My BROKE horse will NOT let me catch her!!! What do I do?

Is this a new horse? Horses (after a while) know who's supposed to catch them, and some won't let others catch them. Keep her in a smaller paddock (if not already in one) and then try and coax her to you. If she doesn't come, or run away; well she wanted to go, so make her GO. Bring out a buggy whip (don't whip her, just pop it) or use the end of your lead rope.

Then, when you move her to a bigger pasture (if you do) then just brush her the first couple of times you bring her up. Work on ground work, then grain and groom, then send her back out with a treat. Do this a couple of days. Then, if she's still running away, just don't bring her up. Play/work with your other horses. Then, try again. It's sometimes a slow process, but this worked with my gelding.

Also, with some other horses I've handled, it worked giving a treat to their (sometimes) more brave pasture buddy. Then, they realize, "hey, that lady is giving out free food. Count me in!"

Then, if none of these work, make sure your equipment fits properly. Have a saddle fitter out. It may be as simple as changing the saddle pad. But, I would make sure. Have the barn owner (or someone experienced in this (vet, fellow boarder, mom, dad, etc.) check her teeth. Also, make sure you're using the correct bit for HER. My horse - while he's still young - hates a snaffle. He does MUCH better in a shank bit.

Hope this helped(:

Most of the time when you go to catch her, you're going to put her to work- she knows that.

Go out a couple times a day without the halter and take her treats, make her realize that you're not always the workaholic! Once she gets so she'll come up to you for treats, take a halter out and just put the lead shank around her neck while she eats. Once she's good with that, take her up to the barn and brush her and give her some love, then turn her out! She wont know what the hell to think but eventually you'll become the "treat lady" instead of the "workaholic"!

The other option may sound harsh but it works like a damn.

Catch her, tie her up out of sight of the other horses, and leave her tied up. The only time she gets to eat, or drink is when you decide its time. You lead her to water, you bring the hay, and you are her only company. Try it for a day the first time, then turn her out and see how she is to catch the next time. If it hasn't worked, tie her up for 3 days (and nights)... She'll pout and you'll feel like the meanest person ever, but trust me, it works!

Well, think about when you ride her. Is it a positive experience for her? It sounds like she's not having fun on your rides. To get her to be easier to catch you need to make her want to be caught. To do that you need to make each ride fun and positive, not just for you but for her too. An easy way to do this is to end each ride with a good grooming. This will feel good to her and leave a positive impression in her thoughts. Also, take treats out when you get her. As soon as she lets you put the halter on give her a treat. Give her another when you tack her up and one more as soon as you take the halter off when you're putting her away.

Spend some time just sitting in the pasture. Take your homework or a book out there and any horse who comes to say hello gets a treat. (Take a chair so they won't accidentally step on you.) On days when you aren't riding her, still go out and catch her, give her some attention, a grooming and a treat and then let her go again.

Also you may want to examine why she isn't enjoying your rides, maybe some thing's hurting her and she needs to see a vet. Maybe your bit is harsher than it needs to be. If you can fix whatever this problem is then you should see a complete reversal in her attitude toward being with you.

Remember that none of this will work over night, it'll take time and persistence.

If you have any questions about any of this (especially why I suggested these things) please don't hesitate to email me at jbharrison355@yahoo.com

Because you're going about it completely the wrong way. If a horse can outrun a mountain lion or a pack of wolves or whatever their natural predators are then you have no chance. They are designed to run away when chased or threatened/cornered. So don't chase her, have her chase you. Send her away with a leadrope until she tires out. There are tons of ways to trick her into being caught that will work once or twice but if you change her mindset then she should let you catch her all the time. Teach her that running will leave her bored and tired by keeping her feet moving until she's no longer running away from you, but instead walking up to you. It's basically the same principal of join-up.

Being broke in has nothing to do with being caught, I know tons of wizened old schoolmasters that you can't get near once the spring grass comes out.

