Handling Foal Advice Please

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mcnaughty

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I have a mare with a 4 week filly foal at foot. The mare was extremely foal proud and very protective when the foal first arrived and I was advised to just leave them be and keep handling to a minimum for a few weeks.

However, the foal is now 4 weeks old and impossible to get anywhere near. I brought them both into the stable last night and after an hour and an extremely bitter fight where the foal reared, kicked me and threw itself on the floor I eventually managed to get a leadrope onto the foal slip that it has been wearing for the past fortnight.

I then managed to rub it all over and pick up feet, pull ears and walk it up and down with a bum rope so feel the session ended on a very good note....

I don’t have any help up the yard for most of the time and have to do all the work by myself. Should I leave a rope attached to the slip 24/7 so I can easily catch it in the stable. What about edible treats – I was told not to do this as it encourages nipping but how on earth do I get the filly to come to me instead of me chasing it around the stable.....

The mare has now calmed down and really chilled out but I fear she has now imprinted a fear or hatred of humans onto the filly. When I go out to the field the foal hides behind her mum and won't come anywhere near me.

Mare is an irish draught x TB and the stallion was a Trekehner x Belgian warmblood. Will end up around 16hh – 16.2hh

The foal was completely unplanned and I don’t want to keep it very much past weaning but am afraid that I won’t be able to sell it in the current handling condition it is.

Thank you for any advice you could please give. I feel a complete failure as I have had horses for 30 years but have never had to handle a foal and this is truly a completely new ball game!!
 
Would suggest spending as much time as you can with them both. Don't necessarily try and catch her/ do anything to her, but just let her get used to you being around and not threatening. Perhaps groom the mare/ potter about the stable and generally be non-confrontational. In my (admittedly limited!) experience, foals are usually hugely inquisitive, and she will eventually be absolutely desperate to talk to you - particularly if the mare isn't bothered and you are ignoring her!

Would then spend time scratching middle of chest, and round the tail - they seem to be the two areas that foals can't resist!

be patient, and good luck - it will get easier :-)
 
McNaughty, we have a very similar situation.

Our mare foaled 3 weeks ago. She has only been with us a few months and she was expecting a surprise foal. From day 1 with us she came in at nights and was a quiet gentle girl to handle. You could do anything with her.

Although we had a stable prepared for her she foaled out in the paddock on a warm sunny evening, straight away I was able to look the foal over do the navel etc no problems. The pony made it clear that she didn't want to come in the night so we left her in the paddock, checking all was well through the night.

The next morning I took her feed into her, the foal was on her far side when the mare lunged at me teeth bared leaving me with a nasty bite. Although I am aware of calf proud cows it never occurred to me that she would be like this.

Luckily the foal is very inquisitive and comes for a good scratch and a fuss and has had a bit of a brush while Mum has her tea. I have been playing with the foal with the foal slip, just popping it on her head and over her ears, so far so good. I really would rather not leave it on her though. They use a barn for shelter and the mare is still very ears back if you take any liberties but I am confident it will come right eventually.

Its so far from how I had imagined proceeding having planned to get this all sorted from day 1. I know the foal needs worming at 4 weeks but I would rather that was delayed than upset her.

Like you we have had horses and youngsers for over 30 years but this scenario was a complete surprise. I am sure we will both get there though, lol.
 
For the first week my foal was like this around people and would prefer to hide behind mum. Gin would also tend to stand between people and the foal although she was never nasty.

I spent loads of time sitting in the stable and letting her approach me for a scratch. She soon came round and now I cant get away from her! She will follow me round the field and is so brave. If we are in the yard and there are people about she will happily go over on her own and say hello. She was also quite head shy to begin with and didnt like me touching her face. Now I can do anything with her.

I would just spend time in the stable with them both and build up her confidence. If it were me I wouldnt force her to do anything as like you say, you dont want her to have a fear of people.

Good luck, im sure it will all fall into place.
 
Hi,

With regards to the foal slip, yes I would leave a short 'catch me' strap on for a bit, I always do if I have a shy foal. I rarely have help either. Putting mare and foal in a smaller stall sometimes helps with the 'run around Mom' tag game too.

I am afraid that I differ a bit to many people on here in my methods. I get the same result, no more forcefully, just a bit more quickly. Naturally you have to play it by ear and stay untrampled etc at all times and knowing your mare is paramount, but I don't wait for a shy foal to come to me, because sometimes (and I've tried it) they don't, why should they?

I'll catch that foal up frequently and handle it all over, sure, it will fight to begin with, but they aren't stupid, they figure things out. It may take a while but in the end, every single one of mine, heave a huge sigh, relax and are dopes on ropes from thereon in, anything to get rid of me. The moment I get a good reaction, I leave, but I come back again in an hour or so.

Some of my colts go through a "No, not having a halter on" stage, I'll put a second halter on and off as many times as it takes for the colt to drop his head, shove his nose in and say "There, I've done it, now BOG OFF" so I do;)
 
I tend to agree with enfys on this one, I am also on my own most of the day and the young foals come in at night so they are purposely handled. The dash round mum is quite normal for a few days then they realise actually its not that bad!!!! I dont leave head collars on in the stable but after a couple or three days you find the foal starts to realise its ok, they can however decide dashing round mum is a great game and sometimes revert back to it for a few days further on!!!!! And thats not because they are scared just coz they think its funny!!!!!

I do also spend time in the stable just scratching them and time wasting!!!!!! Within a few days they start to come up to you over the door as well!!!!
 
I am in similar situation with an unplanned foal and little experience plus foaloing was in field, very protective first time mother, so no imprinting. I did pay someone to come in and help, which got me started and foal is now handling well. Do agree with the advice that they are too inquisitive to ignore you in the stable. One tip which was very helpful (to me and to avoid the circling round the stable routine), was to use the mare to box the foal into the corner ie back the mare right up against wall so foal can't escape behind and start touching the foals back, hq, legs and then stretch up to shoulder/withers then head. Once they stop flinching at being touched, can eventually get hold of foal without using the mare.
 
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