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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
  
Location: Jersey Girl | So I just got a new horse about 3 weeks ago. 14 yr old grade paint mare. Patterned, trail rides, confidence builder type. I am really starting to enjoy her.
Her one issue is sometimes she is hard to catch. I have done the "chase and approach" method. She will stop after about 5 miniutes. I started bringing both in to feed but she will sometimes still not want to get caught. I have considered not feeding her since she does not want to come to me.
Any other suggestions? I will say I think she is the type of horse that needs to bond with and trust her person. Of course only owning her for a few weeks this has not happened with her yet.
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
  
Location: Kansas | can you set up a "catch pen"? I had a gelding that was horrible about being caught, and I have a mare now that was pretty much untouched for 5 years. I set up a catch pen, shake a bucket of feed and allowed them to follow me in the pen.
I would then allow them to eat out of the bucket while I was holding it, pretty much shoving the nose into the bucket lol. Then slip on the halter as fast as i could |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 534
Location: Ohio girl moved to PA | I used to have one like that, I honestly think she thought it was funny to watch me have to chase her around the pasture. I started taking a cup of grain with me and shaking it everytime i went to go get her. I also called out for them when i was shaking the cup, Gave her a handful and we went inside. Now they all come when i call. its pretty nice lol it took about a week or so but it worked! |
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | Roundpen her and teach her to disengage the hip, turn and face you. It helps. I have one that is simply feral, doesn't like to be caught. He'll run circles around me, but as soon as I disengage the hip he'll turn and face me and I can walk up and halter him. He's been that way his whole life, I think that's just him. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | Hay string. Wrap it up in your hand and go to the pasture to love on her. Get it around her neck by being sneaky while you're loving on her. Lead her around the pasture for a few min and stop. Take the string off her neck and push her away from you signaling her to walk off. Wait about an hour and do it again. She will eventually get the hang of it. Next day try it with a lead rope. Then the next try it with a halter and lead. Eventually she will assocaite you with affection and then associate you with affection and a lead.
I always push my horses away from me when I let them loose so they know we're done. My mare won't walk away after her halter is taken off unless I push her away from me. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | hoofs_in_motion - 2017-10-06 8:51 AM can you set up a "catch pen"? I had a gelding that was horrible about being caught, and I have a mare now that was pretty much untouched for 5 years. I set up a catch pen, shake a bucket of feed and allowed them to follow me in the pen.
I would then allow them to eat out of the bucket while I was holding it, pretty much shoving the nose into the bucket lol. Then slip on the halter as fast as i could
I board so I only have one access to my own field but I could just buy some panels and set on up if need be. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | Ohiobarrelracer - 2017-10-06 8:55 AM I used to have one like that, I honestly think she thought it was funny to watch me have to chase her around the pasture. I started taking a cup of grain with me and shaking it everytime i went to go get her. I also called out for them when i was shaking the cup, Gave her a handful and we went inside. Now they all come when i call. its pretty nice lol it took about a week or so but it worked!
I have started bringing them in to eat. I brought my gelding in first and then go get her......and she won't come to me. So she knows it's time to eat. I only grain once a day too. |
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Veteran
Posts: 217
| I have a mare that just likes to run. I go out to catch her three minutes early because she likes to roll off steam. Had another that was a brat only on some days. I'd get her in a corner (I waited to see her personality before doing this so she didn't go through the fence or panic) and I'd just step in front of her shoulders calmly and she finally got it but she'd still have days.
My gelding...my mom previously owned and he had ten acres to run on. He's smart enough that he could out maneuver you on foot in that field. My mom got the gator out and chased him. As soon as he started looking to stop she made sure he was ready to stop. After a week as soon as he heard the gator he was at the gate. At my house he only does this when another runs but my pasture is small enough to chase. After a 90 degree day of running for a half hour, he now walks up to me.
So it depends on the horse. Sometimes bringing them in to feed random times of the day work. Sometimes they have to realize it's harder to run then it is to come see you. Or they're just turds that will give you trouble for so many minutes a day or settle down once they're cornered or tired. |
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 Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | mgander - 2017-10-06 10:08 AM
I have a mare that just likes to run. I go out to catch her three minutes early because she likes to roll off steam. Had another that was a brat only on some days. I'd get her in a corner (I waited to see her personality before doing this so she didn't go through the fence or panic) and I'd just step in front of her shoulders calmly and she finally got it but she'd still have days.
