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Author
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Topic: Urgent horse trouble!!
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FilaBrazil2004
Member
Member # 2153
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posted April 28, 2004 09:53 PM
My horse is VERY bad! He runs free on 2 acres and we can't catch him at all! We can't even get a halter on him he runs away. He has a bad mind and thinks he can get away with anything. We bleive that nobody could catch him only with a tranquilizer or be lassoed. We'd like to take him somewhere to be trained but we can't even do that! I don't know what to do with him somebody please help us!!!! ![[Red Horse]](graemlins/redhorse.gif)
Posts: 32 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Cayenne_spice
Member
Member # 718
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posted April 28, 2004 10:50 PM
ok well this is what i do when i have problems like this. i hope it works. when you go in the pasture do not look o make eye contact look away but keep an eye on him so you dont get hurt or anything. if you have a halter keep it behid your back dont let him saee it. dot make alot of noise. if he runs away dont run after him, if he is like alot of horses and if you stand there he may out of curiosity come see you. the halter it a challenge. if you can do this, this i what i do. i put the lead rope in my right hand but so the horse can see it. i slowly reach up and put my arms around the base of the horses neck, if the horse jerks flinchs let go! but if he dosent and you have your arms arond put the end of the lead rope in your other hand around his neck. again be careful because you dont want to spook him or anything. when you have the rope around him let him see the halter, if he rears dont pull back go with him, once e is used to the halter touch around his face with it, get him used to it touching him, show it it dosnt hurt. then slowly put it on his head it he rears go with him, (i mostly say rears cause in my experiance thats waht my yearling did when i first got her.) do this over and over until you can carefully buckle the halter on, then onnect te lead rope around his neck to the halter. I hope this will help as far as catching him you can also try some food, that always works for me lol. i hope this helps!
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Pictures of Rajah the Arab no one wanted and all my other horses!!!!.....www.81x.com/kiwiconur/myguildpage
Posts: 404 | From: Washington | Registered: Sep 2003
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Cayenne_spice
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Member # 718
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posted April 28, 2004 10:52 PM
o forgot befor the lead rope thing try talking to him and petting him on the sholder or something to calm him down if you can or it might not work, sorry i forgot to add that!
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Pictures of Rajah the Arab no one wanted and all my other horses!!!!.....www.81x.com/kiwiconur/myguildpage
Posts: 404 | From: Washington | Registered: Sep 2003
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FilaBrazil2004
Member
Member # 2153
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posted April 29, 2004 01:46 AM
You don't understand! He runs free on 2 ACRES! He has no pasture or other horses. He had his halter on when he had his gelding operation that is why he is evasive. I have no fenced in area for him he runs free on 2 acres no pen,no barn nothing to put him in! He's not dumb when I come up to him he knows that I'm always tryin to put the halter on him and he runs away.
Posts: 32 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Sandra-A1
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Member # 588
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posted April 29, 2004 02:06 AM
Question: I would have love some tips on the hard to catch horse. Spring fever has sprung and he is avoiding me. He figures if I can't catch him I won't make him work. Thanks, S. F. Texas
Answer: For your hard-to-catch horse: you need to "walk him off." To do that, put on a pair of comfortable walking shoes and allow yourself plenty of time (you shouldn't need more than an hour).
Walk out into that pasture/pen with halter in hand (don't try to hide it) and look your horse square in the eyes with a look on your face that says, "I am going to catch you come **** or high water, if it takes me ALL day!" Walk after your horse, straight towards his head, looking him straight in the eye.
Do not chase him and do not try to corner him or any of those other games horses love to play. He will run off, tail up in the air but the mental pressure you are putting on him will start to drive him crazy.
It may take a while (the worst horse I ever walked-off took 45 minutes) but eventually he will not be able to take the pressure and he will stop, turn and face you with his head down.
At this point you should stop and turn your back to him for a moment, taking the pressure off of him as a reward for doing the correct thing.
Then approach him slowly and casually with your eyes down and averted and your shoulders cocked away from the horse (there must be a distinct difference in your body language from when you are pursuing him to when you are walking up to him after he has given in).
Put the halter on, lead him a few steps, pet on him and let him go. You could give him a treat at this point if you want to (only AFTER you have caught him, NEVER use a treat as a bribe to catch a horse).
The next day, you'll head out to catch your horse in the exact manner but you'll find it will only take a few minutes, from then on he should be fine. Horses are very keen to your level of intention and determination.
This process proves to your horse that you have very serious intentions to catch him and he will not challenge you anymore.
Give it a try, it really works!
Good luck!
Julie Goodnight, Clinician and Trainer jgoodnight@ridingschool.com www.juliegoodnight.com
FOLLOW-UP: Dear Julie, Thanks so much for your suggestions a few months ago on how to catch a horse that does not want to be caught. I tried your suggestions--walking determinedly toward the horse with the lead rope and halter. She ran. I followed--walking, not running.
When I got near, she ran again, and I followed. We continued this process for about 20 minutes, when she surrendered and let me put the halter on her. The next time I tried to catch her, she tried me and ran away a short distance, but stopped when I came after her. For a few days, we went through this process. Then, one day when I opened the gate, she came to me.
