My quarter horse is being hard to catch

Question
Hello,
I have a 14 1/2 month old Quarter Horse gelding who's gotten hard to catch. I don't know what happend. He use to be really easy to catch. Then just yesterday I went to catch him and he'd run around. I can go up to him and pet him. The minute he sees a halter he will take off running. With any help that will be great. Thank you!

~Alexa~

Answer
Hello Alexa,

The wonders of young horses with lots of energy !  They love to run and play and that may be some of it, especially if he is out by himself or in a very low position within the herd (frequently picked on).  However, there are a few suggestions I have for you to try.  The first is bribery.  I am not below bribery by any means.  I always go out to catch my horse with a little something.  Usually it is a bite of grain or a small piece of carrot, anything to make them content to see me.  If you do not regularly keep a halter on him, you might try taking a lead with you and wrapping it around his neck.  Usually once a horse realizes he is caught, they will permit you to halter them.  If rewarded with that little treat, it makes things easier.  Also, try not to catch them only when you want something.  If you have the luxury, (I understand this may be difficult to do if you have to board your horse somewhere) just go out in the field and catch him, give him the treat, pet him for a moment, then remove the halter and let him be.  He will realize that you do not always want something when you come to get him making him more happy to come to you.  Finally, a good rule to follow is to always turn a horse out in a halter anyway.  Especially if he were difficult to catch, if he were to get out and did not have a halter on, it could be quite the challenge to get him back to his field.  I do not like all nylon halters for this.  They are quite durable, but they do not break easily if the horse were to become entangled in the fence or a tree and could become severely injured and they also tend to rub the horse quite badly.  My personal preference is a leather halter (you can purchase these fairly cheaply - about the same price as a nylon one) through a company such as State Line Tack.  It does not have to be fancy, simply well fitting so as not to slip off frequently.  If you cannot afford a leather one, or want something a little more durable, there are nylon ones with leather crown pieces which will break if the horse become entangled.  They are not the best choice, but a good compromise.  Good luck and I hope this helps.