Teaching a foal to lead, any advice?

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buzzles

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I'm trying to teach my colt who is nearly 5 months old to lead, I know I've left it a bit late and I would have preferred to do it sooner but it's proving a bit difficult as it's an awkward situation. It was fine when he was a few weeks old and he was in and out of the field everyday. He just followed mum and was starting to get the idea and I could even lead him in front but the mare has been on box rest since he was 6 weeks old. She's in a fenced off field shelter and he can go in and out to the field under a rail. He's well handled, wears a headcollar, loves being groomed and is starting to pick up his feet. However I'm not sure how to teach him to lead, obviously I can't take mum out for him to follow. He's ok in the pen but there's not much room and if I take him into the field or arena where he can see mum he's fine until he gets distracted or fed up or she calls to him and then he just tries to run back into her.

I was hoping the mare would be able to start going out again but another xray has shown she needs another 6 weeks rest
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. I'm tempted to leave him until then but he'll be 6 months then and much bigger and stronger. I've no plans to wean him just yet as there's no rush now because the mare won't be coming back into work
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and also I want to keep her as quiet and stress free as possible.

Any advice or ideas much appreciated
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If it was mine, he's had the original handling and is still being handled regularly, then I would leave it until she has finished with box rest to be on the safe side; it's not exactly that he is an unhandled wild thing is it? After all, I don't expect it will be long before you wean them anyway; in your place, I'd probably leave them at least a month from when she comes off box rest to give them some proper 'together time'. Then, once weaned you'll be able to crack on with the leading much better without worrying that the mare is getting stressed. Until then, I'd carry on as you are in his box, getting him used to your voice and being used to walking on when told, even if it's only on a small circle. Sometimes it helps to have a hand on their backside at the same time (as long as he's not too long for that!) to give a push, they soon learn. The only thing you must avoid is losing him when you're practising as they can soon learn it's fun to break away and it becomes a bad habit. The watchwords are hang on - whatever they try - so don't forget your gloves!
 
I'm with MFH on this one. I probably wouldn't bother too much with leading him far from mum and stressing them both out at the moment, maybe just stay within their 'comfort zone'.
Instead, try to do some other handling with him - foot lifting, putting rugs on and off, making sure you can touch every part of him, getting him used to plastic bags or whatever.
Hope the mare makes a good recovery.
S
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Leave leading until he's weaned and he's well away from his mum. Try just a few steps to start with (saying "walk-on" at the same time) and don't pull on the rope, get him to walk with you - the rope is academic. Stop occasionally accompanied by some appropriate word (I just say "whoa") and then "walk on" again. You'll be amazed how quickly they pick it up.
 
Bless you for trying to make the best of a bad situation, but like everyone else, I'm going to echo the good sense of MFH_09
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ETS - sorry to hear about the prolonged restriction on the mares exercise - may I ask what she did?
 
Thanks for all the advice, my first instinct was to actually leave him until mums better but we took him into the vet hospital last week for her to be xrayed and his lack of leading really showed as he was all over the place and was determined to go off exploring despite me on the lead rope and mum calling him back, it took a few vets to shove him in the right direction
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. He wasn't being bold mind, just, 'I wonder whats over here? lets go and talk to that horse!'
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.He was also a bit difficult to load as I had to park the trailer at the end of a passageway, put mum in and then he didn't want to follow her in, it was much more excitng to talk to all the other horses and explore, I eventually had to entice him in with food. She'll have to go in for another xray in about 5 weeks so I thought even if I had a bit done with him it might make it easier. He's not difficult or bolshy, just very curious and has a really sweet, easy going temperment.

Sportznight, the mare fractured 2 of the small bones in her hock, she had a freak accident where she kicked out and put her leg through a gate, slipped in the mud, panicked and wrenched her leg. Thankfully it is healing, it's just taking time although she will never be able to compete again which is shame as she was a fantastic litttle performance mare so she'll have to be retired to as a broodmare
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Calzy sorry to hear about your mare, what an awful situation to be in, lets hope she gets sorted soon

I'd agree with the above, if you havent done it now, then leaving it a little longer wont cause any problems. Once you do get going, like forester said above, its about walking with you and not about the rope. Personally there is nothing I hate more than a horse that wont walk out properly with you, so aim for what you want to have later in life - well mannered etc and keep thinking of that even when they are trying to charge off with you on the end of the rope!! It does work, just takes lots of practice!!
 
Thanks machannah, he's actually very well mannered already, he knows not to bite or be bolshy and he follows me around the field when I'm poo picking etc. The rope at this stage is there for his amusement and something for him to chew on and wave about!!
 
I ended up giving my chap a towel to chew on rather than lead ropes which he could demolish in 10mins flat! I tied it to the door and it kept him quiet for at least 20 mins whilst I pampered his mum for a bit!

Sounds like teaching him to lead should be pretty straight forward if you have done most of the ground work and he's learned some boundaries already
 
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