KBR Equestrian Safety Series
"CATCHING DIFFICULT HORSES"
By Willis Lamm
All horse behavior relates to search of pleasure and avoidance
of pain. Most people understand this, however many don't
consider the effect that instinct has on pleasure/pain.
Satisfying nature's instinct is more pleasurable than physical
pleasure. Correspondingly, the stress invoked by frustrating
these instincts can often be more of a concern to the horse than
physical pain. A simple example illustrates this point.
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A new horse introduced to an established herd will often be
driven away by the dominant horse in the herd. However, the new
horse will keep returning to the herd, regardless of how many
times it is kicked, bitten, etc. by the dominant horse. Even as
the new horse starts to be accepted by the herd, it will suffer
physical pain from other horses as part of the acceptance
process.
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It comes as no surprise that a herd bound or barn sour horse
is going to be difficult and will try to go back "home". No
matter how hard the rider kicks and spurs, he won't inflict the
kind of pain that other horses could, and he often won't overcome
that social urge for the sour mount to be with his buddies. The
rider has to gain some kind of acceptance from the horse in order
to proceed.
What we can learn from this illustration is that confronting
natural conflicts in the horse by force is not the best course of
action, and such tactics can often increase the horse's emotional
stress to the point that it "blows up" or does something unpredictable and
dangerous to the rider which might otherwise be out of character
for that particular horse.
Consequently, an important element of equestrian safety is to
try to understand the horse's instincts and handle it in a manner
which creates the least amount of emotional conflict.
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When containing a loose horse, it always has to be given a
direction of travel away from people and dangerous situations and
toward containment or an individual who will catch it. Walls and
pressure without a "door" can result in the horse "taking out"
the source of pressure, which is basically coming back on top of
the handler. Most people have a basic understanding of this.
What most people don't understand is the draw. If an excited
or unfamiliar horse is going to be caught, it should never be
"driven" directly at the person who is planning to handle
its head. The horse's instincts are in direct conflict with the
objective.
If the horse is relatively quiet at the time of the catch
attempt, the catcher can set up a "draw" along a fence, etc.,
whereby he puts slight energy behind the horse's rib cage (just
enough to cause the horse to walk or preferably disengage), then
step back two or three steps in a relaxed posture. If done
correctly, within a few attempts, the horse will instinctively
face the catcher.
Once the horse has taken this posture, the instinctive factors
play altogether differently and the horse is much more likely to
accept the catcher's approach. Some horses will actually "hook
up" to the catcher so well that the catcher can continue to walk
backwards and the horse will come all the way to him.
Keeping the situation calm and relaxed improves the odds of
this technique working.
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The Horse is moving and I back up
The horse starts to follow
The horse continues to follow
And eventually catches up
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An excited horse may require some natural domination before
being handled. (Please note that in the horse world, domination
does not have to equate to force or brutality!) An easy and safe
way to set this up is along a fence or other solid barrier and
applying energy (twirling a rope overhand, using a flag, etc.) in
front of and behind the center of the shoulder.
The purpose of this method is to establish, in natural terms
that the horse can quickly grasp, that you are the dominant
animal in this situation. The intent of the handler's movements
is to send the horse forward by applying pressure behind the
shoulder, then turning the horse back by applying pressure in
front of the shoulder, causing a roll-away. (This should
not be done with such force that it sends the horse flying
away.)
After several successful repetitions, the handler should try
setting up a draw. If the horse turns into the draw, it is
accepting the situation and a catch may be attempted.
Using this method, the handler is never directly in front of
or directly behind the horse, which is much safer.
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The blue line points to the drive line
Approaching ahead of the drive line...
will cause the horse to roll away
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These methods, although not difficult, require some timing and
reading of the horse. The first attempts may not be properly
timed, resulting in the horse not responding as desired. The key
element here is to be as quiet and relaxed as possible, and watch
the results of your attempts. Before long the horse can be set
up to be safely caught.
Does this method work? We'll take horses who are taught to
be caught (including recently gentled mustangs), turn them out on the ranch to
graze, then bring them in when it's time to be put up, with
seldom a fuss!
Important Note: If you take on the project of developing an untrained horse, everybody will want
to give you advice. Don't act on any advice, including the ideas offered in this site, unless it makes
sense to you and fits your individual situation. Your abilities and the sensitivities of your horse(s)
may differ from the examples given. Be alert and rational with your actions so neither you nor your
horse will get hurt. This information is offered as illustrations of what we do and the reader must
apply common sense since he or she is solely responsible for his or her actions.
Happy trails!
KBR Horse Safety Information, © 1997
Lamm's Kickin' Back Ranch and Willis & Sharon Lamm. All rights reserved. Duplication of any of
this material for commercial use is prohibited without express written permission.
This prohibition is not intended to extend to personal non-commercial use, including sharing
with others for safety and learning purposes, provided this copyright notice is
attached.
Email us to submit comments or
request reproduction permission.
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