When we first got Blue we struggled to get near him he was a very nervous boy and still is to some extent.
He was hard to catch to put on a head collar both in and out of the stables and the previous owners had been using a yell flavour lick it to catch him. This was not idea.
We practiced following him and catching him outside first as it is safer than in an enclosed space in the stable. We did what he was used to first by using a lick it while he got to know us. It was harder without a head collar so for a few days we used a field safe head collar and left it on so at least we could hold on to something to clip a lead rope on to.
During this time he would gain more trust of us all he seemed less trusting of men so it took my husband more time to catch him at first.
We then started to take the head collar off when he was turned out (again in a confined space he could panic more and so there is more danger of being kicked in the stable so we would leave it on in there.
Outside if he did try to kick or turn his back towards me, I would gently swing the lead rope near him not hit or touch him with it, just to show him this wasn’t acceptable and then tell him good boy when he turned back round.
We then gradually weaned the head collar away and now catch as normal.