Viewing foals....!

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noodle_

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Ive been after a foal for about 12 months, and finally its the right time (or as right as it will ever be!)

So i have 2 viewings lined up. For foals very different (breed wise) but both to make over 15.3+ (current horse is a 15.1 but rides small imo)...

(both are ready on weaning )

So my question is....other than checking they have 4 legs, a face and some breathing apparatus...lol...wtf do i check and ask?!

Both babies 2 months old....so i cant see them being ridden and lunged (:D:D:D ) like i did with my 4 year old...

isit a case of run hands up and down and check for lumps and bumps?!

Never in my 20 years of being around horses have i had my own foal.... had a youngster (now) and older horses and x-racers but never a proper bubba!

thanks :)
 
Not a proper vetting just a once over to check no sight or heart problems that's what I did with my youngsters not much else can check at that age
 
Check how they are around people? At that age they should be handled quite a bit and used to people touching them etc.
As for checking it over that is up to you, if you don't want to get a vet then don't! ^^
Oh also have a good look at the mum, asses her height, conformation and temperament. I doubt that the stallion will be present in which case ask the registered name and look it up/do some digging. See his height and ask around about his temperament, even contact his owners (if possible) and ask about him!
 
Ask to see any previous offspring Of the dam and sire, I was really lucky Ben had a full sister so I got a real opportunity to have a good idea what I was getting. I didn't have any checks done, but I would reccomend it, never can be too careful. Take a video of it moving so you can go home and have a look in peace and quiet and a bit more remote from the 'cute' factor, you can be a bit more objective that way.
 
thanks :)

just asking for more info over email as the foal is a little treck away (well theres 2 in the running - both utterly different)

ones a friesian and others a tb x ! (i want something with a little more "go" and allrounder potential with a dressage emphasis)!

Im comfortable with the tb's but not so much the friesians...im not sure if its " cause its pretty" is a good enough reason........ :D (im after height, spark and capable)!
 
Also don't forget the 3 day, 3 month, 3 yrs rule, those are the times you get your best overview of what you're getting
 
Queenbee said:
Also don't forget the 3 day, 3 month, 3 yrs rule, those are the times you get your best overview of what you're getting
Click to expand...

foal newbie..... simple terms please?!

I know theres the gawky stage about 2....and my youngster had that at 4 cause bless her she was butt ugly when i got her :eek: :D but i could see through that and her temprament was exactly what i wanted.
 
Do some swatting up on conformation. Lengths will change (legs, back, neck etc) but angles won't change much, so shoulders, set of neck etc.

The foal should be confident and friendly but not pushy and bulshy. See it run about a bit too.

I'd be more intersted in mum: good conformation, nice temperament.

Good luck. They're all utterly gorgeous at that age and SOOOO hard to pick.
 
thanks KB :)

i know!!! i know what i want eventually but thought i wasnt fussy as long as its a filly and has 4 legs!..

I had a choice of 4 at the one im lookign at this week...and 1 somewhere else...the choice of 4 was narrowed down to 2 quickly (2 colts/2fillies) the colt is BEAUTIFUL!! but my mare is a tart and the idea is a friend for her too!, so bad choice having a(would be) gelding....:( but hes a cracker.

That leaves 2 fillies...one is coloured - one bay. i dont want a bay horse, yet im very drawn to her (coloured is lovely but not for me).... bay has a "look at me!" thing going on....
and i said i wasnt fussy................ :D

I think something lighter would be good, especially with some tb blood in there!... current mare is x tb but mostly cob....and very chunky! I definately dont want a full tb though :)
 
Check at 3 days and 3 months, will give you a good indication of what you will get at 3 yrs, the rest of the time they are gangly, ugly and look like a cut and shut! Try and find a friesian x tb, you couldn't get a better sports horse, take a look at my album, ebony was the most talented versatile mare Iever had the privilege of knowing fantastic nature and attitude too. I've seen a few of these for sale this yr
 
If that's what u wanted(on phone,can't quote but u listed in a post above) I would not get a full Friesian. Friesian x tb (as Queenbee said) or Friesian x
something else lighter, yes, but not full Friesian. Have fun!
 
noodle_ said:
thanks :)

just asking for more info over email as the foal is a little treck away (well theres 2 in the running - both utterly different)

ones a friesian and others a tb x ! (i want something with a little more "go" and allrounder potential with a dressage emphasis)!

Im comfortable with the tb's but not so much the friesians...im not sure if its " cause its pretty" is a good enough reason........ :D (im after height, spark and capable)!
Click to expand...

i have a 3/8th freisan foal and not sure I would describe her, or her sire 1/2 friesan or any related that I have seen as having go. Practically the most laid back foal I have seen, the last two were ISH and heaps more go in them. Not to say though that this should rule a freisan out, ( I love her to bits) but it can take a bit of work to get the go established. My ISH took a while once he was started. Just my opinion though, stand ready to be corrected.
 
Good luck with your search, very exciting looking for babies !

Look for temperament, good sloping shoulder and correct angles of hooves.

