I watched several other less helpful videos before I found this one. I have lots of experience with dog behavior but horses are so different. Thank you for putting this into terms that apply to all animals!
I love this video. I really like how you make something that can be not so nice into a game. I also love that you bring up different reasons to why the horse might not want to get caught. I've done something similar with my horse and she is such a darling to fetch nowadays. I wish I had understood these things years ago, but I guess we all mature in different pace. :-)
I know this is an older video, but I still found this really informative, very well articulated, and just downright adorable! I'm a new follower, and I'm enjoying your videos very much! You break down the stages for us and the horses, and you make them so easy to understand what's going on, and what your goals are for that particular stage. To both our distastes I'm sure, I'm also seeing that you have to deal with a lot of ignorance from internet horse trainers, who not only don't know what they're talking about, but also have no evidence to back up their claims. A lot of people giving "advice" don't even have a single video of their own demonstrating what they're giving advice on. Also, I think there is a huge thing in the horse world about doing things the "right" way, which is often someone's personal way of training, and those who don't subscribe to it are wrong. I really don't think there is a "right" way to do things with horses, I think it should be about what works best for you and your horse. As long as you're both communicating in a respectful, kind, and productive way by using language that both parties understand (in your case, positive and negative reinforcement), that's what matters. For yourself, this is clicker training and a mix of both positive and negative reinforcement. For others, it might be only negative reinforcement, etc. It's okay to respectfully disagree, but guys respect other people's training methods and what works for them and their horses. In any case, I can see you have a deep knowledge of these concepts, you can apply them consistently with productive and consistent results, and your horses love being around you! I'm looking forward to learning more :)
This video was so helpful! Even though my 4 year old horse follows me everywhere I go, it’s more of a “chasing game” for him: he wants to almost cut me off as I’m walking in order to get the treats as he experiences a lot of anxiety when trying to get the treat. This gave him much more of a clear understanding about what he has to do in order to get the treat; it’s not about him cutting me off or chasing me, it’s about us walking together and him getting the treat from walking with me. So I just wanted to say thanks and keep doing what you’re doing!
@@TheWillingEquine i don't like horses being forced to do things i don't want to ride horses with bits do i have to if so i'm dumping my riding lessons for good because i have to use a bit on a horse i don't like horses being made and forced to use bits
Though I would love to have a few horses, I currently spend a lot of my time with my miniature zebu cattle. I've got a few who are already lead trained but don't like to be caught, and two calves that I am currently working with on basic training. I think this strategy will really move our training forward in the right direction! Thank you for sharing!
I played the catching game with some horses that don't enjoy getting caught and afterwards they'd walk up to me in the field waiting for me to get them
My horse used to come up to me and stick his face in the halter. Now he runs away from me… I’m not really sure what happened. I didn’t do anything wrong to him, and I give him lots of love. But I’ll definitely try the advice from this video!
that's your problem you created the situation i dislike horse riding i tried it i quit i'm sick of horseback riding i tried to ride horses i hated it because of bits i'm not doing it it's boring i don't like horseback riding its too dangerous im not going to be forced to be put on a breathing machine called a ventilator no thank you im out
This 🙌 what a great idea. Gratefully mine comes willingly when called, though I'm still going to practice this with him to even increase his desire to be with me. 😁 love instilling training that helps if horses ever get loose
I know a lot of riders who have the mentality that "once I've caught my horse it is time to work" and don't allow for any kind of head down or grazing during their "working" time.. what is your opinion on allowing horses to graze during grooming/saddling/ and trail riding. I feel that a lot of riders have been taught that grazing while riding is bad trail manners, would like to know your view!
I have zero problems with it. My horses eat and graze often while I work with them. It's unnatural to expect a grazing animal to go for too long of a period without eating . I just teach a head up on cue (to "turn off" the grazing, and a specific cue to tell them it's time to graze)
Hi Thank you for putting out this video. I have newly started riding a beautiful but stubborn horse who hates being caught. I am told that she is difficult even for grown ups. Watching your video make me feel less frustrated about what I experience and gives me more perspective on what I should be doing . What are your reward choices? Thank you so much
I’ve used alfalfa pellets and sweet feed pellets. My horse gallops to me when she sees me come to the fence she gets so excited to work with me. But learn to give treats in a way that won’t teach the horse to bite or grab at you trying to steal the treats. Give treats away from your body at arms length and start off on the other side of the fence or stable door so they can’t push you for more treats. And use scratches and verbal praise. Look at “clicker training” for horses
Shreya Mahadevan you’re welcome 😊 if you’re worried the horse may start nibbling your hands and fingers for treats (some horses can get that way) then you can also give treats in a pan. I’ve used a cake pan. Good luck! Keep talking sweet and giving love and scratches and yummy stuff and before you know it this horse will be very motivated to work with you. Once they realize that working with you is fun and rewarding (and not full of pain or fear or intimidation) seeing you will be the most pleasant experience for them and they will want to follow you around like a puppy dog 😊
@@lostandfound5145 I've been playing the catching game for a few days now. She still gets a bit upset if I bring a halter with me, but when I go into the field without one, she actually walks towards me and seems happy that I'm there. She lets me carry the halter with me when I pet her, so I guess I'm making progress. Thank you so much for all of your help!
