One of my horses is 10 month old gypsy cob x filly, Clover.
Now Clover has had an awkard upbringing, she was born into a field of unhandled, wild horses, her mother was wild, she was then rounded up with a quad, put into a small stable and then wrestled to the ground and forced to have a halter on her, they then taught her to give into pressure by leaving the lead rope on the halter so when she stands on it she realises she can't move. I didn't do this of course, but this is how she was when a bought her.
Since I've had her I have only managed to catch her once with food and that was by getting a rope around her neck and doing it sneakily.
When I approach her she walks off, I have watched the catching your horse in the pasture and tried everything with that, but I think she is a bit wild for that. I have spent hours every day for weeks just sat in the field with her and the others and she does come up to me occasionaly but the slightest movement unless completely slow fingers closed she runs away. She will let you stroke her but only for a few seconds and she is off again. She really needs a groom her winter coat is malting, she needs wormings etc and I want to catch her but I was the association between me and being caught is good.
Really not sure what to do, I can't do join up simply because my field is about 7 acres big and that really is too big of a space.
I know join up will work though because once my other horse was injured and she was coming over whilst I was checking him over, I sent her away with my eyes and shoulders and then she came back up to me with her nose on me and would not go away and she never does that.
Thanks xxx
HI Amber,
I think the more "wild " she is the better chance you have at a Join-up (less human intervention) which she has already done with you, as i understand your discrption. Since you are on the Uni read about willing partners, one of the criterion for choosing is little human intervention. Anyway, I think you should stop trying to catch her! Clearly your agenda is getting in her way. Go in to pet her, even groom her a bit, but not to catch her. Go into to groom you other horse, even to catch your other horse. But do not go into to catch you philly. She knows your agenda the moment she sees you walking into the feild.. so give it up. Take smaller sreps with her, back off of her, it is the only way she will be able to find you.
Good luck
I love your willingness to put the time into working with her. I know you can do it.
richandi
Richandi is right. Don't try to catch her. Spend time with the other horses. She will want to know what going on she come to u to find out then u pet her and ho back to what u were doing. If she stays pet her again.show her a little love and walk away. She need to know u are not going to hurt her. Go sit And the field like u have before don't look at her take out a book to read. She come to u in her do time. I had to do it with my mare and then less I truer to spend with me the more she want to spend time with me. Give it a try for a couple wee
Couple weeks. Sorry my phone being stupid. Good luck. U can do it just give her the time she need don't push her.
What I would do is try to join up with your filly, she will not run too far from the rest of the herd, she will most likely circle around to keep near the others. Keep her moving with your eyes and square up to her when she's going away from you but if she pauses and looks at you drop your eyes and turn 45%. If she wanders off continue to send her away. She will begin to circle around you, behind the others at first but then closer to you. She will show you the signs by locking her ear, licking and chewing and dropping her head. Then she will begin to make the circle smaller so the size of the field does not matter. Study the join up lesson to get your body language spot on. She will join up with you if you talk her language. Good luck and dont give up on her, she needs you to show her human contact is not violent.
i too have a horse that was born into a herd of unhandled horses she is 6 yrs old and i have had her for about a month she was in foal when i got her and i spent quite a bit of time in the field with her each day she was ok with me gromming and stroking her to a certain extent and i managed to catch her a couple of times by sneakilly getting a rope around her neck and once she was caught she led nicely, she has had her colt foal 5days ago. she sometimes walks away when i try and get close other times i can eventually get to her and she will tolerate a small stroke on her shoulder, she doesnt get nasty when we touch the foal and will tolerate that for so long before she just walks away again. i dont know where to start again now i want to be able to handle her and we need to deal with the foal before he is too big and strong. any advice would be very gratefull recieved
Amber
If you have a horse that you ride and is a quite type you might want to try to "catch" your filly on horse back. If you have not done so look at the centaur series that are the last few videos that Monty posted. By being on horse back you are a different animal to other horses and any fear that they have of humans on the ground seems to disapear when you are on horse back.
While it is possible to do join up in a field I would be hesitant to try it in a 7 acre pasture. The filly would most likely run off far enough and stand and if you start to approach her she would just walk off.
If you can maneuver the horse to a smaller area you could then start join up with a better chance of success. Once you achieve join up don't assume that you will be able to halter her. I would that her as if she were a head shy horse and work on gain her confidance by touching her ears and face without a halter. One she is comfortable with you handling her you could then try to halter her, but be careful. If she feels cornered or restrained she could blowup and try to get away.
Cheers
Amber,
I feel for you I had the same problems with my baby when I first rescued her.
At first I was just in the pasture so she could get use to me, then my husband joined us and she got use to him, it is a bit boring but the time spent can be useful, watch her, learn HER language, what does she desire.
You sound like you too have big pastures and that makes it a little bit more difficult.
Is there any way you can section a piece off and have her in there, not too small around fifty feet wide, put some barrels in the corners to make it more round.
Have some friends or family there to help you, non-permanent poles with colored rope strung to each one will work for you.
Have the opening wide enough that she doesn't feel threatened and have her rounded up into that, then close the opening and start your join-up and especially the follow-up once you have succeded with this it should be easy.
My baby acted the same way and it worked for me, perhaps it will help you.
If it does then you can lead her into a round pen and do join-up each day for 6 days in a row and it will be imprinted for her and she will trust you, if you need help ask someone you trust and show them how to do the join-up as well.
When I got tired, my husband took over for me. Now I can walk anywhere on the property and she follows me if not physically then with her eyes.
What has been said does all work. It seems the more you ignore them, at the beginning, the more curious they become.
Perhaps if you give all this info a try it will work for you.
An update on thismatter, using advance and retreat and leeting her come to us when she is ready, and also touching / rubbing her head everytime we see her she is now totally friendly anyone can walk right up to her and catch her no problem at all very pleased with her totally changed recently
i think this is a trust thing x
Amber,
Congradulations!!!! Way to go. I'm very proud of you and you should be proud to. Your dear little horse has come a long way, yes this is what it's all about.
Aren't they a joy to have around, that reverse physicology really works, ah.
Amber
Great progress! Cheers to you for sticking with it.
Fantastic Amber! Well done! Thanks for the up date. It is great to know that you have overcome this very challenging problem. Good luck with all the many other challenges that still lie ahead!