Handling foals by the tail?

Wagtail

Wagtail

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The owner of the pregnant mare at my yard went on a foal handling course recently and was shown how to handle foals by the tail. To me, this would be a big 'no no', for an animal you are later hoping to ride, surely pulling on the end of its vertebra cannot be good practice? But I am not experienced in foal handling myself and so would be interested in what others think. Is this an accepted way of handling foals? I don't think she was referring to dragging them round by their tails, but more using the tail as an aid to keep hold of them when you also have them around the chest.
 
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I've seen it done Wagtail and believe it's common practice, but like you I would be concerned about it. I bought a two year old once with a broken tail and he was a feisty fellow and I was always suspicious that it was broken in handling. Two vertebrae fused with a kink in them.
 
Thanks for that. I agree that it probably would be useful, but only when done by very experienced handlers and only if alternatives were ineffective. I certainly won't be doing it.
 
Totally agree with SN. Handling foals by holding across chest and tail is a well proven practice that serves to aid in controlling unruly foals. What is worse...hanging onto a baby by the head or holding it firmly by chest and tail? Know which I choose. No one would advocate dragging the foal around by the tail.....it is used as a method of restraint/control in a similar way that you would scruff a young kitten or a puppy.
 
I agree with SN etc. Done correctly, with a firm but steady pressure it is a very easy no fuss means of handling a feisty foal, and is far better if you want to take temperature etc than hanging onto headcollar and being kicked for your troubles.
 
It's a banned practice on my stud! I have BIG foals and if they need 'holding' firm for the farrier, or extra control in leading, then I combine a bum rope with a soft rope (or my arms) around the neck! If a foal is being really feisty, hauling on the tail could easily lead to spinal problems IMHO!
 
Can't say I've ever 'hauled' on a foals tail and I've handled 100's of the little (large) monkeys. Which is why I said it shouldn't be done by an inexperienced person, without supervision. I've found that more often than not, simply holding the tail (not cranking it to one side or the other or over the foals back!!) has subdued a foal, though more often than not you do need to squeeze the dock.
 
Hmmm not sure what to say but with the disclaimer that at mine, the only people handling the foals are myself and another very experienced person. We do routinely hold the tail to one side, on the foals body when restraining for the farrier with a naughty foal. I also use the tail to assist when they get up for the first time, it can help them balance without actually letting them use you as a pillar to support. I thought this was pretty much standard practice.
We routinely use a bum rope for those that do not walk on well but in absence of having a rope to hand, I have had one hand around the front and the other behind on the tail, again against the body, never away from the body, although I usually have more of a grip on bum than the tail persee.
 
Sportznight said:
It's not something needed for everyday handling!! Shouldn't be done by someone inexperienced, without supervision!! However, it is a very useful tool when dealing with extremely feisty foals for the vet/farrier.
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This. Particularly for procedures like ultrasound of the chest/abdomen, it is very difficult to get a good picture when the foal is protesting vehemently against cold alcohol being poured on it! Also, as Laafet says it is useful for assisting foals to stand, especially dummies who require help for the first several days of their life, far better than grabbing them round the tummy and rupturing their bladder!
 
Laafet said:
I thought this was pretty much standard practice.
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It is standard on many studs and vet practices.

It's something we've done many a time with very young foals requiring vet procedures and treatments, occasionally with the farrier, and for helping them balance in the very early stages. NEVER have I seen anyone "hauling" a foal by it's tail :( that sounds like real shoddy horsemanship :o
 
Spring Feather said:
It is standard on many studs and vet practices.

It's something we've done many a time with very young foals requiring vet procedures and treatments, occasionally with the farrier, and for helping them balance in the very early stages. NEVER have I seen anyone "hauling" a foal by it's tail :( that sounds like real shoddy horsemanship :o
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Thanks for that reassurance, would never haul a foal by its tail. But with dummies it is a good help in getting up, scratch their back with one hand to stimulate them to attempt to stand while supporting their backends with the tail.
 
I use the tail handbrake when trimming or handling a lairy foal. Tail up is handbrake on, down is handbrake off. Never 'hauled' by them, I've found there is a lot less chance of handler getting kicked when tail is up.
The ONLY tail I ever had damaged here was on a 6 yr old ridden mare, she was in season and rubbing through the bars in her lodden box, she had poked her tail between the bars so she could get real close to the bars with her lady bits! She had to be put down as she wrecked all the nerves and couldn't pass droppings at all and lost all bladder control.
 
Spring Feather said:
NEVER have I seen anyone "hauling" a foal by it's tail :( that sounds like real shoddy horsemanship :o
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I have - and he WAS 'very experienced'!!:rolleyes: And other staff copied - and did it worse. It was FAR easier to just ban the practice as I can't be everywhere and don't have eyes in the back of my head!

If I have a foal who needs to be kept VERY still - for vet or similar - then I do the keeping still - although I use a bum rope. If you have inexperienced staff - ashappens from time to time - you DON'T want them copying something that can be badly done so easily!
 
JanetGeorge said:
I have - and he WAS 'very experienced'!!:rolleyes: And other staff copied - and did it worse. It was FAR easier to just ban the practice as I can't be everywhere and don't have eyes in the back of my head!
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Really glad you said this. I think this is my main worry, that there are so many non-horsey horse owners in my neck of the woods, mostly farmers who think that "farming" horses is a good money spinner, and when they see a not particularly horsey vet doing this, they think ooh that's a good idea, we can be as rough with a horse as we are with our cattle :(

It's like many a horsey practice - great if it's done properly by skilled people, a potential disaster if copied by all and sundry just cos they've seen it being done by others.
 
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