how to catch a difficult horse
Problems catching your horse can be the most frustrating as, if you cannot catch them, then you can not do anything with them. Also the hours you are spending chasing them around the field is taken from time that, I’m sure, could be better spent elsewhere.
Below are the simple steps you can take to ensure you can catch your horse easily, and a video of how I would go about catching a horse if they did not want to come in. The video is only a temporary, emergency method. If you want a permanent solution you should follow all the steps below.
As with every issue you are going to need time and patience, but when it is resolved, you and your horse will have a much better connection than you can imagine.
I make a noise (for me it is a psst noise) and treat. This is done so the horse knows exactly when he will get his treat, and learns that the noise signifies behaviour that will be rewarded. It stops horses expecting treats all the time which can lead to aggressive or unwanted behavior. The only time I treat is if I use the noise, the exception to this is if I have a very spooky horse. In this case the treats would be done silently until their confidence increases and then I would introduce the noise.
There are 2 stances you need to be aware of whilst handling horses.
The
passive stance
This is to say to the horse “I am your friend and I am inviting you to be with me”.
This is communicated by my relaxed shoulders and chest. My head is down and my gaze will be away from my horse.
The dominant stance
Here I am saying “I am in charge and I want you to be respectful”.
This is shown by my head being up and I will be looking directly at my horse. My shoulders are square and my chest out.
How to catch a difficult horse in the stable
Keep your horse in a stable putting a field safe headcollar on. There are many varieties but I use the velcro ones, as they easily come apart and do not need pieces replaced all the time.
When your horse is looking out
of their door, approach, use your noise and treat. If he walks away, wait at the door until he comes back and treat.
Walk away, then approach again, make your noise and treat. If they are happy and show no sign of fear, hold the headcollar gently, make your noise and treat. If they pull back release immediately so they do not feel restricted in any way. At this point you are trying to change their perception that being caught is a bad thing. Being with you and doing things with you should be lovely, with many rewards for both of you.
Once they are happy with you approaching and holding the headcollar, clip your leadrope on, make your noise and treat. You can see in this picture Joey is unhappy, this is shown by his head being up and ears back. If they panic, let the rope go, you definitely do not want them to feel trapped. Wait until they are at the door again and keep practicing, using your noise and treats, until they are more confident with you handling the rope. You can see Joey is so much more relaxed in the second picture. His attitude is shown by his ears forward and soft facial muscles, even when I am putting pressure on the rope.
Go in the stable holding the rope so they can not swing their quarters around and kick you. Stand by the door in your passive stance so you can get out if your horse shows signs of fight.
Do not look directly at them as this can appear threatening and, if your horse is already scared, this will not help. Use your passive stance. Offer a treat, when he accepts, make your noise and treat again.
Walk out of the door and repeat until he is confident in approaching you.
Each step must be repeated until your horse is completely comfortable with it. These steps can be spread out over the day or even days, but do not leave the gap too long between each session as you will not progress.
Once he is confident in approaching you, take in the normal headcollar. Let him look at it. Every time he touches it, make your noise and treat.
Once he is happy to touch the headcollar, put it on over the field one, make your noise and treat. You can see Joey is unhappy in the first picture as his head is up, eyes wide, ears going back and muscles tense, so I keep repeating until he is confident.
Take the headcollar off and keep repeating, until he is very comfortable to have you put the headcollar on and off.
Now take the normal headcollar and rope off, leave the stable then go back in again.
If your horse:
A- Turns his back on you – go back to step one. You must remain safe and getting trapped in a stable and possibly kicked is not.
B- Looks at you – turn to the side, so you are not looking at him (which can seem aggressive in horse language), let him approach you, then make your noise and treat.
Put the rope over his neck, make your noise and treat. Practise this until your horse is very happy to have the rope going over his neck and you holding it for control.
Work up to putting the normal headcollar on as you did in the previous steps, but with you keeping control with the lead rope around his neck.
Keep repeating until your horse practically puts the headcollar on for you in his rush to get his treat.
Now take both headcollars off and go into his stable and catch him using his normal headcollar. Remember to put the lead rope around his neck first though. If he won’t let you you will need to put the fieldsafe headcollar on over the door and start the process again. It can be very frustrating but you must remain calm and positive. This is just a little hiccup.
Once you can go into the stable and easily catch your horse and he wants to put the headcollar on, you are ready to advance to the paddock.
Before going to the paddock I would strongly recommend you refer to the leading section and practise this, so you have some mutual respect between you. I would also spend lots of time grooming and generally being around each other in a nice way.
In the paddock
Once you feel like you have a comfortable relationship and can approach and put the headcollar on easily in the stable you can advance to the paddock.
Take your horse into the paddock with his normal headcollar on, with a lunge rope attached. Make sure you are wearing gloves and the lunge rope is correctly wrapped, so as not to tighten on your hand, or have loops too long so you can trip up on them. I do not use gloves as I have learnt how to react quickly from many years of handling difficult horses. Having received many rope burns and bruises in the learning process I recommend you do.
Walk around the paddock so he is comfortable, anything he is wary of take him up to see it, you approach first and reward any investigation by him, with a noise and treat. He is learning you are someone to trust and there is nothing to fear around you, only
good things.
Once he is settled, walk away from your horse a little at first keeping the lunge line loose. Then approach towards his shoulder keeping your eyes down and your body language passive.
If your horse:
A- Walks away – hold the lunge line gently, do not pull tight so he panics. This is so you keep his head towards you so that you do not get kicked.
