How soon can you start training foals?

Shantara

Shantara

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I don't mean riding training, I mean getting them used to cars, scary bushes, other animals etc...

I'm thinking of getting a foal in the new year and I want to get him used to everything bar tack and riding as soon as possible, but I have no idea if that's a good idea or not.
I was thinking of taking him for "dog walks" around my quiet village and in the fields, perhaps even getting him used to trailers.
I'd also like to get him used to jumps, but not jumping (Until he's a bit older) show him fillers and bright poles etc...

Could this be done with a foal? Of not, how old?
 
Well if he's still with his mum and she's traffic proof, short trips round village to let him get use to the sights and noise and you need 3 people 1 for the mare and 2 for the foal and take the rest slowly.
 
I started with mine as soon as he was weaned. Keep the sessions short as at that age their brain can only disseminate so much, and use lots of verbal praise and not just treats as you may find foalie takes too much of a liking to your hand or arm whenever you put the headcollar on. I got him used to being led correctly and to trot in hand, then progressed onto walking in and out of fillers and through poles on the ground then anything interesting I could put in the arena. Then cars and motorbikes moving around the yard and then finally walking over the tarpaulin in the arena and loading in the trailer by the time he was 12 month.
 
Actually, I think foals need time to just learn to be horses first - all that human stuff can be done later, when they're a bit more grown up at say, a year or 2 year old. It IS more than possible to over-handle and may be why so many horses nowadays are rude.
 
I've brought on a few foals - bought as weanlings and the best thing to do with them is to first teach them to lead well then take them out on educational walks.

I walked mine miles along with a friend and her youngster. They met anything and everything and because we were on the ground it was far easier to deal with scarey objects.

All mine go to shows, they come to Pony Club and a put in a yard there to soak up the atmosphere. When it comes to breaking them they are world wise and far easier to work with in exciting/scarey situations.

I always lead out in a lunge cavesson with a lunge line attached to the centre ring. I also carry a schooling whip to encourage youngster forwards shouold they plant themselves.
 
Thanks guys :D

Although it'll be a long time before I consider getting this foal, since I need to learn to drive and get a job first (Job proving harder than the driving)

There's a few nice places to go for quiet walks and since there's shows at the stable where he'll hopefully be kept, I can get him used to that scene too!

There's just so much I can't do with Ned, that'd I'd like to do with my own horse. Such as riding alone, giving baths, going in the trailer, picking up hooves etc..
Although I'm making great progress with Ned, it can be frustrating when there's no one to ride with.
 
Annielusian said:
Thanks guys :D

Although it'll be a long time before I consider getting this foal, since I need to learn to drive and get a job first (Job proving harder than the driving)

There's a few nice places to go for quiet walks and since there's shows at the stable where he'll hopefully be kept, I can get him used to that scene too!

There's just so much I can't do with Ned, that'd I'd like to do with my own horse. Such as riding alone, giving baths, going in the trailer, picking up hooves etc..
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Will this be your first foal?

There's more to consider than just training... how old is Ned?
 
If you are looking to get a foal in the new year then it will probably be about 8 or 9 months old by that time so yes there is no reason to not show the little one a bit more of the world. All of my foals have seen many new environments before they are weaned as they go to the reproduction clinic with their mothers who are being rebred. They go to large arenas and are used to crowds cheering and clapping. They're very au fait with bathing, trailering and are good to lead anywhere without getting themselves into a tizzy. I do think it is a responsibility of owners of youngstock to do all these things with them when they are little as it helps the youngster so much when the time actually comes a few years down the road and they are being ridden out in different types of environments. Too many people do nothing with their youngsters these days, and I don't know why this seems to be out of fashion nowadays, but I have often wondered if this is part of the reason we see so many grown horses with hang ups. The more you can expose youngsters to, the more used to them they become and I do feel it gives them the very best start at accepting new and different situations. Start off slowly and take things at the foals pace and you should have a fine little horse in a few years time.
 
Cortez said:
Actually, I think foals need time to just learn to be horses first - all that human stuff can be done later, when they're a bit more grown up at say, a year or 2 year old. It IS more than possible to over-handle and may be why so many horses nowadays are rude.
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Couldn't agree more with this.

