Handling your foals - how much contact do you have?

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Poppys Nannan

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Hello again

I have a weaned foal who is doing absolutely great, leads well (not perfect but well) has some manners - moves back, over and forward, can pick front feet up for a few seconds.

Any ideas on handling are greatly received, but my question is how much handling will you be doing over the winter.

many thanks x x;)
 
Hi need to pop this thread into Breeding. We have a yearling who was handled regularly through last winter. He is a good boy with brushing, feet, washing legs and respecting your space when in his stable. We treat him like a little horse now so when it is time to back him his manners are established.
 
My weanling arrived yesterday, he is probably at the same stage as yours. I intend to do lots of general handling over the winter, improving his leading, learning to tie up, be handled all over, and so on. In spring I'll start to do more "advanced" things with him like walking over different surfaces, walks in-hand, bitting perhaps ready for the show season. There are some decent books around, Richard Maxwell for example is worth a look, even if only as a memory aid!
 
Sounds like you all do much the same as me...

I handle mine every day but not hugely intensively, so daily i give them a little cuddle and a feed, maybe do some "back" "over" or leading. Then at weekend (one day of weekend only) I bring in, groom, pick out feet, play with rugs, boots etc.

I also lean over from day one (no weight of course), just hang my arm over, cuddle tummy on far side, wrap arms under where girth would go etc.

When they are yearlings I stand them up at the mounting block regularly to teach them to stand, and put tack on gently (synthetic saddles are light and great for this). At 18 months ish I sit on them, and at 2 I sit on them and get lead about the yard for a minute or so ar a time. I also lead (in hand) over poles and planks, over rubber mat, in a school etc...

I also take every opportunity to see traffic I can, so every time farrier is there, liveries coming and going, tractors nearby etc we go and say hello!
 
I handled mine on a daily basis until she was a year old, by then she would lead, move over, beck etc, load and travel alone, brush, fly spray, rug... pretty much everything she needed to know. I then turned her away and whilst she was checked daily by the YO she was only really handled once a week when I went down to the field (huge hilly field with a stream, natural shelter and a group of other horses of varying ages).
She's now a 3yo (4 in may) and has just come back to the yard and is currently out overnight and in during the day with my gelding and the manners have been great, she doesn't seem to have forgotten anything and is pretty much where I left off, i;m also happier that she had that time out with other horses rather than spending her entire life in a stabled routine.
 
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