Shreya Mahadevan I Hope it’s going well still! My horse didn’t like being haltered either and hated me touching her ears. I started by bringing the halter and putting it out for her to sniff and then I rewarded her by clicking and giving her some food. I spent a whole session just doing that. I didn’t try to put it on her. The next day I started clicking when she put more of her nose into the halter. The next day I got her to put her whole nose into the halter voluntarily. I took the halter off her, rather than giving her the chance to do it, so I wouldn’t be rewarding her for putting her face in AND pulling it back out. You can also give her the treat while her nose is in the halter, then take the halter off. Don’t try to put it on her. Then try just putting the halter up high near her face. Give a treat. Touch her ears with it. Give a treat. Just get her so that she isn’t feeling negative when she sees the halter. It’s called counter conditioning. She will eventually associate the halter with only pleasant or neutral experiences. So her seeing the halter and feeling negative will be a thing of the past. It took me about a week to get her from really freaking out at the sight of a halter and also not letting hands come anywhere near her face at all, much less her ears or she would squeal at me, to her putting her face into her halter completely voluntarily and letting me strap it on and take her for a little groundwork. Keep at it! Slow and steady. Enjoy your time with the horse, even when you’re not riding. It’s so much fun just to get to be with them and experience the relationship building! You’ll get there! Don’t feel frustrated! Slow and steady wins the race 🐢
Totally agree with NOT hiding the halter/lead rope. I cringe every time I see someone do it. Horses aren't dumb, and it doesn't take long for them to feel tricked, and react accordingly.
Another reason why they might run away is because you only come out to catch it. Spending more time out with your horse in pasture will create a big bound with your horse making them feel like you're a herd mate.
@@TheWillingEquine why can't humans let a horse be a horse instead of dictating its life all the time that's what some trainers like to be is a control freak when it comes to horses this is why i don't like or want nothing to do with becoming a horse trainer for a living i'm sorry that i don't want to be a horse trainer i just don't like horse training at all do u know why ?
Did you resolve your problem? If so what did you do? My horse is impatient for treats too! 😂😭 I have no problem getting her to follow me everywhere. Just can’t get her to stop being pushy and lippy
My dog follows me around naturally kinda like what you were doing but he does it when he wants to follow me anyway my dog is also like a guard dog to tho he is a small dog so yeah he is like a guard dog because when my sister comes near me or my grandma or my mom he starts barking and he normally comes when I call him so I feel like he either somehow learned to do it or he naturally wanted to I think we really have a bond or he probably wouldn't do all this stuff
Hey! For food motivation, check out my podcast episode 38 // When Horses Don’t Like Food Reinforcement ruclips.net/video/iNP0r796hpg/видео.htmlsi=fUewo3iIEP4kpQvG The hackamore is the Orbitless deluxe bitless attachment on a Weaver leather Texas Star headstall. :)
Was wondering about your horses, are they a PINTO mix? I have never seen a horse with a two tone main and tail. Or have i missed see this in 60 years of watching horses. Nice work
Check out my latest podcast episode about horses that won't take food from humans :) search "the willing equine" on any major podcast listening platform
For those horses who refuse to come even close enough to use a target or hand target, you still want to reward any movement in the direction towards the handler correct? So if my horse is too far to hand feed a treat, should you mark any movement towards you and then toss a treat to the horse?
Dolphin Joe first of all, sometimes situations do come up where your physical safety needs to take priority so you may have to use a startle noise/sound or a wave of the hand and even a tap of a whip to remind them you’re standing there. BUT, this is not how I actively train or work with a horse that has a tendency to spook or nervously move into my space. I work on building their confidence by rewarding calm relaxed behavior (see my blog post “desensitizing // calm and confident” on my website www.thewillingequine.com) and I also begin to teach them a “step away” cue. I practice this when they are not anxious or nervous, we make it a highly rewarded behavior and a really well known behavior when they are in a “normal” frame of mind so that if they become a little anxious they will understand they need to step out of your space when asked, even if you have to ask maybe touch more firmly than usual. I also work on rewarding the horse for giving me plenty of safe space during regular handling and leading exercises so that they learn being “away” from my body is a safe and good place too. - this is all done with +R and you can watch a lot of it on River’s playlist here on RUclips :)
My yearling pony will start rearing, bucking and galloping away if he even sees a leadrope. We adopted them and they had little handling when we got them. We are really struggling a little and need some tips. Could you give me any tips for when there’s a danger of being kicked or bitten etc.?
You've probably already shown by now! Sorry I'm so late to this comment. But my biggest tip is to go into the show as if it's just one more training session. That it doesn't matter . That its just for fun. :) Have fun!
I don't have a catching problem as my young mare gets rather excited to see me and is always very keen to come and interact, BUT when i go to get her from the paddock to take her back to her pasture she sometimes likes to avoid being caught and im unsure as to why she is like that i can only guess she doesn't want to go back to her pasture/paddock buddies, but do you have any suggestions that may help?
I do! Make going back to the pasture a rewarding experience for her. My horses also have no problem coming in from the pasture but often are reluctant to go back out, because they have way too much fun and good stuff to eat when they come inside lol. So I make sure to make the pasture a good place for them by leaving them with something nice.. .like alfalfa or a handful of feed/treats.. etc. That way they know being put back out to pasture isn't punishing or the removal of good things, but just as enjoyable.
My pony was abused and neglected by his previous owner, he had a very long history and up until recently was on a farm where the owner went into a coma while he lived alone, he had pigs, poultry, horses and cattle eventually with out food they starved some ate each other and out of 68 animals only 13 were rescued, he’s scared of children, quick movements, brooms and rakes, handling and larger horses, even if you raise your hand quickly he gets terrified I want him to be calm do you have any tips, we take him on walks to the park every Saturday he enjoys it and we feed him treats and water when he gets tired but he is so scared of being caught
I would do a lot of counter conditioning and positive associations with people approaching and raising their hand. Hand raised = good food! Do it in very small increments and toss the food into a bowl or pan so as not to make him need to take the food from the hand he's scared of.
I've been trying to halter break my 6 month old foal and MAN she does NOT want to be caught. I can get close and pet her and all that but as soon as I try to put the halter on she gets upset and throws her head. All I want to do is give her like 15 minute lessons a day but she has had a halter on before so she is halter broke or at least I thought she was but right now I'm not sure what to do.
