Catching the Uncatchable Horse
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An Uncatchable Horse?
The fastest way to catch a horse is to invite him to catch you. Chasing a horse (“making him work”), is a common recommendation that may seem to work in the short term, but it creates other problems, and has not proven successful when a horse has enough space to escape. I’ll explain why in a future article (stay tuned). The benefits of having your horse catch you are: (1) your horse gets easier to catch every time, (2) it improves your bond with your horse, (3) it sets the tone for willing cooperation in everything you do, (4) it leads to a horse who comes when you call him, (5) it works even when your horse is loose and frightened. Horses naturally gravitate to people they trust. To invite trust, look unintimidating. Mosey into his pasture or corral with a casual slouch, rounded shoulders, head and eyes down. Approach at an angle, not directly facing him. This says, “I’m safe. I am not here to pressure you.”
Unthreatening Posture
This excerpt from my book What Horses Really Want describes my first interaction with Brandy, a traumatized pony who was so terrified by the presence of strangers that even the kind person who fed and cared for her at the rescue farm couldn’t catch her. The same approach applies to all horses whether they appear frightened or not. You might notice that Brandy does not look worried in these photos. That is because she helped us stage them recently to demonstrate. The day we met Brandy, her increasingly desperate charge around the arena clearly showed fear, heightened by Donna’s attempts to approach her. I did what I have always done with horses who do not want to be caught. I invited her to “catch” me instead. This approach is the best starting place even with horses who appear stubborn, because “bad” behavior often masks anxiety. I strolled toward the center of the ring with a casual slouch, head down, unthreatening. When Brandy looked at me, I backed away, thus rewarding her for looking at me. When she stopped looking at me, I got her attention by moseying obliquely into her line of sight, weaving little serpentines. When she looked at me again I stopped. When she began to slow down, I stepped back. When Brandy looked like she was thinking about stepping toward me, I took another step backwards. After a few more laps, she actually did step toward me. I took a bigger step back.
Brandy thinks about approaching; I step back.
It is an intricate dance, each step meant to reassure the horse that I will not chase, harass, or scare her. The more skittish the horse, the slower my approach. Each time she looks at me or moves my way, I reward her by stopping or backing up. If she moves away, I resume moving, careful to keep my angle of approach in front of her, to avoid chasing her. When Brandy walked toward me, I backed up slowly, letting her catch up to me. Then I stood still, hands down, just talking quietly to her for a moment. Since reaching toward a horse from the front is more threatening, I executed a slow about face so I was standing next to her, facing the same way. Slowly I reached up and scratched her shoulder. It had taken her about 10 minutes to catch me.
For a nervous horse, put lead UNDER the neck
If I want to halter the horse, I slowly reach the leadline under her neck with my left hand. My right hand reaches over the crest to grasp the line, less threatening than placing a rope over the neck. Facing the same direction as the horse, I am in position to slip the halter on, or work my hand up to the halter if the horse is already wearing one. I move slowly and gently, breathing deeply. I didn’t halter Brandy that day, but she followed me to the gate where my husband and the director of the rescue waited. She stood beside me while we discussed her future. When you invite a horse to catch you, he tends to do it faster and faster. Just a few days after arriving at my farm, Brandy cantered to the gate to meet me. We had the ultimate test of catching one night when Brandy escaped from the paddock and dashed into the state forest adjacent to our farm. I didn’t even try to find a dark bay horse in the woods in the dark. I called her and, guided by my voice, she crashed her way through the underbrush to come back to me.
Brandy comes at a trot when I call her
However, good things must follow being caught. One can hardly blame a horse for evasive maneuvers if he’s dreading an ill-fitting saddle, an inconsiderate rider, a job he hates, or a rerun of boring training exercises. Grooming is an intense invasion of a horse’s personal space, and can be downright uncomfortable if the person isn’t attuned to which curries and brushes, and how much pressure, a horse likes. A horse will be particularly reluctant to be caught if he anticipates pressure, physical or mental, that makes him anxious. Watch his body language carefully. Learn to recognize the earliest signs of anxiety, and back off when they appear. Spend some time doing things he likes to do. As you develop the habit of making yourself comfortable for your horse to be with, he will become an increasingly reliable partner.
Related Articles with suggestions for improving communication and building a bond with minimal pressure.
Personal Space: Why the Double Standard?
Body Language: Copying
Horse Agility
Why Play with our Horses?
For more details see:
What Horses Really Want: Unlocking the Secrets to Trust, Cooperation, and Reliability by Lynn Acton (Chapter 10: Friendly Body Language)
The Horse Agility Handbook by Vanessa Bee (Chapter 4: Catching and Releasing)
Ribbon Curtain
Brandy gets to play with one of her favorite obstacles.
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