Successful Foal Raising
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From Foaling to Starting Under Saddle
Taking advantage of their smaller size in the first few months to establish your leadership can make later training easier on you both.
Like human babies, foals learn and grow at a fast rate their first year. As yearlings, they start becoming more independent and unpredictable. Two year olds are often close to their full height, but have a lot of filling out to do, and by the time they are three most are just about finished with their growing.
During these growing periods their attention spans are also getting longer, so as you build upon previous lessons, you can begin to make the time longer and more often. A wonderful benefit from these short sessions is the bonding that is occurring between horse and human.
Done correctly, by the time you are ready to start training the young horse to work under saddle, it will just be the next step in their training and not difficult or stressful for either of you.
Here is a breakdown of how we raise our foals from birth to 3 years old.
Contents at a Glance
The Newborn Foal
Foal Training Begins at Birth
The newborn foal starts learning as soon as he takes his first breath. He learns how the new world smells, and most importantly the smell of his dam.The sense of smell is how mares and foals know each other and you will see them taking in each other's scent the first time they touch noses. In fact, after the mare has imprinted her foal's scent, she will reject him if he gets the scent of another horse on him or he is covered with something that masks or changes his scent. His keen sense of smell will also lead him to his dam's udder long before his vision has focused.
The handler should take advantage of this and make the foal familiar and comfortable with her scent quickly and often and imprinting him for future training.
Breeding and Training Warmblood Horses
My blog about my horses and farm - Lost World Farms, LLC
Mare and Foal Bonding
Work with the mare to bond with your foal
Frequently the newborn foal announces himself to the rest of the barn with a high pitched whinny that will be answered by everyone within earshot and a low nicker from his dam. I have noticed that the foals born to mares that I had talked to frequently while they were in foal would whinny to me when they heard my voice. The newborn foal is quickly learning sounds and smells that it will associate with food and comfort.The bonding between the mare and her foal is very important and I do not like to interfere any more than necessary for the first couple of days. If possible they will have a private paddock during that time the foal will come in contact with no other horses and very few humans until it has become comfortable with nursing, getting up and down, and is more sure on its legs.
Getting the foal used to being touched and handled can be done a couple of times a day for a few minutes. It is best to get down to the foal's level and let him come to you.
I find that when I am in the stall that if I approach the mare 1st and pet or groom her, the foal will be curious and approach me on its own. It also puts the mare at ease and she is less likely to be aggressive when you handle or touch her foal.
They are usually very curious, and if the dam is not overly protective, will come over and check you out. Slow movements and soothing words will usually earn you a few strokes on the neck or back.
Be ready for a sudden leap or kick - anything can set them off. I try to start stroking their neck and head putting my arm around their neck for a few seconds as this prepares them for the haltering lesson that must come next.
Foal Raising Books
Exercise is Important
The mare will recover quicker and the foal will get stronger.
If the weather is good, you will want to start turning the mare and foal outside immediately. Exercise is very important for a growing foal and the mare will benefit from moving around, but if she is chasing around after a running foal for too long soon after foaling, she can get overheated. So keep a close watch on them for the first few days.
As previously mentioned, If possible a small private paddock for a few days is easier on the mare and the handler. Since most of our foals have been born in the early spring, the mornings are frequently cold, so we wait until the temps have gone up a little later in the day before turning out a new foal. Usually as the foal is able to tolerate the cool mornings and stay outside longer, the mare is also gaining her strength and will be better able to keep up with her active foal.
Many breeders don't put a halter on the newborn foal to take them outside, they wrap one arm around the foal's chest and the other around the rump and hold the dock of the tail and guide them where they want them to go. Another person handles the mare. I prefer this method because it is dangerous for the foal to be struggling against a halter at this early age - their neck and poll are fragile and they can get very frantic and hurt themselves. Keeping everything positive and calm from the beginning is very important
Halter Training and Leading
Keep the lesson short and positive.
