New Foal

roxychix

my mare has just had her first foal and mine too:) just wondering where to go from ???? i.e when weaning etc. when can the mare come back into work etc. the foal is a colt so i assume ill have to wait till hes a yearling till he gets castrated. when can i dtart halter training? thanks any tips. but everything else is going fine etc

phoebebright

I handle my foals from the first moment they are foaled and have them leading with a halter within about a week. I spend a lot of time handling the foals in the first two weeks and then just occassionaly from there on. The time spent early pays great dividends down the line when I find both the sport and TB foals/yearling/young horses are easy to handle. I wean them gradually about 5-6 months, first separating the mare and foal for feeding and gradually keeping them apart for longer of a week to 10 days. It's a good deal more time consuming than the cold-turnkey method, but much less stressful for both mare and foal.

My thinking on foal handling has been greatly influenced by Robert Miller see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Imprint-Training-Newborn-Robert-Miller/dp/0911647228/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272654343&sr=8-1 and I find a lot in common with Clinton Anderson who had a program of foal handling on Rural TV lately - I'm sure he has a DVD on his website.

Enjoy your foal and his curiosity and enthusiasm for life!

Phoebe.

Esroh

As Pheobe says Start right now
There is nothing like spending time with a new born foal. 6 months from now you will appreciate every minute even more when Farrier, Vet and yourself are dealing with a perfect Young Gentleman:D

Re Starting mareback in work. That depends totally on the mares attitude and your facilities. A neighbour of mine starts riding after 2 months with the foal running beside her.

roxychix

will be away for bout a month or so. so he will be out running around the field for a while but will have contact with other people so may be bit late starting with him but will try:)

convert

roxychix wrote: »

will be away for bout a month or so. so he will be out running around the field for a while but will have contact with other people so may be bit late starting with him but will try:)

The most important thing is that he have contact with humans and that he's handled as much as possible. I didn't put a headcollar on my filly for a few months, but I did teach her to 'lead' gently with my hand on her nose and poll/neck, which helped her get over the head shyness that a lot of foals have. I also worked on teaching her to pick up her feet, front and hind, which made life so much easier when she got her first set of shoes!

Depending on when the mare can start back to work, you'll have to be the best judge for that, with some input from your vet or someone experienced who'll be able to discuss your mare's individual case.

Friskyfilly

Ya, dead right all above. Get going on him straight away feet ears the whole lot.... get your hands on him everywhere and a head collar on him even now. More you do at the start the easier it will be for you. When you are taking him away from the mare I have seen to work, have him in a field with the mare and a mate or two, by the time he is ready to come off the mare he wont even be following her, he will be gone off with the "boys" doing his own thing like a teenager. Take the mare out of the field and out of sight but leave him there along with the rest. By the evening time he will have started to forget about her. He will be eating grass and grain and will be grand in a day or two. He is used to the field and his mates so works better then putting him in a box and he climbing up the walls.
When getting him cut do it after the frost but before the flys and ya as a yearling. Out in a field and he stays out exercise helps with the swelling just walking around is all.
Well done, it's is exciting the first born!. :P