i cant catch my pony

[denby]

i own a welsh section A gelding who is 4yrs old he was a rescue and we have had him 3 weeks and never been able to catch him, when you go to him he looks scared:( tonite i got him to take some hay out of my hand but he stretched his neck so far so that he didnt have to get to close, does anyone know of someone who can come out and see denby(thats his name) and help us both so that we can enjoy each others company, ive got another poniy called football and i want to be able to get denby in at the same time as football plus he will need his feet trimming,worming etc

[virtuallyhorses]

Suggest you go back to the place that you got him from - a rescue centre of some sort? and ask if they can provide the name of someone to help you out?

You may even have to ask them if they can rehome him as rescue horses have special requirements like this. I don't wish to be unkind, but it doesn't sound like you have much experience with horses and would therefore be better off with a beginners pony that will be happy to work with you and forgive any mistakes you make.

[johnston]

hi my little girls pony had a catching problem, *** i did was to sit in the field all day with a bit of carrot and after a long time he came over to me and ate it ,was weeks of that and he started to trust me and now he follows me every wear and will call for me befor i call him so you have to ask your self have you got the time , pateints, exp to go all the way thou his training well all the luck in the world and i mean that biy

[BackintheSaddle]

That's exactly what I was going to suggest. Denby needs to learn that you are not a scary thing come to eat him! Maybe take a lawn chair out there and read a book. Take some cut up apples, and place them around your chair, getting nearer and nearer, and keep one with you so that if he feels brave, you can feed him by hand. If this pony has had an abusive/neglected past, gaining his trust might take quite a while. You might also want to take the head collar out with you so you can introduce him to it - just put it on the ground and let him smell it etc.

[shandy84]

I had a wild new forest filly and she had the same problem. She was extremely nervous so I would lie in the field on my belly with a pile of small chunks of carrot in front of me, when she got confident walking up and taking from the pile I changed my position and sat up, then nealt up once she was confident etc took about a month of not catching her at all or doing anything that would put pressure on her, now my problem is keeping my personal space

[denby]

thankyou for your help, virtuallyhorses, ive been riding since i was 12yrs old and ive owned and worked with horses since i was 16yrs old i just wanted to make sure i was on the right track, not be looked down on

[johnston]

no not at all would never look down on enyone sorry you feel like that i just thourt i may help in some way sorry to afend !:(

[denby]

johnston it wasnt aimed at you, sorry if you thought that

[virtuallyhorses]

I'm sorry that you thought I was talking down to you Denby. Without any information in your profile, I guessed (which is all we can do in written forums) from the way that you wrote your post (no capitals or punctuation) that you were one of our younger posters. I therefore I tried to guide you back to the rescue centre rather than get into a discussion about horsemanship that may have too much for someone that I had thought was perhaps 10 years old . I apologise for guessing incorrectly and annoying you.

With regards to trying to find out whether you were 'on the right track' - your original post didn't tell us what track you were on - it asked where you could contact someone to help you does anyone know of someone who can come out and see denby(thats his name) and help us both and so that is how I answered.

[Yann]

If you need help with him I'd suggest you try a Monty Roberts Recommended Associate, they are brilliant at helping with all sorts of behavioural problems in a kind and patient way. Have a look at www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk in the horse help section for contact details, I believe there's someone based near you at Retford, though I've used Sarah Dent from West Yorkshire.

[denby]

im sorry for being so touchy, right in the past apparently denby has always been trapped in a corner to catch him so i was told, so what im doing is taking hay to the field for both of them as there is no grass, i offered him some out of my hand and like i sayed he stretched his neck so he didnt have to get to close, yesterday i put him a pile down and knelt down near the pile and actually got to touch his nose.

[OlavS]

I think that the suggestion made about sitting in the field reading a book with food around sounds great.

Sounds to me like you're on the right track ;) Beware of looking him in the eye when offering the hay as horses (being prey animals) can get unfomfortable when we (being predators) look right at them. This is what is great about reading a book, as you will seem oblivious to the horse's prescence.

Best of luck, and keep us posted! :D

[denby]

i will definetly keep you all posted:D

[4_white_socks]

They're all fantastic ideas! Maybe after he trusts you with this, if he's not properly halter-broken, work on that, and then eventually join-up. This will help you immensley now and in years to come. The trust and respect shared between you will calm him and help his confidence in awkward situations. This is one of them.

[denby]

he is halter broken as he has a head collar on, just very frightened having said that he came over for some treats tonite, and i stroked his nose again

[OlavS]

Sounds like you're making progress! However, make sure you're not stretching his comfort zone too far, causing a setback.

I'm not an expert by an means, hardly knowledgeable even, but I think it's critical that you finish on a good note *for him* every time. For you a good note might be a stroke, but if he's not ready that *might* be perceived as something negative from his point of view. But as long as you can judge the difference between him being scared stiff unable to move and him enjoying the stroke you should be fine ;)

Keep up the god work!

[Esther.D]

As Olav mentioned - be careful don't push too far too fast...sounds like you are doing really well at the moment, the key thing we have found with our poor catcher (also a post-abuse case :( ) is never yeild to the temptation to grab him when he is there - this is very tempting especially if you need them for vet visits, worming etc - but wait for them to ask to be caught in their own time. Good Luck:)

[denby]

hi all, i definetly wont grab him as i know that this will set him back a long way, i will take it at his pace and we will get there in the end

[denby]

thats him with my coloured cob football

[doris]

Denby - I think what you are doing is just fine, just being in the field with him and letting him take his time. There is no time limit, and no rush. If you read Mark Rashid's books, this is what he would do!
I just love your coloured cob.

[johnston]

wow *** a grate cob just like my new one i realy wont to show every one my pics but i dont now how ! help im still learning how to use my pc .