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 I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
   
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | I purchased a 9yr old gelding in may. Love love love this horse. We have already pulled a few checks and he is so easy to ride and is just a lot of fun. But to catch him is a nightmare sometimes. He gets very wild eyed like I'm trying to hurt him. I have to pen him up to feed. He has a stall with a 30 ft run, so it's easy. But to approach him and halter him is a task. He snorts gets very stiff and will flee. So I have to make him run around the pen till he stands and looks at me, then I can halter him. Some days is worse than others. I've tried multiple things to help. Lunge line, round pen, ect. I'm not liking this game. But once he is caught he's ok. Occasionally he will snort and look at things funny. But once under saddle he's a gem.
Is this just how it will be with him? Help! |
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 Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | Have you tried giving him a treat when you catch him? |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Sounds like every time you catch him you work him/ride, Sounds like you never bonded with him, catch him and just brush and clean on him give him a treat so he knows its not all work. Dont ride him everytime you catch him. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | I give him treats, I've groomed him and let him be. I've tried just sitting in his pen, and he will come up to me, just heaven forbid I try to put anything on him. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 113
Location: Tx | Between my sister and I we currently have 5 horses. We have them out on over 100 acres so they come when we whistle and we give a treat every time we catch them. We will catch and groom them all and then pick and choose who we work or ride or pony. None of them ever know they are going to be worked until we are actually doing it. sometimes we saddle them all and then only work 2, while the others just stand saddled or just groom them and turn them loose in the round pen to play on their own. Or we jump on bareback and just ride down the road... we never do the same thing 2 days in a row.
ETA: We did have a horse that we owned for 25 years that was pure HE*L to catch sometimes. we had to pen him up the night before we wanted to haul him anywhere because when turned out he would run for hours on some days. Other days he would jump in the trailer on his own... but others it was awful... he never ran from us in his run in though. It was 15x30. it was only if he had a few acres to play that he would run.
Edited by Next to Heaven 2014-11-01 11:39 AM
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 Veteran
Posts: 222
Location: Texas | If all tricks with grooming, treats etc work. Use them first!!this is last resort only. I had one horse that no matter what she would NOT catch in anything bigger then a stall. I got sick of it after a year of trying to fix it. So I hobbled her out in our 1 acre stud pen with what I call "walking hobbles" ( turned out with our old can catch in a million acres brood mare) she could walk in them and not run. She had hay and water . She had to catch to get grain. After a week of living in those suckers. She was 100 times easier to catch. She was still goofy but I could catch her no issue in a pen after that and if she thought about being dumb I just brought the hobbles out and hung them on the fence. 99.999% of horses will retrain with treats grooming spending time walking down etc. this mare was a rare hard case. I spent a year trying every this else.
ETA this was an extreme case and I would exhaust all other options first
Edited by Married2Rodeo 2014-11-01 12:26 PM
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | Honestly, they just have to like you. My horse likes me so much that he will run other horses away from me so I'm the only one who will catch him. I do different things each day. I do a lot riding outside of the arena. Sometimes hard workouts, sometimes easy rides, someone's bareback. It sounds like he needs a routine, and a lot of bonding time. I'd also do some round penning 1-2 times a week. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | Thanks ladies! Glad to hear he isn't the only one. I'm wondering if it had to do with him being off a ranch. He is blind in one eye and was used on a ranch till he was 7, a lady got him after they confirmed he was blind and she trained him on barrels and poles, and I got him in may.
We have the big pasture opened up for the winter rotation. So with all the green grass, he's not too tempted by treats now. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| Some are just like that. And I think its a sign of a great horse. All the great ones have some quirk, pull back, can't catch, hard to load etc. Lol. As long as you can run him in a stall to catch I say leave it. |
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Veteran
Posts: 231
Location: Nashvegas | You may already do this, if you do then nevermind me. :) Walk to their shoulder while looking toward their hip not right their head and not looking directly at his face. I feel like especially if he is blind in one eye walk toward the good eye shoulder and look toward that hip. I just think horses find it less threatening. Oh and I am all about cookies along with this. :) |
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Cold hands and Warm Heart
Location: oklahoma | Is he a little chestnut named Chester? If you run him a few times, he'll turn and face you and you can catch him easily after that... We had 3 people on the job so he couldn't rest in the corners. All it took was once. eta, he's too young to be my Chester
Edited by CurlyQ 2014-11-01 3:45 PM
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | Bucket of grain works the best for me...or an apple...or banana. My horses are little piggies and want to eat, eat, eat. My new horse just loves attention so he comes up, no chasing there, and my old horse is jealous (she can be the hard to catch one) so now she is the first one at the gate any more! LOL. Makes it a whole lot easier! I can't believe the 2 y/o is teaching my 13 y/o some good behavior, LOL. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | I've had several horses like that. Horses learn by repetition and they develop habits by repetition.
