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 Expert
Posts: 2335
  
Location: IL | Any advice on a hard to catch horse. I've done lots of Clinton Anderson round penning and this horse just doesn't improve. If I have her in the round pen she will come to me, but as soon as I turn her back out into the pasture all that trianing goes right out the window. She is kinda flighty already and I've done tons of desensitizing. I'm ready to just make a small run for her and keep her in that. It's taking almost an hour to catch her and when I do I have to open the round pen and catch her in there. |
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 I Want a "MAN"
Posts: 3610
 
Location: MD | Is she afraid or being an ahole? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| I used to have nothing but hard to catch horses. We caught them in individual pens or stalls to feed them all. So, then they were always caught when we needed them. All of my horses now are easy to catch but I still feed them in pens so they dont become hard to catch and if I catch them straight out of the pasture I always have a pocket full of treats.
I give mine treats when I turn them loose. If they are hard to catch or dont like ppl, I give them a treat to get there attention, take off the halter while trying to hold their attn with the treat and then give them another one and pet them. That has helped most of mine that used to be hard to catch. Now if they see me comming they run up to me and sniff my pockets!
Hope that makes sense. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 964
Location: Alberta, Canada | I have one of these. An OTTB. I've tried everything with her, including all the round penning and stuff too. She'll go weeks being an absolute angel to catch and then out of the blue be a witch again for a few days or weeks. Last week - angel. This week - witch from you know where. No known reason. Even feeding time is torture.
When you find something that works, let me know!!!
ETA She's also ridiculously smart so will NOT go into a small pen if she knows I'm trying to catch her!
Edited by jschipper 2016-05-18 3:23 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | Do you have a 4 wheeler? Ive done that for over an hour because I was determined like it sounds you are as well. Once I was soaked and sweaty from head to toe from trying to catch him on foot, I resorted to the 4 wheeler. He wanted to run, so I made him run! We played that game for about another hour, until he let me catch him. By that time he was panting and sweaty all over. He then was tied to the patience pole for a few hours to think about what he did. I think he learned his lesson because that same horse has never ran from me again! He runs TO me now in fact lol. Whether its because he remembers that day or because I always have treats! It sounds harsh, but I did give him several chances to be caught while on the 4 wheeler as well, but like I said. He wanted to run from me so I made him run! Never again. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | AQHA sent out a DVD a while back, then wanted everyone to pay for it. Which didn't work too well in their favor....
ANYHOW, there was a portion on "hard to catch horses". It basically says, don't ever chase your horse down. Walk casually toward them, look at the ground or somewhere else. Walk calmly. If the horse decides to run off, walk quickly towards their shoulder, no matter how fast or which direction. Just walk aggressively towards the shoulder. When the horse quits moving, go back to casually walking towards them, looking at the ground, nonchalantly. If they take off again, repeat the aggressive, assertive walk towards the shoulder. When they stop, you relax again. Eventually, running isn't so fun when you aren't pursuing in the same manner. Halter, give a treat, and reward.
The first couple of times will take a while. But gradually gets better.
My ponies are on 3 or so acres and used to run off. Even now, they will act like they're going to, but realize it's no fun.
good luck. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 912
Location: Alabama | Kay-DRacing. - 2016-05-18 3:24 PM
Do you have a 4 wheeler? Ive done that for over an hour because I was determined like it sounds you are as well. Once I was soaked and sweaty from head to toe from trying to catch him on foot, I resorted to the 4 wheeler. He wanted to run, so I made him run! We played that game for about another hour, until he let me catch him. By that time he was panting and sweaty all over. He then was tied to the patience pole for a few hours to think about what he did. I think he learned his lesson because that same horse has never ran from me again! He runs TO me now in fact lol. Whether its because he remembers that day or because I always have treats! It sounds harsh, but I did give him several chances to be caught while on the 4 wheeler as well, but like I said. He wanted to run from me so I made him run! Never again.
I have done this exact same thing on several different horses with similar results. I can't stand to have to beg a horse to let me catch it. I have a mother daughter pair now that have to be "approached" correctly to catch them. Meaning you can't just march up to them and sling a halter on. But they don't run from me either.
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | merdth6 - 2016-05-18 3:10 PM Any advice on a hard to catch horse. I've done lots of Clinton Anderson round penning and this horse just doesn't improve. If I have her in the round pen she will come to me, but as soon as I turn her back out into the pasture all that trianing goes right out the window. She is kinda flighty already and I've done tons of desensitizing. I'm ready to just make a small run for her and keep her in that. It's taking almost an hour to catch her and when I do I have to open the round pen and catch her in there.