Stop walking towards him, turn your back and offer treats, slowly shortening your line until you are back with him. Start step 3 again but with a smaller distance at first, until you can get further away, and approach him without him walking off.
B- Just keeps following you – you may need a helper to stand with him on the outside, so you can practice approaching and rewarding him. You are trying to change his perception that being caught is bad, to being caught is lovely. He needs to think “I get rewards and nice things”.
B- Lets you approach with no issues, make your noise and treat.
Keep repeating until you can get a good distance and approach him easily, with him wanting to be with you and receive his treat.
Now get your field safe headcollar and lead rope – I do it this way so you do not attach your lunge line on the field safe headcollar. This is in case your horse panics and it pulls off, scaring him and reaffirming his belief catching is bad.
Practice walking up to your horse, as you have done before, but with your headcollar on your arm. I do not believe in hiding the headcollar and springing it on them at the last minute. I want the horse to be happy with everything I do. When you get to him, make your noise and treat.
Now when you walk up to him pat him get close and place the lead rope around his neck slowly, make noise and treat. Take the leadrope off, make your noise and treat.
Keep repeating each step until you are happy he is confident in each stage and looking for you and his reward. If he gets scared at any point, go back a few steps.
If you get frustrated or either of you are stressed, take a break. What you are doing now is the groundwork for your connection for the rest of his life so do not rush. If this is done correctly all other paths you take together will come so much more easily. A little extra time now will save you hours later on.
Now walk up to your horse, place the leadrope over his neck so you have control of him, and put the field safe headcollar over his normal headcollar. Make noise and treat.
Repeat until your horse is completely happy with you putting the headcollar on. Joey is showing he is happy by his ears being forward and his relaxed stance.
Swap the headcollars over and put the lunge line on the field safe headcollar. Repeat the approaching and putting the normal headcollar on until you are very confident your horse is completely happy.
Now the exciting bit. Take off the lunge line but keep the field safe headcollar on. Walk a few steps and approach your horse again exactly as you have been doing. Gently hold the field safe headcollar and put the lead rope around your horse’s neck then the normal headcollar. Keep making your noise and treating when he is good.
Repeat getting a little further away each time.
I would then take a break and start again later or the next day, just so your horse has time to digest all this information. If you do break make sure you start a few steps back, and if they are not comfortable then go back further. Remember slow and steady wins the race.
Once your horse is happy for you to approach and put on the headcollar from any distance in the paddock you are ready for the next step.
Remove the field safe headcollar and repeat what you have been doing. If your horse walks away, stand with your back to them in a passive stance, slowly walk backwards towards them offering a treat. Once you are with them, place the leadrope over his neck and continue as you have been doing, remembering to make your noise and treat. I would then go back to the field safe headcollar and lunge line until he is confident again.
However, if you have tried to approach your horse passively and he is still walking away, you have to change tactics:
Face your horse if they walk (or trot) away.
Stand in a more forceful way by looking at your horse and squaring your shoulders.
Walk towards your horse’s rib cage, do not get close enough to get kicked.
As soon as your horse stops and looks at you, stop, change your stance to passive and offer treats, then slowly approach as you have been previously.
Once you are with him put the rope around his neck and his headcollar on, make your noise and treat. Go back to the lunge line as he is not to learn he can walk away from you.
If he walks off again, go back to point 2.
The idea is that if your horse walks (or trots) away you will put pressure on him by continuing to calmly walk up to him. As soon as he stops, you will take the pressure off and go passive, if he wants reward he must go to you though.
Once you can walk up to and easily catch your horse in the paddock, it is time to progress to the field.
How to catch your horse in the field
Some points to consider until your horse is easily caught.
The field should be as small as possible, there is nothing worse than trudging miles across fields only for your horse to run over to the other side again.
You should put your horse out with his field mates but preferably passive ones that you can definitely catch.
Do not always catch your horse to work them, especially if they are difficult. Bring them out of the field to feed, groom, bond with or just catch them to make noise and treat them, then let them go.
Until you are 100% happy you can easily catch your horse, keep your field safe headcollar on.
Call your horse, then walk up to them in a passive way, with your eyes down and your shoulders rounded.
When you get close, stand with your back to them in a passive stance, slowly walk towards them offering a treat.
Take hold of the headcollar, make noise and treat.
Put the leadrope on the headcollar and the normal headcollar on. At each stage make noise and treat.
If after you have tried to approach your horse walks away turn to face him and repeat the steps already mentioned-
A- Stand in a more forceful way by looking at your horse and squaring your shoulders.
B- Now walk towards your horse’s rib cage, do not get close enough to get kicked.
C- As soon as your horse stops and looks at you, stop, change your stance to passive and offer treats, then slowly approach as you have been previously.
D- Once you are with him, put the rope on, make your noise and treat.
E- If he walks off again, go back to point A
F- If you catch him go back to the paddock again.
If your horse refuses to be caught you can-
Take his field mates in and he will probably follow.
Herd him into the yard or paddock to catch again.
Final Thoughts
This is one of the most frustrating things to solve and once they have been difficult they can revert back at any point. As a result you have to make sure you put a lot of effort into making his time with you a nice experience. I always feed when they come in even if it is just a cup of nuts or some carrots.
My horse Toby was well known for being very difficult to catch. Now he is the first one up to you and a real pain if I don’t bring him in, running circles around me.
This is all part of your relationship, and working it out together will bring your connection to a whole new level.