My gelding...my mom previously owned and he had ten acres to run on. He's smart enough that he could out maneuver you on foot in that field. My mom got the gator out and chased him. As soon as he started looking to stop she made sure he was ready to stop. After a week as soon as he heard the gator he was at the gate. At my house he only does this when another runs but my pasture is small enough to chase. After a 90 degree day of running for a half hour, he now walks up to me.
So it depends on the horse. Sometimes bringing them in to feed random times of the day work. Sometimes they have to realize it's harder to run then it is to come see you. Or they're just turds that will give you trouble for so many minutes a day or settle down once they're cornered or tired.
We have to chase my husbands head horse down with the 4 wheeler once or twice a year. If you go out with no halter, or even someone else's halter, he will walk up and want attention (unless you go to put it on him). Sometimes, he'll run the others off even if you aren't trying to catch him--now that really gets me fired up.
Now, I give him one chance to be caught, and the second he swings his head and turns from me, I turn around and go back to the barn for the 4 wheeler. Usually once I do that, he's a pretty willing participant, but if he's not, I'll run him til he is. He's been round-penned, he's been bribed, he's been separated from his friends, etc, and they will all get him behaving for little bits, but he'll go back to being a jerk after a few times. But, usually after a run down episode he's good for several months. Ticks me off to no end. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 629
| I have to play tricks on mine. I will go in the pasture with treats, and give them to everyone but her. She'll come up to me then. And I'll make a point to go in the pasture with a halter, but not catch anyone. Just love on them. Usually I have to resort to the treat everyone but her to catch her. And if I go after her and she runs, I turn my back to her. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2017-10-06 8:22 AM
Roundpen her and teach her to disengage the hip, turn and face you. It helps. I have one that is simply feral, doesn't like to be caught. He'll run circles around me, but as soon as I disengage the hip he'll turn and face me and I can walk up and halter him. He's been that way his whole life, I think that's just him. Â
This.
I had a gelding I’d have to truck with grain. That worked for a while but he was out with 10 or so other horses and once they all figured out what the bucket was it quickly became dangerous for me to be in the middle of that group.
He was also pushy and disrespectful on the ground. I didn’t have access to a round pen but had a friend come help me with Chris Cox lunging techniques. It helped a TON both in his respect on the ground and in catching him once he saw me as the boss and wanted to please me. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 338
Location: NE TX | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2017-10-06 8:22 AM
Roundpen her and teach her to disengage the hip, turn and face you. It helps. I have one that is simply feral, doesn't like to be caught. He'll run circles around me, but as soon as I disengage the hip he'll turn and face me and I can walk up and halter him. He's been that way his whole life, I think that's just him. Â
THIS!
Some don't like him but I used to have an issue catching my mare. I used the Clinton Anderson lunging for respect and as long as I keep the respect in her head I don't have a problem. I can walk up to her now and she will sometimes turn away from me but I can get her attention and bring her back to me quickly now.
I also board and I whistle, another lady has a whistle she uses, and another lady calls hers up so we all have different "calls" for our horses and they know hey it's my turn to eat. When I call mine up, I feed her and while she is eating brush her and put her halter on, then do what I planned on but I always try to end the day taking her halter off and scratching her with no halter on and stretching her with cookies so her first and last experience with me is without a halter on and associates me with good things and not just riding and work.
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Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071
Location: Smack Dab in the Middle | I will add...in the same pasture with the head horse that I have to run down, we have a 3 year old gelding that we brought home as an untouched/unweaned 8 month old. After we halter broke him we used Clinton Anderson's Fundamentals Lunging for Respect. You can catch him anywhere--heck half the time I can't get rid of him. Even when the other horse is being a jerk and running around you can catch that colt anywhere, if he hasn't caught you first. He's awesome. |
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Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | RockinGR - 2017-10-06 11:41 AM mgander - 2017-10-06 10:08 AM I have a mare that just likes to run. I go out to catch her three minutes early because she likes to roll off steam. Had another that was a brat only on some days. I'd get her in a corner (I waited to see her personality before doing this so she didn't go through the fence or panic) and I'd just step in front of her shoulders calmly and she finally got it but she'd still have days. My gelding...my mom previously owned and he had ten acres to run on. He's smart enough that he could out maneuver you on foot in that field. My mom got the gator out and chased him. As soon as he started looking to stop she made sure he was ready to stop. After a week as soon as he heard the gator he was at the gate. At my house he only does this when another runs but my pasture is small enough to chase. After a 90 degree day of running for a half hour, he now walks up to me. So it depends on the horse. Sometimes bringing them in to feed random times of the day work. Sometimes they have to realize it's harder to run then it is to come see you. Or they're just turds that will give you trouble for so many minutes a day or settle down once they're cornered or tired. We have to chase my husbands head horse down with the 4 wheeler once or twice a year. If you go out with no halter, or even someone else's halter, he will walk up and want attention (unless you go to put it on him ). Sometimes, he'll run the others off even if you aren't trying to catch him--now that really gets me fired up. Now, I give him one chance to be caught, and the second he swings his head and turns from me, I turn around and go back to the barn for the 4 wheeler. Usually once I do that, he's a pretty willing participant, but if he's not, I'll run him til he is. He's been round-penned, he's been bribed, he's been separated from his friends, etc, and they will all get him behaving for little bits, but he'll go back to being a jerk after a few times. But, usually after a run down episode he's good for several months. Ticks me off to no end.
