foal handling

[moocow]

Anyone got any advice regarding handling a foal? We have recently got a foal - long story but its a rescue. He is last years foal and is a cruelty case. His mom has been awarded back to the owner but ssince the market has collapsed has left the foal behind. The foals hooves desparately need to be trimmed but he is completely wild. Anyone got any advice on where to start? He is turned out on our grazing as a companion for my mare at the mo so its not ideal. He has started to eat hard feed but wont eat out of a bucket yet. He is brave enough that he will come for feed and if you crouch down he will nervously eat right beside you. Any ideas?

Before I get slatted for having a foal and no facilities - this was not planned and we have to just get him sorted now with the limited facilities we have. Him going back to the rescue organisation is also not an option. Any advice would be great.

Thanks.

 

[Lippyx]

ROUTINE!!
You need to just get him use to the way things are run on YOUR yard! So if your mare comes in for a feed, then he MUST come n for a feed to. Tie him up next to her (if they are both happy with this) and what ever you do to your mare, you do to him. So grooming, stroking picking out feet etc. If he sees she's happy with it, hopefully he will become more relaxed.
This will be a long process, and firstly you need to get him to trust you, and the best way is to give him small "challenges" that he has to look to you for assurance. You say he won't eat out of a bucket, well, put the feed in a bucket (a shallow one preferred) and if he wants the feed he has to eat from the bucket. When he lloks to you for assurance, just softly speak to him and if you can gentle stroke him.

Hope this is some help. Most of all though, don't change the way you do things, to accommodate him, your the herd leader!!

 

[Ezme]

Just hours and hours of sitting there trying to gain his trust I think.... if the feet are a desperate imediate concern maybe a vet sedation job?

 

[AmyMay]

Get in touch with JM07 - she'll give you loads of help.

 

[moocow]

Thanks for the reply and here are the problems.

My mare is off work and is out 24/7 on grass till I get back riding or till we buy something suitable. We don't have a yard or access to stabling since moving in Dec. They are currently in a 5 acre field.

The current routine is breakfast and checked over and rug off my mare and a bit of TLC(grooming hooves etc) checked during the day and then dinner and rugs on for the night and final check. The foal has never had a head collar on him and his only contact up till a few weeks ago with humans was been beaten and starved in a pen with his very malnurished mommy by his side. He is begining to trusts us but stays a safe distance away at all times. We cant get near enough to him to even give him a scratch

He is fitting in to our routine fine i.e. comes down to us when we feed him and has learned to eat feed by copying my mare. (We have only had him a few weeks BTW).

I am begining to think there is very little I can do till I have facilities but that could be a year from now. I really need to have his little feet sorted. He was very lame when he came to us as the pen had nothing but rocks and stones in it. ETS he is not lame anymore so we think it was stone bruises.

I really don't have any ideas of what to do.

 

[moocow]

Thanks amymay. Will PM JM07

yeah sedation is the plan at the mo. But in such a large area we plan to bring him to a friend yard and sedate him there. brings up the next isssue of how the hell we will get him in the trailer. He went in with his mommy when he came down to us. Farrier was down tonight and said he will be ok for another month max. then we really have to get something sorted for him.

 

[Toast]

I agree with what everyone has said, especially Lippyx , routine routine routine, and lots of time spent with him to gain his trust.
foals are inquisitive and if you spend enough time in his stable just being near him, he'll eventually come and investigate.
I once got told that with handling foals it'll always be two steps forward and one back and i couldnt agree more, but once you've started making headway, it'll be worth it. Patience is the key it really is.
I hope things work out

x

 

[wonkey_donkey]

I wouldn't tie up an unhandled foal and he is likely to panic and cause himself serious harm. However, as suggested plenty of handling, a good routine and lots of patience.
I would think a decent farrier will still trim up his feet for you even if he's naughty at the moment as this will defo make him more comfortable and prevent long term problems arising.
Good luck.

 

[perfect11s]

Ditto what other posts say, maybe be you could fence them off into a smaller area then hard feed might be a bit more intresting to him and he will want to come closer, Then hopefully you can gain his trust im sure it will take time, Try not to force anything on him let him come to you if possible.. advance and retreat... oh and is he entire?? maybe if the vet is going to sedate him for the farrier he could do that job at the same time, posibly not good to have an uncut colt with your mare!!!, and having him done will make him more relaxed

,..!!. let us know how it works out... good luck...

 

[AmyMay]

For God's sake don't tie it up!

 

[air78]

You might find it really usefull get an Intelligent Horsemanship Recomended Associate out to see you. Lots of them have experence with 'wild' horses and they have the tools needed to do the job safely i.e. they would be able to bring round pen pannels to create a safe enclosed space for you to work in..... and he'd still be in his field and be able to view the other horses.

They'd be able to headcollar him, and get him leading etc easily for you...... and sort the feet out in a few sessions

Best of luck with him.

http://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/content/view/47/97/

 

[Guinness]

Hm tricky if you have no stables. With our foals at work we would "squash" them in the corner of a stable (takes two people) to put their magic hat on. Once they get used to it then you can start leading them round (we used to start in the stable with a lunge line looped through the headcollar-not clipped on as foal is likely to throw itself on the floor a few times in a paddy and you want to be able to let go so it doesnt get tangled). As others have said though-dont tie it up. Routine is probably the best thing you can do at the moment-have you got a headcollar on it yet?

 

[the watcher]

Others might disagree but given that you are short on facilities and this foal at least needs checking over and taming a bit, i would consider darting as a one off to get a headcollar on and the initial feet trim. If you have a smaller corral set up in your field you can at least then herd the foal into that for daily handling once you have the headcollar on

 

[smellsofhorse]

Well done for rescuing him.

Any home must be better than what he had if he is rescued.

Its just time and patience, doing things slowly, gaining his trust, so you can touch him.

Use food to get him to come to you, get him to eat out of your hands
Then when you can get a head collar on use a long stick to touch him over, this will de sensitize him and then do the same but running your hands over.

 

[CrazyMare]

I would half their field or smaller for now. He has less space to run away, but can still move away if he feels neccassary.

If it were me, I'd take a good book and spend as long as I could just sitting in his field, reading. Let him come and explore you. Do that for as long as needed, then start to feed him treats or a scratch or something so coming to see you = nice

He will get there eventually.

 

[moocow]

Thanks for all the replies. in reply to some people, I don't have stables so pinning him in a stable is not an option. Like the good book idea but with a newly arrived baby, can't leave her for hours at a time unfortunately

Will spend some time with him trying to build his trust. As I said, we have him now that he will come right up to us to feed if we crouch down but any movemnt and he is off. yes he is entire at the mo. Another job that need to be done. i can foresee having to get him darted to be honest and getting the whole lot done together.

intellient horseman is a great idea but there is no-one around me that does it. Certainly if anyone knows anyone in the west of ireland that does let me know!!!!!

thanks!