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Expert
Posts: 4766
   
Location: Bandera, TX | runs4fun - 2014-01-28 7:45 AM If they run from us and we in turn MAKE them run even more, it usually doesn't take long for them to learn that at the first hint that they are going to be made to run it's easier on them to stand still or even walk up to you. I have one that when I first got him he'd take off when he saw me coming. Now he'll just start to run and when he's me getting ready to really SEND him he stops, faces me lets me put his halter on.....works on 99% if horses.
I've gone so far as to run them with the 4-wheeler. they earn a spot in the round pen for the drill: whistle come-release, here. Now if I'm seeing signs of burnout in my horse then I look myself in the mirror and shake a finger at me! On a horse that I'm going to be riding at higher levels of competition if their walking away from me or giving me the butt when I walk into the stall shame on me if they didn't work at the competition that day because I was forewarned.... | |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| uno-dos-tres! - 2014-01-28 9:24 AM runs4fun - 2014-01-28 7:45 AM If they run from us and we in turn MAKE them run even more, it usually doesn't take long for them to learn that at the first hint that they are going to be made to run it's easier on them to stand still or even walk up to you. I have one that when I first got him he'd take off when he saw me coming. Now he'll just start to run and when he's me getting ready to really SEND him he stops, faces me lets me put his halter on.....works on 99% if horses. I've gone so far as to run them with the 4-wheeler. they earn a spot in the round pen for the drill: whistle come-release, here. Now if I'm seeing signs of burnout in my horse then I look myself in the mirror and shake a finger at me! On a horse that I'm going to be riding at higher levels of competition if their walking away from me or giving me the butt when I walk into the stall shame on me if they didn't work at the competition that day because I was forewarned....
This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say... mine are EASY to catch, but if a new guy comes who thinks he's gonna play games, hubby chases him on a quad until he realizes that being with me is the only safe place. That said, when one of my easy-to-catch horses walks away, or hangs back I take it as a sign that something is wrong. Maybe they just need a little break, but I always check them over really well as its usually a sign that they aren't feeling 100%... this happened a few times last summer. The first time it was hubby's good calf horse and he ended up having a nasty abcess, and about half way through the summer my gelding hurt his SI and he got worse and worse to catch until I realized that there was a bigger issue and gave him some extensive time off (once he realized he was just getting caught for love and not going to hurt, he was easy to catch again).
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | Mine all catch me. My gelding had become a little "ayyy, maybe not so much" and I found that his feet where hurting him. Got that straightened out and spent a week or so just going out with the halter and some treats, leading him up to the trailer and stretching and brushing him and he started catching me again. | |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | Tys-ol-lady - 2014-01-28 11:41 AM
uno-dos-tres! - 2014-01-28 9:24 AM runs4fun - 2014-01-28 7:45 AM If they run from us and we in turn MAKE them run even more, it usually doesn't take long for them to learn that at the first hint that they are going to be made to run it's easier on them to stand still or even walk up to you. I have one that when I first got him he'd take off when he saw me coming. Now he'll just start to run and when he's me getting ready to really SEND him he stops, faces me lets me put his halter on.....works on 99% if horses. I've gone so far as to run them with the 4-wheeler. they earn a spot in the round pen for the drill: whistle come-release, here. Now if I'm seeing signs of burnout in my horse then I look myself in the mirror and shake a finger at me! On a horse that I'm going to be riding at higher levels of competition if their walking away from me or giving me the butt when I walk into the stall shame on me if they didn't work at the competition that day because I was forewarned....This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say... mine are EASY to catch, but if a new guy comes who thinks he's gonna play games, hubby chases him on a quad until he realizes that being with me is the only safe place. That said, when one of my easy-to-catch horses walks away, or hangs back I take it as a sign that something is wrong. Maybe they just need a little break, but I always check them over really well as its usually a sign that they aren't feeling 100%... this happened a few times last summer. The first time it was hubby's good calf horse and he ended up having a nasty abcess, and about half way through the summer my gelding hurt his SI and he got worse and worse to catch until I realized that there was a bigger issue and gave him some extensive time off (once he realized he was just getting caught for love and not going to hurt, he was easy to catch again).
This is what I was really wondering about. This mare has always been easy easy to catch and is always the first to come to you in the pasture. It just seems like since I've been working her she decides she doesn't want to be caught. I didn't know if this was from something I'm doing or because she is in with a gelding that we recently brought home and he never wants to be caught.
I've done all the round pen stuff and she is really good in the round pen and yes I have chased them with the 4 wheeler many times also. She is only fed once a day with her hay and then she has to be caught and brought into the barn to get her grain. I don't think I'm being to hard on her when we are riding...I've just been doing slow drills at a walk and a trot for now. | |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1066
| Zanadoo88 - 2014-01-28 10:54 AM Tys-ol-lady - 2014-01-28 11:41 AM uno-dos-tres! - 2014-01-28 9:24 AM runs4fun - 2014-01-28 7:45 AM If they run from us and we in turn MAKE them run even more, it usually doesn't take long for them to learn that at the first hint that they are going to be made to run it's easier on them to stand still or even walk up to you. I have one that when I first got him he'd take off when he saw me coming. Now he'll just start to run and when he's me getting ready to really SEND him he stops, faces me lets me put his halter on.....works on 99% if horses. I've gone so far as to run them with the 4-wheeler. they earn a spot in the round pen for the drill: whistle come-release, here. Now if I'm seeing signs of burnout in my horse then I look myself in the mirror and shake a finger at me! On a horse that I'm going to be riding at higher levels of competition if their walking away from me or giving me the butt when I walk into the stall shame on me if they didn't work at the competition that day because I was forewarned....This is pretty much exactly what I was going to say... mine are EASY to catch, but if a new guy comes who thinks he's gonna play games, hubby chases him on a quad until he realizes that being with me is the only safe place.
