#180 - Did the Parelli Wild Horse Catching Method Work?

For a week Teddy was isolated in the laneway so he could not get to water and was fairly confined. This was to allow me to train him to be caught. The idea is that the confinement is so he cant run too far away, the rubbing the halter and lead rope on him and massaging him with it etc. is to give him a good experience,  and the only taking him water twice a day and letting him drink after he has been caught is to tell him that I am the boss and he is dependent on me as the pack leader to provide him with what he needs.

So I have now done this for seven days straight and contrary to the Parelli literature saying that this method doesn't fail and that it works on wild horses within a week or two - it failed on Teddy.

Teddy didn't even improve. He is now actually more apprehensive than he was before. Of the two times a day he was offered water from me he refused them. He didn't drink at all on the first day and only drank once a day after that.  He refused to come for food - even his favourites, pears, licorice and peanut butter cups. He would flinch each day I would first put the halter and lead rope on his body to massage him with it, although he was shown it and allowed to smell it each time. And for reasons unknown to me he has now taken to rearing up when I pick his hoof up to oil it each day. He has never done this before in the time I've had him. This isn't a "I have a sore there" rear either, he does it with each hoof and pulls back his back legs with the back hooves over and over and over.  One day he carried on so bad he broke the hay twine the leap rope is tied to twice.

When I go out to him without the halter and lead rope he's fine and on Thursday I was leaning on a gate and he rested his head on the side of my arm and stayed there quietly for a good five minutes before I moved as he was falling to sleep.

I can see no signs of injury or pain. The worst thing he has is a cracked front hoof but its just on the rim and the farrier will have it off next week.

So where to now? I know people will tell me I didn't try the Parelli method long enough but there are two reasons for this. One - he's worse after seven days, and Two - I had to take him out and he will go back in for the next week as our new horse is coming tomorrow and I want them in adjoining paddocks until they get familiar with each other and I've wormed my new horse.  So like it or not he will be getting the same deal next week. It does say in the literature to do something unusual like leave the gate open, so I consider this one of those things it's just he's gate has been open for full day and night (after tonight).

Maybe Granny Smith will bring Teddy back around. We will see.