Halter training can begin in the stall. A couple of days after the foal is born, I start putting the halter on the foal once or twice a day, petting and praising them for a few minutes, and then remove it.Gradually, I will leave it on a little longer, but not unless someone is there to keep an eye on them. Foals are very good at getting their feet caught in the halter, so it is important that it fits well. Be sure that there is not too much space between the halter and their nose or head. Foals like to scratch behind their ears with their hind leg (like a dog) and it is very easy for a foot to get snagged.
Sometimes, they will decide that they don't want to be caught or that they don't want that thing over their nose. I let them smell the halter and rub it on their neck and back and try to get them comfortable with the noises it makes.
Once you are ready to put it over their nose you must be quick and fearless, get your arm around their neck and don't let go until you have the halter on. It is important that they don't learn that they can get away from this - every attempt is a lesson - good or bad. Remain calm and don't give them any reason to be afraid of the halter or you.
After a few successful halterings they are not afraid of what is happening to them and typically enjoy the attention - I have had several foals come over to me as soon as I open the stall door to get their halter on and receive lots of praise and scratching. They soon learn that it also means that they are going outside.
Once they are comfortable with the halter, it is time to start teaching them to lead. You have already begun the process if you are guiding them outside like I described above. They can feel the pressure of the arm around their rump pushing into the direction you want them to go. When you add the lead rope, you just wrap it around their rump and back to the head and use it to give a little push from behind while giving a little tug on the halter to tell them to go forward.
It is very important to remain at the foal's shoulder while teaching them to lead because if you are too far back you could get kicked, and if you are in front of them they frequently strike or rear. They are easier to control at the shoulder - if necessary your hand closest to their body can hold them at the withers to stop any rearing, and the other hand can hold both ends of the rope under their chin and guide them.
You can start this in the stall also if you have a very spirited foal, but it usually works better while you are leading the mare somewhere for the extra incentive of keeping close to Mom.
Picking up the Feet
Your farrier will thank you.
By the time your foal is about two weeks old you need to start teaching him to let you pick up his feet.
During the halter training in the stall, if you have someone to hold the foal, you can start this lesson. It frequently also helps to place the foal against a wall because it is harder for them to move away and if they start to fall the wall helps to hold them up.
You only need to pick up the foot for a couple of seconds and put them back down. Try to put the foot down yourself and not let him jerk it out of your hand. Then give him lots of praise and scratches.
Always remain close to his side and don't try to lift the leg up too high. If your foal does not want you to touch his legs, you will have to begin with just getting him over that issue. They are usually more comfortable with the front legs being touched and picked up and not too happy about having their back legs handled. Sometimes you have to start with just touching the legs and asking for only a tiny bit more each time.
Be patient. Make it as pleasant experience as possible. Feet are extremely important for a horse and it is important that they are comfortable with having their feet handled.
The more you touch him the easier he will be to handle and will learn to trust you. Positive experiences will result in more positive experiences and the beginning of a trusting attitude in your foal.
“"Many a happy colt makes a fine horse" - Proverb, Uknown Origin”
Foals by My Stallion, Patrick
Warmblood Foals
Here are pictures of foals by my Dutch Warmblood Stallion, Patrick. All of them will eventually be grey.
Feeding and Caring For Your Nursing Foal
Foal Training Continues With Help From the Mare
For the first month or two your foal will be curious about the hay, grass, and grain his dam is eating. Sometimes he will get some in his mouth, but doesn't really know what to do with it. His teeth are still coming in so he can't really chew it properly and it typically gets spit out. His digestive system is not ready to handle anything but the mare's milk at this stage.
There are some foal feeds on the market that also contain milk and are designed for an immature digestive system and can be fed in a creep feeder. Unless a foal is not growing and filling out properly, I usually avoid them as too much can cause growth problems. Most foals do just fine with mom's milk - the way nature intended.
