What to do with my 6 month old filly

[dps]

Remy is my first foal so I'm playing it one day at a time. I have been taking her for short walks around the farm, some days are better than others. I groom her each night in her stall and have been working on picking out her feet. Is there anything else I could be doing with her? I plan to start loading her on the trailer and maybe take her for a ride once I fell she is really halter broke. We are almost there.

What exercises or play time do you do with your foals. I only have two horses her and my older horse. She is laid back enough that I can ride my other horse off the property, out of site and she will just continue to eat hay and not get panicky. I plan to pony her in the spring just to get her off the property. I would like to take her to some breed shows next year as a yearling. Unfortuntely I'm always doing this by myself so I have to be extra careful.

[MissBri]

When picking out her feet tap the pick handle on her hoof mimicking a farrier. Hold the hooves up for longer periods if possible.
Introduce her to all kinds of things - drape things off her, noise, etc.
Stand her up, teach her to move off pressure, teach her to lower her head when asked, stretchy carrot stretches, set up little obstacle courses to walk her through and over. Lead her out to get the mail and stand there as traffic goes by.

[JB]

have been working on picking out her feet.

Forgive me for making some assumptions about this, but have you had her feet trimmed? "working" on picking out her feet makes me think she's still learning to pick them up and have them handled.

As for what to do, this site should give you some good ideas :)
http://www.jcandalusians.com/JC/mainpages/why.html

As always, take things slowly, never force, always reward for desired behavior, etc :)

[dps]

That is some good ideas, I normally take her out on the driveway for walks and we go into the ring to walk over ground poles and plastic tarp. She is really good about me putting stuff on her and dragging it across her back and rump.
Her feet have been trimmed but she still likes to pull her feet away she is not mean just pulls them away than picks them back up again.
How much trotting in hand should I be doing, when I do it now she likes to try and take off and leap etc. I can get her back but don't want her getting the wrong idea when we work the trot.
Keep the ideas coming

[SmartAlex]

My weanling is 8 months old. You can check his Blog (http://asensationalnightout.blogspot.com/) to see what sort of activities we do. Mostly he is just turned out. I only do "enriching activities ;)" once or twice a week for 10 or 20 minutes. They have a short attention span and they are just babies.

[JB]

That is some good ideas, I normally take her out on the driveway for walks and we go into the ring to walk over ground poles and plastic tarp. She is really good about me putting stuff on her and dragging it across her back and rump.
Great! Now do some of those things backwards and sideways :) Walking over a pole backwards is a lot harder for them to grasp than it sounds :)

Then you can work to backing through a pattern of cones - short setup, not a lot of work, just getting the concept.

Also, teaching her to yield her hiney, and her shoulders, separately at first, then at the same time for sideways movement, is something very, very useful :)

You can buy a relatively cheap exercise ball (which will be plenty big for her small size) and play with that.

Her feet have been trimmed but she still likes to pull her feet away she is not mean just pulls them away than picks them back up again.
Gotcha, good :)

How much trotting in hand should I be doing, when I do it now she likes to try and take off and leap etc. I can get her back but don't want her getting the wrong idea when we work the trot.
Keep the ideas coming
Trotting IH for now isn't for exercise, really, it's for the training, so to that end, especially given what she's doing, I'd work on it every day. Set the distance shorter, and aim for the corner of a fence - you won't trot for many steps, and you'll have the visual barrier to help you help her.

IMVO, if she starts getting all fruity on you, set her down hard, then praise her once she's standing there. Make sure she's not testing you just even walking around - if she is, as in, not paying 100% attention to you, or pushing her shoulder into you, or swinging her haunches out, etc, then it's going to escalate at the more exciting trot :)

[lolita1]

Some of the things I also like them to do is

1. Bath
2. Body Clip
3. Face and Ears clip
4. Float / Truck
5. Rug
6. Lead properly - which you are doing
7. Feet pick up properly - which you are doing

[siegi b.]

Honestly, I'm a little amazed at how much you guys do with your babies.... What ever happened to letting them grow up a little as long as they lead and are good for the farrier and vet?

[YankeeLawyer]

I agree with Siegi. My babies all do the basics - lead, stand for farrier and vet, baths and clipping, etc. But we teach most things in the course of bringing them in / turning them out and grooming them daily.