It sounds like the halter predicts unpleasant things for her. I would teach her to self halter and make any time she's haltered a positive experience. Example; haltering = feeding time. And don't halter her for anything else for now. If you'd like more help I offer consultations via my website at www.thewillingequine.com/services :)
I stood for 3 hours today trying to catch my yearling he doesn’t like being caught due to my aunt ( previous owner ) didn’t do any work with him and he drunk out of a river that flowed through his Field.
I dislike any halter being on a horse, however the breakaways on lactating mares in a necessary evil for humans to be able to be catching a life saving reason for sake of a foal with domestic horses, like if they get an issue medically.
I used to take riding lessons as a teenager and my horse (a thoroughbred/quarter horse mix) LOVED to run from me when he saw me coming with his halter. The owner said halters on horses in a pasture were potentially dangerous (I completely agree) I just started bringing a carrot to my lessons, telling him what a good boy he was for coming to me instead of running away and that stopped him from running. I think he might have been afraid of the owner, she could have a temper.
I'll tell you another reason why a horse doesn't want to be caught. Having to treat him for one thing or another which is uncomfortable. One of my horses had "scratches" quite badly. I had the vet out - vaccines from Germany & told to use ointment & pick the scratches off. Painful for my boy. The poor horse $4,000 later & picked & scrubbed - no wonder he doesn't want me to catch him. He's much better now as his scratches are gone. But it has taken me 2 years to be able to catch him in a field.& still hit or miss. Once I get him he just loves me. He's a Mummy's boy. But no video I've found here addresses this. You have to go out in the field - good grief it's frustrating to have your horse run away & no matter what you do you can't catch them. So start going out with some treats, take a brush & work up to it. I will be truthful & say I finally put him in his own pen. Then he was just I love you Mummy. He is so kind under saddle. But I cried & regretted all that I'd done to treat his scratches that vets had told me. Now I'd never pick at them! These videos make it look so easy. It's not at all.
Sometimes it's harder than what is seen on social media. We can't show everything in a couple of minutes. I've had horses that refuse to be caught for weeks, I use this approach or a variation (maybe have to use food pans and approach/retreat) and eventually they come around as long as being "caught" results in positive things now! Of course during medical care that's not always possible, and in this case we just do the best we can at the time and plan to fix it later. This video was more geared towards general every day "catching" though. Im glad things are better for you guys now!
@@TheWillingEquine Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. So true what you say that they eventually come around as long as being "caught" results in positive things now. Took a bit but it's much better now his ouchies are gone. But boy oh boy he has a long memory! Thank you again for your reply. I enjoyed reading it!
Sounds like working with your horse in a way that makes it enjoyable for them to spend time with you would help tremendously. Also, finding out the cause as to why they are running away
My horse would be easy to catch, but, his buddy always runs away from me when I'm walking in the pasture to catch Cowboy(my horse). Then, Cowboy walks away. What can I do? Only way I can solve this is with a bucket of food. But rewarding bad behavior is bad, what can I do..?
You aren't rewarding bad behavior if they come to you. You're only rewarding what happens while they are receiving the reward. So if he comes to you when you have food and you give him food, you're rewarding him coming to you when you have food. That's not bad behavior. Start teaching him that every time you arrive something good will happen. :)
How about a horse that is impossible to catch? I've tried this game before, never came to me even after about an hour. Horse has just begun training also, never been easy to catch before training either
If a horse is impossible to catch it shouldn't probably be in training yet , especially if it's staying the same or getting worse. The horse is telling you they do not like the training or find it stressful/painful. My suggestion is to focus on building the relationship.. don't try and catch the horse. Don't take them anywhere. Just work in the pasture for a time. And you can use this same process in this video and capture little movements towards you and toss a reward into a near by food pan that the horse is used to eating out of in a place that the horse will comfortably come up to in order to eat out of (which may require you stepping away). Contact me for more thorough training support www.thewillingequine.com/training
the main reason ur horse doesnt wanna be caught is normally bc they are gonna be worked/road. And they dont wanna be worked they wanna be lazy and eat grass all day so most of ur reasons are probably not the reason Its normally that they just dont wanna be worked at all
Labeling a horse as "lazy" is anthropomorphism . They want to eat grass because that's what they are made to do. 17+ hours a day. If the reason they don't want to be caught is because they find the training unenjoyable/unpleasant/aversive, then the solution is to change that and make it pleasant/enjoyable for them. ☺️
my horse has gotten better with this, he likes to play games, as soon as you touch him he stops but he always look so happy with his ears pricked and hopping. he's like haha loser. He was herd bound but have gotten better now thast hes settled in more, he used to cry and dance in the cross ties. now we just give him time, reward him, make him correlate getting caught with food and cuddles. he still cry in the trailer by himself, but doesnt freak out.
What about when the horse is in a pen with 8 or so other horses? And some of those other horses are all over you for treats? :) And yet the horse you want is way off in the distance avoiding you?
Annemarie Plaizier id practice in a secluded environment first, by either removing all the other horses first or keeping the horse that doesn’t care to be caught in a private area (where they are still near other horses) for a time until Catching becomes fun and easy :)
Okay. That makes sense. :) He doesn't do it every time. In fact it's usually when other people try to catch him that he acts up. (He's at a facility where more than just myself works and rides with him.) I'll definitely try these methods because I've been kind of confused at what to do. Thank you so much for the help!!
Annemarie Plaizier it’s also possible “competing” with the other horses is too stressful for him so it seems he doesn’t want to be caught when really it’s just the environment. This happens with mine as well on occasion. One or will will get pushed out due to the others being more possessive about the resource (me) . :)
That totally makes sense! There are definitely more aggressive horses in the group that will push their way to the "resource". :D I had this same problem with another horse and was told that if he ran from me I needed to make him run to show him it's harder to not be caught and that I'll make him work if he fights it. And it seemed to just frustrate both me and the horse more. And others would tell me that if I brought him a treat every time I went to get him I was creating a bad habit. I know everyone has their opinion, but I just LOVE when your horses come running to you from acres away because they've been taught seeing you is a positive thing. So I'm definitely going to try this!