Around 2 - 3 months you will begin to notice your foal's head in his dam's feed tub more and more (if she allows it) and you can see that he is actually eating a little hay and grass. This would be the time to start slowly introducing some grain. As long as he is nursing well it is not really necessary to use the foal starters that contain milk. Growth formula grains that are intended for foals are adequate.
It is very important to monitor each foal individually - be careful about feeding too much grain to a rapidly growing foal or you could cause some serious growth problems. Consult with your vet to insure that your foal is getting good nutrition and is growing correctly.
The farrier should be trimming regularly also. Unless there was an obvious problem that needed to be addressed at birth, your foal needs to start having his feet trimmed between 6 and 8 weeks. Incorrect growth in the feet can be easily corrected at this age and will have a tremendous effect in the growth of your foals legs. If you have been working with him and picking up his feet often the farrier will be able to do a better job and won't mind comming back. A farrier that is patient and knows about foal feet and growth is priceless.
At six weeks your foal should be given a wormer. I usually start with Panacur as that is safe for foals and mares, be sure to check the package if you are giving something else as some are not recommended for foals.
While he is still with his dam it is a good idea to teach him to load on a trailer if you have one available. At this stage they will usually just follow their dam on and it is not a stressful, scarey experience.
I also usually bathe the mare a foal together at least once and introduce him to the clippers. The more you can expose him to while he is with his dam the better. As long as she is good for everything she will assure him that all is well and these are just the things we do. So if your mare is not OK with anything it would be a good idea to try to work with her before the foal is born so that she doesn't teach him any bad tricks or evasions.
So now your foal can be haltered, leads well, picks up his feet, is starting to eat some solid food, loads on a trailer, tolerates a bath and some clipping, and is friendly, curious, and very, very cute! He is growing fast and will start wandering farther and farther from his dam and visit with other horses and foals that are in his paddock or over the fence. Soon it will be time for weaning!
Weaning the Foal
Limit the Stress of Foal Weaning
The average age for weaning a foal is around 4 - 5 months. Some breeders will wean as early as 3 months, but this is usually done because the foal is growing unusually fast and there is a concern about growth problems; or the mare is loosing too much weight and is in foal again.If the foal is eating solid food well and you have been able to get all the basic training completed, the next consideration is about the mare and foal's mental readiness.
You will begin noticing that the mare will frequently refuse to stand very long to let the foal nurse, and sometimes just walk away while the angry and upset foal runs and bucks after her. She is preparing him for weaning and he will become less and less concerned about this situation as he gets older.
The mare also starts being less tolerant of her foal's biting, rearing, and kicking, and even start retaliating. You can tell that she is less protective, allowing him to roam further and further, and also allowing him to interact with other horses in the field or over the fence. She may even start putting her ears back at him occasionally, biting him, and raising her hind leg to prevent him from nursing. These are all signs that she is getting ready for him to leave her side. I have seen some mares that will even start running the foal off and being seriously mean when she has had enough.
Prior to the big day we have started doing short separations like leaving the foal in the stall while the mare has her feet trimmed, is groomed, gets a bath, or in the case of a mare that is used for riding, is starting back under saddle.
Because we bring our mares and foals into a stall every night, the method that works best for us is to take the mares out to their field and leave the foals inside for a day or two. They are comfortable with their stall and have spent some time in it without their dam so initially there isn't usually a big reaction - they think she is coming back. Some will call out and run around the stall a little, especially if they can hear their dam calling to them.
The mares usually run the fence and call out for 30 minutes or so, but they are more interested in the grass and soon give it up and will return to the gate and call out less and less frequently. It is important to watch them closely for the next week to be sure that their milk dries up and that there is no heat or pain in their udder. Most of the time you will notice that they are lame on one of their hind legs if there is a problem.
When the foal has become calm in his stall and is eating and drinking well (usually 2 days) I will put them outside in a paddock as far away from the mares as possible. Frequently their leading lessons backslide as there is no mare to follow. The lead rope around the rump is still useful, but sometimes you are holding them back, not trying to get them to go forward.
