Allow one rider to dismount and carefully bring his horse toward the loose horse, allowing the loose horse to buddy up. Turn and leave the horse if he wants to leave the group nonetheless. He may simply follow. When approaching a loose horse, make an effort to persuade him to look at you with both eyes before approaching him. Never force him to look at you.
Loose horses are often anxious or scared and may bite or kick when approached by strangers. However, many horses will simply follow behind a group and find their way back to where they belong once the danger has passed. If you are lucky enough to catch your horse alone, lead him away from the area until you have time to talk to someone about him.
The first guideline of approaching horses is to make sure they are aware that you are approaching. Approaching the horse from the front and slightly to the side is the simplest (by far). If for some reason you think the horse might run away, then go back around the other side.
The second thing to keep in mind is that horses fear things they don't understand. If you try to grab the horse by its collar or leg and lead it away, even if you use soft voices it will likely scare the horse further and cause it to fight back physically.
The third thing to remember is that horses hate being touched anywhere on their bodies except their heads and shoulders. If you try to grab any other part of the horse's body, it will likely kick at you or push you away with its legs.
Finally, if the horse does anything threatening such as kicking or biting, drop everything and leave immediately! These animals can seriously hurt you if they feel threatened.
Horses are very sensitive and will naturally protect themselves by kicking or biting when scared or angered. Although this behavior is useful in deterring predators, it makes working with them difficult. However, there are ways to manage these behaviors so that you can work with the horse safely.
They will most likely look up, determine that you are not a threat, and return to what they were doing. Stop in your tracks and begin to back away if they flinch away or turn their back on you. Never approach from the front or back— The eyes of a horse are located on the side of its head. If you come from behind you will be seen before you reach it.
If you are lucky, the horse will realize that you are just a harmless creature and leave you alone. However, sometimes horses will charge at anything that moves, so it's best to be safe than sorry. If this happens to be one of those rare horses that doesn't respect humans, then you should avoid getting close enough to attack it. Instead, find something large and heavy that you can use as a deterrent. A tree or a rock could work.
Horses are very intelligent animals that usually know when someone is trying to harm them so they will always try to escape if they can. If you can get out of its way quickly enough, it should go back to what it was doing before you came across it.
How to Catch a Runaway Horse
Maintain your equilibrium by sitting in the dead middle. Don't take a step forward. Make a point of leaning back to slow him down. And half-stop him when he accelerates. Because your horse is crooked, he is leaning in and moving quicker. If you push him too far, he will fall out of balance and suffer a concussion like injury.
The most common cause of a bent horse is excessive training or riding on an unlevel surface. If your horse is used for showmanship purposes, he may be bent because of the influence of certain riders. Some horses are naturally crooked and should not be punished for it. However, many straight horses become crooked due to injuries suffered during their early training stages.
If you believe that your horse is bent, see your vet immediately. There are various treatments available, such as physiotherapy, chiropractic care, and surgery. A bent horse can also cause other problems - such as pain when walking on hard surfaces or while rising from a standstill - so have him examined by a competent professional before beginning any treatment program.
When your horse comes to a halt after being chased by a deer, speak quietly to him. Praise him for remaining silent as soon as you get him absolutely quiet. Never, regardless of the reason, penalize him for bucking after he's stopped, because he'll think you're punishing him for standing still. Instead, reward him with food or water after stopping.
The most effective way to stop a horse from bucking is with a "stop" command. Use caution not to hurt yourself or your horse when giving this command, but it can be done with enough force to stop any horse from bucking. To stop a bucking horse: Stand with your legs apart and hold on to either his bridle or his reins. If you hold the reins, give the stop command by saying "sto" once very loudly and clearly. If you only have time to say one word, say "stop."
Once you have stopped your horse, wait until he is completely calm before trying to go back into motion. Don't just walk away from the scene of the crime!
Horses learn through experience. If they see that bucking gets them nothing but trouble, then they will stop doing it. However, if they are forced to buck in order to be moved, then they will keep this habit even after they have been sold to someone who wants them to ride dressage or compete at shows.
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