My lame horse literally runs, and he hurts himself even more. It’s so dumb. We spent an hour in the paddock while the farrier was there waiting for us to catch the stupid thing.
They won't bite if you've prepared them properly and you're training is consistent. Horses that bite when food is involved have food anxiety, fear, or have been reinforced for it in the past.
You find the cause for why they are running away and make the necessary changes. And simultaneously you start making it a positive experience for them to be caught. It's not a one time quick fix. Those solutions are only bandages. This is getting to the root of the problem and repairing it :)
Don't catch the horse. Let the horse catch you. Cut off his drive line. Move his feet. Change his direction. And soon he will face you and ask to come in. Whenever you walk into the pasture the horses need to know that you are the trusted, confident, fair herd leader.
This is a positive reinforcement based channel. If you want to use pressure/release or 'natural horsemanship' there are plenty of other places to find videos on that type of training :)
@@kimways8182 I 'talk' to a horse in a similar manner to the way horses 'talk' to each other. Your method is not how horses communicate with one another.
Gerry Coleman Not here for an argument, just pointing out this particular channel is for people interested in learning about positive reinforcement based training methods.
@@gerrycoleman7290 I highly recommend my blog article "horses may not give each other treats" www.thewillingequine.com/single-post/Positive-Reinforcement-In-The-Herd
This horses are too trained... what of the horse never approaches you? What of they don't even let you approach them more than 15 feet? I recently acquired a couple of horses and they're not trained like yours this video doesn't really show me anything...
This was intended for non feral horses, for feral horses and other extreme cases I'd be happy to help! Contact me via my training support page. www.thewillingequine.com/Training
Thank you very much just today i had a very bad experience with my male horse he almost chocked with a rope and i had to jump in amd cut the rope to save his life after that it seemed like he knew i had saved his life and kept following behind me around my land he had never done that before. I will be watching more videos on your channel i had never had horses but I'm getting to know them better every day.
Kronos If you’ve never owned or trained horses extensively, you really shouldn’t own a horse or horses with little to no training. It’s dangerous for you and it’s dangerous for them. Not trying to be mean, but it’s just a bad situation that won’t be fixed by watching online trainers and trying to imitate what you see.
OK.............At 3:43 getting the desired response from the horse through food rewards...................not good. You need to learn how to effectively communicate with your horse. When you train with treats you are clearly telling your horse that you are lower in status.
I appreciate your comment, we are working with positive reinforcement here and using operant conditioning to train the horse to respond in the desired way. Food happens to be a valued reward to the horse and therefore is effective in training with positive reinforcement. You can also use scratches if your horse enjoys those. look into Operant conditioning, classical conditioning, clicker training, and positive reinforcement to learn more about learning theory and how it all works. :)
@@TheWillingEquine Very well. I will take your advice and study up on those. But, I challenge you to learn the horse's language and develop your skills to become an effective communicator with the horse. Learn how you can be truly bonded with the horse. One mind. No cheat of food involved. Be the leader of the 'herd' whenever and wherever you interact with horses.
Trust me, all my horses catch me. lol. I have to work on teaching them not to "catch me" any time I'm around. But many people struggle with catching their horses, and that's why this video is available. To help them make it a positive experience for their horses.
I watched several other less helpful videos before I found this one. I have lots of experience with dog behavior but horses are so different. Thank you for putting this into terms that apply to all animals!
Hello Brandy how’s the weather over there
man ... these are relaxing lol I should watch videos before bed and I would learn a lot
Such a positive instructional video on how to catch your horse, positive reinforcement is the key really great video
Well thank you :)
You’ve got a very nice voice to listen to. Not too soft, not annoying. Just a nice volume and voice type. I learnt alot from your video, thanks.
Good to know! Thank you!
Very nice comprehensive data compiled for the sake of the horse! Intro to basic horsemanship and behavioral consideration!
I love this video. I really like how you make something that can be not so nice into a game. I also love that you bring up different reasons to why the horse might not want to get caught. I've done something similar with my horse and she is such a darling to fetch nowadays. I wish I had understood these things years ago, but I guess we all mature in different pace. :-)
Hello Kim how’s the weather over there
I know this is an older video, but I still found this really informative, very well articulated, and just downright adorable! I'm a new follower, and I'm enjoying your videos very much! You break down the stages for us and the horses, and you make them so easy to understand what's going on, and what your goals are for that particular stage.
To both our distastes I'm sure, I'm also seeing that you have to deal with a lot of ignorance from internet horse trainers, who not only don't know what they're talking about, but also have no evidence to back up their claims. A lot of people giving "advice" don't even have a single video of their own demonstrating what they're giving advice on. Also, I think there is a huge thing in the horse world about doing things the "right" way, which is often someone's personal way of training, and those who don't subscribe to it are wrong. I really don't think there is a "right" way to do things with horses, I think it should be about what works best for you and your horse. As long as you're both communicating in a respectful, kind, and productive way by using language that both parties understand (in your case, positive and negative reinforcement), that's what matters. For yourself, this is clicker training and a mix of both positive and negative reinforcement. For others, it might be only negative reinforcement, etc. It's okay to respectfully disagree, but guys respect other people's training methods and what works for them and their horses.
In any case, I can see you have a deep knowledge of these concepts, you can apply them consistently with productive and consistent results, and your horses love being around you! I'm looking forward to learning more :)
Wow! What a comment! Thank you for taking the time to write all that out and be supportive and kind. I very much agree with you on all fronts. :)
Hello Victoria how’s the weather over there
Hello Victoria how’s the weather over there
This video was so helpful! Even though my 4 year old horse follows me everywhere I go, it’s more of a “chasing game” for him: he wants to almost cut me off as I’m walking in order to get the treats as he experiences a lot of anxiety when trying to get the treat. This gave him much more of a clear understanding about what he has to do in order to get the treat; it’s not about him cutting me off or chasing me, it’s about us walking together and him getting the treat from walking with me. So I just wanted to say thanks and keep doing what you’re doing!