An older horse that they have gotten to know over the fence (or even in the paddock) prior to weaning can be very helpful and if you have more than one foal, they will frequently be calmer with a buddy.
Don't try to lead two at a time! Use a second or even third person. The goal is to have them going in and out quietly on their own.
This gradual process of leading up to a permanent separation while paying attention to the behavior of the mare and foal have proven to be a very successful and non-stressful method of weaning our foals. If you have any problems or concerns, feel free to contact me. Good Luck!
The Yearling - What Happened to My Beautiful Foal?
Yearling Training Is Minimal
When the foal becomes a yearling we put them outside and just let them grow up. This is a gangly time and you might begin to have doubts about that beautiful foal you thought you had.
Don't worry! Their growth will be very uneven causing them to become out of balance and those beautiful gaits may even disappear for a while. Their head my look too big for their body or they will have a skinny little neck and no chest. This is all normal. They all grow differently and now is not a good time to evaluate what kind of horse he will become - it can change monthly!
Yearling training is just reinforcement of lessons you have already worked on. They must stand to be haltered, lead calmly, pick up their feed for the farrier, get on a trailer, and allow you to bathe and clip them. Usually these lessons aren't planned weekly or even monthly - they just happen when the farrier or vet comes. We usually only bathe and clip once or twice during this year and if they don't need to go anywhere in the trailer we will try to at least load and unload them a few times.
This is the age when they seem to develop a mind of their own and will try to test some boundaries. They are much bigger and stronger, so it is important to keep your leadership role.
Yearlings don't need to learn anything new - just refresh what they already know and be sure it is firmly established. All lessons should be short, no more that 15 minutes, and focus only on one or two things. Give lots and lots of praise.
Next year the growing slows down and they are ready for some new lessons.
Some Items For or About Yearlings
The 2 Year Old Horse
Reinforce Earlier Training
I wrote in my blog A 2 Year Old Horse - Ready to Work? about most of the things you should be doing with your 2 year old as far as training.This year there will be additional growth in height, but they still have that "baby" look. Everything does not grow at the same rate, so the butt will be higher than the withers, the neck will look thin, the shoulders will be narrow, and the head may or may not look like it fits on their body!
Frequently, their gaits will look sloppy and out of balance and you may notice that the larger 2 year olds are hitting their own legs when they run around and there are lots of lumps and bumps on their shins. We have actually had to turn out one young gelding with boots during the day and bring him into a stall at night to prevent further harm to his legs while he was outside! Once his shoulders started to widen and his front legs were further apart this was no longer necessary.
Pay close attention to their growth and be sure that they are not getting too thin or too fat. They should be getting good nutrition from a low starch, low sugar grain at least twice a day and plenty of grass and/or hay. Keep them on an continuous wormer and/or frequent paste wormer program.
If you are planning on showing them in hand, you will probably be required to use a bridle instead of a halter. If so, be sure to have their teeth checked before you put a bit in their mouth. Young horses teeth need to be looked at more often than older horses because they are continuously loosing caps and growing new teeth that could be a source of pain. The last thing you want is for your 2 years old to associate a bit with pain!
This will probably be your horse's last year of experiencing the total freedom of a young horse. Even the older horses will start expecting them to behave and get with the program! Let him have as much fun this year as possible!
The 3 Year Old
Getting Ready to Start Under Saddle
At three years old, most horses have done most of their growing and are filling out into a mature horse. Warmblood horses frequently continue to grow in height for a few more years, but it is usually not more than another hand or less.Their growth plates have closed and it is safe for them to bear the weight of a rider, although they aren't as balanced so the rides should be short and simple.
Starting a three year old horse under saddle explains the process we use for starting our young horses. This method has produced very sane, safe, and happy young horses ready to start their career in whatever discipline(s) they show talent.
We keep lessons short and slowly make them more frequent so that by the time they are four they can start their show career. Sometimes we will take them to a local show late in the season and just let them experience the show and warm up rings without actually taking them into the show ring.
