Training Tip: Hard-to-Catch Horse

If your horse gives you the runaround when you go to catch him, don’t be so predictable. Most horses balk at the sight of their owners coming to the pasture with halter in hand because they know it’s likely that they’re going to be taken to the barn, thrown in the cross-ties and saddled up. It doesn’t take long for horses to associate the halter with hard work and sweat.

One of the simplest ways to fix a hard-to-catch horse problem is to desensitize the horse to the presence of the halter and show him that just because you come out to the pasture with a halter doesn’t mean you’re going to make him work. You’ll do that by rubbing and scratching the horse’s body with the halter anytime you come into the pasture.

Every time you enter the pasture to feed your horse, dump the feed and then rub his body down with the halter. Don’t be sneaky with the halter and try to hide it from the horse. Keep it in plain sight and be very obvious with it. As you’re rubbing and scratching all over his body, look for his itchy spots, where he likes being scratched. The more you can get the horse to associate the halter with pleasant feelings, the better.