How to Catch a Horse in the Pasture

Catching a horse in the pasture requires patience when approaching the horse, patting it on the shoulder, talking to it and slowly working up to putting the halter around the head. Understand the calm process of luring a horse to you with important information from a farm manager in this free video on caring for horses.

When catching a horse in the pasture you always want to take caution to the other horses. Approach your horse calmly, greet them, pat them on the shoulder. Most horses don't appreciate you rubbin' their face first off so sometimes comin' up to the shoulder is a little easier with horses who aren't sure. Talk to them, slide your hand behind their neck, go ahead and address your horse and speak to them with your voice so they know where you are. Once they're quiet and settled, you can go ahead and throw your arm around their neck and put your halter on. After you have your horse's halter on, you may then proceed to walk towards the gate. Always use caution going towards the gate, there may be other horses that are ready to go in as well. If you have problems with your horses running away from you, a suggestion would be remove the other horses from the pasture first, leaving him alone. This usually will bring your horse right to the gate. You can also try to use feed but sometimes a horse eats a lot of these and this may be difficult. And if other horses are in the pasture at the same time, they also might bombard you. Horses that are on a routine usually know the drill and are ready to come in and it's very easy. Horses that are left out of the pasture and you only get them out to ride them, they may prove difficult to retrieve from the pasture so it's a good idea to be on a regular feeding program and manage your horse according to his feeding program and you know he'll be willing to come.