Have you chased your horse around until you are exhausted and frustrated, when you are trying to catch them? Today we are talking about training hard to catch horses!
Watch the Video Here or continue reading below!
what motivates your horse
What’s going on guys, it’s Michael Gascon! We are going to make some more Team MG videos. One of the things that we’ve been asked a lot is, “Hey, what do I do with a horse that doesn’t want to be caught?” Now, there’s some horses out there, believe it or not, that you shake a bucket of cookies at, or some feed at, and they just don’t want to come to you. They are not excited. They prefer their freedom to cookies. I am here to teach you different ways of training a hard to catch horse.
There’s a couple of things you need to think about with training hard to catch horses, especially when you have these hotter horses. You know your Pasos, your Arabians, anything that wants to go. A lot of times they’re not going to be that food motivated. They’re not willing to give up their play time, their run around time, for food. So what do you do?
Feed Them When They Come To You
Number one, we’re talking about a big open pasture, a big place. When you do catch them, even if it’s difficult, even if it takes two or three people. When you catch them, one of the things that we like to do is automatically, we tie them up and feed them. I’ve seen horses that aren’t personable, that don’t like to being caught, that don’t like being around people, change quickly. This happens to them two or three times in a row. Two or three days in a row, or two or three catches in a row. If done the right way, training hard to catch horses, will result with them wanting to be there when you open the gate. They might not be food motivated enough to come running into a bucket. When they know that they’re going to get caught, and fed, it’s a different story.
Liberty Helps Train A Hard To Catch Horse
The next thing, the thing that I would prefer for you to do, is teach them liberty. This will help with training a hard to catch horse. You’re obviously a Team MG member so good job! Thank you, we really appreciate you! The thing I want you to do is go to our library and go to the liberty sessions that you have access to. I don’t have a liberty horse on this property that’s not easy to catch. Even horses that aren’t personable, even horses that aren’t cuddly, that don’t like to be caught, once they learn liberty, they find out that being with you is where the release is. That’s where they want to be.
The horses that really didn’t want to have anything to do with people, when you would turn them out in the pasture, when you turn them into turnout, they would just go run around and do whatever they want. After liberty sessions these same horses, when you open the gate, they’re right there, hello, because they know that’s where the release is at. So, go through our liberty program.
Get To Know A New Horse Before Turning Them Out In A Large Space
If you use those two approaches on horses in a big field, they will get better at catching. The next thing I want to touch base on, is if you just got a new horse. Remember, if you have a new horse, feel them out. Work with them for a few days to get to know them. Do this for a couple of days before you just turn them out in a big field.
A lot of times people will go buy a brand-new horse and put them in a big field. Then when you go looking for them, they have stranger dangers. I don’t know you, so they just keep trying to get away from you. Like some weirdo, some stranger coming up to him in the field, don’t do that. Get to know him a little bit. If you have to put up temporary paneling or some hot wire to keep a smaller area, do that.
In Conclusion Of Training Hard to Catch Horses
Do whatever is needed to get to know them. Then look to do that liberty. Look to feed them whenever you catch them. This will all help with training a hard to catch horse.
If you do those things, you’ll have that horse. Then, whenever you open the gate, they’re right there to catch. Guys, thank you so much for watching training hard to catch horses! Let me know how that helps you, and I’ll see you in the next video!
Check out more free training resources HERE!
HOW SAFE IS YOUR HORSE?
Can you control every part of his body, even if he’s scared or unsure?
There are some specific things that I believe every horse should be able to do before they are considered completely safe to ride. So that you can see how safe your horse is to ride, I’ve created this FREE Horse Safety Checklist.