Now I can catch her any time! J. L. Texas
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"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-Dumbledore
Posts: 1863 | From: Alabama | Registered: Aug 2003
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belle4
Member
Member # 864
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posted April 29, 2004 06:05 AM
quote:
He runs free on 2 ACRES! He has no pasture or other horses. He had his halter on when he had his gelding operation that is why he is evasive. I have no fenced in area for him he runs free on 2 acres no pen,no barn nothing to put him in!
How can your horse not be in a fenced in area? Doesn't he just roam away, never to return? There must be some sort of boundary or you wouldn't have a horse anymore!
Posts: 1075 | From: michigan | Registered: Oct 2003
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted April 29, 2004 06:52 AM
YOu need to make a smaller area. And "herd" him into it very quietly. Don't act like a preditor.
The walk off that Sandra suggested is excellent.
Your horse has a line of movement at the girth. If you get behind the girth line, your horse will naturally move forward. If you get in front of that line, your horse will stop, and/or turn the other way and/or back up.
You can drop feed in the smaller area. Try a 60x60 pen would be excellent to work in.
Close him off and leave him in there to settle. Then get in there and attempt to catch. Check into RoundPen reasoning as well. Once you get him into a small area, if the slow work isn't working and he is truely wild, then make him work. Make him trot and canter around a few circles, then ask him to whoa by stepping in front of his girth line wherever he is in the pen and say WHOA. He'll either turn or stop. Repeat this until he stops. Then allow him to stand and settle. Then quietly, walk toward his body at an angle. Don't go straight for the head. Pet on him and then step away. If he steps toward you, pet on him again. If he has been caught before with no problems then go ahead and halter him after you pet him. If he shys off, work him again. He must understand that being near you means rest, not being near you means work, which puts into the horse's mind, HE wants to be near you!!
But you need a pen that he can't just run through. Wooden fence, RP panels, cattle panels, anything that he would know he can't just get away in.
And keep him caught for a month or so. Don't turn him into the bigger area until you can catch him in the small pen with no problems and no work.
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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FilaBrazil2004
Member
Member # 2153
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posted April 29, 2004 07:58 AM
Well of course just our property is fenced in but you know no small fenced in area in the property to get him into.
Posts: 32 | Registered: Apr 2004
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QHGirl
Member
Member # 493
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posted April 29, 2004 08:39 AM
Great advise BW and Sandra...
I would suggest to purchase a round pen or even enlcose a fenced in area that is smaller. Start by feeding him in that area for a week, then close it off so he can only be in that small area and try the walking off issue... You don't have ANYTHING to put him in? Stall? Roundpen? Barn?
Posts: 1350 | From: Indianapolis | Registered: Jul 2003
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted April 29, 2004 08:47 AM
YOu are going to have to spend the money and make a smaller area until BOTH of you learn about haltering and catching. YOu have to learn what sets your horse off to run. Don't just always catch him to ride. Catch him and love on him, feed him, etc. Make him be caught to eat. He won't associate the halter with all "bad" stuff.
HOnestly, that is all the advice I can give you. Catching in a very large area, 2 acres, is VERY hard. If you are tight on money, get you a few T-Posts, and some hot wire and make you a small enclosure that he can easily move around in and lock him in there. Feed him in there, etc. Make that HIS home. If you plan on riding those days, Lock him in that enclosure in the morning to make it easier to catch him until you are finished training him to catch (which takes several months).
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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FilaBrazil2004
Member
Member # 2153
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posted April 30, 2004 12:17 AM
He's not trained at all I'm beginning to think maybe he isn't halter-broke now. I only wanted to get a halter on him so the vet could look him over and because when the time comes somebody is going to want to buy him and uh oh we can't catch him!! I'm done with him I'm not interested in standard-size horses just if I could get that halter on him....I will try your advice. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posts: 32 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Blistering Winds
Member
Member # 843
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posted April 30, 2004 08:19 AM
Here is some future advice, DON"T turn a horse you don't know loose on 2 acres. Always start them in a small pen before ever turning them loose. This way you learn to know your horse and the horse learns to know you.
Why don't you like standard size horses? What kind of horses do you like?
Because this problem can be in ANY size horse.
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Horses should not be treated as people. They should be respected for who they are and what they are capable of doing!
Born Free Now Expensive
Posts: 4337 | From: Texas | Registered: Oct 2003
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FilaBrazil2004
Member
Member # 2153
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posted May 11, 2004 05:20 PM
Everybody this thread is now closed!!! Incredible news! I just got a halter on Spencer when he was lying down he was all in a daze,sleepy like and I got the halter on with no restistance from him!! Lucky I got it on him when I had the chance! Lol.
Posts: 32 | Registered: Apr 2004
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slc
Member
Member # 1713
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posted May 11, 2004 07:28 PM
leave a halter with a safety crown on the horse when he is out in the pasture.
bring some grain to the field and feed the horse. spend some time doing that without taking him out of the field to work him.
after he comes up for the grain, attach a lead rope to his halter. don't take him off or take him and work him. just have him keep on eating.
when you get up to him put on the lead shank on his halter and just stand there every single time and let him keep eating grass or grain for a while.
if you are consistent every time and let him eat a little while after you come up and put the lead shank on his halter you will have a lot fewer problems.
what i do with all my horses is i feed them like that and they come up to me and eat. i wait a while and let them eat, and then take them to work or go in the barn. if you let them eat a little while each time they will let u catch them always....it is harder to reteach an older horse that gets in the habit of dodging you but it can be done.
Posts: 297 | From: ohio | Registered: Feb 2004
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