I would be very wary of some of these training exercises. For example, if you plan to show your horse in hand, make sure your in-hand trot training is not inconsistent with what the horse will be expected to do in the show ring. And, personally I would be very concerned about the possibility of torquing a weanling's neck and doing permanent damage with all this in-hand trot training at that age, but if you insist at least avoid torquing the kid.

One thing you might do is introduce your baby to some kind of treat that can hide medicine in the event (God forbid) your youngster ever gets sick and requires icky tasting oral meds. Babies frequently will not eat a treat unless they are familiar with it and they are even less likely to try something new when feeling punky and their appetite is suppressed. Speaking from experience here. Believe me, it helps a lot if your horse can get excited about a little applesauce, vanilla yogurt, or molasses.

[lolita1]

Each to his own I guess nothing is more fun then bathing and clipping a three year old for the first time

[Dalemma]

Once they are 6 to 8 months once or twice a week I like to take them into the round pen for about 10 minutes......teach them one thing at a time and when they have it we move on to something else....the go forward cue, whoa, turns inside and out......how to move their hip over, shoulder over, turn and face me allowing me to approach with out moving so they can receive scratches ....this is a good lesson for teaching horses to be caught in bigger areas....also teach them to wear a blanket, fly mask......I've even draped them with tarps............teach them to load into a trailer.......there a tons of things you can do....but you need to be careful not to overwhelm.......take it slow and keep it fun and relaxed.

Dalemma

[YankeeLawyer]

Each to his own I guess nothing is more fun then bathing and clipping a three year old for the first time

Just to clarify, where did I *ever* suggest that one should not teach a baby to bathe or clip? In fact, I expressly stated that my babies do just that. And they manage to stand perfectly for the farrier, vet, baths, clipping, etc and are very well behaved without ever laying eyes on a tarp or a traffic cone. In fact I have owned Nations Cup winning grand prix horses that probably have never laid eyes on a traffic cone.

There are REAL risks of permanently injuring a young horse's neck with improper handling or inadvertent torquing (for example when baby gets fresh, etc). So before people cavalierly embark on the COTHer nursery school program, it is advisable to at least be aware of things to avoid. Also, I think it is fairly indisputable that the only thing worse than an unhandled youngster is a poorly handled or overhandled one. I personally advocate correct, consistent, and age-appropriate handling of the horses and believe that patience is not just a virtue, but a required trait when raising youngsters. But as you said, to each her own.

Edited to add: Regarding round pens - I would not work a 6-monther in one any more than I would longe a baby because I think it puts too much strain on their developing legs (unless perhaps you have an unusually large round pen).

[YankeeLawyer]

Lead her out to get the mail and stand there as traffic goes by.

With a weanling?

[JB]

Just to clarify, where did I *ever* suggest that one should not teach a baby to bathe or clip?

I took her post to be more related to siegi's about just being good for the vet and farrier, and leading. She posted at the same time as you in response to Siegi's post :)

[mvp]

I like lotita1's list of things they should learn to do.

Beyond that, I think it's about entertaining the human, honestly. I know because I had one at home from zero to 6 months and was jonesing for things to do with him.

The best thing I did was find him a foal pasture. Yes, he had the basics installed the way I liked 'em. But after that, I let horses his own age socialize and exercise him. The basic stuff-- come, heel, sit, stay could be dusted off when necessary.

Off-topic I know! Sorry for the unsolicited advice. Take what you like and leave the rest.

I'm surprised at the number of breeders out there who don't see the foal pasture as a necessary ingredient to baby's upbringing.

[YankeeLawyer]

I'm surprised at the number of breeders out there who don't see the foal pasture as a necessary ingredient to baby's upbringing.

It would not even occur to me to list "foal pasture" as I could not imagine where else one would raise a foal. I am assuming you mean turnout with age-appropriate buddies? We turn our weanlings out with a babysitter gelding that is far better than any human at raising the little ones.

[dps]

My foal gets turned out 12 hours a day with my gelding. I only have two horses so they only have each other. So far they are both really good about the other one leaving thej field.
So basically I should just play with her teach her to lead and be respectful. I will try bathing her in the spring. I did try to pull her mane but she wanted nothing to do with that so I eek cut it. I have not tried the clippers yet thinking I should have some help for that one?
the trailering thing makes me nervous but I won't know unless I try it, I have taught many horses to self load so I will give it a go. I guess I keep waiting for her to kick or jump on me but so far I'm right on her about respecting my space and so far so good but I feel like its coming. Both her parents were 17h and she is well on her way to being just as tall and I know I need to make sure she behaves now before she gets that big, luckily my current horse is 17h so it won't be too shocking for me.
Anyone work with Roddy Strang? I plan on calling him if I get in over my head.

