The horses are loose!
That phrase can strike terror into the hearts of horse owners, particularly if the horses are loose near a major road. Large, loose animals such as horses out on the road are a huge hazard for both the animals and drivers.
You would think drivers could easily see such large animals on the road, but there is a rather interesting characteristic of horse hair (or deer or moose or other prey animals) where their hair bends light and decreases the animal’s visibility in the dark (from Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue by Giminez, Giminez and May).
This characteristic means that most large animals cannot be seen on the road in the dark until the driver is approximately 50 m (165 ft) from the animal (Giminez 2006).
At highway speeds a driver will have great difficulty in reacting in time to avoid the animal or stop completely. The horse still has the nature of a prey animal and prey behavior can be unpredictable (that is how they can survive predators) so even daylight may not save a loose horse on a roadway.
So, how do you catch a loose horse?
Horses are basically instinct driven. The basic motivators for much of their behavior is food and herd membership.
That is why treats are so effective with horses – tasty treats are a huge motivator! Treats are not effective if the horse feels that there is a perceived threat.
If you approach a loose horse with ‘predator behavior’ such as staring directly, moving quickly, moving straight at the head then the horse will move away from you and head to the others or just leave.
The horse will be attracted to other horses or somewhere familiar. You can use this to your advantage and herd the horses back to their familiar ground or field. If it is one lone horse that has escaped, you can perhaps herd it back to the rest of the horses then catch it.
Keep in mind that your loose horse will not respond well to force or heightened emotion. If you approach your horse aggressively or in haste because you are on a schedule, you can accurately predict that your horse will not want to be caught and will move away.
This is true even in a corral or pen. Approach the horse calmly from the side, not directly from the front or back as the horse cannot see these regions clearly. Have a lead rope or halter handy but not held out in front of you (again, too aggressive).
Chasing the horse is not the answer – the more you chase after the horse, the faster he will run away. Chasing is very aggressive predator behavior and the basic instinct of the horse is to just run away from a predator.
One technique is to quietly follow the horse, walking off to the side, and just “walk him down”. This technique requires lots of patience and is terrain dependant. This has worked for me on occasion but not as a routine method. A horse who does not wish to be caught can walk a long way maintaining enough distance away that I can’t lay a hand on him.
If you show any frustration while attempting this technique, the horse will pick up on it and wave you goodbye with his tail! If you have help available, enlist other folks to help you herd the loose horse into a corner or confined area.
Some horses will settle once cornered and allow you to approach and catch them. If the horse shows signs of fear when cornered, the horse may take more drastic action to escape and may shove right through any barrier (human or otherwise).
Always be cautious with this method and pay attention to the signals your horse is giving.
Whatever method you choose to catch a loose horse, always be aware of how the horse is reacting and be ready to change your method to something else if necessary.
