Dutchy wrote:
Spooksandbolts wrote:
Bbrandha wrote:
So have any of you had one that was never "catchable"?
No.  Never.  But as I said earlier I've done some horrors over the years and the time they take varies.  But patience is always rewarded.

I have a lot of patience, 12 years now actually. But I think I have a horse that will never be 'normal' to catch or turn out. 
I can catch him myself without a problem, he'll come running up to me, and there are a very select few other people who can catch him in the pasture, but others including the BOs can't catch him. They can get him from the pasture into his stall by letting him out of the pasture and then carefully leading him to his stall either by his forelock or with a rope around his neck. To let him out of the pasture they have to take all other horses out first, leave the gate open and step back because he won't come out if they're too close to the gate. Once he's out he's fine and they can approach him.
Now if they do try to catch him in the pasture they'll have to corner him, and one of two things can happen (besides him shaking like a leaf). One, he jumps the fence (he'll jump hot tape). Two, as soon as they put the head collar on he'll bolt and it's impossible to hold on to him unless you like to be dragged through the pasture at a full galop.

Getting him in the pasture is worse though. If you lead him there he'll bolt (long) before you get to the gate. He lunges sideways/forward away from you and again it's impossible to hold on. Even if you can hold the lead he'll drag you along at full speed. Not out of excitement, but full blown panic. There's two things he trying to avoid, and those are being led through the gate and taking off the lead. Again, I can put him in the pasture, though I have to double the lead though the ring of his head collar (trying to undo the snap could seriously cost me my fingers). Others can't. The BOs turn him out by opening his stall door and opening the gate to the pasture, he'll then walk out of his stall calmly besides one of the BOs until 10-15 yards before the gate, then he bolts through the gate, turns around and snorts for a while.
If they do put on a head collar and try to lead him he'll bolt, sometimes even still in the stable aisle where he has to make a sharp turn, and he has slipped and crashed twice doing that, on concrete. Besides, it's really dangerous for the person leading him.

Now this is a horse without any other behaviour problems, leads like a dream in any other situation, and in any other situation has zero problems having a head collar or headstall put on or taken off. You can lead him anywhere, as long as it's not to a pasture or out of a pasture. When I got him he could hardly be handled at all and leading him at all was no option as he would panic and bolt. He hasn't bolted in any other situation in over 11 years.
  
Ah but we weren't asked if every horse we'd ever come across could be caught be everyone.  If that were the case then I'd have answered with a resounding NO!    IME you always have to train the horse and then train it's people

I mentioned that I had a mare of my own who was a horror and that prior to me getting her she was chased with motorbikes and had a whole host of other unpalatable stuff done to her.    Now she runs to me when I call her.   She's absolutely no problem for any of my staff nor with my customers who are here regularly.   But over the years if there's ever been new staff or if any of my customers decide they want to offer occasional help, she just pisses off.   With her you've absolutely no right to be trusted and unless you do everything precisely correctly then she's going to express her opinion. 

I also have a couple who generally are always good but they're VERY opinionated and they will from time to time just check if someone is up to the job.   Two of those by chance are in the photos I posted earlier.  The chestnut (17.2 and handreared.  His mother died foaling him) and the 16.2 black horse (he was also an opinionated soul that came with problems).   Both of those are well known by my staff for pissing off in the opposite direction from time to time... ordinarily if they're in a hurry to get them in or they're in the furthest field and it's bucketing it down with rain and snow.    They've often come in to say "Tom we need you" and by the time I've walked up to the gate they're standing at it waiting sweetly!

Incidentally I've an exceptionally well behaved pony that's never been a problem anytime with anyone about anything.  She once and once only pulled and bolted off with a newly appointed groom.   She clearly just didn't like her and didn't trust her.   Turned out with hindsight the pony was right and a better judge of character than I was.

I've had horses in that do what you're describing.   I don't know what you're leading him off and by but I don't have that sort on lead ropes.  I have them on a 30 foot long line.   If you want to know precisely what I do that's worked then PM me and I'll share.


Last Edited By: Spooksandbolts Nov 22 13 11:10 AM. Edited 1 times.