That's what I'm dealing with right now. My horse has always been easy to catch. He *never* ran away from me. I always bring a treat so all my horses have figured out that halter=treats. But I got married and went on my honeymoon and didn't see him for 3 weeks. In that time he became best friends with another boarder's horse and they are literally attached at the hip. The other horse kept running off, and my horse kept following him. And they live on 20+ acres. Eventually after walking around for a while with a treat held out, his treat lust overtook him. I'm still ****ed that he's developed such an attachment though. I want to be able to catch him like normal. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | I don't run my horses together -- each has their own stall access and pasture access. I walk out in the pasture pretty regularly and pet and rub on mine -- so I don't catch and ride all the time. Both have a sweet spot they LOVE to have scratched. Also, often I whistle for them to come to the barn and they get treats in the fed buckets. Both are hogs, so they NEVER miss their bucket treat. I use Clinton's Method and have for years - so expect horses to face me whenever I'm around -- both will actually come right up to me. It takes consistency for sure and dedication, but it's certainly worth it.
Having them in individual pastures helps, too, because they don't hype up one another to race around as a maniac herd, and if one gets out, they have never left the place - have hung around the pen/ barn with their penned up friend -- and the other reasons I keep them separated is to avoid injuries, cut, bites to the horses -- and for my safety - I'm old and it's so much easier to handle a horse that's alone rather than with others who may decide to act stupid. Safer to catch, feed, etc. |
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 Member
Posts: 41
| I had a horse that would do the same thing except she never would let me get near her with the halter. So finally I tried something I learned while I was working with a trainer. Every time she walked away from me I would stop and take a step back. When she would stop I would walk up to her and if she took a step back I would freeze and back off. After awhile, she actually took a step towards me and I would step away from her. She got really curious and after about five minutes of the "approach and retreat method" I had her in the halter and she was following me around like a puppy. I let her go for about half and hour and went back out to the pasture and she came up and dropped her head willingly into the halter. Good luck! I know how frustrating that can be! |
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Veteran
Posts: 277
| Delta Cowgirl - 2017-10-15 8:06 AM
I don't run my horses together -- each has their own stall access and pasture access. I walk out in the pasture pretty regularly and pet and rub on mine -- so I don't catch and ride all the time. Both have a sweet spot they LOVE to have scratched. Also, often I whistle for them to come to the barn and they get treats in the fed buckets. Both are hogs, so they NEVER miss their bucket treat. I use Clinton's Method and have for years - so expect horses to face me whenever I'm around -- both will actually come right up to me. It takes consistency for sure and dedication, but it's certainly worth it.
Having them in individual pastures helps, too, because they don't hype up one another to race around as a maniac herd, and if one gets out, they have never left the place - have hung around the pen/ barn with their penned up friend -- and the other reasons I keep them separated is to avoid injuries, cut, bites to the horses -- and for my safety - I'm old and it's so much easier to handle a horse that's alone rather than with others who may decide to act stupid. Safer to catch, feed, etc.
Agree 100%!!!!! |
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  Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | These posts always amaze me. I can't do anything in my pasture without supervision. They catch me. |
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I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | An update.....twice I did the driving away method and then I would always go out to the field with halter/lead on my shoulder. I did this a feeding time or whenever I just went out to do scratches or just to check the water tub.
After the second time I did the drive away its like something clicked and I haven't had a problem catching her since (knock wood!!). |
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 My Heart Be Happy
Posts: 9159
Location: Arkansas | fulltiltfilly - 2017-10-16 11:53 AM
An update.....twice I did the driving away method and then I would always go out to the field with halter/lead on my shoulder. I did this a feeding time or whenever I just went out to do scratches or just to check the water tub.
After the second time I did the drive away its like something clicked and I haven't had a problem catching her since (knock wood!!). Â
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