[Daventry]

Honestly, I'm a little amazed at how much you guys do with your babies.... What ever happened to letting them grow up a little as long as they lead and are good for the farrier and vet?

I couldn't agree more! While we do show our foals lightly at side with the dam...which means they are exposed to being clipped, bathed, trotted in hand, etc.....their #1 job is to just grow and learn to socialize with their peers!! :yes:

[siegi b.]

Roddy Strang is one of the best horse people I know! He really understands horses and does not believe in gadgets or carrot sticks...:)

And yes, Daventry, my foals are perfect for shows/keuringen and show well because they haven't been "trained to death".

dps - the more "trained" your youngster is to show on the leadline, the less "active" he'll be during a show in my experience. This is great for hunter shows, however, dressage breeding shows look for animated movement.

Just my opinion....

[Home Again Farm]

My kids learn to lead (they come in twice a day with moms to eat), load (with mom when she goes to be re-bred), have their feet done and stand nicely for the vet very early. They get used to having any part of their body touched and having a tall person lean over them once in a while, having a few mane hairs plucked here and there from a very early age, as well. These things all come in handy when they are 16+ hands and several years old. They experience bathing and limited clipping in preparation for presentation at their inspection. They see dogs, tractors, cars, people, hear radios, trot alongside mom, etc as babies. Once they are weaned, they really have learned what they need to know until it is time to go to my trainer's.

[Tasker]

Another thumbs up for Roddy! He is wonderful with young horses and we are always so pleased to have one of our youngsters go to 'camp' at Roddy & Barb's. :) I think the filly that is there now is #14 in 2 years for our program, actually. Maybe only 13 but you get the idea...we're really happy with how the horses mature into lovely riding horses with his guidance.

[Dalemma]

Edited to add: Regarding round pens - I would not work a 6-monther in one any more than I would longe a baby because I think it puts too much strain on their developing legs (unless perhaps you have an unusually large round pen).

I guess that depends how you define work...half of what I do is spent rewarding correct behavoir........I do not run my guys around in endless circles.....we try to keep things to a walk or at the very least a very controlled trot.........it would also depend on the diameter of your round pen......mine is fairly large.

Dalemma

[Hiddenacresmi]

I ditto what Mary Lou said. We like them to experience as many "big horse" activities as possible, but not to the extent of working them as a big horse. All activities are designed to get them used to being led and being desensitized to scary things.

[patch work farm]

Glad that Siegi jumped in when she did because I thought "is it just me?"

I had a judge here a few weeks ago looking at my horses for sale. She commented about how well behaved my youngsters are (weanlings to 3 year olds, mostly geldings-the 3 year old is currently a HUGE teenager with acne, begging for the car keys!). She couldn't get over how friendly they were, easy to work with and how well they responded to me. I laughed because they get very little handling.

They have their hooves trimmed every 4 weeks in the summer and 5 weeks in the winter (extreme I realize, but that is my farrier's schedule for the ones who are shod) I also take hoofcare very seriously with my youngsters. Other than that, I don't do a lot with them. They are all very good for shots, worming, mane pulling, etc. so no need to do anything but let them grow up. (the 3 year old has been started, so he is in a bit of a different situation than the others but I still don't drill him to death). Frankly where I have them was called "the frat house" until I weaned the poor filly there this year, she still hasn't adjusted to the piggy boys and their "keg parties".

As someone who has taken many youngsters through the breed show ranks, DAD, etc. IMHO it is better NOT to do much with them. I have been lucky because I never had one suffer from it but, I have seen many of them eventually just shut down because they get "over it" and were breed show "overshown".

I think the most important lessons you can give youngsters are "space restraint" lessons and since I HATE being walked over, mine can tell you that is the one thing they learn early on. They are all very respectful of me and that is exactly how I want them to be.

Many years ago I sold a 3 year old adorable little swedish gelding that I had purchased as a weanling. When it became apparent he was not going to be big enough for me, I sold him. When I handed him over to his new owner, he dragged her down this HUGE barn aisle, so I stepped in and took him down the aisle and he was a perfect gentleman-I handed him back to her and he once again dragged her down the aisle. I got in my truck, wished them well and the whole way home patted myself on the back that he did respect me after all. Until that day I wasn't sure but once I saw what he did, it hit me that I had been alpha with him. To me, it is the most important part of raising them and it could very well save your life as well as their's one day.