The biggest thing that seems to help is getting on a solid routine. Do the same thing every day the same way at the same time. They learn when its time to come in and get feed and they know what to expect so they can relax a little bit. Horses like routine -- they relax more because they know what to expect and that makes them feel safe.
You can round pen all day but if your timing is off or you're pushing too hard you're not going to make any progress. Sometimes it takes them a while, but when you start getting it right is when they'd rather be with you than somewhere else. That's when the catching problems fix themselves.
Another thing is that you can round pen in an open field when you can't catch one. You don't have to be right up on one to direct their feet and keep them moving. You just use the same principals and keep their feet moving.
Another thing is to pay close attention to the small details of your body language. |
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Expert
Posts: 1543
Location: MI | If it is just the halter, with a mare of mine I put the lead rope around her neck first, she hates it going over her ears when I put the halter on. Is there a neck collar that has a break point in it (so it'll break if they get hung up)...could you keep that on him for a bit to see if it makes it easier to catch him? Or desensitize a lot to the halter or ropes over/around his face when round penning? |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | If I'm more consistent in catching him and riding daily he is calmer. I've done the look at his hip thing and that does seem to help. But trying to catch him out of the arena, or pen is impossible. In the round pen and lunging he is excellent in responding and easy to read. I guess I was just looking for affirmation that he will never change, or there was hope! Lol
He really is a great horse. Just different, and defensive until you get a halter on him. |
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Nut Case Expert
Posts: 9305
Location: Tulsa, Ok | Maybe just a matter of time and consistency. We have a gelding that you could not catch in his 12x12 stall when we brought him home. He would snort and roll out the whites and just act stupid. Perfect gentleman once in hand. He was a real pain to catch in the round pen. We would end putting the dog on him and pushing him until he finally faced up and let us come to him. No way could you send him to the pasture if you wanted him back within the month. Eventually he bonded with our family. started relaxing and nickering when we came around. Eventually he seemed to trust us and started coming to us. Now you can't get him out of your pocket. |
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 Chicken Chick
Posts: 3562
Location: Texas | SC Wrangler - 2014-11-01 8:37 PM Maybe just a matter of time and consistency. We have a gelding that you could not catch in his 12x12 stall when we brought him home. He would snort and roll out the whites and just act stupid. Perfect gentleman once in hand. He was a real pain to catch in the round pen. We would end putting the dog on him and pushing him until he finally faced up and let us come to him. No way could you send him to the pasture if you wanted him back within the month. Eventually he bonded with our family. started relaxing and nickering when we came around. Eventually he seemed to trust us and started coming to us. Now you can't get him out of your pocket.
I had a mare that acted the same way. Really a danger to herself and me when I tried to catch her. Once you got the lead rope around her neck though she was great. She tried to jump fences and everything. She wan't mean, but she was willing to risk life and limb to get away from you. I started haltering her before I fed her, every time. It took a lot of patience the first few days because she didn't understand and I wasn't all about getting hurt to catch a horse. Once it clicked that you have to be caught before you can eat she was the most eager out of all of my horses to be caught. Once I could catch her easily in her stall/run I turned her out with the other horses. They came in to eat but she wouldn't let me catch her (which I expected)... she stayed just out of reach and kept trying to get by me to get to the other horse's food. She didn't eat that day. The next day she had a different plan, and wanted to be caught. Never had a problem with her again. She knew that as soon as that halter went on she was getting food. I was actually the only person that could catch her. She didn't trust anyone, but she learned to trust me because if she didn't then she didn't eat. Food was definitely the way to her heart lol. Before anyone gets crazy all of the horses had access to a round bale all day. She only went 1 day without getting grain. I'm not saying starve your horse so you can catch them lol. I also didn't bribe her. She didn't even see food until her halter was on. It just became her routine. Every day she got caught, she ate, I brushed her or whatever I was going to do that day then I let her go. If my other horses started acting like they didn't want to be caught I would halter them before they ate for a couple of weeks. It usually lined them out for a year or two. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | Thank you guys!!