As long as foal is able to have feet done, wear a headcollar and be led safely then I would prefer them to be left alone, normal stable routine soon gets them used to things too.
Don't forget too that a foal/weanling that age should have company of the same age to play with, that will teach them a lot too.
 
Cortez said:
Actually, I think foals need time to just learn to be horses first - all that human stuff can be done later, when they're a bit more grown up at say, a year or 2 year old. It IS more than possible to over-handle and may be why so many horses nowadays are rude.
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Hopefully they will have been halter broken though. :rolleyes:

I have to disagree here, all of my foals are handled, daily, from birth, and not one of them is rude or ruined. What happens if a foal is just left to be a horse and it injures itself, or needs moving urgently?

I was asked to halter break a 4 month old colt recently - so they can sell it. No-one can get near it, it won't go in a shed, or out of it's home paddock, with, or without, the mare. Massive PITA:mad: That colt hasn't benefited at all from just being left to be a horse.

My babies are not pampered, they live out all year round in a herd, so they can learn to be horses. They are used to stepping over poles as they follow their dams into the field or around the field, they are used to being stalled and picking up feet, they come to call, back up, move over, are used to being tied and washed, stepping up into a trailer, putting their heads into a halter, having blankets on, food is delivered via quad or tractor, I purposely pasture them next to the road where they can see traffic and combines 30' away, as a matter of course they are haltered almost every day to be checked over etc, etc. It hasn't ruined any of them. What is 10-15 minutes out of 24 hours? Nothing. Of course, I do appreciate that I do have more time than many people, the horses are on my doorstep, and there are only 3 or 4 foals a year to deal with.
 
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We spend 10-15 mins aday with our babies. Just getting them used to everyday things, coming into yard being tied up, grooming, picking feet out, rugs etc. I would rather do this than try to battle with an untouched strapping 2yr old.
 
Tally-ho!: Yup, it'll be my first foal :) I'll have plenty of help from a very experienced horse-woman, who's brought up plenty of foals ^^ I'd just like to do my training a little different from her, so all but the training I can easily learn from her.
Ned's about 10-12, we've never been 100% sure. I'm sure he would do those things, I just don't have the time right this second, hence why I'm waiting untill the new year to consider a foal.

It wouldn't have anyone exactly it's own age, but a few who are young enough to still play and have fun with (A yearling and 2 2yr olds) but who know, the YO is awful for buying foals :P she may well buy one too!!

I'll definitively want it to pick it's hooves up and be lead. Ned is very dangerous now when you try and I don't want more of that!
 
It's true, worth doing as much as poss as young as poss...

Just want to point out that there are many ponies out there that come straight off the moors having never seen humans for years before being rounded up and sold at the sales.... who then go on to become dear little children's ponies so handling from birth isn't the be all and end all but certainly makes it easier.
 
Cortez said:
Actually, I think foals need time to just learn to be horses first - all that human stuff can be done later, when they're a bit more grown up at say, a year or 2 year old. It IS more than possible to over-handle and may be why so many horses nowadays are rude.
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They can spend 23hrs of everyday learning to be a horse - 1hr a day of being handled, groomed, led, loaded, have feet picked up.

Mine are handled from birth - they get their first trim at 4 weeks, go to shows, led out. Have done this for decades and all are well mannered and well adjusted horses.

Leaving them until they are 2 can be a problem as they are bigger and stronger.
 
Is there something wrong with Ned? Unsure why you say you are not able to do basic things with him but would be able to with a foal?? (Sorry if I have misunderstood)
 
I think there's a difference between over-handling them (ie treating them like a glorified badly behaved pet and then suddenly expecting them to understand manners at 4yo when they've been allowed to walk all over humans up to that point) and doing basic handling work with them to make them polite members of equine society that take everything in their stride. Rather the latter than leae them completely feral.
 
Evelyn said:
They can spend 23hrs of everyday learning to be a horse - 1hr a day of being handled, groomed, led, loaded, have feet picked up.

Mine are handled from birth - they get their first trim at 4 weeks, go to shows, led out. Have done this for decades and all are well mannered and well adjusted horses.

Leaving them until they are 2 can be a problem as they are bigger and stronger.
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Yup, I really like this approach as it allows one to build a solid foundation of trust and good manners at an early age - one which will last a lifetime.

All I would say is that 1 hour every day is quite a lot of handling, imo - I personally wouldn't do any more than that, and think one could get pretty much the same benefit from 30 mins or even less. I think the key is repetition, the benefits of which diminish if you're only handling a foal once a week (for example) as opposed to most days.
 