It sounds like every time you catch her it's all work for her, reward her and let her know its not all work, brush her, give her a bath maybe some treats here and there, dont work her every time you want to catch her. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| I've got a mare on a breed lease who had a rough past and she just doesn't like people anymore, although I can't say I blame her. She had been round penned into the ground, so out in the pasture when she turns to trot away from me, I'll get behind her hip and ask her to move away from me for a few strides, then move my body and ask her to stop. She had been round penned SO much, that she understands and respects what I'm asking of her, even if she doesn't like me and doesn't want to be caught. Occasionally it will take a couple times of moving her and then asking her to stop so I can catch her, but after discovering that, I haven't had to really CHASE her in months.
I should add (just for information's sake) that the girl I'm leasing her from is her second owner, and they treat her fabulously. It was her first owner who soured her on people :) |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | CE's wrapn3 - 2016-05-18 3:13 PM Is she afraid or being an ahole?
Tricky question...LOL she does seem a little scared but also an ahole!! She is very smart. I'm not one to beg a horse with treats, I've always been you want to run, then lets run. She is very persistant though and I'm getting too old for this ****! LOL I will even get the other horses caught thinking she will be easier, but it isn't. |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | Southtxponygirl - 2016-05-18 3:30 PM merdth6 - 2016-05-18 3:10 PM Any advice on a hard to catch horse. I've done lots of Clinton Anderson round penning and this horse just doesn't improve. If I have her in the round pen she will come to me, but as soon as I turn her back out into the pasture all that trianing goes right out the window. She is kinda flighty already and I've done tons of desensitizing. I'm ready to just make a small run for her and keep her in that. It's taking almost an hour to catch her and when I do I have to open the round pen and catch her in there. It sounds like every time you catch her it's all work for her, reward her and let her know its not all work, brush her, give her a bath maybe some treats here and there, dont work her every time you want to catch her.
I have thought of this too. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2674
Location: Silver Lake, MN | I have one like this. He is kept alone, and he comes in for grain both morning and night so he has gotten where he will meet me at the gate. I do ride 5-6 days a week but I grain first so he associates coming in with that. He gets lots of loves and when I turn him out I take my time and hang out with him a bit before letting him loose. Thankfully he is very food motivated. I don't have him in a huge pasture either. And if I need to leave early one day he spends the night in the stall so I don't have to worry about it.
I've also used the 4 wheeler option on some really bad ones and that also has worked. |
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A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | merdth6 - 2016-05-18 3:49 PM Southtxponygirl - 2016-05-18 3:30 PM merdth6 - 2016-05-18 3:10 PM Any advice on a hard to catch horse. I've done lots of Clinton Anderson round penning and this horse just doesn't improve. If I have her in the round pen she will come to me, but as soon as I turn her back out into the pasture all that trianing goes right out the window. She is kinda flighty already and I've done tons of desensitizing. I'm ready to just make a small run for her and keep her in that. It's taking almost an hour to catch her and when I do I have to open the round pen and catch her in there. It sounds like every time you catch her it's all work for her, reward her and let her know its not all work, brush her, give her a bath maybe some treats here and there, dont work her every time you want to catch her.
My horses are kept in their own pens at night, but they get turned out during the day. Lots of times I just go and catch them a little early and tied them and just brush maybe give a bath to one of them, just let them hang out befor I feed in the evenings. I got a gelding 3 years ago, when he got to go out to pasture its like no way am I going to let you catch me, lol, butthead, but after we got the routine set of him getting to go out and come in in the evenings, hes always the first at the gate and sometimes 2 to 3 hours early when he sees me out in the yard. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1079
Location: MN | Sockittoemred - 2016-05-18 4:30 PM Kay-DRacing. - 2016-05-18 3:24 PM Do you have a 4 wheeler? Ive done that for over an hour because I was determined like it sounds you are as well. Once I was soaked and sweaty from head to toe from trying to catch him on foot, I resorted to the 4 wheeler. He wanted to run, so I made him run! We played that game for about another hour, until he let me catch him. By that time he was panting and sweaty all over. He then was tied to the patience pole for a few hours to think about what he did. I think he learned his lesson because that same horse has never ran from me again! He runs TO me now in fact lol. Whether its because he remembers that day or because I always have treats! It sounds harsh, but I did give him several chances to be caught while on the 4 wheeler as well, but like I said. He wanted to run from me so I made him run! Never again. I have done this exact same thing on several different horses with similar results. I can't stand to have to beg a horse to let me catch it. I have a mother daughter pair now that have to be "approached" correctly to catch them. Meaning you can't just march up to them and sling a halter on. But they don't run from me either.