ADD- she won't tire if you keep her in canter/gallop for an hour straight? That's some fit horse you've got there! All horses get tired, even the ones who just want to run. Don't let her stop. At all. Keep her in at least an active walk or a trot at all times.

at that age I have a little trouble seeing trying to break a horse, but what most animals respond to is friendliness, when my filly was born there wasn't anything I didn't do with her. every day I was there picking up feet rubbing grooming, the whole 9 yards of what I do with any horse, all the ground work as she was growing I was teacing as she grew. move over to the push, give to the pressure, by the time she was 16 months old there was youngsters sitting on her back and riding with out ever being in a round pen or workek other than just being a friend. she gave to the bit, allowed it to be put in her mouth etc, every thing that you can possibly do is what shpoiuld be do to help teach a horse to do what you ask, she now rides barrels poles, trail , she will even cut a cow, shes awesome ,

what I tell my lessons while they have problems catching horses; to relate a horse to human, "my horse doesnt want to be caught" to relate a human to horse.. what do you do in the morning when your alarm goes off? push snooze? hesitate to get up? .. your horse (and all horses in general) are lazy creatures that naturally graze 15 hours a day. they hardly look forward to working.

run your horse into the round pen and have a long line ready. close the pen and this is your "class room" YOU need to control her feet. start at her speed (probably a canter or gallop because in her mind she has you beat) keep her moving in this direction until it is YOUR idea to change direction.. if she tries to turn YOU turn her back.. when you see blinking, an ear constantly on you or her running her head to the ground and some licking and chewing you are getting somewhere. allow her to slow her gate but keep her moving, remember to change direction occasionally because what she sees on one side and the other are two different instances to her. she will sweat... ALOT the first few times, but she will learn as well.

when it is YOUR idea to stop her feet just release pressure with your whip, long line or what ever your tool of choice. no eye contact and relax your body. wait a moment and if she faces you relax with a deep breath and turn AWAY from her. take a couple steps away and look in her direction over your shoulder then look away. if she doesnt advance towards you then send her out again. wait for the signs that she is ready to come in (licking and chewing, lowering head to the ground, an ear fixed on you in both directions, blinking) and try the again, this time if she doesnt advance towards you go to her, brush her face lightly and walk away. when she joins you this is the end of the lesson for the day. walk around the round pen turning every direction and backing up.. she should be with you without a halter. the time it takes to get to this point the second day will be faster and you will notice she gets easier to catch each time.

1)Tempt her:

with a treat or a little bit of food. If that doesn't work or if you have nothing with you or close by, walk up to her slowly(keep the halter and lead rope hidden behind you), but watch her position. When she starts to lean away from you, stop and turn your body away from her. Keep doing this until you are close enough to put the rope over her neck and then the halter.

2)Act interested in something else or another horse:

Go over to a horse thats close by, of mess with something that could catch her attention and make her curious.

3)Wait for her:

Stand or crouch(it depends on how comfortable you are with her) on the ground or close to it and wait for her to come to you. When she does, start petting her and slowly ease the lead rope around her neck then slip her halter on.

4) If all else fails:

I hate doing this but chase her(I know you said that she kept going) but don't do it with a rope. Hold you arm up over your head straight out and take a step(maybe stomp) towards her. Keep chasing her away like this until she flicks one ear towards you at all times, starts to put her head down, stick her tounge out, and maybe bare her teeth a little bit. Then bring your hand back down to your side(mabe more than once) and see if she'll "join-up" with you.

Tip: Maybe the halter looks scary to her so make sure that you have it un-tangled and maybe on your shoulder with the rope up off the ground and on you as well. I hope this helped :)

With my friends horses if they run the first time we try to catch them then when they start to come in and stop and wait for us to come after them we know they are teasing us so we get the lunge whip out and pop it a few times and make them run an afte ten minutes of running they give up and come

right to us, that's what me an all my friends do, if the horse wants to run then make it run untill it gives up and comes to you all the way. after about four or five times of doing that you won't have as muc of a hassle catching her. And after a week of no hassle they she will probly give you one day of a hassle but run her and it shouldn't happen very often from then on. It really works for me.

Well, your horse might think your playing, so she will automaticly run. Try chasing her for a few minutes, then sit down on the ground and wait till she comes to you. She might be curious why you arent chasing her anymore and come over. Also a treat or an apple might help too.

Some horses just don't like to be caught because that usually means that they're going to be working. I would leave her halter on and bring treats into the pen with you so it's easier to catch her.