Need a plan of action for catching..please help!!

antonia :)

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Apr 18, 2007
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I cant catch M at all. Ive not rode her for about two weeks so i can practise catching her and so she associates being caught with not always going out riding or doing work. I want to catch her and just groom her but this is asking the impossible :(

Last week it took me 2 hours to catch her and in the end i had to turn her back out after 10 minutes because she was too hyped up in the stable.

I always poo-pick and do her water before i catch her and i try to cuddle her and stroke her in the field so she doesnt think im always going in to catch her.

When i do try to catch her she'll be really clever. She'll come up to you, take the treat out your hand and you think shell let you catch her but she'll spin round and dash off.

Ive tried putting a couple of treats in her feed bowl so she comes over but she just eats them before i have the chance to catch her :eek::rolleyes:, ive tried sending her on in the field when shes walked off e.g making her trot around til she stops and lets me catch her and if she doesnt she has to keep walking on; tried this last week and ended up working her for about 45 minutes :eek: before the little minx let me catch her, ive tried facing the other way holding a treat in my hand so she comes over and sniffs me this worked once and i managed to catch her before she got the treat, ive tried handfuls of grass, ive tried 3 people trying to catch her, ive tried sectioning off her field, ive tried taking her out of the grassy area into the dried muddy area so she's not tempted to eat while im trying to catch her, ive tried being firm with her and approaching her as if im the boss, tried filling her treat ball and shaking it so shes interested in it and comes over to get it. You get the idea. Shes like a stubborn (sp) child.

Its getting to the point where her owner ends up coming out or i end up not catching her and that kind of defeats the object of sharing.

I dont want to use treats to catch her as i dont want her to associate being caught with getting handfuls of treats. I feel like im awarding her for bad behaviour and its frustrating because i want her to respect me and not walk all over me :(

Please help me!!

ETA: She has been in season and also i ended up getting kicked in the knee and unable to walk for a day because i tried to catch her. Safe to say i go into her field in my riding hat and up to my kneck in safety gear.
 
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Hun you should not go into the field with a crop, that will always put any horse coming near you! If the horse is being that dangerous question if you really should be sharing? How does it react with the owner?
 
How does it react with the owner?

She's exactly the same towards her owner. We were both out there sunday afternoon trying to catch her. She's got such a split personality. Shes lovely when she wants to be but when shes horrible she really is. For example, tuesday she wouldnt let me catch her at all. Wouldnt let me go near her so i got on with the poo picking. Went back an hour later to try catch her and she wouldnt let me near her. Then wednesday she was cantering over to the gate and following me round the field poo-picking and letting me cuddle her and she was lovely but then she changed as soon as she saw me pick up the headcoller.
 
I just dont understand how she'll follow you round the field, let you stroke her, groom her, tack her up/ un-tack her, rug &un-rug in the field but she just wont let you catch her. Its not even the fact she doesnt come near you because she will stand next to you with her nose on your shoulder falling asleep when your holding the head coller. As soon as you show your going to put it on her e.g. move it closer to her, she backs off and will turn her bum to you.
 
Sounds just like a mare my friend has recently bought.

You need to make sure your body language is right. Coming across as too dominant (crop in hand) will make her wary of you and coming across as a timid pushover will encourage her walk all over you.

If she doesn't catch first time, leave the field for five minutes and come back and try again. 'Pushing her on' or the 'sending her away' method should only be used by experienced handlers IMO as you can end up sending her further away unintentionally.

At this stage I wouldn't be too concerned about carrying half a carrot and holding it in the flat of your hand. If she's close enough to eat the carrot from your hand (not outstretched) then she's close enough to be caught.

Instead of trying to put the headcollar on her put the leadrope around her neck. She's unlikely to try to get away at this point and you can put the headcollar on. She needs to be getting LOTS of praise when she's been caught, no scolding or acting in a negative manner towards her (no matter how peeved you are) as this will only make her worse for catching next time.

If she's fretting in the stable don't turn her back out again. Leave her to settle. She will in her own time. Im presuming she's not a baby, she has no doubt been left in a stable by herself before.. she can do it again.

It is very easy to allow a big horse to intimidate you, this is how people end up getting hurt. Be firm but fair with her. Plenty of praise for her when she does what you want.

Agree with you though, if you can't catch this horse there's no point sharing it!
 
She's getting the treat before she's done what you want. You need to change that so she gets it only AFTER she's done what you want. ;)

If there are things she likes then only do them when she's come in. That means all feeding, tickling and attention must be done only on the yard and not in the field. If there are things she diesn't like (and this may including grooming) then don't do it for a while.

It would also be useful if she were in with ponies that liked coming in. My loan pony didn't use to come when called and didn't want to come in. Now he comes running over, wraps his head round for you to bung a headcollar on and he and my mare have a competition as to who gets the headcollar on first so I have to make sure I that :D

When he didn't want to come in when I first got him then I wouldn't bring him in. He'd get jealous/curious and he'd come up too. I didn't make a big fuss, just accepted it as normal and expected.

When all this happened I had my gateway setioned off with a catching area infront with plastic posts and tape. I'd open that and the mare would come in. After a while he'd come in. I refused to go and catch him, he had to come in and catch me!

This was in autumn/winter when grass was sparse, I don't think it would work as well when grass is plentiful.
 
I feel like ive been doing everything wrong :(
Sounds silly but the more she plays up the more determined its making me to sort the problem out. Maybe i do need professional help.

WP- Thank you for that. Ill try the lead rope round the kneck and I will let her settle herself in her stable.

