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renelynn
hard to catch pony
Oct 2 2009, 10:45 AM EDT | Post edited: Oct 2 2009, 10:45 AM EDT
I have had our pony for about a month and she won't let us catch her unless we have food. She was approachable at the place we got her from but once we got her home, she turns away when we walk up to her. I think she may have been abused at some point b/c she flinches and raises her head when pet. She's in a pasture with our gelding and even though he comes to us, she won't. Once we do catch her, usually with grain, she'll behave nicely. We've ridden her on a trail ride once and she did quite well. Once she's turned out, she's like a wild horse and won't let us get close. Any suggestions? Do you find this valuable?    
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MustangMike
MustangMike
1. RE: hard to catch pony
Oct 3 2009, 9:18 AM EDT | Post edited: Oct 3 2009, 9:18 AM EDT
The technique for fixing this issue is fairly simple (in theory, at least), but requires you to have 1) a decent round pen (for a pony I'd keep it at 30-40 feet), 2) REALLY good timing, and 3) LOTS of time and patience, mostly patience.

Put the recalcitrant little pooper in the round pen and leave it be until it settles down.

Go in and start "free longing" the pony, making plenty of speed and direction changes. When you ask for a direction change, insist that the pony turn INTO the center, not into the wall/panels.

After several laps and changes, look for the pony's inside ear to be focussed on you --> the eye will soon follow suit. Once you have that degree of attention, you can ask for a stop. You want the pony to face IN towards you. As soon as that happens, break contact and walk away a few steps, relieving ALL pressure. After 2-3 episodes of this, the pony will start to walk towards you every time you give it a break. Once the pony is willing to take several steps towards you, walk up to her and just let her rest next to you. Always have your halter/leadrope with you, just don't use it at the moment (Do NOT hide it) As soon as she turns her attention away from you, even for an instant, send her off again and make her do some laps and direction changes.

The basic idea is to instill in her the concept that being WITH you means rest, and being silly means work. Usually only takes one or two sessions like this and the problem is solved. It's important to let the pony come up to YOU, not the other way around. This way, she catches you, not you catching her.

Good luck,

Michael
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