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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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