Joyscarer- Totally agree thats shes getting the treat before shes done what shes asked. Shes kept on her own so i cant catch another willing horses before her. Anyway, im off to try and catch her now.

thanks for the replies :)
 
I know the feeling, i'm starting to think Springer associates coming in to have to work now and is a bit more difficult everyday. Springer has been like that recently, i am putting some of it down to the spring grass coming through, but he's always had his days where he will not come in, no matter how many treats you take out there, he will ignore me whilst the rest come over to see me.
I would say turn her out with a headcollar on, thats what Springer does everyday (even in winter, when it's been freezing cold and pelting it down with rain he will sometimes not come in) it makes it alot easier to catch mine if he's in the running away mood, you only have to attach the leadrope which is quick and easy, compared to trying to get a headcollar on.
Now everytime i catch him and he makes no fuss, he gets a carrot, once he's out of the field, just to tell him he has been good, and gets rewarded for that behaviour.
What's she like when all the other horses have gone out of the field? I know that'll make it harder for you as you obviously don't want to have to wait until the late evening to ride.
So, i'd say, get a field safe headcollar and leave that on when she's turned out (if it's ok with her owner) and take carrots to hopefully entise her in as a reward when she is good.
Good luck, i hope she starts behaving for you hun. x
 
If she is coming up to you but only then pulling away when you try to put her headcollar I would suggest that you keep her headcollared (nice soft, leather one if poss) for a short while. That way it puts you back in control as you can grab her striaght way without her taking charge and leading you a merry dance round the field.

Hope you get things sorted. :)
 
My pony was a swine to catch 5 months ago, it took me 2+ hours to catch him (If I managed to at all!)

Now he'll let me catch him :D (and no one else *smug*) it is just the method.

don't take a crop. if she's going to run at you/be agressive, using your body language to look big and chase her out of your space should be fine.

With my pony I'll go in the field, maybe call his name so he knows I'm there. Walk towards him until I'm quite a way a way and stand with my body at a slight angle to him, head right down.. and land out with a carrot. he'll usually see me and walk up. if he doesn't I'll walk a bit closer. If HE tries to walk off, I'll stand quietly. But anyway he'll always come over now. The key with him is to be quiet and calm and submissive and don't confront him.

When he comes over he doesn't get the carrot until he lets me scratch his neck and I give him the carrot as I attqach the lead rope (he has a fieldsafe headcollar)

Seriously, the majority of the time your body language wont be helping. I used to try so many different things with him and he was just confused. one minute I'd follow him, next I'd stand, the next I'd chase him, the next I'd use food. you need to stick to ONE method that works and stick at it :)
 
My boy is a pain to catch. we had RA sandra out (intelligent horse people ) as we spent days trying to catch him. First we got him into a join up pen (small paddock) and done join up with him. Then lots of touching all over not rushing. then putting a long rope round his neck and just leading him round the small paddock with this with no attempt to put a head collar on and using correct body lang. this continued for 1-2 weeks cant remember. then we started headcollar work but with Dan I needed to undo both parts of headcollar and do the top bit first that goes over the head and behind the ears then the nose band. we are now nearly a yr on. and this is still how i need to put the head collar on with food and now in a big field. my aim is one day to remove the food but who knows. it is workinng now so why fix it.
 
My friend is having difficulty with her large cob too!

She asked my neighbour, who uses natural horsemanship; This is what she has advised her to do ( and it has worked in less than a week!).
Firstly, just go into the field and pretend to to something ie pick up a flower, sit down and read a book :cool: Your horse should soon come over as they are curious by nature :)
Get up, don't make eye contact, move around the field still doing things, then leave. Repeat as and when without catching her, then after a few days, try catching her, but don't ride, just groom, fuss etc.
Horses like routine, I catch mine every day, bring them in for breakfast, give them a cuddle, if I don't feel like riding, I don't and they go back out :)

Worth a go!
 
We had this with daughter's pony. Spent about a week on catch her, feed treat/groom/pat briefly, then let go. Pony now comes over and stands about waiting to be caught (even if you're doing something mundane like poo picking).
 
Normally we leave headcollar on because she is difficult to catch in during the day - she is fine at coming in time! Today she was put out without headcollar and it took me some while to throw a lunge line over her neck and then walk round the other side to grab the hook, once the hook is clipped to the line I take a loop round her nose and then I can get the headcollar on. This is done while she spins and kicks and charges you so you have to be nimble on your feet! I don't think she would every connect with you - it is all show and once she realises you are not going away then she gives in. I think it all depends on the horse - just going up to her for a cuddle wouldn't work with mine!
 
My girl is usually good to catch but on the occasions that she decides she doesn't want to be if I've tried once to catch her in the normal way and she walks off so do I. I walk back to the gate and then walk back towards her but slightly to the side and then walk straight past as if I'm going to do something else and I'll pretend to start fussing around with something in the field - she thinks she's missing out on something and follows me. I don't put her headcollar on straight away just pat her then I put the lead rope over her neck before putting the headcollar on - I have at times when she's been a real mare just grabbed a chunk of mane as she starts to move off and asked her to stand with a firm voice then she's 'ooh I think you mean it!' and has that 'oh alright' look on her face and the headcollar goes on and no treat until it is. Treats can work well if used sparingly - my mare is so keen to get hers for going back in the field without a fuss now I can't always get the gate open quick enough for her liking - she gets one little pasture stick and then she's happy!:p
 
Thank you for all your advice :)

Well I went up earlier and....
Caught her first time after about a minute!!

Filled up her water bath, went back out to check phone, went back in with headcollar, put bag of treats in my pocket and rustled it and she started walking over so when she did i let her have a sniff and i gradually put the lead rope over her neck whilst praising her and the got the headcollar on no fuss and she had a treat! :D
 
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