How often do you handle your foals?

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

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Hi all,

I'm not in an ideal situation with my mare and foalie at the mo - we should have moved yards but have had lots of delays with stable building so at the moment she is living out with just her mum for company (although there are other horses in the fields next door)

Anyway, I used to handle her every other day (by handling I mean lead in , tie up, groom and feed) but now the clocks have gone back and I am really busy I reduced this to once a week. But today I have just realised that I haven't put a headcollar on her for two weeks.

I do see her everyday and give her a quick scratch/say hello but am I undoing any good work by leaving her or will she be ok? By Xmas we will have moved and she will with other youngsters and be coming in at night so will be handled everyday then.

She's coming up 7 months. Is a bit of a madam but leads ok and is great with farrier.

I think she'll be ok but was wondering how much everyone else does with their foals?

Thanks for reading
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I didnt handle blade every day when he was a foal and he was fine, once a week is plenty, I belive they need to have time just being foals and growing without too much interference, when they get older they'll have enough handling! as long as she respects you and doesnt get wild I wouldnt worry about it, have you got any pics??
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Mine is 7 months on 26th of this month and is handled and lead twice a day. I bring her out of the field for a feed morning and evening so she's headcollared, lead out of the field and taken about 50 yards away. While she's munching I give her a quick flick all over with a dandy brush, comb through her mane and tail and pick out her feet. On the (short) walk back to the field we have two stops, a "back"(few steps backwards) and a few moments "stand". She's been tied up briefly while she's munching and I've also done the rope through the ring with me holding the other end thing too.
 
Before my foal went to stud, he was handled every day twice a day... I did a lot of halter work with him because he started to become a bolshy little bugger, so I would now say he is properly halter trained, can have feet picked out and done by the farrier, will tie up (if I did a few more days on this), loads on his own etc etc.

However, now he is at stud he has not had much handling at all as he has been living out. But when I went to see him, I could still lean over him, grab his feet and play about with them and so on. I don't intend on doing much handling this winter, and will do a refresher course with him in the spring.
 
Interesting to hear all this, I've been getting a bit paranoid about the lack of 'proper' handling ours gets.

She lives out with Mum and two geldings is very friendly, and we pick up feet, lean over her, touch her all over etc as we have the time. Not done much leading, although what we have done has gone well, have had one loading session into trailer with no problems (didn't go anywhere) and she's been out of the field once, just to go about 50 yards on tarmac, bit of a disaster as mare is so nappy she wouldn't go in front and foal had to lead!!!!! Then the loop came off her headcollar so she jogged back to the field in front and alone!!!!
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Having read everyone else's posts, will carry on doing stuff as weekends and more next Spring!
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Mine are all handled pretty much from the day they are born. I handled them on and off about 6 or 7 times a day, every day.
 
Thanks Tempi -
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she has her moments though!

She's a WB x TB mix
Dam is Dutch WB - Lucky Boy & Normand decent
Sire is Mackanaky - Danish WB by Mago (1st ex racer TB to go Grand Prix I think) out of a May Sherif mare.

Not a very well known stallion (AES but only graded as licensed) but he complemented my mare perfectly and added a bit more TB back in, which is exactly what I was looking for.
 
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Mine are all handled pretty much from the day they are born. I handled them on and off about 6 or 7 times a day, every day.

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You are very lucky to have the time to do this.
 
mine has been handled everyday from birth t=but she does come in every night as mum wont stay in the field !! she leads on her own with out mum - ties up and has her feet picked out - only about once a week though !!

she will be weaned in December and be left alone apart from being put out and bought in xx

Ive had to pick her feet up as one of her legs points out slightly so need to have her feet rasped straight away to correct this !!
 
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Ours all live out so are happy with a headcollar on, leading , feet being done etc, but apart from daily cuddles dont get a strict routine of handling.

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same here but i dont leave a headcollar on, just goes on when i need to get them in
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