I'mso glad it was helpful! Thank you for sharing your experience.
@@TheWillingEquine do u put the bit in the horse's mouth if so i'm not riding horses anymore its sucks
@@TheWillingEquine i don't like horses being forced to do things i don't want to ride horses with bits do i have to if so i'm dumping my riding lessons for good because i have to use a bit on a horse i don't like horses being made and forced to use bits
Though I would love to have a few horses, I currently spend a lot of my time with my miniature zebu cattle. I've got a few who are already lead trained but don't like to be caught, and two calves that I am currently working with on basic training. I think this strategy will really move our training forward in the right direction! Thank you for sharing!
I played the catching game with some horses that don't enjoy getting caught and afterwards they'd walk up to me in the field waiting for me to get them
You are amazing, how do you not have a bigger subscriber / following? Thank you for the work you do xx
Hello Amy how’s the weather over there
Yes, this is great. Patience and variability are key!
No idea how this got in my feed other than Yellowstone or something. That horse is beautiful. I use the same techniques on dogs.
My horse used to come up to me and stick his face in the halter. Now he runs away from me… I’m not really sure what happened. I didn’t do anything wrong to him, and I give him lots of love. But I’ll definitely try the advice from this video!
that's your problem you created the situation i dislike horse riding i tried it i quit i'm sick of horseback riding i tried to ride horses i hated it because of bits i'm not doing it it's boring i don't like horseback riding its too dangerous im not going to be forced to be put on a breathing machine called a ventilator no thank you im out
@@dariaharruff7025 uhh, ok
@@livvydraws-v7nIt's a problem rider okay
This 🙌 what a great idea. Gratefully mine comes willingly when called, though I'm still going to practice this with him to even increase his desire to be with me. 😁 love instilling training that helps if horses ever get loose
I like, trust and experienced this smart and sweet method, thx 😊
great video!❤
I know a lot of riders who have the mentality that "once I've caught my horse it is time to work" and don't allow for any kind of head down or grazing during their "working" time.. what is your opinion on allowing horses to graze during grooming/saddling/ and trail riding. I feel that a lot of riders have been taught that grazing while riding is bad trail manners, would like to know your view!
I have zero problems with it. My horses eat and graze often while I work with them. It's unnatural to expect a grazing animal to go for too long of a period without eating . I just teach a head up on cue (to "turn off" the grazing, and a specific cue to tell them it's time to graze)
Do you have an explanation or video of teaching this? I would love to teach mine the grazing cues
Thanks for sharing! Saving this as a reference for my students :)
Hi Thank you for putting out this video. I have newly started riding a beautiful but stubborn horse who hates being caught. I am told that she is difficult even for grown ups. Watching your video make me feel less frustrated about what I experience and gives me more perspective on what I should be doing . What are your reward choices? Thank you so much
I’ve used alfalfa pellets and sweet feed pellets. My horse gallops to me when she sees me come to the fence she gets so excited to work with me. But learn to give treats in a way that won’t teach the horse to bite or grab at you trying to steal the treats. Give treats away from your body at arms length and start off on the other side of the fence or stable door so they can’t push you for more treats. And use scratches and verbal praise. Look at “clicker training” for horses
@@lostandfound5145 Thank you so much.
Shreya Mahadevan you’re welcome 😊 if you’re worried the horse may start nibbling your hands and fingers for treats (some horses can get that way) then you can also give treats in a pan. I’ve used a cake pan.
Good luck! Keep talking sweet and giving love and scratches and yummy stuff and before you know it this horse will be very motivated to work with you.
Once they realize that working with you is fun and rewarding (and not full of pain or fear or intimidation) seeing you will be the most pleasant experience for them and they will want to follow you around like a puppy dog 😊
@@lostandfound5145 I've been playing the catching game for a few days now. She still gets a bit upset if I bring a halter with me, but when I go into the field without one, she actually walks towards me and seems happy that I'm there. She lets me carry the halter with me when I pet her, so I guess I'm making progress. Thank you so much for all of your help!
Shreya Mahadevan I Hope it’s going well still!
My horse didn’t like being haltered either and hated me touching her ears.
I started by bringing the halter and putting it out for her to sniff and then I rewarded her by clicking and giving her some food.
I spent a whole session just doing that. I didn’t try to put it on her.
The next day I started clicking when she put more of her nose into the halter. The next day I got her to put her whole nose into the halter voluntarily.
I took the halter off her, rather than giving her the chance to do it, so I wouldn’t be rewarding her for putting her face in AND pulling it back out.
You can also give her the treat while her nose is in the halter, then take the halter off. Don’t try to put it on her.
Then try just putting the halter up high near her face. Give a treat. Touch her ears with it. Give a treat.
Just get her so that she isn’t feeling negative when she sees the halter. It’s called counter conditioning. She will eventually associate the halter with only pleasant or neutral experiences. So her seeing the halter and feeling negative will be a thing of the past.
It took me about a week to get her from really freaking out at the sight of a halter and also not letting hands come anywhere near her face at all, much less her ears or she would squeal at me, to her putting her face into her halter completely voluntarily and letting me strap it on and take her for a little groundwork.
Keep at it! Slow and steady. Enjoy your time with the horse, even when you’re not riding. It’s so much fun just to get to be with them and experience the relationship building!
You’ll get there! Don’t feel frustrated! Slow and steady wins the race 🐢
Totally agree with NOT hiding the halter/lead rope. I cringe every time I see someone do it. Horses aren't dumb, and it doesn't take long for them to feel tricked, and react accordingly.
