My horse is hard to Catch! ?

Question

I just got a standardbred in January. When I first got him he was in a pasture all by himself (he was in quarintine.) He came all the time, but in March he was turned out into a 22 acre pasture. He didn't come and I spent hours out there trying to catch him! I left his halter on. So sometimes i could catch him. Now he comes in almost all the time. But some days he just refuses to come in. I try everything including food, but it doesn't work. He really only does it once in a month. I don't know what it is, but I really want a horse that will come in all the time! So if you have any idea's please let me know! Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Make a paddock area beside the pasture gate entrance with one side open perpendicular to the pasture gate on the gate hinge side so that when you push the pasture gate open the pasture gate closes the paddock. Then put his water trough in the paddock and when he is in there for water you push open the pasture gate which also closes the paddock and you will have him corralled in a much smaller area to catch him. The water trough is a social area where horses like to gather and so he will be there frequently. And you can easily make that paddock area temporary so you can take it down and put the pasture trough anywhere you want it after he is accustomed to coming to you.

Edit Note: BTW I call my horses in from pasture with an old fashion schoolmarm bell, the type with a handheld handle. When the horses are in the barn I always ring that bell just before I feed them so that they associate the bell with mealtime. It really gets them excited. I have almost 15 acres of pasture but they can hear that bell even if they are on the backside of the pasture and so I need only open the pasture gate and ring that bell for about 10 seconds or so and then wait for them at the barn paddock. I suggest you find a loud bell to ring or just bang on a barrel just before feed time so that your horse learns to associate that noise with mealtime and it won't be long until you won't have to chase him in pasture... just open the pasture gate and ring the bell or bang on the barrel and wait for him at the barn. But don't lie to the horse. If you do something like that to call him in from pasture you must feed him or at least treat him to something. And you might even choose to use a loud whistle, the type that is used for sports. Just any noise will work as long as it is always the same noise.

Answer 2

I also had a horse that was impossible to catch. I tried going to the Field several times a day and give her a treat or try to pet her, then let her go. This way she doesn't combine your presence with having to be caught. This worked really well with my mare. Also i would separate the fields into smaller fields if possible. You could also maybe try a technique called "Join-Up" (monty roberts technique) with your gelding. Once you have accomplished it a couple time you could try to do certain aspects of it in the field (if possible) like when you turn away and have your head down. Its always worth a try!

Hope this helps! I know its not fun to have a horse that you sometimes cannot catch!:)

  

Answer 3

Firstly - Waggamuf speaks much sense.

Secondly - please dont get the parelli stuff - unless you are well trained in it, it can be a disaster.  I am not an exponent of the damned thing - we have parelli people on our yard and it just makes me cringe sometimes.

The problem here is that you have given him this wonderful 22 acre paradise to live in and there are just some days when he thinks 'absolutely not!  I love my paradise - go away!'

So you are going to have to split his paradise into say 7 paddocks - and this way you can rotate them so they dont get horse sick and you can poo pick etc.

Then try and get him into a routine of coming in at a certain time and stick to it.  What it might also mean is you persevering too.  If he walks follow him until he understands that you are not going to give up - eventually they get tired of the game and will come.  If they know they have bested you, they arent stupid, they will do it again as and when it pleases them.

We have had horses for more years than I have had hot dinners and now and again we get a 'no - shant' horse.  It takes grit, determination, patience and never losing your temper.  You stand your ground and insist what you are asking is given.  So if it means you walk the field for four hours every day for a week until they get the message then thats what you do - food incentives are okay but what do you do if you havent any food?

Parelli isnt for people who havent been on their courses and it doesnt suit all horses - as in life nothing suits everyone.

Persevere, let him see by your body language that you are quite prepared to walk him into the ground if necessary and have the patience to do so.  Praise him when you get and give him a treat and lots and lots of praise.  They will get the idea.

Answer 4

My horse is the same way, although our pasture is much smaller so it is not as much of a problem.