Totally depends on the foal. My 3 month old one is horrendous - overbold, bites etc and is starting to become very dangerous. I wouldn't dream of handling her but will turn her out to 'be a horse and hopefully learn a bit of healthy fear/distance of humans over the next couple of years. Interestingly enough my 2 year old was born scared of everthing, nightmare to halter break etc etc but just seemed to get better and I brought her in this summer, tied her up (first time) did her feet with absolutely no hassle.

If you just have one and lots of time then I think its probably OK but you really have to be firm or you could create a bargey monster. Good luck though, mega exciting.
 
I also think there is a difference between over handling foals and not handling them enough. Being able to halter, lead, pick out feet, touch all over are things I would want sorting as soon as was reasonably possible. Then I think "being near to" is an excellent and unintense way of getting them used to a lot of things; well behaved horses who are being clipped, being near the roads to hear and see traffic, being left quietly in a stable while the yard is busy, being turned out in the field next to the school to be able to see horses being ridden etc.

I don't think there's anything wrong with walking past, and then over coloured poles, tarpaulin, road signs, etc etc as if they weren't a big deal. I think you can do a lot of varied and useful things to help your youngster, as long as you keep the sessions short, and be aware that there is a difference between a youngster testing the boundaries, and one who is tired and cranky because their attention span ended 1/2 an hour ago ;)
 
Enfys said:
Hopefully they will have been halter broken though. :rolleyes:

I have to disagree here, all of my foals are handled, daily, from birth, and not one of them is rude or ruined. What happens if a foal is just left to be a horse and it injures itself, or needs moving urgently?

I was asked to halter break a 4 month old colt recently - so they can sell it. No-one can get near it, it won't go in a shed, or out of it's home paddock, with, or without, the mare. Massive PITA:mad: That colt hasn't benefited at all from just being left to be a horse.

My babies are not pampered, they live out all year round in a herd, so they can learn to be horses. They are used to stepping over poles as they follow their dams into the field or around the field, they are used to being stalled and picking up feet, they come to call, back up, move over, are used to being tied and washed, stepping up into a trailer, putting their heads into a halter, having blankets on, food is delivered via quad or tractor, I purposely pasture them next to the road where they can see traffic and combines 30' away, as a matter of course they are haltered almost every day to be checked over etc, etc. It hasn't ruined any of them. What is 10-15 minutes out of 24 hours? Nothing. Of course, I do appreciate that I do have more time than many people, the horses are on my doorstep, and there are only 3 or 4 foals a year to deal with.
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This ^^ My little lad is 9 months old and I do everything with him 4/5 times a week. Now he ties up, has his feet picked out & washed, groomed leads and today I put a surcingle round him, not tight but there. You know what - he didn't bat an eyelid. We walked around a bit and I took it off. No biggie.

Both the vet who vetting him and the farrier have both commented on what a well mannered little chap he is. There is always something you can do with them and I don't understand why people just leave them to 'be horses' and are then surprised when they can't get them in a trailer/pick their feet up etc.
 
Herts05 said:
Is there something wrong with Ned? Unsure why you say you are not able to do basic things with him but would be able to with a foal?? (Sorry if I have misunderstood)
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Ned's had a very very hard life. So far, I've managed to get him in the school and around a tiny course of XC jumps alone. I did start to get him in a trailer, but I was set back to square one and I've not had the chance to start again yet.
At the moment I only temp and I can't drive, so there's no way of getting to the stables every day and I can't afford it. I'm only going to start looking when I can drive and have a proper job. If I could buy Ned, I would! But alas, he's not for sale.
Also, Ned is essentially a riding school horse. He gets ridden 1 or 2 times a day and although I get 1st dibs 99% of the time, it does mean working around other lessons sometimes.
If I bought a foal, it'd be all mine and I'd be able to start from scratch AND be able to keep riding Ned until and even after the foal is broken.

Thanks for the tips guys :) All I really want is a horse who trusts me ^^ I've had completed a life long dream to train my own horse if I can do this :D
 
Update!

I spoke to the YO and she said I can't get one this year (Wasn't planning to anyway) but she's more than happy to let me keep one there next year, when the farm gets a facelift! YAY!!
 
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