New problem already, HELP

[Taylor Jo]

WELLL, just got in from trying for like the 3rd time. I CANNOT catch my foals. I knew, when I got them they were hard to catch so this morning I put them in my 50' round pen. It was a sunny day and I wanted them to have fresh air as their used to being out. Anyway, ANY IDEA'S at HOW to catch them. I have my husband and he's NOT much help. I tried grain, and that sorta worked, but the second I go to grab for the halter they bolt. I tried grabbing the halter on the outside of the roundpen and him walking up to them on the inside and that ALMOST worked but again one bolted.

ANY help would be greatly appreciated....TJ

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

See if you can make a square pen out of your round pen, are they movable panels? Make a smaller area for them, square preferably. (You can do this while they are still in there, but would need some help). You can take a smaller (cut size) of a cattle panel and "move in on them' until you have them cornered, then halter them through the panels if necessary. It is better if you try one horse at a time though. You would need to push them up tight. OR you can try roping them, but just remember that roping them can cause them to gasp for air, not like the big horses at all when roped or cattle for that matter.

Or you can give them water but no feed for a day or two and try catching them when they come to eat. It would be more humane to corner them, in my opinion.

Gee............I have not had a miniature horse like that since I first got into miniatures, buying from a BIG farm that paid absolutely no attention to the foals/horses as they matured.

I hope it all works out well for you........good luck!

Beth

 

[Taylor Jo]

BETH, I LOVE YOU!!!!! YES the panels move. NEVER did I think of that. Sure we can make it smaller and corner them. Oh your the best. I'll do that. THEN I'm going to put them in the barn and TAME them FIRST!!!!!!!! Thanks so much. I was at such a loss and I just felt awful here it is they're second night here and left out and they only had one night in the barn all comfy. I know they're used to being out but it's all so new to them. I cried, I just felt so sad like a bad mother. Thanks again...TJ

 

[attwoode]

Sometmes the easiest way to catch foals is to not try. That sounds silly, but all of mine have been very curious and come to you faster if you ignore them. Once they come over and sniff you catch them and then let them go! Again I know this sounds silly, but it builds trust. Takes time, but seems to work much faster and with better results than chasing.

 

[Taylor Jo]

Sometmes the easiest way to catch foals is to not try. That sounds silly, but all of mine have been very curious and come to you faster if you ignore them. Once they come over and sniff you catch them and then let them go! Again I know this sounds silly, but it builds trust. Takes time, but seems to work much faster and with better results than chasing.

I "did" try that for about a 1.5 hr this afternoon and gave up. Then this evening the OTHER two times I tried I didn't do that cause I was intent on catching them. However, in they're stalls in the barn I don't have any problem it's OUT in the open that it's a problem. BUT, I agree I think your right. I just didn't have the time it was 20* out and I was like OK lets get you caught as it was I was out there quite awhile. I think what I wil do is what you say in the round pen BUT with a lead rope on them WHEN I get them caught, let them full legnth and come on their own. Thanks, TJ

 

[lilstars]

hi taylor jo

you could also put a catch gate on your round pen, just put a gate where your other gate is on inside keep it flat against the next panel then when you have a hard to catch horse you can release the catch gate so it kinda forms a v they go into it and you can get them carefully from behind. i have 1 and it saves time and they don't seem so frightened by it also good when you are alone....

just a thought

 

[disneyhorse]

I've had plenty of wild babies and don't fret, they DO come around and mature friendlier than anything! I've never met a horse I couldn't tame down

The younger the better too!

If you can get them into a small stall that will be best, and the quickest way. Most of the time I leave the halters on them, even though I REALLY REALLY hate leaving halters on for safety reasons! But, it is important that you can grab them and they can't get away... so make sure there is NOTHING in the stall they can catch the halters on and hang themselves. Better yet, add a leather breakaway crown to it! I prefer to keep babies in a cheap leather halter that will break, plus it's easier to punch holes in it and modify as they grow.

At any rate, keep them in the stall until you can catch them fairly easily. Be VERY slow around them and give them no reason to fear you. If they back away, freeze. Once they are settled, you can continue to move around them. Just clean their stall and feed around them with little bother to them, but do catch them and sit in there so their curiosity overcomes them and they learn you are okay. The BEST way to win over a weanling is to scratch their itchy spots, which they will appreciate even more with those winter coats they've got on.

Once you can catch them fairly easily, you can let them out for playtime. Sometimes I just leave a lunge line (if in a big arena) or a lead rope (in a round pen) on them the first few times so I can grab them from afar. That way from day one they realize they cannot get away from you. They won't understand how you can grab that 20 foot lunge line so far away from them and drag them over, but it generally makes a big impression on them if they never play the "run away for hours" game.

Once they are no so bad in the round pen or arena, I leave a really short catch rope on their halter, like only a foot long. That way I can still grab them without going for the halter if they are still a tad skittish.