[Mardi]

Honestly, I'm a little amazed at how much you guys do with your babies.... What ever happened to letting them grow up a little as long as they lead and are good for the farrier and vet?

Ditto.

[dps]

So when you say you basically leave them alone but they are well behaved for grooming, farrier, worming, leading. Where do you draw the line. You must spend some time with them teaching them these things how much time do you spend with them and when you do, what do you focus on?
My filly wants no part of me pulling her mane what would be a good way to go about this without getting her upset. So far she has been very good and respectful and I don't want to ruin that?

[Tasker]

Ditto Siegi & Mardi...Ours learn to lead, stand for worming, shots, the vet, the farrier (4-6 week rotation), be groomed/braided and then are left to grow up as horses. Most of the time, they are out with their buddies playing, sleeping or eating after the spring of their yearling year. When time allows (a few times each week), we bring in a single youngster (they leave their herd) and they get groomed and handled on a one on one basis until they start training at 3.

As far as teaching mane pulling - we pull a few hairs every so often (while hanging out or leading) when they are little and then leave them to think about it. For those that are really reactive (angry, defensive), use your judgement about what is the limit. Some of them start acting up after a single pull, others could care less after an hour. I try to quit pulling before they are seriously annoyed and offer up a treat and then leave them be to think about it. :) Some horses do not tolerate mane pulling well, so a twitch is a handy tool to get the job done if you have to have the whole mane done in a set time limit. Other people probably have different systems...with babies, you sometimes have to pick your battles and opt for the ones you know you can teach them a useful skill such as patience.

[Sugarbrook]

Ditto.....Ditto. Mine are raised outside. Once they are old enough to go out with Mom they stay out. When weaned they live with others of about the same age and sex. Mine trim, lead, stand for the farrier and know about not being in "my" space. A little training, done properly, goes a long way. My coming three year olds can march into the barn and never miss a beat as can weanlings and yearlings. I can groom them and stand them up for a photo shoot and you would think they do it every day. NOPE, they do not. They live out. BUT, I do live in Fl. It gets cold at times and we are such wimps when it happens!! LOL

[mvp]

With respect to things that baby doesn't like but does not fear:

Tread carefully here! They don't have the attention span or maturity to just "stick it out" for too long.

So mane pulling should either be done in bits and without fanfair. I can't imagine a weanling has much to work with and I think they are so thin skinned that training this particular skill before a year or so is making it harder than it needs to be. On the other hand, young 'uns like to be scratched. If you can scratch up neat the base of the mane before you pull, they'll learn to like the ordeal.

As to clipping. No, don't bring out the twitch or a second person. Get done whatever you can by yourself. Remember that the quality of the finished job really doesn't matter. Part of what I want to teach a baby is that he or she will have to negotiate with one person, not that all kinds of restraint will be applied. I also think it's mentally better if they just have to keep track of one person at a time.

Yes, you want horses to meet lots of things while they are young. And you really want them to learn that they don't get to use their size and strength to get out of things while they are young and light. But you are really teaching them how to accept training. Getting the training experience right-- where it's simple and short enough to accommodate baby's wee little attention span-- is most important in the long run.

[siegi b.]

My big mentor in all things equine, Willy Arts told me a long time ago that it doesn't make sense to pull a foal's mane because sometimes you instill a fear that will last a lifetime. He's all for using tools like the solo comb on youngsters when they have to look good for their inspection, etc., but will wait until they get started under saddle to introduce them to pulling mane.

Made sense to me when he said it and it still does.....

[Home Again Farm]

As far as teaching mane pulling - we pull a few hairs every so often (while hanging out or leading) when they are little and then leave them to think about it.That is what I have always done. Scratch their neck along the mane and then pluck a hair or two here and there. IME that has made it a non event when I ever really pull the mane at a later date. Most of mine will fall asleep while I do a little mane pulling in their stall as yearlings - no need to tie them. The key is that they experienced a few hairs plucked along with some heavenly scratches in an easy, non-stressed way. Their attention span was not pushed. All was easy and laid the ground work for it to be equally easy later. :yes:

[YankeeLawyer]

So when you say you basically leave them alone but they are well behaved for grooming, farrier, worming, leading. Where do you draw the line. You must spend some time with them teaching them these things how much time do you spend with them and when you do, what do you focus on?
My filly wants no part of me pulling her mane what would be a good way to go about this without getting her upset. So far she has been very good and respectful and I don't want to ruin that?