For me it's more that I don't want to trick my horses into anything. Even if I could trick them, that's not my goal
Another reason why they might run away is because you only come out to catch it. Spending more time out with your horse in pasture will create a big bound with your horse making them feel like you're a herd mate.
absolutely I agree
@@TheWillingEquine why can't humans let a horse be a horse instead of dictating its life all the time that's what some trainers like to be is a control freak when it comes to horses this is why i don't like or want nothing to do with becoming a horse trainer for a living i'm sorry that i don't want to be a horse trainer i just don't like horse training at all do u know why ?
Always enjoy your post on here and ig
Hello Nichole how’s the weather over there
I really love your videos! Since we’ve started training my horse can get a little pushy looking for treats. What do you recommend for that?
Did you resolve your problem? If so what did you do? My horse is impatient for treats too! 😂😭 I have no problem getting her to follow me everywhere. Just can’t get her to stop being pushy and lippy
What treats do you use to reward the behavior? Any tips for a horse who is pushy around treats?
Check out my FAQ page www.thewillingequine.com/FAQ
Excited. Thank you
My dog follows me around naturally kinda like what you were doing but he does it when he wants to follow me anyway my dog is also like a guard dog to tho he is a small dog so yeah he is like a guard dog because when my sister comes near me or my grandma or my mom he starts barking and he normally comes when I call him so I feel like he either somehow learned to do it or he naturally wanted to I think we really have a bond or he probably wouldn't do all this stuff
1:16 What kind of hackamore do you have here? I've really been needing one like this
Hey! For food motivation, check out my podcast episode 38 // When Horses Don’t Like Food Reinforcement
ruclips.net/video/iNP0r796hpg/видео.htmlsi=fUewo3iIEP4kpQvG
The hackamore is the Orbitless deluxe bitless attachment on a Weaver leather Texas Star headstall. :)
Do you have anything on teaching horses to stand still at the Mounting Block?
I teach this in my course “saddle up”. Information on my website www.thewillingequine.com/academy :)
Was wondering about your horses, are they a PINTO mix? I have never seen a horse with a two tone main and tail. Or have i missed see this in 60 years of watching horses. Nice work
The are buckskin paints registered with APHA. :)
Hello Kimberly how’s the weather over there
Dang horse don't even take a carrot from me.
Check out my latest podcast episode about horses that won't take food from humans :) search "the willing equine" on any major podcast listening platform
For those horses who refuse to come even close enough to use a target or hand target, you still want to reward any movement in the direction towards the handler correct? So if my horse is too far to hand feed a treat, should you mark any movement towards you and then toss a treat to the horse?
Yes that's exactly what I would do. But probably into a feed pan they are used to eating out of
Thank you so much!!! I tried this and it worked so well. :)
What do you do when a horse comes into you when they spook or start to get nervous?
Dolphin Joe first of all, sometimes situations do come up where your physical safety needs to take priority so you may have to use a startle noise/sound or a wave of the hand and even a tap of a whip to remind them you’re standing there. BUT, this is not how I actively train or work with a horse that has a tendency to spook or nervously move into my space. I work on building their confidence by rewarding calm relaxed behavior (see my blog post “desensitizing // calm and confident” on my website www.thewillingequine.com) and I also begin to teach them a “step away” cue. I practice this when they are not anxious or nervous, we make it a highly rewarded behavior and a really well known behavior when they are in a “normal” frame of mind so that if they become a little anxious they will understand they need to step out of your space when asked, even if you have to ask maybe touch more firmly than usual. I also work on rewarding the horse for giving me plenty of safe space during regular handling and leading exercises so that they learn being “away” from my body is a safe and good place too. - this is all done with +R and you can watch a lot of it on River’s playlist here on RUclips :)
My yearling pony will start rearing, bucking and galloping away if he even sees a leadrope. We adopted them and they had little handling when we got them. We are really struggling a little and need some tips. Could you give me any tips for when there’s a danger of being kicked or bitten etc.?
I'd be happy to consult! I offer consultation services on my website. www.thewillingequine.com
Hello Adele. I was wondering, any tips on, how to calm one's nerves? (Showing a horse for the first time)
You've probably already shown by now! Sorry I'm so late to this comment. But my biggest tip is to go into the show as if it's just one more training session. That it doesn't matter . That its just for fun. :) Have fun!
I don't have a catching problem as my young mare gets rather excited to see me and is always very keen to come and interact, BUT when i go to get her from the paddock to take her back to her pasture she sometimes likes to avoid being caught and im unsure as to why she is like that i can only guess she doesn't want to go back to her pasture/paddock buddies, but do you have any suggestions that may help?
I do! Make going back to the pasture a rewarding experience for her. My horses also have no problem coming in from the pasture but often are reluctant to go back out, because they have way too much fun and good stuff to eat when they come inside lol. So I make sure to make the pasture a good place for them by leaving them with something nice.. .like alfalfa or a handful of feed/treats.. etc. That way they know being put back out to pasture isn't punishing or the removal of good things, but just as enjoyable.
Learned ALOT!
My pony was abused and neglected by his previous owner, he had a very long history and up until recently was on a farm where the owner went into a coma while he lived alone, he had pigs, poultry, horses and cattle eventually with out food they starved some ate each other and out of 68 animals only 13 were rescued, he’s scared of children, quick movements, brooms and rakes, handling and larger horses, even if you raise your hand quickly he gets terrified I want him to be calm do you have any tips, we take him on walks to the park every Saturday he enjoys it and we feed him treats and water when he gets tired but he is so scared of being caught
I would do a lot of counter conditioning and positive associations with people approaching and raising their hand. Hand raised = good food! Do it in very small increments and toss the food into a bowl or pan so as not to make him need to take the food from the hand he's scared of.
I've been trying to halter break my 6 month old foal and MAN she does NOT want to be caught. I can get close and pet her and all that but as soon as I try to put the halter on she gets upset and throws her head. All I want to do is give her like 15 minute lessons a day but she has had a halter on before so she is halter broke or at least I thought she was but right now I'm not sure what to do.