That said, when one of my easy-to-catch horses walks away, or hangs back I take it as a sign that something is wrong. Maybe they just need a little break, but I always check them over really well as its usually a sign that they aren't feeling 100%... this happened a few times last summer. The first time it was hubby's good calf horse and he ended up having a nasty abcess, and about half way through the summer my gelding hurt his SI and he got worse and worse to catch until I realized that there was a bigger issue and gave him some extensive time off (once he realized he was just getting caught for love and not going to hurt, he was easy to catch again).
This is what I was really wondering about. This mare has always been easy easy to catch and is always the first to come to you in the pasture. It just seems like since I've been working her she decides she doesn't want to be caught. I didn't know if this was from something I'm doing or because she is in with a gelding that we recently brought home and he never wants to be caught. I've done all the round pen stuff and she is really good in the round pen and yes I have chased them with the 4 wheeler many times also. She is only fed once a day with her hay and then she has to be caught and brought into the barn to get her grain. I don't think I'm being to hard on her when we are riding...I've just been doing slow drills at a walk and a trot for now.
I think what I would do would be to take the 'hard to catch' guy out, and leave her in the pen either by herself, or with another 'easy to catch' type. If she is still not interested after a few days, and you cant really find anything obviously wrong, then I would probably get her vetted just to be sure that there's no underlying issue. After having my guy vetted I felt like a huge jerk for continuing to work him after he'd hurt himself... poor guy was trying to tell me and I wasn't listening, and it probably would have been a much easier fix if I hadn't continued to run him and make it worse for a month (he's just about done his vet-prescribed 6 months off). | |
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Expert
Posts: 4766
Location: Bandera, TX | Stop your arena drills and ride in the pasture a few days see if that will adjust her attitude. if her eyes and coat are bright keeping working thru it but if there's signs of stress put on your horsemanship hat, roll up your sleeves and find the culprit. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | Thanks everybody! I really appreciate all your input! | |
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  Ms. Potato Head
Posts: 9162
Location: BFE, Idaho | uno-dos-tres! - 2014-01-28 11:13 AM Stop your arena drills and ride in the pasture a few days see if that will adjust her attitude. if her eyes and coat are bright keeping working thru it but if there's signs of stress put on your horsemanship hat, roll up your sleeves and find the culprit.
This along with multiple times just going to the pasture to give a hug a treat and run your fingers over their bodies to check. If you ride everyday, still go out at different times of the day and night and hand out treats and just give a pat or hang on their necks and talk about the day. They just like us do not always want to be worked constantly.
We had a mare like this and as long every time was not for work she was great, if you ran her she would run until you collapsed or the 4 wheeler would have killed her(she would have run herself to death and I never understood why running which is what they want to do in the first place stops them from running?) Not with her anyway. | |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 540
Location: My own little world :) | So just go out and let them know that they are loved :) I know I appreciate that. Thats so funny because after you guys mentioned that I realized that ever since I had my baby I haven't really been out to just love on them and give them treats. Thanks!!! I just got in from giving my girl her grain and putting her pht blanket on for a little while. | |
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Veteran
Posts: 128
| I want to point out another side to this! Our best horse suddenly started being horrible to catch. He had always been perfect before. He didn't walk to you, but he certainly didn't run. Anyway, he started trotting circles around us (like you are longing him!) when we would go catch him. It would sometimes take 30 minutes for him to settle. He still worked great, ate, drank, looked good, etc.
I finally decided that this just was not like him and something had to be wrong. I began treating him for ulcers and within 30 days he was back to normal. I treated him for a while until I thought they were fully healed. That was 2 years ago. Now, he will start showing symptoms occasionally, I treat him for a little while, he goes right back to his happy self.
I realize now that there were a few other signs that I should have noticed originally ((a)fighting the trailer, which he has always done, but had gotten much worse; (b)acting really funny about letting us put on the headstall) but it just never occurred to me that he could have an internal issue causing those problems. I am not one that likes to just jump up and say that my horse is hurt at the first sign of a problem. However, keep your eyes open for other things that could be bothering her. Not liking to be caught may be her way of saying "This is going to hurt, so I don't want to do it."
On a side note...I found out during this time that singing to him and walking toward a point "beside" him, but not directly to his head, also helped settle him. I know I look like an idiot belting out "You are my sunshine" on the way to catch a horse, and my husband took a while to get on board, but it really does help! You can almost see his face relax when you just speak to him quietly and calmly as you walk into his pasture. The weather also really does a number on him. If the wind starts blowing, you can bet he is going to be a little tougher case that day. | |
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Member
Posts: 35
| Im with komet. go out and catch her and do a little bonding and let her go | |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Just to say my horses get the best possible veterinary care.
But I don't care if they have ulcers, are abscessing, etc my horses are not hard to catch.
I am the boss, they need to respect me.
I had one mare who had to have major surgery on her skull, when she cam home she was difficult to catch, it took me over 5 hours one day to catch her. Whenever I had time, I would go out in the pasture and catch her, I would spend as much time in the field chasing her around dominating her, till I could catch her, after a few weeks she went back to being easy to catch.
I also don't chase my horses around with the quad, had one horse sent out for training, they chased him around with a quad, this horse came backed scared to death of quad and motorcycles. Even where quads were at the entrance into the arena he would jump sideways running Mach nine to first.
I suggest take the time, teach her you are the boss, this will get you farther along later. | |
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