We bring our youngsters in at night during winter (and in the day in summer if the heat and bugs are bad). While leading in and out of the barn, the babies learn to respect space and lead nicely. In the barn, we go over each horse every day to make sure all is okay, and spend 10 to 15 minutes grooming them and generally patting them or whatever. Weather permitting, they get baths in a wash stall and they are clipped for inspections and shows. Also, we make sure each baby is agreeable about being brought inside in any order - first or last in the herd, etc., and not too attached to any one horse (we usually turn out in groups of 3).

Regarding mane pulling specifically, I personally would not force the issue. The most I would do is get her used to plucking a few hairs but I don't think that is necessary. I actually do use solo combs on the babies (so glad to see them endorsed by Willy Arts!) and I only have ever had one horse that was difficult about mane pulling - so with that one we would just use anbesol and/or a little dormosedan to get it done (that horse, fwiw, was one I bought as a 2 year old).

One poster commented that she is not teaching them all they need to know, but rather how to accept lessons. I think that is a good way of looking at it. I like to think that I am teaching them how to learn. The goal is to give them the tools they need to learn.

[Equilibrium]

I am in the less is more category too. My babies are well handled, stand for farrier, stand for vet, get their legs hosed off ( big thing here in Ireland), have to lead properly with little people (me), know about basic grooming ect. But the rest of the time they have to be horses. As far as baths go, in general they don't get one as foals because for the last 3 years that would have been cruel - not near warm enough even in the summer. But certainly haven't had any problems with the older ones thus far.

I have a very good farrier now who understands, as should people, that it is hard for foals to balance themselves properly like an older horse. Thus everything is done low and with minimal fuss. Use to have one that would crank those hind legs out behind them and who would get mad at any infraction. Really couldn't tolerate that anymore.

And as for the manes, when the babies are born the generally start getting little brushes with mom early on. Nothing drastic or forced, just lettting them know brushing is nice. I do little mane tugs here and there, not forcefully pulling their necks all over the place, but gentle pressure. Come mane pulling time, nobody ever has issues. Ones that come to us that we haven't raised always seem to have issues.

I don't take mine for walks to get mail, but they leave in a field right next to the road. Big hedge and 5 plank fence separates field from road, but they get used to so much. Nothing like big tractors pulling bales of haylage with flappy plastice blowing like mad to get young ones used to anything! And I don't have to do a darn thing!

Most importantly, I like them to be horses.

Right now we only have one foal and that's Lady Penelope. She will be getting company next week, but to be honest her learning to be happy on her own hasn't been the worst thing in the world. Her previous companion was sold. She comes in at night and is in the field by day. She is so laid back and does anything you ask. She puts many of the young horses we are starting to shame.

Terri

[dps]

Sounds good, I also bring them in at night in the winter and groom, pick out feet than turn out in the morning and I make her wait to be the last one out. I have noticed after I ride my older horse the filly always comes up to me as to say I want to do something too. So I bring her out of the field and take her for a walk. she seems to really enjoy this and feels like she is part of the program. I will keep it at that and not do any more until spring.
Thanks everyone

[YankeeLawyer]

Sounds good, I also bring them in at night in the winter and groom, pick out feet than turn out in the morning and I make her wait to be the last one out. I have noticed after I ride my older horse the filly always comes up to me as to say I want to do something too. So I bring her out of the field and take her for a walk. she seems to really enjoy this and feels like she is part of the program. I will keep it at that and not do any more until spring.
Thanks everyone

To me that sounds perfect. That way "lessons" are just worked naturally into her daily routine.

[JB]

Have any of you run into trouble by doing too much with your foals? I don't mean as in drilling something to death, such as the example of too much trotting in hand so they don't have any spark at an inspection. I'm talking about, done properly, what is too much, and why?

By "done properly" I mean - not an hour a day, not the same thing every day even if only 10 minutes a day.

In other words, what problems have you had, or foresee having, if you introduce baby to tarps and balloons and walking over/under these things, walking down roads to see mailboxes and trashcans and strange dogs barking in yards, walking through woods (or wherever) to see bodies of water, etc.

I'm not arguing, I'm just trying to get an idea of why some of you don't want to do anything more than barebones basics - lead, feet, bathe, clip, load - and at what age does it become appropriate, for you, to start doing more.