Just as classical dressage training emphasizes a training method that builds the horse's body as well as their mind, successful foal raising utilizes the same process.
Start small with simple tasks the horse is capable of understanding and performing and build on a firm foundation.
Good Luck!
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I hope you found this lens to be interesting and educational. I realize that there are a lot of methods and opinions out there about raising foals and young horses and do not consider mine to be the only right way. These methods have been successful for me and I am always happy to help out a new breeder or owner of a young horse. I am also always looking at how other successful breeders are raising successful foals using different methods to see if I might want to change something in my program. If you have something you would like to add or ask, please do so or contact me through any of my other lenses or websites.
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Juanita
May 26, 2012 @ 8:30 am | delete
- I bought my 1st mare this past September & this May she foaled. It was quite a surprise for me as I don't have much experience with horses let alone foals. My brothers all have horses & are good horse men. My filly is now a week old & I'm trying to find the best way to work with her. I'm 2 1/2 hours from her during the week & fear what I try to teach her on the weekends; she won't remember when I come back out the next weekend. I wasn't able to imprint upon her after birth, but was with mare & filly for 3 full days in the paddock (minimal petting to filly--I always approached mare 1st very calming & reassuring to mare) When I came the next week I tried to imprint by having mama in a round pen (someone holding her lead rope) & bringing baby within a small distance from mama (also in same round pen) & me holding her & trying to rub/pet her all over. She struggled with me but I just kept trying to reassure her its ok; when she seemed accepted me petting her sides, ears, neck, & back I let her go back next to mama. She seems accepting of me when I come back to the pen, but has now started to put her rearend to me & backs up to me as if she is waiting to haul off & kick me. I'm hoping that now she hasn't learned a bad habbit because of my stupidity on not maybe working more with mama & letting baby come more to me. I'm also afraid the amount of time that I have on weekends with filly won't be enough for lessons that I may have taught her won't last through the week (when I'm at work). I'm hoping I'm not going to ruin my new little filly. Any suggestions or thoughts for making the most of my time with baby would be greatly appreciated.
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LindaW
May 26, 2012 @ 10:32 am | delete
- It sounds like you are doing a lot of things right. Horses remember everything you do with them (good and bad), so don't worry about the time you are spending with her - just be sure it is always positive. Actually if you try to make up for not being there during the week by spending more time with her on the weekends you need to be careful how you do it. Don't try to hold on to her too much - let her come to you and don't keep her away from her mom - in fact use her mom's body to push her up against and aim that hind end towards. Some of the kicking is just reflex (especially when you touch the croup), and some is her little filly attitude trying to assert herself. The most important lesson she needs to learn is that she can trust you so be patient and let her come to you. You really have lots of time :) Feel free to contact me and if you need I can call and talk to you - good luck and congratulations on your new filly!
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Tanya van Meelis
Feb 20, 2012 @ 4:34 am | delete
- I really appreciate the holistic approach that you have taken and cannot agree with it more. It is sensible, practical, kind and appropriate. Tanya http://horsethought.com
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LindaW
Feb 20, 2012 @ 8:51 am | delete
- Thank you Tanya, we have found it to be very successful.
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EcoGecko
Jun 15, 2011 @ 6:13 pm | delete
- Great lens our warmblood is currently at stud and hopefully she will have a foal.
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LindaW
Jun 15, 2011 @ 8:37 pm | delete
- Thank you. Good luck with your mare!
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EcoGecko
Jun 16, 2011 @ 4:55 am | delete
- thanks
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LindaW
Jun 15, 2011 @ 8:38 pm | delete
- Thank you! Good luck with your mare!
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Karen
May 10, 2011 @ 7:41 pm | delete
- My first horse surprised me with a foal 3 days ago and your info. is very helpful for me to know how to handle her correctly. Thank you
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KimGiancaterino Apr 16, 2011 @ 10:45 pm | delete
- Very nice lens ... I especially loved the photos.
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