It sounds like the halter predicts unpleasant things for her. I would teach her to self halter and make any time she's haltered a positive experience. Example; haltering = feeding time. And don't halter her for anything else for now. If you'd like more help I offer consultations via my website at www.thewillingequine.com/services :)
Hello Reana how’s the weather over there
@@TheWillingEquinewhy do people force it on them It's ridiculous this is why I don't want to work with horses I'm not good enough so I'm out
I stood for 3 hours today trying to catch my yearling he doesn’t like being caught due to my aunt ( previous owner ) didn’t do any work with him and he drunk out of a river that flowed through his Field.
I dislike any halter being on a horse, however the breakaways on lactating mares in a necessary evil for humans to be able to be catching a life saving reason for sake of a foal with domestic horses, like if they get an issue medically.
What do you use as treats?
Check out my FAQ page www.thewillingequine.com/FAQ
I used to take riding lessons as a teenager and my horse (a thoroughbred/quarter horse mix) LOVED to run from me when he saw me coming with his halter. The owner said halters on horses in a pasture were potentially dangerous (I completely agree) I just started bringing a carrot to my lessons, telling him what a good boy he was for coming to me instead of running away and that stopped him from running. I think he might have been afraid of the owner, she could have a temper.
its a problem owner /rider it's a people problem it's never the horse's fault
What are you rewarding her with
Timothy and/or alfalfa hay pellets
I'll tell you another reason why a horse doesn't want to be caught. Having to treat him for one thing or another which is uncomfortable. One of my horses had "scratches" quite badly. I had the vet out - vaccines from Germany & told to use ointment & pick the scratches off. Painful for my boy. The poor horse $4,000 later & picked & scrubbed - no wonder he doesn't want me to catch him. He's much better now as his scratches are gone. But it has taken me 2 years to be able to catch him in a field.& still hit or miss. Once I get him he just loves me. He's a Mummy's boy. But no video I've found here addresses this. You have to go out in the field - good grief it's frustrating to have your horse run away & no matter what you do you can't catch them. So start going out with some treats, take a brush & work up to it. I will be truthful & say I finally put him in his own pen. Then he was just I love you Mummy. He is so kind under saddle. But I cried & regretted all that I'd done to treat his scratches that vets had told me. Now I'd never pick at them! These videos make it look so easy. It's not at all.
Sometimes it's harder than what is seen on social media. We can't show everything in a couple of minutes. I've had horses that refuse to be caught for weeks, I use this approach or a variation (maybe have to use food pans and approach/retreat) and eventually they come around as long as being "caught" results in positive things now! Of course during medical care that's not always possible, and in this case we just do the best we can at the time and plan to fix it later. This video was more geared towards general every day "catching" though.
Im glad things are better for you guys now!
@@TheWillingEquine Thank you for your very thoughtful reply. So true what you say that they eventually come around as long as being "caught" results in positive things now. Took a bit but it's much better now his ouchies are gone. But boy oh boy he has a long memory! Thank you again for your reply. I enjoyed reading it!
Great video
i guess thats why my horse hates being caught cuz i leave him in a stall but i mean i tried leaving him out and he ran away
Sounds like working with your horse in a way that makes it enjoyable for them to spend time with you would help tremendously. Also, finding out the cause as to why they are running away
My horse would be easy to catch, but, his buddy always runs away from me when I'm walking in the pasture to catch Cowboy(my horse). Then, Cowboy walks away. What can I do? Only way I can solve this is with a bucket of food. But rewarding bad behavior is bad, what can I do..?
You aren't rewarding bad behavior if they come to you. You're only rewarding what happens while they are receiving the reward. So if he comes to you when you have food and you give him food, you're rewarding him coming to you when you have food. That's not bad behavior. Start teaching him that every time you arrive something good will happen. :)
Hello Klane how’s the weather over there
How about a horse that is impossible to catch? I've tried this game before, never came to me even after about an hour. Horse has just begun training also, never been easy to catch before training either
If a horse is impossible to catch it shouldn't probably be in training yet , especially if it's staying the same or getting worse. The horse is telling you they do not like the training or find it stressful/painful. My suggestion is to focus on building the relationship.. don't try and catch the horse. Don't take them anywhere. Just work in the pasture for a time. And you can use this same process in this video and capture little movements towards you and toss a reward into a near by food pan that the horse is used to eating out of in a place that the horse will comfortably come up to in order to eat out of (which may require you stepping away). Contact me for more thorough training support www.thewillingequine.com/training
I'm glad I don't have a horse because I'll be forced to ride him in a bit if so I'll get out of horses for good 😢
the main reason ur horse doesnt wanna be caught is normally bc they are gonna be worked/road. And they dont wanna be worked they wanna be lazy and eat grass all day so most of ur reasons are probably not the reason Its normally that they just dont wanna be worked at all
Labeling a horse as "lazy" is anthropomorphism . They want to eat grass because that's what they are made to do. 17+ hours a day. If the reason they don't want to be caught is because they find the training unenjoyable/unpleasant/aversive, then the solution is to change that and make it pleasant/enjoyable for them. ☺️
my horse has gotten better with this, he likes to play games, as soon as you touch him he stops but he always look so happy with his ears pricked and hopping. he's like haha loser. He was herd bound but have gotten better now thast hes settled in more, he used to cry and dance in the cross ties. now we just give him time, reward him, make him correlate getting caught with food and cuddles. he still cry in the trailer by himself, but doesnt freak out.
I have a small pony that refuses to be caught. Have tried all different ways at my wits end
Hello Beckie how’s the weather over there
I don't blame him
*My horse don't give a deam, he's just eating grass*
I've got the same problem, my horse doesn't even look at me just eating grass
I don't have grass but mine just walks away...
🐴🐎👩❤️👩🥰😘☺️😍♥️💖💝💞🦋🇱🇾
What about when the horse is in a pen with 8 or so other horses? And some of those other horses are all over you for treats? :) And yet the horse you want is way off in the distance avoiding you?
