I bought this great 3 year old cow horse last winter he is fantastic under saddle but from day one he has been a problem catching every thing i try works for about 4-6 times and he figurs it out the only way i can catch him right now is to take all the horses in his field into a small pen so i can catch him.
I hear different theory's about driving him and not driving him building a relationship i tried it all i believe he had some bad experieces as a young colt. i would love to hear some of your succes stories,

a horse must have a foundation. This old excuse "had a bad experience" don't wash with me. You have a "BUT" horse......he is a great horse, BUT....you can't catch him......all starts with ground work and instilling a foundation for willing compliance.

Don't mean to sound rough and offend you. a vast majority of folks are in such a big hurry to "saddle and ride" they forget to do the basic stuff and then complain about problems then have that they wouldn't if they took the time to build a foundation of trust, confidence and willing compliance.

No offence taken i have checked my ego at the the door after getting my first horse there is so much to learn about these animals i am looking for way's to improve this situation do you suggest i go back to the round penn.
Do you have any particular exercises that you would recommend.

thanks for your help

cowboydutch..I sent ya a pm.

Thank you,
I was out last night doing some ground foundation
what i have noticed something he is not hard to catch when he is in a large penn by him self.The problem is when he is with the herd And after i do work with him and bring him back to the field with the other horses he follows me around and is easy to aproach i put his halter on and off several times i just received the email about the bonder i will have a read and work on this.

Thanks again

Spend time with your horses where you are not "catching" them for any reason. We are able to walk up to any horse in our pasture, because we frequently walk out to just see how they are doing and socialize with them. We are not doing anything special, just spending time with them that is not related to work in their eyes. We probably get more out of it than they do. Good luck.

I like ranchropers common sense approach. It makes sense. If each trip to the pasture is to bring them in for a reason, such as going to work, why wouldnt they make the association and avoid you. It just sounds like good advise to me. There have been times when I go to get a horse other than my own from pasture and though my horse doesnt run from me he avoids eye contact. Its as though he is thinking by not looking at me maybe I wont notice him. When I walk out with a different horse I get that look of bewilderment! Hmmmm I guess she does come out here for other reasons.

That happens with ours too, it's actually amusing how they try to "disappear" by not looking at us. But mostly they are pretty good about hanging out with us in the pasture, the pushy ones crave more attention than others of course.
If I want to halter one for any reason, the approach matters too. You have to approach them in a way that helps them to stay put, as opposed to approaching in a manner that causes them to leave. Sometimes I'll walk up to a different one that I don't want, pet on him and move on to the one I'm after. It seems to put them at ease if I don't just zero in on the one I'm after. If I stride across the pasture like a man on a mission, I can make them very wary of my intentions.
Also, if the horse I want starts to leave, and most importantly turns his backside to me, I'll toss the halter at his butt and make him move out. Sounds counterproductive to catching him but it's amazing how little time it takes them to stop turning away from me. Turn away = work, and they seem to get the message. Make sure you're out of kicking range though if you do this. Hope some of this helps. We've all been in the same boat, nothing gets the blood pressure up like a horse that makes you walk the pasture for miles while he plays games with you.

A few months ago, we all talked about this in another thread...anyone remember where it was?

I echo ranchropers suggestion....once you have the basics down.
Sometimes I'll just take a book and a chair out and read...sometimes I'll play music for them...mine seem to really like Lakota Indian flutes and chants...
they never know from one day to the next if I'm just spending time, or if I do "get caught" what my plans are...sometimes it is work, sometimes it is just to get one out of the pasture and go for a nice...in hand..walk, sometimes it is for a bath...which mine all LOVE, and sometimes it is to let them graze the front yard....I mix it up and they can never second guess what we'll be doing, so they are always happy to "catch me" and are at times, even argue over which one gets to go out with me

We did have a similar post but it was some time ago..must have aged off.

We have a small fenced in common area that I sometimes use to just hang out with mine. I'll bring him in from pasture and turn him loose in there and just sit and watch him munch grass. Its a small area so he is never more than 60 feet away from me and he often will eat the grass near me and listen to me talk to him!

Horses are easy to talk to, never break a confidence or offer advice. They appear to be so understanding, never point out your faults or problems and never blame you for the situation.

They are always glad to see you, especially with food or a treat, and they never hold a grudge.

Couldn't agree more!!

I totally agree with ranchroper. I do the same thing with my horses and now they often come up to the fence with a nicker just to say hi. Also when I go out with a halter I get up to them and just pet them for a while before I halter them. I almost never have a problem, just once in a while with a young one I haven't had for very long. She just likes to test me once in a while I think.

I agree with peaeye everything starts with allot of ground work. as much as you can... This will help out allot... Good luck

I am unable to ride as much as I used to, but I also like to go out and get mine just to brush them or enjoy their company. When I turn them back out, I always have something good for them to remember, such as scratching a favorite spot. I also am one to go out and just sit in the pasture with them and enjoy the solitude.

quote:

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Originally posted by cowboydutch:
I bought this great 3 year old cow horse last winter he is fantastic under saddle but from day one he has been a problem catching every thing i try works for about 4-6 times and he figurs it out the only way i can catch him right now is to take all the horses in his field into a small pen so i can catch him.
I hear different theory's about driving him and not driving him building a relationship i tried it all i believe he had some bad experieces as a young colt. i would love to hear some of your succes stories,

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Tom Dorrance used to say "A happy horse is one that wants to be with you." I never have any problems catching our horses because they are happy horses. I board our two in a twenty acre pasture and everytime I go over to see them they come right up, sometimes at a lope. Not only do they come to see me but they are in with three mules and they come too. I always give all of them a rub on the forehead or scratch their necks. They look forward to seeing me. That I believe is the cure for the hard to catch horse.

Paul