Adventures In Catching

[Yann]

Only a very modest tale compared to most, but one that's still made a big difference for me personally.

I started riding again in my mid thirties, and soon progressed from being a riding school client to sharing a horse for the first time. Ben was a very handsome 16.2 middleweight hunter type who was liveried at the riding school. Like all the other horses there he lived in 24/7 over winter, and got turned out in spring once the land had dried up. I was warned that there was a problem, and that he was going to be very difficult to catch once he went out, it had caused his owner all sorts of problems and they had regularly had to empty the field and go in mob handed to get him. Being fresh and full of enthusiasm I thought 'surely we can do something about this?' and set about trawling the web for advice, and up popped an article by Kelly I bought her Catching Made Easy booklet and set about trying to implement the suggestions in it.

The first time I went to fetch Ben in, he duly ran away from me as expected. I started working him and using approach and retreat and a few minutes later he ran to the gate and let me catch him. I wasn't sure if it had worked or not, but it was a start. The next time I went to get him one of the yard staff quipped about it taking me a while. Imagine my joy and delight when I marched back on to the yard with him 5 minutes later We had a few setbacks when he was moved into a much larger field, but I was always able to catch him eventually. Sadly with hindsight he actually had several valid reasons for not really wanting to be caught, and I'll always owe him for what he taught me.

Eventually it was time to move on and buy my own horse for myself and my daughter to share and we eventually found Rio. She was grossly overweight but otherwise exactly what we were looking for, however the reason for her size soon became apparent - she could only be enticed out of the field with a bucket of mix. It wasn't possible to get within ten feet of her when she was out, she would simply keep moving away. Given that she was going to live in a 47 acre field with 20 odd other horses this could have been a serious problem, but I was hopeful it wouldn't be for long.

That turned out to be the case, using the same methods as before it took me 90 minutes to catch her the first night, 40 minutes the second, 10 the third and then it stopped really being a problem at all. It's pretty much stayed that way ever since, she's needed the odd reminder now and again, especially when in season, and can be difficult for other people to catch at times, but it's a far cry from our starting point.

My next hard to catch horse was Gem, a fiesty little exmoor cross who we took on loan from my yard owner for my daughter to ride. She responded really well to the same approach, and took no time at all before I could get her in. I was intrigued by one of her field mates though, Red, who was a bit notorious for remaining uncaught for long periods of time. When my yard owner got desperate and asked me to see if I could do anything I wasn't confident of a result. I was already well aware that the standard approach wouldn't work on nervous horses, and although he didn't appear particularly nervous he clearly had something going on.

As I was going into his field anyway to fetch Gem on a daily basis I worked on trying to give him a treat and then walk off. I found that if I crouched down he would be a bit braver about coming to me, so I went with that for a few days. Eventually, by bringing the treat across me, I was able to touch him on the shoulder. Surprisingly as soon as I had done that I could touch him all over, lift his feet and generally make a fuss of him, although I still didn't try and catch him. I decided to make putting his nose in a headcollar a game, and would treat him when he put his nose in it and then take it away and walk off. He was soon following me around and I started doing it up and then taking it off as well, and eventually leading him for short distances and letting him go again.

Eventually I caught him and brought him in, fed him just outside the field and turned him back out again. He wasn't as convinced when I tried again, and did run off. I gently used pressure and release on him, and he did keep turning to look at me, but that was it. Running out of time and not wanting to end on a bad note I gave up and decided to just try and give him a treat - I crouched down as I had done previously and he marched straight over to me! I gently collared him and brought him in, it seems I had found a way to allow himself to be caught, it seems that more than the coming in was the issue.

I hoped this was going to be transferrable to his owners, but it seems to have been shortlived, and he has reverted to his old ways. However he still marches straight over to me when I go in his field, so for now I get him in as and when needed. It's not for want of trying on the owner's part either, he's clearly a complex character.

Last but not least is Tess - one of the reasons her owner sold her was that she couldn't always catch her and she came with rampant mud fever on one leg after spending most of the previous month roaming in the field. However she's never been much of a problem, and the odd time she has it hasn't been difficult to sort out.

Catching is one of those things where a little bit of IH can go a very very long way, and make all the difference to what can be a very frustrating and stressful experience

[foolonahorse]

well done what patience.

[laura]

well Yann if one cannot catch ones horse one cannot do much else with it


...so it is a pretty major skill to have

The thing is if you take the time and patience to do that you start build up the trust needed to do all the other things with the nervous ones ...... and play the right mind games to get the others to want to come in

[Cameo]

I liked very much what you did with Red.
Catching can be a challenge - and obviously there was more going on with Red - so well done.
You read the situation well and showed him that you were worth trusting.

[Casper]

What a great thread Yann. Sounds daft, but I am sitting here feeling really calm and settled reading it. I'm not surprised you have such good results, your energy levels and soft intent have clearly inspired calmness and confidence in to each and every horse you mentioned in your thread. Thanks for sharing.

[Zuzan]

Aug 8, 2008 9:31:54 GMT 1 Casper said:

........ I'm not surprised you have such good results, your energy levels and soft intent have clearly inspired calmness and confidence ............

Very well put.. was searching for a way to say the same..

[Isi]

It's actually quite amazing how many people I have known in my horsey journey that have had horse catching problems

Well done to you Yann for knowing there must be another way to approach such a problem and seeking a solution.

I wish I had done the same years ago - then maybe I could have been of some help to the people I mentioned above

[Yann]

Thanks Casper, that's incredibly kind of you but I'm really not sure it's warranted

[Sarah Dent]

Yann

That's worthy of publication in the Listening Post!!

S x

[Zoe RA]

It is Yann, and it carries through in your dealings with people too.

I walked with Yann up in the High Peak in Derbyshire a couple of years ago, and with his calm manner and positive approach he enabled me to walk in places I would NO WAY have walked without someone who gave me confidence. It is VERY steep and sheer in places

It's the same thing whether with horses or people

[laura]

wow this makes Yann a man I want to meet

[rj]

It's a good point, that we are the people we are, and it affects the way we deal with our horses, so we have a duty to try to be as calm consistent pleasant, confident and fair we can be - in life not just with our horses.
No way would I want someone confrontational argumentative or irrational anywhere near my horse, or me!

[Just Me!]

I found that really interesting, and as a nervous owner, you've given me confidence on how to approach and build relationships with the other horses in my little one's field! (being in a field with loose horses I don't know is a problem of mine!)

And I second what everyone has said about your calming influence, very inspirational!
xx