[YankeeLawyer]

In other words, what problems have you had, or foresee having, if you introduce baby to tarps and balloons and walking over/under these things, walking down roads to see mailboxes and trashcans and strange dogs barking in yards, walking through woods (or wherever) to see bodies of water, etc.

I have seen babies become first class brats from being overhandled or mishandled by inexperienced and/or overenthusiastic owners. Pushy, rude, and/or sour.

In addition, some of the exercises - such as walking a weanling out on the road to get the mail - in my opinion, pose an unnecessary risk to horse and human as well as others. Could you imagine what would happen if, God forbid, the baby were to spook at a passing car and cause an accident? That would be a nice lawsuit. It is also a pointless exercise. I will never need my horse to get the mail for me, and I manage to raise well-adjusted and easy to handle horses without all of these "desensitization" exercises.


Finally, I think some of the "yield to pressure" exercises are counterproductive. I do want horses to understand they must respect my space at all times, no exceptions. But certainly when I ride them I want them to be forward and accept pressure - not always yield to it.

[Libera]

Actually, I have noticed that some of those babies that are "desensitized" to death and handled every single day, can be a little bit more pushy... And way harder to get them to move under saddle later on. I like my horses a little morereactive I guess.

Is it an American thing to "train" babies? I bred my 3yo, he has never been in a stall yet (other than when he was born), has never had a blanket on, has never had his mane pulled, has never been clipped...etc.
Other than leading, picking up feet and trailering, I really don't see the point in all the other stuff :confused:
Let them be horses, they will have to deal with everything else enough later on...
Just turn them out with other horses their age and stop fussing.

[mvp]

JB-- great question!

The one baby I met who was shown on the line as a yearling was cribbing by 2. Holy crapamole! I didn't know her well, but she her overhandled-ness looked like:

"Get suspicious at the first request for something because it's going to worse and worse if you agree to the first little bit."

"Maintain tension, even when things aren't bad because the 'work day' will go on and on."

This sounds like a horse who got on a rig the first time and was in for an 8 hour ride to a four day horse show. More than once."

[JB]

Ok, so the 3 responses so far seem to be based on truly over-doing it - dangerous work, or drilling to death, or just doing it incorrectly.

Desensitization is not about making a horse dull. I see many trailer loading issues due to not ever teaching the horse to *back out* of the trailer - it's all done based on getting/shoving him in - never about getting out until he's gotten alllll the way in. Work on giving to pressure, desensitizing, etc, *should be* about teaching a proper response - *don't* wig out when the plastic bag blows by you, but DO give, and give right now, and give politely and quietly, when I ask you to move your hiney over.

Don't work the baby an hour a day, every day.

Don't dull him to everything that he simply shuts down.

But the website I posted, which IMVHO has GREAT ideas on how to teach babies to go forward when asked, do it quietly without fear, in relation to all sorts of different stimulus and items and "things" isn't about dulling the foal, it's about teaching him that new things are not scary. The more new things he can be exposed to in a controlled manner, the more he will be able to deal with new things in an uncontrolled manner when he's a 16.2 1200lb 3yo :)

[Rita1]

I have a 2 horse straight load warmblood size horse trailer with fixed mangers Whenever I haul a young horse, I throw a bale of straw up in the manger with bungees to hold it in place. I had a yearling jump up in the manger her first ride out getting her front legs pretty beat up. I always use head bumpers on the young or flighty horses.

[stoicfish]

JB,
It is a good question, and one that is very relevant to me. I have a 5 month old colt right now, and he is my first.
I find he gets less responsive if I “work” with him everyday and repeat things. He learns fast but then starts being a brat once he figures it out. He tends to behave better when he only sees me during chores (at which time we interact). Not sure if this is common or just his own special personality. Almost like a kid that gets bored in class because he “already got it”. And the attention span is really short, as he wants to play after about 8 minutes.
I do not know a lot about the little ones but it seems like to continuously suppress the urge to play at this stage would be killing his natural spunky, inquisitive nature that I find very appealing. I think it is more important to get the basics of respect and trust, which seems to happen by casual interaction such as feeding, moving them etc.
I could be wrong as I don’t have tons of experience with foals.

I just had to share. I was shoveling a 4ft snow bank in his pen. He was on the other side, watching me shovel a path towards him. I looked up at some point and noticed he was pawing away at the other side of the bank. He kept it up till I got to him. He was helping!! I think they learn so much already by just being around us.