I have him a mile down from my house at a boarding barn (no room for him at home, and the facility is nice and cheap) so it's hard for me to be consistent every day and with working 12 hour shifts 3 to 4 days a week it's even harder. I have the guy that feeds, pen him in at feeding time to erase the hassle of playing catch if I want to haul or plan on riding. Now that I have my 2yr old, I'm hoping he will bond with him and learn I'm a nice person, lol.
He used to be worse: bolt out of the trailer backwards, set back at the slightest movement, snort at everything, scared to death of fly spray, no woah, and very stiff all over. He is now the total opposite of that, but still hard to catch and a little snorty |
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Blessed 
Location: Here | Cookies Without halter till he follows you around Then lead rope over shoulder more cookies don't use it till he is comfortable Then put it on him give a cookie take off same thing with halter Won't take very long |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12841
| Mine get caught twice a day to eat. You don't want to get caught--you don't eat. They learn real fast. |
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The Resident Destroyer of Liberal Logic
Location: PNW | streakysox - 2014-11-01 11:07 PM
Mine get caught twice a day to eat. You don't want to get caught--you don't eat. They learn real fast.
This is my method as well. lol. They get really willing to be caught when they hear everybody else chomping on grain without them. |
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Dog Resuce Agent
Posts: 3459
Location: southeast Texas | That worked for a mule I had |
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 Playing the Waiting Game
Posts: 2304
| I had one that I did the hobble thing on... Only took little over a week for him to realize I was the one that was in control of his feet... You couldn't catch that sucker in a 10x10 stall without 3 people... I don't know what had happened to him before I got him but I'm guessing nothing good. After I took his hobbles off he'd come running to the fence when he heard my car come up the drive. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | JRust - 2014-11-01 2:20 PM Thanks ladies! Glad to hear he isn't the only one. I'm wondering if it had to do with him being off a ranch. He is blind in one eye and was used on a ranch till he was 7, a lady got him after they confirmed he was blind and she trained him on barrels and poles, and I got him in may. We have the big pasture opened up for the winter rotation. So with all the green grass, he's not too tempted by treats now.
This might be causing a problem too. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | komet. - 2014-11-02 3:22 PM
JRust - 2014-11-01 2:20 PM Thanks ladies! Glad to hear he isn't the only one. I'm wondering if it had to do with him being off a ranch. He is blind in one eye and was used on a ranch till he was 7, a lady got him after they confirmed he was blind and she trained him on barrels and poles, and I got him in may. We have the big pasture opened up for the winter rotation. So with all the green grass, he's not too tempted by treats now.
This might be causing a problem too.
Yes, I agree.
I tried the wild lady approach today. Jumped up and down flung the halter at him and after about 10 min I could just walk right up to him. My audience thought it was soooo funny....lol. he is a work in progress! |
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 Night Watchman
Posts: 5516
Location: Central Montana | Feed lots of treats. My mom carries them around in her pockets when she is around my horses, they follow her like a dog. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | GoinJettin - 2014-11-02 7:45 PM
Feed lots of treats. My mom carries them around in her pockets when she is around my horses, they follow her like a dog.
