[superhorse]

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

I've had my horse for more than a year and shes always been fine but the last three nights I've had so much trubble catching her and I can't work out why. I'm not doing anything differently, nothings changed, she's not on season, once I've got her everything is the same as normal. It's really annoying and I feel rejected. I've never had a hard to catch horse so I don't know how to handle it.

I'd really like any ideas on why it's suddenly started to happen and what I can do about it. Thanks.

[Showrider]

Hmm not too sure..

Maybe you caught her and did something she did not enjoy? Once you catch her, try to make whatever you're doing enjoyable for the horse. Treats, cuddles, praise, whatever. That way she''ll want to be caught.

SR.

[Peg D]

Also, WALK don't run after your horse. Keep talking the whole time. For instance, my horse Jack is VERY hard to catch. He has gotten much better since I adopted this technique.......
Try to get in a smaller area with the horse.... a paddock. Take your lead rope and let the horse know you want to catch her. Keep walking after her everytime she moves away. Once she turns to face you, (oh don't even try to catch the horse that has its butt to you, move it out and wait for that head to turn toward you) once they are facing you, walk up fast with your eyes on the chest area. I never look at the horses eyes when they are hard to catch.......... they think your intent upon eating them.
She may move away again, but repeat that until you catch her. Remember, walk fast and purposely once they face you. It does it for me every time.
Takes about 10 minutes with a good horse..... wilder horses, maybe an hour.

[Blistering Winds]

When you bring her up, do you normally work her afterwards?

Or do you catch and feed and groom sometimes?

Either way, I would work on catching and feeding/grooming for a bit, lay off the riding and that should help the issue. If they associate being caught with work too much, they tend to get sour and hard to catch here and there.

[Peg D]

I know you should make it fun, but I don't play those games. I have way too many horses to mess around. Sooner or later all of my horses agree that running from me gets them no where and when Peg wants you she will get you weather she wants to pet your or ride you..................
And this should move to the training section, I'll tell Belle4.

[imacowgirl2]

The very first night you had trouble catching her, what exactly happened? Did you give up and leave the pen at any point in time to go get treats, another person or anything? How did you eventually catch her these nights?

What was the weather like?

How are her manners around feeding time...is she pushy, or will she back away from your food if you walk towards her?

Go through your exact routine for catching her for us...do you walk fast/slow, which part of her body do you move towards, where do you look at her, do you talk, how do you hold the halter, everything.

I'm thinking its possible that she decided to test you one night for some reason, and through some part of your routine, you inadvertantly reinforced the being hard to catch...that's why I have so many questions

[ACCphotography]

Originally Posted by imacowgirl2

I'm thinking its possible that she decided to test you one night for some reason, and through some part of your routine, you inadvertantly reinforced the being hard to catch...that's why I have so many questions

Exactly what I was thinking.

Next time you go out, take a lunge whip with you. Just walk out there directly towards her, when she turns to face you, turn around and start walking to the gate. After a few steps, glance back and see what she is doing. If she is following, keep walking, if she is just standing there start towards her again. If she makes some effort (step forward, raises head and looks at you, anything) then turn and walk away. If she doesn't make any effort or if she starts running pull out the lunge whip and make her move, even if from a distance. Make her move, any direction, and when she seems to be coming around, stop driving and try walking up to her. If she allows you to walk up to her, do not clip the lead, just start walking towards the gate. If she doesn't follow, make her move again, if she does follow, keep going. The idea is you want her to follow you without a lead, that is the first step to her walking up to you without you having to go get her. The best way to accomplish that is to keep her moving. She must learn that walking with you is the easy choice so "walk with me, or have me chase you, either way... you're gonna move". And whatever you do, don't give up. She will come around, and giving up will only reiinforce the wrong behavior.

ACC

[superhorse]

Originally Posted by imacowgirl2

The very first night you had trouble catching her, what exactly happened? Did you give up and leave the pen at any point in time to go get treats, another person or anything? How did you eventually catch her these nights?

What was the weather like?

How are her manners around feeding time...is she pushy, or will she back away from your food if you walk towards her?

Go through your exact routine for catching her for us...do you walk fast/slow, which part of her body do you move towards, where do you look at her, do you talk, how do you hold the halter, everything.

I'm thinking its possible that she decided to test you one night for some reason, and through some part of your routine, you inadvertantly reinforced the being hard to catch...that's why I have so many questions

I kept walking confidently towards her holding the halter by my side and eventually she stopped and I got her. She was running off and then stopping to graze. The weather was fine. I've never used food to catch her.

Her manners are great once I've got her and at the moment shes just eating grass.

I'm haven't done much riding recently for various reasons, for about the last three weeks I've just gone down in the morning and night to check her and give her a pat.

Thanks for all your help.

[imacowgirl2]

Originally Posted by superhorse

I kept walking confidently towards her holding the halter by my side and eventually she stopped and I got her.

Towards her head, shoulder, butt, or other area of her body??

From just this description I would hazard a guess that maybe you are being too "confident" when walking towards her and accidentally driving her off...try mozying up to her in a crooked line, without making direct eye contact until either you have her caught or she moves away. If you have her caught, congrats, it was an easy fix of you inadvertantly driving her off with your body. If she starts to move away from you, become a MONSTER and make her work HARD -- make her trot/canter around the pasture for about five minutes, then just stop and let her come to you and keep repeating until she stands still to be caught. If you have a large pasture you are going to be getting some exercise so hopefully your pasture isn't too large

[cminor]

^^I agree, sometimes when you approach you may seem determined and the horse's flight instinct may kick in. My mare and I had go arounds in the beginning and still do occassionally. Don't walk up to her squared up in the shoulders, so at an angle and only keep one shoulder pointed at her, soften your frame and try to act like it is no big deal. Approach her in that manner and she goes to walk off, walk away and go near her where she can see you and kinda hem haw around like you are looking at something, horses are curious and she may walk up to you. If she does, pat her and walk away and hem haw around again, she comes again, pat her and leave her. If she could care less about what you are doing and ignores you approach her softly again, if she goes to take off, like my mare who is hard headed and determined, make her run for a few minutes, then approach again, if she goes make her run longer, over and over again until she gives up. I try to do this in a smaller area if possible so it is easier to keep her moving. Same things as above. Most of the time my mare is in a 9 acre pasture, so I do get a lot of exercise somedays.