Catching the NH way - any hints?

[Yann]

Ben is by all accounts a swine to catch and is going out on full turnout at the weekend. Unfortunately as he's only been turned out for a while in the mornings lately I haven't had a chance to practice bringing him in. I've read up Kelly Marks' books on the subject, and he does do all the recommended things to make it work, just wondered if anybody had any suggestions to add.

This could well end up being hilarious:)

[Showjumper]

The best method I've ever used was in an extreme case, where the pony ran off in his bridle and refused to be caught (dangerous situation!) fortunately he was in a field.

I couldn't approach him forwards, so I walked backwards. He was so surprised by this that he just stood and watched me, and I manage to grab the reins before he could complain.

[floppy]

hmm is he turnout with other horses or alone? if alone you coudl take a bucket iwth a bit of grain in it and rattle it as you enter the field.

Else the best thing to do is making catching fun - i.e that not everytime you catch him you go riding. Catch him and o for a littl ewalk and take him back to his filed...or catch him and groom him and let him back out or just encourage him to coem for a pet and then go off again.

good luck :)

[Showjumper]

Floppy's right - a lot of horses associate being caught with going to work. You have to make them see that they're not going to have to work every time they're caught. Try catching him, giving him a reward, then letting him go.

[Yann]

Thanks for your thoughts, reducing the association between catching and work is one of the things emphasised in the book.

Well, I got to try it out tonight. I turned him out with his mates and left him for half an hour while I did his day bed. Then I thought I'd see how close I could get. Didn't bother taking a headcollar, just some apple crunchies, thought I'd take it one step at a time.

He walked away a couple of times at first but within 5 minutes I'd titbitted him, picked up all his feet, and given him a monster fuss. I left him then went back and did it again. Just a start, but a very good one!!!

If I manage to bring him in it'll be a major acheivement. We shall see!:)

[Horsegirl_02]

What is "NH" ?? hehe, guess I have lots to learn...:rolleyes:

[cvb]

I once needed to catch a pony in a very large field with trees and bushes and stuff. I took a book, sat down and 'ignored' him. Sure enough he could not stand it and came up to check out what I was up to.

The other option I have heard but not tried is to do advance and retreat. i.e. you keep them moving and unsettled until they work it out and come to you. You need time for this one too !

The other day my horse decided she would not come in - she wanted to play. Unfortunately for her I was on catching duty to bring them all in. So every other horse came in first, even the four in another field. She hates being separated and was almost hopping up and down trying to get my attention by the time it was her turn. I don't think she'll try that game again for a little while :)

But I also try and make being caught a good experience. I just spent 10 minutes the other day letting her munch all the nice new grass outside the field. She thought that was a VERY good idea.

[Showjumper]

NH is Natural Horsemanship

[floppy]

well done yann!:)

Im doing some training for elja too..to encourage her to come meet me in the field rather than me have to meet her. At the moment she is a small field and she comes to greet me quite willingly ..it didnt take long and she lets me play with her or take her riding or whatever..
all this..veyr important training!:D she is being introduced to the herd ASAP and they have BIIIIIIIIG fields and so i thought it was more polite for her to come to me :)

[Yann]

Today Ben was in the field with his mates when I turned up so it was catch or no hack out! I went to him using submissive body language and got very close, but this time as soon as he saw the headcollar and lead rope he was off. I tracked him for quite a while but he was having none of it, ears back.

I really quite fancied my hack so eventually thought is was time to try something else so I went dominant / assertive and he instantly shot off in canter. Fortunately the field isn't very big so I was able to keep heading him off and making him change direction and he eventually had enough and went to wait by the gate. I suppose I'd changed it from his game to mine. I went submissive again and got him without any bother.

Took a while turning him out after, giving him carrots and putting on and taking off the headcollar a couple of times.

Glad to hear Elja is a bit more obliging - would imagine that even in the big field she'll be OK for you.

Being left till last is the way Ben is usually brought in in the mornings - it wasn't an option this afternoon though!

A small achievement, but still a long way to go:)

[Mehitabel]

that's exactly what i do with my old git! if you ask nicely, he tells you exactly where to go, but if it's no fun for him and he has to run round the field and isn't allowed to stand and eat, he gives in. the first time i did it it took nearly an hour, and these days all i have to do is put my hands on my hips and look cross, and he trots over to me.

[Yann]

Thanks for that - there is hope then:)
Took 15 minutes or so once I changed tack, so a not too bad!
Will ask nicely first ie. submissive next time, and then go to plan B if it doesn't work. At least there is a plan B. Reversing towards him singularly failed to impress or confound him!

[Hels]

That reversing bit made me chuckle! I have this picture of reversing towards Carrie, and her looking at me thinking "what a plonker". I have just been up to her this lunchtime because I was working from home looking at the rain and thinking how miserable she must be out in the field in this. I thought I'd bring her in for the afternoon to get out of the rain. More fool me! She refused absolutely to be caught (for the first time!) so after ten minutes walking round after her in the pouring rain I said "well sod you then" and came home.

[heland]

I'm just wondering if this will be me next week as my horse is on full turnout from this weekend:eek:

[CheshireKate]

Yann, the one thing I've found is - ALWAYS take a carrot!
Kate

[Yann]

My pockets are usually full of them:D

Went out to him last night after I'd turned him out for a bit of practice and he actually ambled over to me to see what was on offer! Didn't run away even though I had the headcollar with me so I just hung around approaching him for a fuss every now and then. Only decided to run off when I took the headcollar off my shoulder and started brandishing it. A little progress!

Heland, you might be lucky... or you might not! :)

[Yann]

Could have made a breakthrough, but not counting chickens just yet...
Turned up last night to find him out, with the mares in the field next door, so plenty of distractions. Steeled myself for a long catching session!
Approached him submissively, he sort of said hello and wondered off a couple of times but without much conviction. Titbitted him and got with him, spent a couple of minutes fussing him and hanging about. He seemed unpeturbed so I thought I'd try and put the headcollar on. On it went, you could have knocked me down with a feather!
Made it worth his while back in the stable, nice haylage with carrot bits in it and a good groom. Will have to see if this can be repeated!

[CheshireKate]

Well done! It's weird that sometimes it's easy and others it just doesn't go right...
Willow usually takes the last couple of steps towards me in the field, but has started to make a bee-line for my hands and pockets. Today I didn't give him anything, but stroked him, then held out the headcollar like Kelly does in the picture where the other horse is holding the rope (Catching made easy) and he stood stock still, so I put it on - no problem. He only got his carrot when the headcollar was done up, so that's something I'll try to keep to in future - until the next time he just walks off in disgust!
Kate

[Yann]

Ben was out in a new seven acre field tonight, full of lush grass so I didn't expect to get too far but the same thing happened again! It works! I caught him, took him to the gate, gave him a snack and then let him wander off again. Very happy!:)

Thank you Kelly Marks! And apple crunchies! :D

Kate, Willow sounds a real gent, you're lucky there! Catching problems seem really common. And yet they're apparently so easy to solve!

[KarlR]

Well done Yann! I hope that you know who was around when it happened! :)

[CheshireKate]

Yann, he is a perfect gent - most of the time!

He can be quite head shy thought that's getting better now, but when it's windy he's a totally different horse! They say as a youngster he was really bolshy. He certainly knows his own mind -he's started resisting going into the school recently... I must remind them to get the farrier out to replace his shoe so we can go to more interesting places together!

Onwards and upwards (mostly)!
Kate