So yesterday I planned to bring her in as my (very vague) routine hints at Q being in on Friday nights and Tilda on Saturday nights. I discovered the field fencing had been redone and they now had access to the patch at the end which contained some very rich lush juicy grass. As I approached, one of the geldings walked up to her and she squirted so I instantly decided that today wasn't going to be about battling to get her in and make her leave the big herd (and the boys) and spring grass.

Instead I put the head collar down, and slowly got closer to her without being threatening, until I could stroke her neck and then picked her feet out, which she offered willingly. Then just stood close by, moving away and back again, stroking her neck for a bit longer. That was it, but we didn't have any big disagreements.

This evening, having given Tilda a night in last night, I again decided to bring Q in, and then could ride her first thing tomorrow without worrying about being able to catch her first. I had a shopping spree at the tack shop earlier, which included buying a field safe head collar that I could leave on her (on a temporary basis until she's handling better) and so be able to get hold of her easily and quietly without her spinning off in reaction to the head collar being brought up to put over her head.

I'd decided to put the head collar on her when I turned Tilda out earlier in the afternoon, and then leave her there without bringing in - meaning she doesn't always associate being caught with being dragged in, and it would also be easier to get hold of her later with the head collar already on. Luckily for me, they'd all been spooked by some intruders in the field and she was happy for me to put the head collar on without even putting her ears back let alone turning on me or running away.

So this evening they were back in the rich patch, her head collar was still on, and as I approached her and stroked her neck, I could feel her begin to move so I gently moved my hand to the noseband and she looked most surprised to be held down. But once she realised, she was immediately accepting and there was no aggression or even real grumpiness. She still didn't want to leave the herd to walk up to the yard though, and I had trouble getting her to move even a few steps away. Knowing that quite a few other horses in the herd were doing the same thing at the moment, and refusing to come in for their owners, I decided to change my game plan, and instead of dragging her to bring her to the yard, I'd get her leading next to me, at my command, but still within the area of the herd.

Initially she still planted, as I was still trying to move her in the direction of the yard, but then I turned her round and discovered she was actually quite willing to go where I went. It wasn't perfect, and we still had a fair amount of short plants, but overall she did what I told her. We spent 15 minutes or so walking around and halting, then finished off by doing walk/halts going away from the herd who had by now moved to the other side of the field, and when she consistently walked on when I asked, I turned her back to the herd, walked her back and took the lead rope off. Patted her, said well done and walked away. She was much better with me by the end of the session than the beginning, which I will take as a positive, but I'm a little concerned that I'm being too much of a pushover and/or wasting my time. Yet the alternative would have been dragging her in, both of us getting frustrated and reinforcing negativity between us.

I would welcome some opinions please, as I think I may be getting my knickers in a twist over nothing. I'm happy to be flexible with her in terms of riding/handling/training - I don't have any great competition ambitions, I don't have a target goal, I don't need to see loads of quick progress but I absolutely don't want her going backwards from where she is now. Doing groundwork just in the field with her means she doesn't get fed each day, but the spring grass should make sure she doesn't drop off without the additional hard feed, and though she won't get her oestrus supplement, *shrug*, she's only been on it a few days. Is only playing around with leading her/doing transitions in the field for a while likely to turn her feral again? I was thinking if I spend a few days getting her happily walking away from the herd with me, increasing the distance away, then bring her in for a feed? I do think this is a temporary issue, given that many of the other horses in our herd are also refusing to be caught or refusing to come in, and mare owners around the country are complaining of moodiness, also this is coinciding with my fall and subsequent loss of confidence. I'm happy to miss out on riding her etc for now, the only thing I don't want to do is ruin her.