Imprinting- what are your opinions?

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MillionDollar

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I had some lectures last year on imprinting and TBH i don't really know enough to have a view either way. BUT i don't think i'd ever try it on a foal, because 1. i wouldn't know what i was doing and 2. there is not enough evidence on the consequences of imprinting.

So what are your opinions/views/experiences on the subject??
 
I seriously dislike it! It is not something I have ANY time for to be honest........just another blooming example of us meddling, stupid, "up ourselves" and interfering humans!! Can you tell how strongly I feel about it
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On the contrary though, over here there have been many studies on imprinting and the results of each and every study was that the foal at 6 months was exactly the same regardless of whether it had been imprinted at birth or not. The same may not be said for the relationship between mother and foal though.
 
I dont like the extremes such as people getting clippers on them as soon as theyre born! BUT I think a low level of imprinting such as touching feet and good handling are good.
TBH, more important, and known to help is good handling in the first couple of months (and consistant). I have worked at a big WB stud, they are led in a headcollar alongside mum from 24 hrs. They all had reasonable leading and stable manners within a week. Makes it much easier in the long run!

There are some at our yard that are horrid as never had consistant handling and are now so bargy!
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Yes but you are talking about normal handling. Imprinting is quite different from the regular handling of a foal.
 
i don't have personal experience, but have been told at first hand of extreme imprinting in russia where the horses develop bonds with their handlers very quickly, are broken young and trained quickly too without any fuss. My friend did say that they are very easy to handle, but somehow not like horses because they don't socialise in the usual way (BTW we are talking about horses that may never actually see a field in their lives)
 
LOL!!
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There's loads of video's on YouTube where people think it is fantastic to imprint their foals and show it to the rest of the world
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. I really dislike watching them and feel that it only encourages too many half-wits into doing the same when they have no blooming idea what they are doing at the best of times.
 
I'm very wary of imprinting. It's a big thing in USA but there have been cases over there where Fell owners have imprinted their foals and then discovered that the dams reject the foals as a result.

A bit of hands on is one thing, but imprinting is IMO taking it too far.
 
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the dams reject the foals as a result.


[/ QUOTE ]

You've hit the nail on the head. This happens all too frequently.

I totally agree with gentle handling of foals but not imprinting.
 
Imprinting is...

"Imprinting is centered around the concept that when a foal is born, it very quickly formulates opinions about the world. In the first few hours and days after birth, foals learn about 80% of what they need to survive as a horse in this world. What we do as the human imprinting the foal is to convince them early on that all the things we will be subjecting them to for the rest of their lives is just "a regular part of life," not things to fear.

Some handlers will stick with the basics and desensitize the foal solely to touch while others will go further and desensitize the foal to paper bags, newspapers, vacuums, clippers and insertion of a finger into the anus."

That was off google BTW not my words.
 
I agree with handling a foal from day one and teaching it to wear a headcollar and rug, be lead, groomed and have its feet picked out from a young age, but think a foal should bond with it's mother first and learn to be a horse
 
I always thought the finger up the butt thing was a little extreme (wouldn't want somebody doing that to MY new baby -- fer pitysakes) although I have friends who raise Dun QHs that swear by the whole kit and kaboodle. They've not had any problems with their mares being non-maternal as far as I know.
 
Haven't read the full thread, but I get down on the floor with all the foals I've bred, (great mare who trusts me!!). They get handled from head to foot before they get up. Now I don't know whether or not this make any difference at all. What I do know is that all my youngstock are confident & easy to handle from day one.
The important thing is not to interfer with the bond between mare & foal. There are lot of lovely horses out there who weren't touched within minutes of being born. How much you do has to depend on how much the mare is happy to let you do. My mare will happily let me stand at her shoulder between her & her foal, & turn & wrap her head & neck around both of us. I always feel so priviledged when she does that - it's like she includes me in her world.
 
i left my filly with her mum for them to bond(well baby tried to bond but with mum doped up the eyeballs and trying to kill her for 3 days it was pretty hard going for all of us!)
the first 3 hours they were left completely alone except when i very quickly flashed a light over them to check all was well.
after that 3 hours and she still had not drank she was helped by us.she was then handled very extensively by us during the first three days as we were there 24/7 in the stable to stop mum from kicking her.
shes grown up to adore people, is VERY easy to handle and just a really sweet person.the field is by a foot path and she actually goes running up the field if she sees anyone because she loves people so much!
 
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