Anyone who owns horses is probably familiar with the humbling experience of not being able to catch a horse even in a small corral.
It generally happens when you are pressed for time and the last thing you want to do is watch the east end of a westbound horse. This is a very clear communication from the horse that he does not want to be with you.
My first exposure to this was many years ago when we purchased a big ranch gelding for my brother.
The first clue there might be a problem was when we went to look at the horse; he was already saddled and tied to the fence.
The horse was the right size and temperament for my brother, so we bought him and brought him home.
After grooming him and handling him a bit, we turned him loose in our pasture. The next day we went to catch him to go for a ride, but all we saw was his chestnut butt and tail disappearing into the distance.
At the time, we thought the best way to solve the problem was to keep him moving until he got tired and his ‘reward’ would be a rest when we caught him. It was an unsuccessful plan – we were worn out and the horse was still loping around the field.
Finally, the only way we caught him was gathering friends and relatives to form a human fence to corner him. Once we got a rope on him, he stood quietly and wondered what all the fuss was about.
A quieter method is to ‘walk the horse down,’ but this requires a lot of time and patience.
The method is to walk after the horse persistently, quietly and just staying with it.
I tried this method on one of my miniature horses who really did not want to be caught – after two-and-a-half hours of walking, I could touch her nose and give her a treat, but no chance of getting a rope on her.
Finally, the only way I caught her was with my husband’s help – we cornered her in a small corral and I was able to get a halter on her. This certainly was not normal behavior for her – the cause in this was a rain-sheet I had put on her to protect her from the inclement weather. When I tried to remove the sheet, I only got one strap undone then away she went!
It has taken a couple of days to get her trust back, but now we are good friends again.
The core of the ‘hard to catch’ problem is often a matter of trust and acceptance.
If your horse doesn’t want to be caught, there are probably some issues involved that will require you to take action.
Sometimes all that is required is a gentle grooming and handling – the lack of trust could be a sensitivity to touch.
In her book The Ultimate Horse Behavior and Training Book, Linda Tellington-Jones identifies some specific hands-on techniques to help the sensitive horse begin to trust you.
There may be other issues causing the behavior – sore back, sore muscles, dental issues.
Once you do catch the horse, you need to investigate to see if any of these problems are present.
Another method of trying to capture the ‘hard to catch’ horse is to make sure the horse always has a positive experience once you do catch them – this could be with a treat or a positive experience such as in hand grazing.
Some folks do not agree with the treat concept but, if the objective is to catch the horse, you must use whatever technique is going to work for you and your horse.
I did use treats on my hard to catch mare, it did slow her down, but didn’t allow me to catch her.
The bottom line is to be patient with that ‘hard to catch’ horse – losing your cool will just make the situation worse.