[JB]

Stoic, yes, I certainly understand the personality of "yeah yeah, I got it, boooring" - gotta know when to move on to something else, or introduce another entity to make the "known" thing not quite so known (ie yeah, you can lead really well, but can you lead over and under a tarp?") :)

I'm still trying to figure out if introducing new things, or new variations of old things (ie leading forward under/over tarps), when *done correctly* (ie calmly, short sessions, etc) has lead to, or is perceived to lead to problems down the road. I just can't fathom that it does.

Funny about the snow bank! I DO think horses in general learn things we dont' think about simply by observation. Some of them we'd rather they didn't :lol:

[Indy-lou]

Keep it short, simple and positive. Ideally, your weanling would have another weanling to be with. I personally would not attempt to raise a weanling by itself. Were I in that situation, I would either purchase another weanling to raise, or I would board my single weanling out to be raised where there was at least one other same-aged youngster for them to play with. I agree with the folks who have stated that just the daily activities necessary are the only lessons needed at this age: put on a halter, lead from one paddock to another. Stand for the farrier. My farrier is very good about approaching feet trimmings as a learning session, but in the context of "this is a baby". We get the job done, and there is praise. It should be positive. They have very short attention spans at this age. When I am cleaning paddocks or feeding, and the babies just naturally get in my space out of curiosity, I do make a point of pushing them out of my space, but only as needed. I push on their chest or shoulders, never their necks or heads. No big deal is made. Some weanlings will tolerate clipping (but why do it?), though in my experience, babies can be very skin-sensitive, and you really can create more problems by trying to "overcome" this. I just find the level of skin-sensitivity that they are comfortable with by using whichever brush or scratching they tolerate well and enjoy. Again, keep it simple and positive. If you make an issue out of it, they remember the battle. One filly we bred was very sensitive as a weanling to touch. As a 2 year-old though, she lost most of her ticklishness, and became a champ with the clippers. Had I pressed the issue early on, I would have lost her confidence. Patience pays off. My husband and I will take two babies out together and "visit" the trailer once in a great while. It's on the way to another paddock. They have likely already been in the trailer with their moms at some point. We just let them sniff for a minute, again, just no big deal, and we pause for a moment on our way to where we were headed. Again, once in a great while, we will open up the trailer and let their natural curiosity take them inside for a look. Lots of praise. In general, I find that if you have a "we must accomplish this" agenda with the babies, you will only create more problems then if you had done nothing. There really isn't anything other than wearing a halter, leading and picking up feet that babies need to do. Same thing with bathing. If you must, and if it's going to be a battle, just take a bucket of warm water, a sponge and bathe to their tolerance. Never cold water! I used to think that you would introduce bathing by hosing their legs first, but a learned horsewoman pointed out that it was more natural for the horse to experience sprinkling on their backs, like rain. Sure enough! I think also that a facility that has horses of varying age groups, lots of turn-out and regular activity going on is ideal. Weanlings are really only toddlers, and should not be expected to sit up and pay attention in class. Like toddlers, they need a lot of nap time, and another thing I advocate for youngsters is lots of bedding in their paddocks or pastures. I break bales of straw all over the places where they like to lay (usually in the sun), and they really appreciate it. You will see snoozing babies sacked out on straw piles at my farm! In general, I strive to reduce their stress at this age, not create more.

[YankeeLawyer]

JB - one of my concerns about exercises involving things like tarps and ramps is that people need to be careful not to create a problem they cannot fix. Frequently, when people post questions here about raising babies it is precisely because they lack experience in this area. So I think generally it is very important to keep it simple, as it is always easier to reward good behavior than manage bad behavior effectively.

[YankeeLawyer]

In general, I find that if you have a "we must accomplish this" agenda with the babies, you will only create more problems then if you had done nothing.

Very true!

[Equilibrium]

Know what's funny, when I was reading Indy-Lou's post I also realized where you live has much to do with what your foals might be doing as far as daily activities.

Straw out in California fields might be great, but in Ireland they might have half a day of a nice straw bed in the field. Then it becomes a muddy mucky mess. Mine would know what a hose is before they would ever know what a bath is out of necessity. Have to get that mud off somehow and sorry but the hose is quickest.

For the past 3 weeks Penelope has been living on her own which is NOT ideal. Wasn't actually expecting her home from the sale. We had offers of free fillies but kept thinking don't want another horse. Sorry, at some stage you have to say no. No way would I let her live anywhere else. An owner here at the farm has a colt foal still with mom and he will be weaned this week(late foal). We had to change his opinion on him NOT being a stallion prospect. But during this time, Penelope, has learned some valuable lessons and has taken everything in her stride. She will have company in a couple of days, but she also has learned she can be on her own which isn't exactly a bad thing. She goes out all day and grazes, comes in at night and is not stressed at all.

