know its not all about riding or coming away from the field :) Good luck!
 
Back to her normal self. Getting to the end of my tether. Will try smaller paddock. But god knows how I am going to sort this. She's adamant nothing is going to happen. So disheartening
 
pip_dog said:
Back to her normal self. Getting to the end of my tether. Will try smaller paddock. But god knows how I am going to sort this. She's adamant nothing is going to happen. So disheartening
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Yea mine is being a tw*t again as well! Bored of her now and irrational as it is thoroughly pi**ed off at working my arse off to pay for the ungrateful yack.

My other mare in contrast is a sweetheart and comes over as soon as she sees me.

I've never ever not caught her - the record is 3hrs 45 mins! I've kept her moving constantly and then like a switch goes and she just turns and comes over.

I've tried taking the others in - worked the first few times and now she doesn't give a dam about being alone.

Currently it's taking two of us to run her down into a corner where she immediately gives up. On your own and you could be out there for hours.

I honestly haven't heard of anyone having a horse shot before because it was a dick to catch but I may be the first........ :-(
 
Auslander said:
I just bring all the others in and leave him alone for a few minutes to reflect. Never fails.
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This - My mare can be a ****** to catch, the little cow she is so if she doesn't want to be caught then I get her friend who will caught 99% of the time out the field and start walking away.. she realises it was a bad idea as she doesn't like being left alone - Funnily enough she'll be caught straight away after this. ;)
 
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