Catching pony with other horses in the field

[TheWitTank]

Pony is kept in a field with three others -no problems at all until I go to get my pony out. Nothing to do with catching, pony is a dream and always comes straight away. Trouble is the others all gather around the gate and block her way (particularly one who is the field boss!) and make it hard/dangerous to get her as they all (including mine!) threaten to kick each other, pull faces, charge about and squeal. I end up getting barged by scared pony or trying to duck out of the way of the madness. None of them are fed or treat fed in the field, they all just love human company and want to be first in line! If I have someone with me its not as bad as they can catch the field boss with a lead rope and get out of the way, but on my own its hard. Any tips?

[froubylou]

Is your pony calm enough to carry a schooling whip or lunge whip or leave it in a good spot and grab it? Then use it to scootch the others out of the way? Just be careful nothing kicks back at you though!

Our mob are the same especially sisters Welsh cob. In fact she is a fucker and is always getting clots of mud chucked at her or her arse whupped with a lead rope.

[iceyrider16]

Try taking a lunge line in and swinging it about a little letting it make some noise on the floor or against you. Or a flappy coat and flapping arms about to move them on. Don't feed them near the gateway ever or they will always hang about expecting food.

All our gate ways have (what my godson fondly calls an air lock) a small electric fence pen right by the gate to keep the ponies away from the gateway. It gives you a second barrier to prevent horses slipping through the gateway. It also prevents good doers feeding horses over the gates (which is why we have them) and also stops gateways getting badly churned up in the mud.

[OfficiallyUnofficial]

No advice but be careful friend got her shoulder blade broken by her "good" horse running over her to get away from the field boss at the gate

[TheWitTank]

Thanks all. We are all very strict about feeding and treats over the fence or in the field -never happens. They just all love a bloody fuss! Lead rope swinging has helped, but it gets a bit dicey as they all get a bit bum swingy and moody mare faced! I will take a lunge whip out, good idea for some reach. They are all lovely ponies and get on very well aside from gate antics! The pen might be a good idea..

[froubylou]

Another option though a pita is to bring boss in first. I used to have to do this last winter. They were all in at night so were all pushing and shoving to be first in for hay/tea. Only way to get anything out safely was to remove bossmare first.

But it's a pain as you then have to put them back out. However she did learn after a few times that it was no good coming in first if I was there as she would be tied up on yard for a few minutes then kicked back out in the field which wasn't what she wanted.

[Mrsraypurchase]

Agreed with an airlock. We have these at the entrance to all of our paddocks that have two or more ponies in.

[ADishBestEatenCold]

Agree with iceyrider (though we don't call it an airlock, we call it a runway ).

In some field gateways, we have these as permanent structures, so a square at the gate, constructed of four straining posts and four gates (the actual gateway, and three extra). Most, if not all the gates open, which is handy if loose horses are in your way.
In other fields (or where strip grazing) the runways are temporary, so often made by extending the electric fencing, but still square and still with more than one openable gateway into the square.

These have the added bonus of allowing you to put the horse your leading into the square (where it is effectively penned) if things get a little fraught ... you can then take your time in pushing back the others, making sure they can't join you and closing their gate, before opening the gate of the square 'pen' onto your exit route.