How to Catch a Horse

Catching a horse is as easy as your horse is willing. Try these steps to entice your horse to come to you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Feed Buckets
• Carrots
• Cookies
• Grooming Brush
• Halter
• Lead Ropes

1. Go out into the pasture to pet your horse. Leave the halter and lead rope behind. The trick is to make your presence in the horse's domain a pleasant one. Bring a grooming brush and brush your horse. If your horse knows that every time he sees you it means work, then he might not be as anxious to greet you. Do this as often as possible where the only action and association created is petting the horse and creating a pleasant experience.
2. Spend time sitting on the fence or railing. Bring a bucket of treats. Shake or rattle it to get your horse's attention and feed your horse from there. What you are trying to accomplish is associating your presence with something enjoyable. Don't try to catch the horse, just let him come to you out of curiosity.
3. Bring a bucket of your horse's favorite feed. This is flat-out bribery and, if the horse isn't hungry or if the horse is ornery, it won't work.
4. Walk up to the horse without your lead rope and halter. If you can get close enough, rub the horse on its head. When you stop and turn to walk away, the horse may follow you. If he stops, rub the horse's face again, and repeat.
5. Put your saddle and tack out on the railing where your horse can see and smell it. Your horse will be less afraid of something he is familiar with.
6. Catch the easiest horse first. If there is another horse in the pasture that is easily caught, catch it, and your horse may follow, especially if he is the only other horse out there.
7. Have patience!

Tips & Warnings

• Horses are creatures of habit. The more you do something and get the desired effect, the easier and more ingrained it becomes in the horse's behavior.
• Leaving the halter on while the horse is turned out may help you catch the horse, but the horse may also catch the halter on a broken board or nail. If you have to leave a halter on a horse, use a leather halter, because it will break if the horse gets it caught on something.
• A horse that gets its halter caught on something is likely to panic and bolt, potentially injuring itself. Use a leather halter so that, if this does happen, the halter will break before the horse injures itself.
• Horses are not robots. They are thinking, feeling creatures; they need lots of attention, patience and care. If the only time your horse sees you is followed by work, he might not be so happy to see you. Create good feelings when your horse sees you by creating pleasurable associations.