How to Catch the Horse that Doesn’t Want to be Caught - 3 Tips

A common problem that many horse owners have is dealing with a horse that doesnt want to be caught. This is particularly frustrating when the horse will allow itself to be caught some days but not others or will come for the barn manager but not for his owner. The reason a horse does or doesnt want to be caught is basically about the relationship between the owner and the horse.
Horses that like to be with their owners are okay with what happens to them after they are caught. They are willing to be caught and will often come up to us...no catching necessary. 

Pay attention to the word we use when talking about getting our horses catch. Predators catch their prey. But prey animals avoid being caught because their survival depends upon their ability to get away. Are you hunting your horse? What we ultimately want is for the horse to willingly come to us because he wants to be with us.
Here are three tips to apply if you have difficulty getting your horse from the paddock.
1. Push her away.
If your horse runs away when you walk towards her push her around. Separate your horse from the rest of the herd by pushing her out of the group. Put yourself between your horse and the rest of the herd. Horses understand that being sent out of the herd is a punishment for inappropriate behaviour. A rude horse will get pushed out of the herd by a higher ranking horse and kept out until she shows signs of respect. The horse will stop trying to run back into the herd face up stand with front feet square a sign of not needing to move and give a bow. This tactic may take a lot of effort on your part the