When to teach a foal to tie up?

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lizlew

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What age should i start teaching my foal to tie up? she is nearly 5mths and is leading ok. Want to start taking her and mum out in trailer but not to sure how to travel the foal? is it not a good idea for her to go in a trailer? do i tie her up or let her travel loose?
Any advice would be great!
Thanks
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Hello, I do not know about them being tied up in a lorry or anything, a person at my yard let her foal travel loose, only for 5 mins up the road mind. I had a 1 and a half year old, who hadn't even been taught to tie up, but i know of someone who had a 7 month old colt and could be tied up with no problems. I think like children its just when you and the foal feels ready, i would say 5/6 months should be ok. But im no expert
 
she should be ready to teach to tie now, if she is leading, standing and quite comfortable with the headcoller, then she should be fine to start.
I feel a bit wary about travelling anything loose, personally I would do lots of tying in the yard ect, tie her in the trailer but do not go anywhere until you feel she is totally ok with it first.
hope this helps
Dawn
 
We started teaching ours to tie up a couple of weeks ago (two are 4 months, two are 5 months old). Practice on the yard first - we loop the rope through the string, hold on to the other end, and don't tie it - so that if the foal panics you can get the rope off the string straightaway. Once they've got used to the pressure from the rope, we tie them up properly, but stand with them until they're fine with it.
 
Usually at some time around 5 or 6 months. There's no rush and each foal is an individual. I wouldn't travel them tied at this age however....personal choice.
 
Please be very carefull with foals in trailers,
I have known a couple of them go up and get their legs stuck on the breastbars.
Personally, i no longer travel mares and foals in my trailer, when people ring and ask i put them in touch with people with boxes.
jo
 
We got ours when she was 9 months old and she had never been tied up. We don't tie her up as such. Just loop the lead rope through, give her a hay net and stay with her. She appreciates the hay and hopefully associates being stood and "tied" up with something nice like food. We make sure we only keep it short and sweet, and make it a bit longer each time. So far so good and she has never tried to pull away or anything. When we got ours at 9 months the old owner brought her down and she travelled loose in the trailer and was fine. I havent tried her tied in a trailer or box yet though. That is the next step.
 
We never tie foals up - and to be honest are very rarely tied until they are adults. This has never been a problem. When they are foals and travelling they are loose, and if a youngster ever needs to be travelled anywhere (either to vets or showing etc.) they are tied up as normal in the box or trailer. It really has never been an issue.
 
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