Annemarie Plaizier id practice in a secluded environment first, by either removing all the other horses first or keeping the horse that doesn’t care to be caught in a private area (where they are still near other horses) for a time until Catching becomes fun and easy :)
Okay. That makes sense. :) He doesn't do it every time. In fact it's usually when other people try to catch him that he acts up. (He's at a facility where more than just myself works and rides with him.) I'll definitely try these methods because I've been kind of confused at what to do. Thank you so much for the help!!
Annemarie Plaizier it’s also possible “competing” with the other horses is too stressful for him so it seems he doesn’t want to be caught when really it’s just the environment. This happens with mine as well on occasion. One or will will get pushed out due to the others being more possessive about the resource (me) . :)
That totally makes sense! There are definitely more aggressive horses in the group that will push their way to the "resource". :D I had this same problem with another horse and was told that if he ran from me I needed to make him run to show him it's harder to not be caught and that I'll make him work if he fights it. And it seemed to just frustrate both me and the horse more. And others would tell me that if I brought him a treat every time I went to get him I was creating a bad habit. I know everyone has their opinion, but I just LOVE when your horses come running to you from acres away because they've been taught seeing you is a positive thing. So I'm definitely going to try this!
if a horse runs away its a people problem right?
Yup!
@@TheWillingEquineit's never the horses fault
My lame horse literally runs, and he hurts himself even more. It’s so dumb. We spent an hour in the paddock while the farrier was there waiting for us to catch the stupid thing.
The video has a lot of recommendations for how to fix that and ways you can avoid causing it in the future 🙂
Horses don't need name calling you're the problem not the horse
I hate to be a horse trainer cuz some people tried to force me to work with horses I don't like it
Hello Daria how’s the weather over there
Idk you
Shut up and leave me alone
what if u one day wont give them a cookie? they ll bite u! i know this story
They won't bite if you've prepared them properly and you're training is consistent. Horses that bite when food is involved have food anxiety, fear, or have been reinforced for it in the past.
I still didn’t see, “what do you do when your horse runs away”.
You find the cause for why they are running away and make the necessary changes. And simultaneously you start making it a positive experience for them to be caught. It's not a one time quick fix. Those solutions are only bandages. This is getting to the root of the problem and repairing it :)
Your girls are beautiful paints (pintos?)
Paints :)
Just shut the water off after a few days he will be easy to catch.
What to do when your horse runs away from you then shoot it.
Don't catch the horse. Let the horse catch you. Cut off his drive line. Move his feet. Change his direction. And soon he will face you and ask to come in.
Whenever you walk into the pasture the horses need to know that you are the trusted, confident, fair herd leader.
This is a positive reinforcement based channel. If you want to use pressure/release or 'natural horsemanship' there are plenty of other places to find videos on that type of training :)
@@kimways8182 I 'talk' to a horse in a similar manner to the way horses 'talk' to each other. Your method is not how horses communicate with one another.
Gerry Coleman Not here for an argument, just pointing out this particular channel is for people interested in learning about positive reinforcement based training methods.
@@gerrycoleman7290 I highly recommend my blog article "horses may not give each other treats" www.thewillingequine.com/single-post/Positive-Reinforcement-In-The-Herd
Quads don’t run away
This horses are too trained... what of the horse never approaches you? What of they don't even let you approach them more than 15 feet? I recently acquired a couple of horses and they're not trained like yours this video doesn't really show me anything...
This was intended for non feral horses, for feral horses and other extreme cases I'd be happy to help! Contact me via my training support page. www.thewillingequine.com/Training
Also see some of the other replies I've made just recently to other comments on this video :)
Thank you very much just today i had a very bad experience with my male horse he almost chocked with a rope and i had to jump in amd cut the rope to save his life after that it seemed like he knew i had saved his life and kept following behind me around my land he had never done that before. I will be watching more videos on your channel i had never had horses but I'm getting to know them better every day.
Kronos If you’ve never owned or trained horses extensively, you really shouldn’t own a horse or horses with little to no training. It’s dangerous for you and it’s dangerous for them. Not trying to be mean, but it’s just a bad situation that won’t be fixed by watching online trainers and trying to imitate what you see.
OK.............At 3:43 getting the desired response from the horse through food rewards...................not good. You need to learn how to effectively communicate with your horse. When you train with treats you are clearly telling your horse that you are lower in status.
I appreciate your comment, we are working with positive reinforcement here and using operant conditioning to train the horse to respond in the desired way. Food happens to be a valued reward to the horse and therefore is effective in training with positive reinforcement. You can also use scratches if your horse enjoys those. look into Operant conditioning, classical conditioning, clicker training, and positive reinforcement to learn more about learning theory and how it all works. :)
@@TheWillingEquine Very well. I will take your advice and study up on those. But, I challenge you to learn the horse's language and develop your skills to become an effective communicator with the horse. Learn how you can be truly bonded with the horse. One mind. No cheat of food involved. Be the leader of the 'herd' whenever and wherever you interact with horses.
this isn't help :(
I offer consultations via my website if you'd like more help. www.thewillingequine.com/services
Why 'catch' the horse? Why not let the horse 'catch' you.
Trust me, all my horses catch me. lol. I have to work on teaching them not to "catch me" any time I'm around. But many people struggle with catching their horses, and that's why this video is available. To help them make it a positive experience for their horses.
Im want out of horses thry forced me to ride them im done with people who like horses
Yeaah. Well maybe the horse hates the owner.
Lol maybe. This video should help them start to change their behavior so the horse likes them better
"For ask" a quick favor? WTF?
You'll have to explain further
Hello Armand how’s the weather over there
@@stevenhenry2497 Blustery !
@Armand Hammer Oh that’s okay the weather over here is okay so where are you from? I’m from Dallas Texas but live in Miami Florida
@@stevenhenry2497 Medicine Lake
No idea how this got in my feed other than Yellowstone or something. That horse is beautiful. I use the same techniques on dogs.