How to Work With a Hard to Catch Horse

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By HorseTender
User-Submitted Video

Horses out in Pasture

We've all seen images of horses galloping across a field to their waiting owners... Of happy horses waiting at the pasture gate... Sadly for many horse owners the reality is a horse that is hard to catch. The following are some tips that will help you with this frustrating problem.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

TIME
Patience
A halter and lead
Grooming tools
Did I mention time and patience?

Step 1

First, ask yourself if you may be contributing to the problem of your horse being hard to catch. Horses are experts at picking up on our routines. Why do you go out to catch your horse? If it's only to ride him or make him work, try to think about it from his point of view. If the only time he is caught he's made to work, he won't want you to catch him. Mix things up a bit, go catch him and bring him in to have a yummy snack, then turn him loose again. Or catch him out in the pasture and just spend some time with him out there. Brush him, don't ask too much of him and then let him go. He’ll learn quickly that being caught can be a good thing!
Step 2

Of course you have to catch him. This is where the time element may come in. Depending on the size of the pen/pasture he is in, it may take a while. The biggest thing is to not give up. If he learns that all he has to do is evade you long enough and you’ll quit… you’ve just made the problem that much worse. Be prepared and be able to devote the time you may need to get him caught.
Step 3

In a pasture you’ll have to just keep following him. Keep at a walk and just keep following. There is more to body language than I can put in this short space, but one trick is to stop when he stops. That’s his slight reward. You’re putting pressure on by following him and you take off that pressure when he does the right thing. Another tip is that if he faces you, you turn away. You can act interested in something else, anything but him. A lot times their curiosity will bring them closer to you if you do this. Over time you can work your way closer to him. A lot people use a bucket of grain, and you can use that at first if you absolutely have to, but you need to be able to catch your horse without that “trick”. Otherwise there may come a time you need to catch him and don’t have a bucket handy.
Step 4

Some horses will let you approach unless they see you carrying a halter and lead rope. One way to work with that problem is to carry a halter and lead rope all the time when you go out, even if it’s just to visit with him. Again, it may take you some time to work your way up to him, but if you mix up the routine and don’t always catch him when you have a halter he can’t anticipate being caught as easily.
Step 5

In a smaller pen or corral where they are fed hay the most effective thing I’ve used is this… Don’t feed the horse until he lets you catch him. Catch him, give him a scratch or two, hang out with him for a few minutes and then he gets to eat. Within a very short time your hard to catch horse will be at the gate waiting for you to “catch” him so that he can eat.
Step 6

In closing, be patient, allow yourself enough time to work with your hard to catch horse and mix up the regular routine to avoid him anticipating being caught and being made to work every time.

Comments

Mari7402 said

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on 3/13/2009 Uh, yup, and they run real fast, too!! ROTFL!! My Percheron, Bud O'My Heart, used to think the game of "keep away" was a lot of fun. It took him a very short time to figure out mom was ignoring him and his treats were being eaten by the other horses! You can tell from the size of Bud he lives to eat.... Problem solved!

HorseTender said

on 9/30/2008 Well, some horses don't want to be caught and yeah they might run off or just walk away from you. Others will actually walk or run right over to you when they see you. Mine are like that, we get along pretty well!