crazycoloured
Well-Known Member
when i tie my foal up to pick out his front feet he falls to the floor,he is ok with the back feet being done..any suggestions?? i did think it could be because he's young and unbalanced..
unbalanced foal?
- Thread starter crazycoloured
- Start date
Faberge
Well-Known Member
Please don't tie up foals! It's so easy for them to injure themselves. If I were you I would just pick them out whenever you have someone around that can hold him. It's not the end of the world if that isn't every day.
crazycoloured
Well-Known Member
for got to add i tie him to a piece of orange string..but yes i could try what you suggested..im only ever at the field on my own and dont have much help..i could pick them out loosely in the field..
Maesfen
Extremely Old Nag!
Agree about not tying a foal up at any time. Just use a longer lead rope and hold the end as you do the feet.
christine48
Well-Known Member
Definitely don't tie a foal up. I'm sure that a lot of horses with neck or poll troubles which arise when broken in, are due to pulling back whilst tied up as young horses.
What he's doing is common, all ours did it as foals. Don't tie up and at first just pick the foot up a little way.
What he's doing is common, all ours did it as foals. Don't tie up and at first just pick the foot up a little way.
lillith
Well-Known Member
We used to spend a lot of time training youngsters to pick up feet at college. It was done loose in a barn or small field, they were all used to human contact but not had feet picked out before. We kept it going the same way until they were well used to it.
Preferably two people, if not then one. Went out to the pony, if two one held, the other picked up. If one went up on our own. Pick up the front hoof, deal with throwing on floor, rearing, kicking, trying to run away. The trick was to hold on whatever happened, the moment they stood still let the hoof go, work on it until the pony got the idea, stand still = get hoof back quicker / struggle = takes longer.
On the other hand I knew a pony who was 5, she was so willing to please it was unreal. Tried her best. Only issue, was falling over when picking up front hooves and turning tight on the lead or under saddle and managing pole without falling over. Very unbalanced. Propping her up against the fence really really helped. Literally, make sure she was loose and put her in a corner (she was relaxed about being confined, I don't know about your pony) chest against one fence and side against the other. She stood a treat with a fence to balance on - to the point of farrier spending 10 mins or more on one hoof. With that she also liked to rest her nose on the back of the person holding her foot up, genuinely seemed to help her balance.
So try propping him up with him loose enough to move for balance when needed OR leave him loose and teach him that mucking about will NOT mean he gets his hoof back sooner. One of the two should help.
Preferably two people, if not then one. Went out to the pony, if two one held, the other picked up. If one went up on our own. Pick up the front hoof, deal with throwing on floor, rearing, kicking, trying to run away. The trick was to hold on whatever happened, the moment they stood still let the hoof go, work on it until the pony got the idea, stand still = get hoof back quicker / struggle = takes longer.
On the other hand I knew a pony who was 5, she was so willing to please it was unreal. Tried her best. Only issue, was falling over when picking up front hooves and turning tight on the lead or under saddle and managing pole without falling over. Very unbalanced. Propping her up against the fence really really helped. Literally, make sure she was loose and put her in a corner (she was relaxed about being confined, I don't know about your pony) chest against one fence and side against the other. She stood a treat with a fence to balance on - to the point of farrier spending 10 mins or more on one hoof. With that she also liked to rest her nose on the back of the person holding her foot up, genuinely seemed to help her balance.
So try propping him up with him loose enough to move for balance when needed OR leave him loose and teach him that mucking about will NOT mean he gets his hoof back sooner. One of the two should help.
stimpy
Well-Known Member
I'm always on my own with my foal and I've taught her to have her feet picked up without tying her up. I started with her loose in the stable, then progressed to doing it with her halter on and me holding on to the end of a long lead rope. We do sometimes go round in circles a bit but we manage 
TBH I'd be terrified of tying her up and baler twine is too risky (my TB once panicked when tied up to baler twine, got his leg caught on his rope, ripped his chestnut off, skinned his face and banged his head on the concrete struggling, knocked me through the fence and his headcollar broke before the baler twine
I will never, ever use twine again. )
TBH I'd be terrified of tying her up and baler twine is too risky (my TB once panicked when tied up to baler twine, got his leg caught on his rope, ripped his chestnut off, skinned his face and banged his head on the concrete struggling, knocked me through the fence and his headcollar broke before the baler twine
I will never, ever use twine again. )callmelucky
Well-Known Member
I tied my foal up from about 5 weeks old. I started with just looping the rope thru twine but not tying and after a wee while tied it loosely. she did have a velcro extension but she never pulled once and i always stood with her. she was also always tied next to mum. shes now year and a half and to this day has never pulled back, i think because her mum tied well she learnt from her. i dont see the harm as long as you are sensible but i do agree twine doesnt always break...esp with a wee toot. I can understand why people dont agree with it but at what age do u teach them? with picking up her feet i wud run my hand down her legs and ask her to pick them up but wouldnt hold them so she literally just lifted up and put back down again. after some time i would hold for a second and then let her put back down and slowly built up the time until she was happy holding up and balanced.
Pinkvboots
Well-Known Member
Its quite normal for some foals to fall if you pick up a leg more common with the front most of a horses weight is at the front and they wont have learnt to balance, I wouldnt tie a foal up either.
EstherYoung
Well-Known Member
Is the the foal that was born in April? (have just had a nosey back through your posts)
Personally I would start introducing tying up by this point (8 months old) for basic grooming, but if there was any risk of the horse falling over or if I were doing something new I'd just stick the rope through the ring and hold it not tie it - you don't want to create an issue/injury where there isn't one. With feet you have to set them up for success in the first instance, as they are growing so fast they don't always have great spatial awareness. Inevitably youngsters tend to stand with their back legs either right underneath them or with both back feet on the same spot, so of course they will fall over if you pick one of the fronts up. Only pick a foot up when the other feet are well spread out. You may need to nudge his backside over a bit to get the back feet spread out. Once baby realises he's not going to fall over he'll be much more confident at standing on three legs and will soon learn to spread his feet out himself. Only do it tied up when you know that he can balance, and always tie to something easily breakable - those bones will be very soft still. (ps orange string isn't easily breakable)
Personally I would start introducing tying up by this point (8 months old) for basic grooming, but if there was any risk of the horse falling over or if I were doing something new I'd just stick the rope through the ring and hold it not tie it - you don't want to create an issue/injury where there isn't one. With feet you have to set them up for success in the first instance, as they are growing so fast they don't always have great spatial awareness. Inevitably youngsters tend to stand with their back legs either right underneath them or with both back feet on the same spot, so of course they will fall over if you pick one of the fronts up. Only pick a foot up when the other feet are well spread out. You may need to nudge his backside over a bit to get the back feet spread out. Once baby realises he's not going to fall over he'll be much more confident at standing on three legs and will soon learn to spread his feet out himself. Only do it tied up when you know that he can balance, and always tie to something easily breakable - those bones will be very soft still. (ps orange string isn't easily breakable)
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