What I've been doing recently is bringing him two baby carrots every time I go down to care for him. I'd stand and hold my hand flat out and wait for him to come up to me and accept the carrots. When he did I'd just pet him and tell him "good boy" for walking up to me. I've been doing this for maybe three days now, and it is already working. I've also been giving him extra attention when I catch him (we recently sold three other horses, leaving just him, so I have more time for just him) by grooming him twice a day, massaging his back, etc.

This morning when I went down to care for him, he nickered at me and walked up to me, expecting his treat. I can't believe it is already working. He used to stand at the back end of the pasture with his back end turned to me, but with the extra attention he has become almost a new horse (it's quite remarkable).

Anyways I'm just working on him coming up to me right now, with the carrots and massaging and grooming as such. I haven't worked with him using the halter, but I'm hoping that if I can soon get him to come up to me even without treats for a little pat or grooming, I can slowly introduce a lead rope. I plan to take out the lead lope and let him sniff it, and then run it over his body, so it's like his "friend" or another grooming tool. I'll then slip is over his neck and work up to his face. Once he's good with this, you can probably bring out the halter and get him used to it, and when he is great with the halter, reward him with a few treats.

If your horse is very "nippy" then I don't know if I suggest the treats. My horse has never been like that so I'm not worried about using treats right now.

We're pretty sure my horse was abused before we got him (a owner before the owner we bought him from) as he has always been head shy and scared of ropes, but using these techniques I can pet him on the his face and he is so much better around leadropes and halters.

My instructor told me to walk up confidently to him with the lead rope and halter in hand and if he ran to wave the lead rope and halter to make him run some more. I'm pretty sure she meant to show him that if he wasn't going to come and stand still, that he was going to have to run, but I'm thinking it could very possibly have the opposite affect on a horse (make the horse think to run if there is a lead rope and halter in sight).

Anyways I hope this helps you, and good luck!  

Answer 5

Move it into a smaller pasture with very few horses (3-5) Find out what he really likes- apples, carrots, and speak in a nice tone. Horses can tell if you are mad or not. Leave the halter on still- that is a good idea!

Answer 6

i had a mare like that she wouldnt come to me my son went in field and she let him bring  her in so every time i wanted her her my son got her he was only 7 at the time so see if the horse go to someone different  

Answer 7

Are there other horses with him? If so, than try and go to the others and give them attention. Eventually he will get jealous and come right over.

I have 6 horses and they all come right over when you call them. If we bring another horse into the picture that is like yours, they eventually catch on to what the others do and then come when they are called.

hope this helped :)

Answer 8

If, every time you catch him you make him work he will be harder to catch if he is smart.  You can try just going out to give him a treat, nothing more.  Kind of a catch and release thing.  He will soon look forward to coming to you because, maybe, just maybe you only want to give him a treat.  

Here is a method I used with my young horse - right after I started riding him, he figured out the every time I went out to the field I was going to catch him and make him work.  I went out to the field and sure enough, he started moving away from me.  So I walked towards him, not looking at him at all, as soon as he started moving away I stopped and bent over to stir through the grass I acted like I had found something very interesting.  He soon got very curious and came over to see what I had found.  I slipped him one of the cookies I had in my hand.  I guess he thought I had "found" the cookie because that method worked every time after that.  Sometimes I go out there just to give out cookies.  I have no problem catching him now any time I want him.

Answer 9

I dont know if he is with other horses or not but if he is seperate him from the rest of the horses, most horses usualy become herd bound and dont want to leave the herd. I had the same problem my mare is out with 5 other horses. latly she has been comeing to me but i have to bring a can that has a small handfull of grain, If she comes i give her some if she doesnt or takes me a long toime to get her she doesnt get any.

Answer 10

1. Don't sneak behind him

2. Don't run after him

3. Get a bucket or feed scoop and put some grain and rattle it around

4. hide your halter and lead rope behind you (but dont' look scary)

5. If you get close to him, turn the other way, so he thinks your not coming for him.

You want to be sneaky, but you don't want to scare him. you just want him to think that you are there for other reasons, not to catch him.  