I usually turn them out with older horses, so they are usually influenced by the easier to catch horses and learn to come over to the gate when the others do. I also always feed them after they are turned out, so they get used to the routine and are anxious to come over to the gate and be caught when called.

You will just have to find what works for you, be very careful if you leave ropes or halters on them and supervise carefully.

Andrea

 

[Royal Crescent]

I had relatively short, thank goodness

, periods last spring when I could not catch a 2 yr old, and then later another. The things I learned may help you too. I did ask for help here as well.

#1 If you don't have time and help to catch them, don't try. They are smart and if you give up, they will remember the next time. Even if it takes you 2 hrs, catch them or don't even try.

#2 You can let them out it a larger area if you must, but have a smaller catch pen that they can be chased into to make it easier to catch them.

#3 Have patience. If you are chasing them, it can trigger their flight response and they just get terrified and more determined not to be caught.

#4 You can leave a halter on to make it easier, but you may risk harm to your foal leaving it on. I would rather not.

Once you have shown them that they can be caught, it gets easier...until the next time they decide to test you

You might look up my thread earlier this spring for other ideas. I hope this helps.

Barb

 

[Taylor Jo]

I had written a reply but I have been having trouble logging in and it's taken me hours to get logged back in. I finally "might" have figured out the problem, but I won't hold my breath.

I did get the foals this morning. They were hungry and I snatched one of their halters. I Dakota in the barn after an ordeal of getting it open but I had to get my husband out and we did what Beth suggested and took a panel off off and got him cornered next to the barn in an 8' area and pinned him in. We changed his name to Sonny as we like that spelling better and were going to register him as LM Jesse's Sun. So Sonny and Dakota are now in the barn for the night. BUT, tomorrow were going to do what Andrea suggested. I went down and bought 2 lunge lines and were going to let them run free again in the round pen, but we'll be able to catch them THIS TIME!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone for your help. Could NOT have done it without you. Each and everyone of you had something valuable and I learned a lot and will put it all to good use. I know to be a little bit more patient too.

Thanks, TJ

 

[tinypony]

One more bit of advice that makes miracles on our ranch: make sure that you don't catch them every time you go see them, and make sure every time you catch them you don't make them work or do anything. Go out a few times an hour, give a treat, leave, give a treat again while holding halter but don't use it, leave, put halter in treat bucket so they touch it, leave, then some number of days into the future, treat, halter, remove, leave. It takes weeks on the really hard ones, but pays off enormously in the future. If they learn that you catch them every single time you come out, they then learn to run and hide. Took me a month, but my "big" gelding eventually liked his halter (he was wild caught). The longe line idea is also perfect and useful for daily turnout. Horses are too smart for us!

 

[disneyhorse]

Just be sure if you leave the lunge lines on them, that you do NOT leave them unattended. They can get their legs tangled up in the ropes and you certainly don't want an accident! Horses can do dreadful things to themselves in a split second if you're not looking...

Sounds like you are going to have fun with them!

Good luck,

Andrea

 

[Taylor Jo]

Just be sure if you leave the lunge lines on them, that you do NOT leave them unattended. They can get their legs tangled up in the ropes and you certainly don't want an accident! Horses can do dreadful things to themselves in a split second if you're not looking...Sounds like you are going to have fun with them!

Good luck,

Andrea

Andrea, thanks for the warning. Yea as long as those lunge lines are they could tangle easily, especially with two of them. Yea, I think they're going to be a lot of fun, even my husband is having fun with them. The dog has even got in on the act, Dakota and Sonny want to know what that 4 legged thing is and he's MORE then happy to accomadate them. TJ

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

Well this sounds like good news! So glad it is working out for you. I wouldn't use lunge lines at all, just a lead rope. Safer that way as they still have to learn to come to you. Treats are great, just start going out and sitting with them with bucket in your hand with feed. Rattle it.........the curiousity will get them and they "will come to you".

Good luck!

Beth

 

[Marty]

I never leave a halter or rope on anyone. I had the worst time catching one of my foals in the stall with her mama early on. She ran all over the stall doing laps I thought I would never get my hands on that baby. Finally I brought in my stool, bucket of feed, lead rope and halter and camped and got nothing for a while. Eventually I was able to slip the rope around her neck by coming up from under the neck instead of from on the top side and contain her and give her food and plenty of scratches which she loved. Only took a few times and when she saw me coming, she became easily caught with just the rope, and eventually the halter.

 

[Taylor Jo]

I think I need to set a couple of things straight here. WHEN they were at Limestones she didn't have a problem with them they were tame. They were used to her she had tamed them. BUT coming here they're just not used to us. Also, just because they come from a big farm doesn't mean they're left to run wild. Janet pays close attention to all her horses and has a hands on approach to them. She herself works daily with them. I didn't want to leave the impression that nothing was done with these foals as I might have done. They had been worked with and barned. But, I think coming here and being seperated from they're familair surrounds set them off. Today is a much better day and they're doing 100% better. I would NEVER do anything to harm them, lasso them or mistreat them in anyway. They're my babies and I love them. Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that. Thanks, TJ