Catching a horse/A new scared horse

Question
Hi!I'm Brandi and I am 14 years old. I have been riding horses all mu life and haven't had any trouble, but this horse is kind of tricky. I just got this horse Last Sunday. It is now Tuesday. She was given to me by someone who couldn't take care of her anymore. She is an old mustang. She is broke and able to be ridden, she used to be a barrel horse. My problem is that i can't catch her. I don't know if she doesn't trust me or what, i just don't get it. I had her in a little round pen/stall type thing and she was fine, she would come up to me rub on me and eat from my hand and everything so i thought she liked me and trusted me. So i decided to put her out in this little pasture separate from all my other horses. She didn't seem to mind them there at all, she actually didn't want anything to do with them. Today i tried to just go out there and pet her, i had her favorite treats(carrots), but she just ran around that little pasture and didn't even get close to me. I just don't know what to do. I just want her to like me and to know that I am not a mean person. I wish my other horses would tell her it's okay. I was thinking about putting one of my nicest other horse in there and see if i could get them to be kind to each other and then he could set an example for her to come to me and it's okay, because my other horses practically trample me when I am out in the pasture because they know that when i go out there that they have to come to me, or at least they want to. But that's not the point, please give some tips on how i can get her to come to me and like me more.

Thanks for all your help,

Brandi

Answer
Hi Brandi, you are thinking like a person and not like a horse.  This horse does not want to be fed or caught.  It wants to feel safe, you can help her by not asking anything from her.  Go out to pasture and don't try to catch her, just go out there and sit down or being a chair and read a book.  Soon the horse will get to wonder what you are doing and will come to check you out, when she does do not try and pet her or grab her, just give her a treat or carrot and then read your book, she will either hang around or walk away, let her do what She wants.  The more time you spend around her the more she will feel safe and will fear you, but if you try and catch her or make her come or make her like you it will not happen.

Bring her carrots and hay but don't you approach her, let her approach you, it may take a while at first but it will get better over time.

Read my web site about catching horses for some other ideas.

Rick