probs with catching a pony

I have a very naughty pony, who has decided she does'nt like being caught. she will come to me most of the time but no one else and its a real pain. I now know why her previous owner had her halter on all the time, but she had such awful rib marks I have laft it off, plus I dont like leaving halters on in the paddock incase they get caught. So iam after some tips, I have tried standing in her paddock with my back towrds her and letting her approach me, and that works for me but no one else!!!!!!!! so any tips would be great....ta

well i sometimes hav the same problem except with a much bigger horse who like to trot and canter around. when i go out to get him from the paddock i take a carrot or something tasty, keep on doing that and eventually they think you will hav something for them and come straight up. or if that doesnt work...bring their friends in from the paddock. horses are a pack animal and dont like being left alone.

candi
xxx

If you're going to take food out as a bribe, ensure that you place the halter on BEFORE giving it to her so that she doesn't learn to 'snatch and run' or get nippy and obnoxious.

'Teach' her to be caught. Spend a day of it... walk out, halter in hand, and perhaps a treat too. Don't face her directly, turn your shoulder to her (you have to walk slightly like a crab) and approach her shoulder or body from an angle. Don't approach her directly front on or from directly behind and avoid looking at her eye. Look at her shoulder and that way you can read her body language better rather than if you were looking at her feet. If she runs off just follow her causually. As soon as she stops, hold out the hand with the treat and speak praise to her. If she runs off again, take away the hand with the treat, and keep right on following her.

When she does eventually stand still and let you come up to her, put the leadrope around her neck so she can't run off. Slip the halter on and buckle it up, and THEN let her have the treat. Pat her and praise her (stroking, horses and ponies HATE being 'patted') and then let her go and walk away. End of lesson one. Give it a good ten minutes of her being out in the paddock to let her think it over. Then repeat the process.

Do this as often as you can and once she's got the idea, get the kids to do it. Then as time goes on, sometimes you bring her in for a ride, but make sure you still go out and catch her often just for no reason OR get the kids to bring her in and groom her. That way she learns not only to be caught straight away by everyone, but also that just because you're catching her doesn't mean she's about to work. Catch her to 'bring her in' for a feed, catch her for treats. Catch her for a massage or a groom or catch her and hold her for a couple of minutes of together-time then release her. You're training her to be caught!

You'd be surprised at reasons ponies won't be caught. Some (Like Levi, my BIG pony Candi is talking about) know full well that they are going to be worked and play with you. Some simply have been 'taught' one way or another (and usually we don't know that we're teaching them!) to not come when they are wanted.

Good luck! And thanks for reading this essay... LOL

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I have the same problem with one of mine.
I had her out on 100 acres and everytime I needed to handle her it was to put her on the float and take her to the vets for scanning. Definently not confortable!
She had alot of scans because of fluid and she soon picked up on it.
I didn't want her distressed before going to the vets and also wanted my job easier. So I used the same method as Second Chance.
Some days I went out, caught her and spoilt her rotten with brushes and food. And it works. After a few weeks she's never turned away since.

My friend had a horse kept with mine on a 10 acre paddock, and he used to love to walk away too. He would go just far enough and then stand there and look at us, and once we were almost within reach he would take off again!! One day we just followed him for over half an hour as he kept playing his little games with us, and we just kept following. Eventually he gave up and realised we weren't going to disappear. After that day he never gave us another problem again!!

if this happened to me I'd go out into the field with the halter and lead rope in clear view, but not with a treat. I would walk sideways towards the horse, and occasionally step away (walking straight at something is something a predator does). When I reach the horse if the horse stands I would just quietly reasure it and make sure it knows it's done good. If it walks I'd swing my lead rope slightly in circles making sure not to hit the horse and follow it. This makes the horse believe it was your idea for it to move, and a horses first rule is to never do what a predator wants. Once the horse is moving stop swinging the lead rope and keep following (still try to do it sidewards). When the horse comes to a standstill stop to let the horse feel safe and then when the horse acknowledges you go to catch it. If it runs repeat the process. Don't do this too long or both you and your horse will get irritable. Hopefully this helps...

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When i got one of my first horses i had to waste 10-20 min's trying to catch him. Now i walk straight up to him and put the halter on. And it hasn't even been two years!

The mistakes i made when i tried to catch him:
. let him have a treat before the halter was on,
. ran after him when he wouldn't let me catch him,
. only catch him when i was about to ride,
. walk straight upto him, like a predator

After noticing that i was making these mistakes i stopped most of these 'habbits' and then it took the game out of being caught. also you where saying that he doesn't let other people catch him. to be honest i haven't experience in this area, however i may be able to help...like all of the other members have said about catching your pony, once you have this 'skill' down pat, try to bring a friend or family member out and do the same task, at first the pony will test the other person. But he/she may learn that nothing bad will happen when it is caught ( except working!!) it may come down to a tust issue with strangers.

i hope i have helped...good luck