Giving my foal treats

[Taylorhorses]

We just went to a auction and bought 2 horses, A 8 year old mare and a 5 week old filly. I am currently trying to bond with my filly and I have been giving it sweet feed. I finally got it to eat out of my hand only 2 days after we got her. I was wondering if there are any treats that foals like and are ok for them and wont do any damage at all?

 

[Cherryblossom]

I really wouldn’t. I find that hand feeding foals makes them pushy and nippy.

 

[TPO]

I'm presuming the 5wk old filly is the foal of the 8yr old mare and therefore still on the mare.

Personally I wouldn't be giving feed to a healthy 5wk old foal and definitely ot treats.

Is there someone experienced with youngstock involved with the purchase of the mare and foal?

If the foal isnt from that mare that's a whole other kettle of fish

 

[spacefaer]

Over handled foals and titbitted youngsters can be a nightmare to handle. Pushy and lacking respect.
Foals should be left to their mothers. As long as they lead and you can handle their feet for a farrier, they should be left alone.
They won't love you if you bribe them with food.

 

[laura_nash]

I don't hand feed generally, too often causes nipping. Okay with some older ones that have very well established manners but I would never hand feed a youngster or a new horse.

 

[ycbm]

I would not feed any horse anything described as "sweet" and I definitely would not be giving titbits to a 5 week old foal, it will only create a nipper.
.

 

[ycbm]

Please please please if the foal does not belong to the mare be extremely careful. The only really dangerous horses I've come across were hand reared, it's a nightmare to both nurture them and establish suitable manners and boundaries.

 

[paddy555]

Please please please if the foal does not belong to the mare be extremely careful. The only really dangerous horses I've come across were hand reared, it's a nightmare to both nurture them and establish suitable manners and boundaries.

this. I bought a hand reared 2yo. Didn't realise when I bought him. It was the one question I didn't ask.
He spent the next 12 months alternating between standing up and waving his front feet above my head or grabbing me with his teeth. He had been brought up by girls and had no respect for females at all.
It took a long time to get through to him that 4 feet remained on the ground and his teeth inside his closed mouth at all times.

I see this is your first post so welcome. I don't think this is really a subject to vote on. I think you will find that everyone here who is experienced with young horses will tell you that hand feeding a foal with treats is a total non starter at best and dangerous at the worst.
Presuming the foal belongs to the mare then if you want to do things teach the foal to lead behind her mother, pick up her feet, run your hands all over her and then send her back to mum.

 

[Casey76]

I wouldn’t feed sweet feed to anything, never mind a foal.

To desensitize the foal to a human, you really just need to be there, they are normally curious enough to come and investigate you. Then you can give them scritches. Scritches as the best ”treat” a foal can get.

 

[teddypops]

What is sweet feed? I wouldn’t be giving any treats at all as the goal will be getting what it needs from the mare. (Hoping of course the mare is the mum of the foal)

 

[Cortez]

From the sound of your post you are in the US (sweet feed is molassed grain mix). If the mare and foal are a unit you don't need to "bond", you just need to leave them together and handle the mare as normal. She will teach the foal all it needs to know at this stage, including about you.

 

[Lois Lame]

I would not give sweet feed to any horse or foal.

I think, also, that feeding a foal extra can lead to problems. All it needs is what it gets from mum and what it grazes on.

I know from American horse magazines that I used to read when I was about 20 that 'creep feeding' was a big thing in the USA on QH studs. (At that time, anyway, in the 1970s.) The foals were allowed access to feed in troughs that the mares were too tall to access. I believe this to be an unhealthy practise for the foals. Foals need all the milk that the mare provides when well fed and cared for, and roughage. Maybe nothing else (apart from natural exercise.)

Also, I would never feed a foal treats by hand. I feel the job is hard enough without making a rod for my own back, as the saying goes.
I know a beautiful mare who was not hand reared but had a lot of attention as a yearling due to an injury. She's a pig of a mare. Beautiful, but spoilt. Apparently if she doesn't want to do something, she lies down. It's so easy to wreck a horse accidentally. This mare is the apple of my eye but I don't know if I would ever have the capabilities to own her.

 

[Luxgood]

We just went to a auction and bought 2 horses, A 8 year old mare and a 5 week old filly. I am currently trying to bond with my filly and I have been giving it sweet feed. I finally got it to eat out of my hand only 2 days after we got her. I was wondering if there are any treats that foals like and are ok for them and wont do any damage at all?

I have very little experience with young horses but I did have a 10 month filly for a while. She would swing around super fast and kick and she gave me a few nips as well. I think myself as a woman I am inclined to try to pet foals too much and it’s not the right thing. Best to learn from the experts. Best of luck with your new horses. I hope they will go well for you.

 

[Limit]

Any bad and possibly dangerous habits can be avoided by not treating foals as cuddly pets. They learn so quickly, being taught to be a nice well mannered animal, through kindness and routine is the best possible thing. Good luck

 

[ihatework]

Foals really don’t have any inbuilt template of how to behave, and even the sweetest ones can be obnoxious brats at times!

It is so crucial to get the handling right at that stage and hand treats are a complete no-no. You will most likely end up with an in your face pushy foal at best, or one with legs and teeth flying at worst.

That first year or two is education by the mare and field buddies and consistent, calm, basic handling by the humans. Nothing more.

Im bad for hand treating horses, but only once they have learnt boundaries and what is expected behaviour wise.

 

[BaronSamedi]

A 5 week old should not be getting any sort of feed at all,. The mare has all the foal needs.