Answer 11

If you can - get hold of Parelli 'Catching Game' info.

Regardless, see life from your horse's point of view. If he is only caught to be ridden or exercised, then he will resist the idea of being caught.

Try and catch him many times of day for other reasons, to give him a treat, scratch is wither, scratch his tail, play a friendly game or companion game with him - just not only to ride or exercise him.

Yes - you catch him to feed him, but he will quickly identify the time of day that certain routine occur - therefore, catch him and treat him at odd times so he can see you as 'a surprise' rather than 'a threat'

Answer 12

I don't know if this is the case with your luxurious 22 acre horsey palace, but I know if I just go into my horse's paddock and sit there by the watering trough even if I don't call him or anything he'll walk over to me and  wonder what I'm doing. Horses are naturally curious. Although I think the ideas suggested will work for some horses, I don't know if they will work for all. I know if i ever chased my horse around he would lose all his trust in me. We as humans need to not seem like predators towards horses or it'll be even harder for them to trust us. This being said, if you have the time I would just suggest that you spend a day sitting out in the field with the horse, you can sit on a fence, on the grass, just anywhere in the paddock. I would say bring a ton of treats with you and maybe some grain too. When the horse wanders near you (look nonthreatening, no halter, no lead, sitting down preferably) give him a treat. Then get up and move somewhere else. And repeat it over and over. Eventually he'll come to realize that you aren't always going to catch him and ride him or bring the vet to see him, or whatever it is horses think we try to do to them sometimes. From then on always bring 3 treats out to the paddock with you. One when he comes near you, one when you get the halter on, and one when you get out of the paddock. Horses love routines and my horse will stand expectantly after we get out of the gate for his third treat. It's very helpful for me because my horse is with another horse that I often have to spin around and shut the gate before the other one ambles out. My horse waits patiently while I do this and then I give him his third treat. Good luck with catching your horse, putting him in a smaller area until he realizes when he goes to you he gets a treat might be a lot easier. It's easier to avoid someone sitting on the ground with 22 acres to roam!  

Answer 13

First of all. Have his favorite food ready so you don't have to go out of the pasture.

When you first go into the pasture, sound happy and hide the lead rope behind out back. Have the food out in your hand. But don't look him in the eye, then he knows your planning something. Talk nice and soft and walk slowly, side ways.

^You might have to repeat this a few times. But always remember this: NEVER GIVE UP! If you do then the horse will think he can get away with it all the time.

Once your close enough, see if you can grab him with your hand. Then clip the lead line on him. But don't do it to fast. Once you have the lead line on him, praise him a lot and give him the treat/food that you brought.

Never give up!! And have fun with him! Standard bred are awesome!

Answer 14

I dont know if you already do, but try to have a routine time of when you come to feed him. Most horses eventually catch on, and will come up to greet you at the time when they are normally fed.

Would it be possibly for you to split the paddock up into a few smaller ones? Then you would know what ind of area he was in, and you wouldnt have to wander so far to catch him.

Not sure if that helps or not, those are my only idead at the moment, but if I have any more, I'll let you know.

Good luck =)

Answer 15

Read this article:

http://www.train-horses.com/catchingyour...

Consider getting the training video on catching, a link to which is available on my blog.

David

http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.co...

Answer 16

He might have had a bad experience! Every time you catch him give him praise. But don't be forceful when trying to get him be patient and talk calm to him. If you are just calm and handle him gently try this and your horse should have an improvement!

Good Luck

Answer 17

gather 3-4 of your friends and walk him down.   it will take a while but it works.   We had a mare in a 40 acre field who would once in a while decide that she simply was not comming in, nor was she being caught.

we each took a area and followed her when she was in our "zone"  she was not allowed to stop walking and when she changed zones or the person following her got tired someone else took over.   It took a hour in lovely 90 f weather with 90% humidity.. but she finally stoped and droped her head.  we caught her and rode her anyway for 2 hours that night.   She never did it again.  All it took was me following her 3-4 steps and she would stop and stand