I SWEAR by a good patience pole. I used to have some horses you couldnt look in the eye or walk in a staight line towards them or they wouldnt let you catch them. The forwheeler broke that habit too! I refuse to single out a horse because they are hard to catch. Dont have time for that! |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | Kay-DRacing. - 2016-05-18 3:24 PM
Do you have a 4 wheeler? Ive done that for over an hour because I was determined like it sounds you are as well. Once I was soaked and sweaty from head to toe from trying to catch him on foot, I resorted to the 4 wheeler. He wanted to run, so I made him run! We played that game for about another hour, until he let me catch him. By that time he was panting and sweaty all over. He then was tied to the patience pole for a few hours to think about what he did. I think he learned his lesson because that same horse has never ran from me again! He runs TO me now in fact lol. Whether its because he remembers that day or because I always have treats! It sounds harsh, but I did give him several chances to be caught while on the 4 wheeler as well, but like I said. He wanted to run from me so I made him run! Never again.
I also did that to my hard to catch gelding. After trying so many times to try to catch him I finally got frustrated and got the four wheeler and worked that horse. Once I caught him I rode him for another hour. He was darn tired at the end but he learned his lesson. Now occasionally he will move away from me but if I stop and give him the "stare" he will stop and let me halter him without a fuss. |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | Kay-DRacing. - 2016-05-18 4:12 PM Sockittoemred - 2016-05-18 4:30 PM Kay-DRacing. - 2016-05-18 3:24 PM Do you have a 4 wheeler? Ive done that for over an hour because I was determined like it sounds you are as well. Once I was soaked and sweaty from head to toe from trying to catch him on foot, I resorted to the 4 wheeler. He wanted to run, so I made him run! We played that game for about another hour, until he let me catch him. By that time he was panting and sweaty all over. He then was tied to the patience pole for a few hours to think about what he did. I think he learned his lesson because that same horse has never ran from me again! He runs TO me now in fact lol. Whether its because he remembers that day or because I always have treats! It sounds harsh, but I did give him several chances to be caught while on the 4 wheeler as well, but like I said. He wanted to run from me so I made him run! Never again. I have done this exact same thing on several different horses with similar results. I can't stand to have to beg a horse to let me catch it. I have a mother daughter pair now that have to be "approached" correctly to catch them. Meaning you can't just march up to them and sling a halter on. But they don't run from me either.
She gets stand tied all the time. I'm a big believer on the patience pole..LOL She used to pull back being stand tied, but has gotten way better with that! Now its on to something new, like not wanting to be caught!! I learn new things everyday with my horses...LOL |
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Expert
Posts: 2335
Location: IL | I don't own a 4 wheeler, but I will say the one day my husband and I ran her forever. She was dripping sweat and still would not come to us. I finally got the round pen opened up and we basically ran her in there, but she's getting smart about the round pen. I was afriad we were going to hurt her that day cause she was ran around so much. |
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 Warrior Mom
Posts: 4400
| I'm so thankful none of mine are hard to catch, they usually meet me at the gate! I had a friend of mine, her hubby, told me they had an impossible horse to catch so he "rocked" him till he quit running away... I had know idea what that was till he explained it to me... he threw rocks at him lol! I'd never resort to that but apparently it worked cause the horse quit running away. Another friend of mine asked me to catch his horse and put him up for him one night, he was in a roundpen... I spent 45 minutes trying to catch that sob... I finally quit and just turned my back on him and after about 20 minutes he got curious enough to come see what I was doing and I was able to toss a rope around his neck.. ugh! |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| I caution using a 4 wheeler to run a horse as I sent one out to be trained he was never had to catch they used the 4 wheeler to run the horses in every day.
That horse would spook at 4 wheelers parked in the arena at barrel races.
When riding him outside if an ATV came by he lost his mind. I tired for the life of me to desensitize him, drove quads and bikes by nothing worked.
Hard to catch horses, I put them in with the easy to catch ones then will spend days out there running the hard to catch one around keeping from the others. When they stop just pet give crunchies then walk away. Then I mix it up sometimes catch, sometimes not |
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Meanest Teacher!!!
Posts: 8552
Location: sunny california | I got a baby horse that did not want to be caught so I locked her in a stall and fed her dinner in there. then i would catch her and put her out with her firend all day and for breakfast. then i would put everyone up in the stalls and feed dinner. she did not get fed for almost two hours as everytime I went out to catch her she ran off. I just truned around and went inside and sipped tea. then tried again. she finally got tired of being the only one outside and let me catch her. I did this everyday for about a month and she got pretty easy to catch. I have done it with others that were older as well and it worked great |
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