He will come up for treats and be touched. But be a little too touchy or try to catch him and he's gone. Today I gave him treats with a halter in my hand while he was in the pasture, but then he figured it was best to steer clear!! The other horses loved it. ..lol
He is in a 100 acre pasture, but comes up for feedings ect. That's when I can pen him in and them catch him with a small degree of difficulty. |
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"Heck's Coming With Me"
Posts: 10797
Location: Kansas | Clinton Anderson and Pat Parelli have a fool proof method. Get a stock whip and run them around a pen (when they won't let you catch them) until they're totally tired. Even when they walk toward you and at the last second then turn and run, keep chasing. Eventually they face you and come to you and are more than happy to be caught. I don't fool with horses much anymore but this works like a charm even in a stall. Don't let them turn their butt to you. I'm not talking meanness, I'm talking submission and respect. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | My yearling was hard to catch... she wore a leather halter and drug a lead rope for 4 weeks. Now I can't keep her away! One of my mares is harder to catch. I just keep a leather halter on her 24/7 and she'll get a treat and I'll snap a lead rope to her halter. |
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 Shipwrecked and Flat Out Zapped
Posts: 16390
Location: DUMPING CATS AND PIGS IN TEXAS :) | Put them in a really small pen :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | I've had quite a few hard to catch horses. I've found walking out in the pasture with treats and a brush often but not actually catching them or just putting on a halter but taking it off after you brush/pet them and give them treats so they dont' associate you catching him with work every time. Another thing I do is if they don't let me catch them, I chase them around until their tired and give up. Or I walk up to them slowly, pausing often and many times they walk up to me out of curiousity. Never get after a horse for running away, just reward them when you catch them. |
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I am Woman hear me Roar
Posts: 3395
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma | Frodo - 2014-11-03 6:43 AM
Clinton Anderson and Pat Parelli have a fool proof method. Get a stock whip and run them around a pen (when they won't let you catch them) until they're totally tired. Even when they walk toward you and at the last second then turn and run, keep chasing. Eventually they face you and come to you and are more than happy to be caught. I don't fool with horses much anymore but this works like a charm even in a stall. Don't let them turn their butt to you. I'm not talking meanness, I'm talking submission and respect.
Come to the barn and show me how it's done....lol
I can catch him in a small, area. Out in the pasture, forget it. He is a turd, but I still love him |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 371
| I had a mare that was hard to catch like this. I just went out with some bailing twine in my back pocket. she would not let you catch her unless you came at her straight on. if you went to the shoulder or hip she would just spin out of reach. when I had to catch her I would go out past her then turn and walk straight at her head on. I then would stop about 5-10ft ahead of her and she would come the rest of the way to get caught. she was OTT so idk if that is part of it for her or not. as long as I did this she was easy to catch but you could chase her forever if you didn't use this method. |
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | I have a gelding that is usually hard to catch, especially if he's not been caught in awhile, that used to frustrate me like this. He hasn't changed much but I did once I realized that he actually benefits from having to have a little "run around" pen time before I even approach him.
It's affectionately known as "running the stupid off" around the house now. I just plan on it taking us an extra 5-10 minutes of bonding time before being caught each time I mess with him to let him move his feet some, get his mind in order and become more in line with my thinking/desires before we start whatever we are doing.
He has a tendency to be flighty (always has) so it helps him focus his mind before he has to use it. It also gives me time to finish off a beer before I have to put up with him so I see it as a win/win for the most part. If I end up working with him for a few days in a row, he gets where he actually doesn't need it for the most part and gets a little huffy when I send him off in the round pen to do it anyway. It almost becomes insulting to him to ask "Are you sure you don't need to run some more?" but I at least make him go a lap or two just to get his attention. I figure it's kind of like having little kids run around at recess so their minds are more focused when they get into the classroom. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| DLV - 2014-11-03 9:21 AM I've had quite a few hard to catch horses. I've found walking out in the pasture with treats and a brush often but not actually catching them or just putting on a halter but taking it off after you brush/pet them and give them treats so they dont' associate you catching him with work every time. Another thing I do is if they don't let me catch them, I chase them around until their tired and give up. Or I walk up to them slowly, pausing often and many times they walk up to me out of curiousity. Never get after a horse for running away, just reward them when you catch them.
