Saddle Horse Online

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Owning a new foal is exciting, but it’s a big responsibility right from day one.  You can rely on your mare to teach some of the basics, but these impressionable first days are critical for teaching your foal the basics of good manners and safe handling.

One of the very first things you need to teach your foal is proper behavior on the lead.  Good news is, this is an easy time to teach leading - much better than trying to train an older horse, and there are a lot of gentle, natural methods you can use.

Natural horsemanship is all about using your horse’s natural instincts as tools for your training.  With natural horsemanship, you don’t force or frighten your horse into doing anything; instead you use its own language and instincts to persuade and manipulate it.  Foals have a lot of instincts you can use to get started with halter training.

First of all, your foal will have a natural desire to follow - whether it’s Mom, or you, or another horse.  Foals crave company, and they love attention.  Plus, they are intensely curious.  Make the most of this with some play time with your foal. Crouch down low, pick up a stone or some blades of grass, and play with them as if they were the most interesting things you’ve ever seen.

Don’t look at your foal - rest assured, it will not be able to resist whatever you have found so fascinating and it will soon be creeping up to take a look! This is the time to reward it with a scratch (foals especially like to be scratched along their crest or under their neck) or a cuddle.

Spend plenty of time rubbing your foal’s face and ears - this is the time to prevent problems later on by accustoming your foal to having its head handled. These playtimes are the foundations to your horse’s relationship with people - two short sessions each day are ideal.

This is the perfect place to start with your halter training - simply spend time with your foal in the stable or the paddock, encouraging it to come up to you and follow you around, while its mother rests nearby.  Whenever you take your mare and foal anywhere, have someone else lead your mare so you can walk near to your foal.

This will get it used to moving round with you nearby, just as you have been doing with playtimes. When your foal is happy to approach you, and curious to see where you will take it next and follows you happily, now is the time to introduce the halter and lead.  Bring your halter (or ‘foal slip’) into the stable with you, and play with your foal normally.  Even if your foal is sleepy or lying down, simply kneel down and join it for a cuddle.