Did you find grass livery for your other horse ?
 
ohhh glad you have all said about friesian.... its friesian x appy?


Asha - no! :(

However im hanging fire as my life could literally be turned upside down in the next week! (in a good way!!....which has beena few years wait)!....
.,so livery may bee needed in a different area ;)
 
Check out how it is around humans and being handled, look at the mum and she how she is around people as well.
Ask questions and even ask to see photos of the dad if your unable to see him there.
Your foal should be inquisitive, friendly and allow you to touch him!

Ask them what he's eating and then contact a couple of nutritionalists and ask them to advise you on which feed will be best for him so he gets all the vits and mins he need to help him develop.

However i bought a shire x TB yearling (17.2hh dapple grey shire sire & Bright bay 16hh TB dam) as i wanted a heavy hunter type and ended up with a black, fine TB and you woud never know he had any shire in him except for his laid back attitude. I had to sell him when he was 3 as he was too small for me!! so even though you see the parents there is no guarantee of what you will get when they grow up!

I didn't have a vetting but i did get the vet out once home to give him a quick health check & a foal wormer, also discussed gelding him, vaccinations and micro-chipping.

Ask if he's ever been stabled otherwise if you are stabling him then it might be worth investing in stable door bars for the first few weeks!!

Have you got other horses for him to play with? Other youngsters would be great or a horse which won't mind a youngster pulling on tails, rugs, biting and playing! Make sure your field fencing is secure as they will find the smallest gap to squeeze out of/over/under they will!!!

Good luck, a youngster needs firm but fair handling, you will need patience of a saint and a large bank balance but the rewards are amazing.
 
Jeeves, my tb x friesian was not 'laid back' she was a machine when it came to jumping, a peacock when it came to showing, the perfect mix, 'pokey' when you need it, super intelligent, floaty paces, scoped jump, if I wanted another sports horse this would be the perfect.
mix. There is a friesian x appy foal for sale... Black filly funnily enough it's called ebony :) it looks too sweet for words, it's in preloved
 
Noodle... If you've seen anything of what I've been through and what I thought of my mare, you will understand that I came very close to picking up the phone on that one... I could never replace ebony but I got a 'maybe it's fate' moment when I saw this one, I'd like to see a few pictures of it standing and a video of it moving, and of course to know the dam and sire, view them too. I will trundle off to preloved to have another peek.
 
Ah, sure the pics have changed, I think she's sweet, I assume that's her brother in the other pics, I'd like to see a photo of him standing straight, you can't really get a great Confo idea of his back end in those pics, the plus side is the thinness of the appy mane should tame down the thickness of the friesian locks, I prefer to show off the neck and keep a mane short and it was hell pulling ebonys! Yeah though, worth a further look x
 
Don't expect too much of a 2 month old foal. He or she may not have been handled much by the breeder so may not allow you to run your hands all over them. That isn't the fault of the foal and also do be respectful of mum and pay her attention first, after all, it is her baby you are wishing to see. All I want to see at that age is general conformation, how baby moves and if possible, how he or she interacts with breeder.

To be honest, with foals that age, even if they do let you get close enough to touch them up and down their legs, do expect a buck or a play kick and always be prepared to move out of the way quick. It isn't nastiness, it is pure baby exhuberance.
 
Buying a foal is a bit like buying a raffle ticket. You know what prize you want but you don't know if you're going to get it.
If possible have a look at the sire as well as the dam. You may get an idea of what you are going to get but no garauntee. We have put the same welsh cob mare to the same stallion on two consecutive years. The first year we got a colt that went on to make 16 hh. We sold him as a four year old. His full sister born a year later is att eh moment struggling to make 14.1hh. However they both have the exact conformation we are looking for.
Do not expect the foal to be well handled, we do try to handle ours in the field but unless you get them in a box you may not be able to check their limbs. If you are in a box with them remember in the mare's eyes you are a stranger threatening the foal, so be careful and don't let the dam get between you and the door.
Also reemember that all foals look cute and appealing, so keep your eyes open and yopur wits about you.
 
noodle_ said:
ohhh glad you have all said about friesian.... its friesian x appy?


Asha - no! :(

However im hanging fire as my life could literally be turned upside down in the next week! (in a good way!!....which has beena few years wait)!....
.,so livery may bee needed in a different area ;)
Click to expand...

Hope it works out for you x

good luck with the foal shopping
 
Best thing to do is to take a good look at the dam and the sire. The foal will have attributes from both. Decide whats important to you and go from there.
 
I would be looking for movement and confirmation and would be keen to see both parents.

Just one point off question is that if you are moving livery yards I would not commit to a foal until I was sure I could find one where she will have the company of others the same age. Depriving them of that makes for behavioural issues. You sound experienced enough to know this but wanted others reading this to think about facilities before taking on a foal. I see more weanlings put into livery yards now and expected to live like a ridden adult without enough turnout and not ridden and the owner gets surprised when they turn into monsters. Sorry to go off on a tangent.
 
i would get a vet to check it over . i couldnt insure my foal or my yearling until i had them vetted.

simple vetting £100 or there abouts. good luck and mind the pics :)
 
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