I just bought a 5 year old that acts like a wild thing when you try to catch him. I started putting a halter on him to come in and out to eat. When trying to catch him I will put pressure on him by keeping him moving, when he stops and faces me I take the pressure off by turing away from him for a moment then apporaching him, if he runs we keep at it. Last week this was a 30/45 minute session, today it was 5 mintues and he came to me :). The first time I caught him I gave him a treat, brushed hm, let him go. A few hours later I caught him again and rode him. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2161
Location: NW. Florida | svincent - 2014-11-01 11:56 PM streakysox - 2014-11-01 11:07 PM Mine get caught twice a day to eat. You don't want to get caught--you don't eat. They learn real fast. This is my method as well. lol. They get really willing to be caught when they hear everybody else chomping on grain without them.
^^^^THis is my method too. I don't even have to stall mine for my farrier. He opens gate they go into their own stalls. |
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Veteran
Posts: 113
| My gelding can be hard to catch and is extremely smart. He's just a loner, always has been. I tried the treat method for a year straight ... no luck. Sometimes he'd catch no problem, sometimes it'd be a complete pain. It goes in spurts...mostly with the cooler weather ;) . What works is the Clinton Anderson method as mentioned above. Carry a long whip with you and the SECOND he starts to turn away chase him like hell with it. It sounds so counter intuitive, but I was at my wits end. I stayed true to this for two weeks before he got easier to catch. Stick with it.
It requires a lot of walking. I have him on 20+ acres, but could narrow it down to 4-5 acre lots. Clinton Anderson says not to hide the halter, not do anything. Make your intentions clear and the moment he starts to turn away, chase him with the whip. Eventually, he'll decide it's easier to get caught. But like I said, it took almost two weeks. And during those two weeks, I rarely rode him when I finally caught him. Just groomed, stretched, fed him... all happy things. Stick with it.
He still goes in phases where he likes to be hard to catch, but it's a lot easier now. If he sees me with the whip, he'll sometimes even start walking to me.
Good luck! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 357
Location: Florida | komet. - 2014-11-02 4:22 PM
JRust - 2014-11-01 2:20 PM Thanks ladies! Glad to hear he isn't the only one. I'm wondering if it had to do with him being off a ranch. He is blind in one eye and was used on a ranch till he was 7, a lady got him after they confirmed he was blind and she trained him on barrels and poles, and I got him in may. We have the big pasture opened up for the winter rotation. So with all the green grass, he's not too tempted by treats now.
This might be causing a problem too.
I agree with Komet. I have an appaloosa with vision problems. I have to talk to him when I walk up and only approach on the left side. And even then there are days where he still runs from me. But I think that you really have to build the trust even more with a horse with vision issues. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Every time you catch him, immediately bring him into a stall and give him a hand full of grain (not much, just enough to get the idea in his head).
If you work him, give him another handful in the stall before putting him back out.
They usually will pick up a good association with coming in, whether you work them or not.
My horse is always super easy to catch, even if the others take off. |
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 Ms Bling Bling Sleeze Kitty
Posts: 20917
Location: LouLouVille, OK | GoinJettin - 2014-11-02 7:45 PM Feed lots of treats. My mom carries them around in her pockets when she is around my horses, they follow her like a dog.
yup.. My bf's horse was hard to catch, but I started giving him treats when he was done eating, when I put a halter on him just to bath him, when I picked his feet up and all that... now.. I can walk out in 30 acres with a halter and hes usually the first one to me... just be patient.. and when he comes in to eat... pamper him a little... and a few treats go along way ;) |
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Veteran
Posts: 165
| JRust - 2014-11-02 8:28 PM
GoinJettin - 2014-11-02 7:45 PM
Feed lots of treats. My mom carries them around in her pockets when she is around my horses, they follow her like a dog.
He will come up for treats and be touched. But be a little too touchy or try to catch him and he's gone. Today I gave him treats with a halter in my hand while he was in the pasture, but then he figured it was best to steer clear!! The other horses loved it. ..lol
He is in a 100 acre pasture, but comes up for feedings ect. That's when I can pen him in and them catch him with a small degree of difficulty.
If you can catch him, put him in a smaller area. Catch him and once his halter is on, then he gets a treat. He will soon associate the halter going on with a treat. Don't work him each time, sometimes I just catch mine and bring them out to graze on the hayfield while being brushed or massaged, then turned out again. It has worked with a couple of my hard to catch horses. My horses or my dogs never get a hand fed treat without doing something to earn it.
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What to do about a hard to catch horse