Terri

[Indy-lou]

Equilibrium: I may live in California, but it was 8 degrees here today! (minus 13.3 degrees Celcius, according to an internet conversion calculator). I just bed in the shelters or barn stalls when its muddy.

[JB]

LOL, just goes to show that "California" doesn't necessarily equate to balmy So Cal :lol:

[stoicfish]

Equilibrium: I may live in California, but it was 8 degrees here today! (minus 13.3 degrees Celcius, according to an internet conversion calculator). I just bed in the shelters or barn stalls when its muddy.

Is that usual for your area during this time of year?
We just finished a cold bit -31 F (-35C) as a low. And a big blizzard. We always joke about running away to California.....might have to change that to Hawaii. :cool:

[MoonWitch]

Wow - what an eye opener! Had my first baby this year so I'm learning on the fly. She is a very level headed TB that is out with her "grandparents"; who I find to be wonderful teachers! I don't have another youngster to pair her with - and do not plan on buying one just to teach her how to be a horse! She has had a halter on since she was 6hrs old and walks in like a 10yo lesson horse. She crossties; loves grooming; has a t/o blanket on, but not good with the feet yet. We're working on that, but I plan on taking my time and cherrishing this short period of time that I have her this little. Have fun with your babes - all too soon they grow up and all you have left of this wonderful time is your memories.:sadsmile:

[YankeeLawyer]

Wow - what an eye opener! Had my first baby this year so I'm learning on the fly. She is a very level headed TB that is out with her "grandparents"; who I find to be wonderful teachers! I don't have another youngster to pair her with - and do not plan on buying one just to teach her how to be a horse! She has had a halter on since she was 6hrs old and walks in like a 10yo lesson horse. She crossties; loves grooming; has a t/o blanket on, but not good with the feet yet. We're working on that, but I plan on taking my time and cherrishing this short period of time that I have her this little. Have fun with your babes - all too soon they grow up and all you have left of this wonderful time is your memories.:sadsmile:

She will be fine. I have raised babies alone and with other babies and have good results both ways. In fact, in both scenarios think the critical ingredient to have them out with an older babysitter type who can show them the ropes and keep order on the farm! I credit my gelding with a good part of my youngsters' training and good manners.

Regarding the feet, when I have one that is a bit funny about them I just make sure to handle them a bit daily as part of the normal grooming routine. Ultimately I want them to pick up the foot when I say give and put a little touch on the fetlock, hold it there and allow me to tap, tap on it. Don't forget that the wee ones often have trouble balancing when you lift a foot (which is why we frequently do early trims alongside a wall for them to lean on).

[dps]

How do you teach them to cross tie and what at age should I start?

[SmartAlex]

First I taught mine to straight tie so I could reliably walk away from him and expect him to stand alone for a few minutes. Next, I got him acclimated to the grooming area. Just a couple of tours to sniff the corners, and get a good look at everything. Then, I would use just one shortened cross tie (they are on blocker rings), and leave the lead rope on him to hold as the second line. I got my husband to hold him that way while I worked around him a bit. After a couple of times he was cross tying with both crossties just fine. I left the rope on (tossed over his back) the first couple of times in case I needed to grab him and divert disaster, but he took to it very well. I started just after weaning at 7 months.

[YankeeLawyer]

I personally do not cross-tie babies. There have been threads debating that issue ad nauseum.

[Amoroso]

Honestly, I'm a little amazed at how much you guys do with your babies.... What ever happened to letting them grow up a little as long as they lead and are good for the farrier and vet?

Agreed. I've never had an trouble with our foals, they are taught the basics and then we let them grow! I never bath as a weanling, our climate doesn't allow it by the time I could try. We bath everything for the first time as yearlings, trailer loading is something I do work on with the weanlings though. However, I simply feed them a bit of grain in the trailer a few times and then the trailer doesn't ever seem to be an issue. Never had a problem at a keuring or inspection either....

[Mardi]

I'm still trying to figure out if introducing new things, or new variations of old things (ie leading forward under/over tarps), when *done correctly* (ie calmly, short sessions, etc) has lead to, or is perceived to lead to problems down the road. I just can't fathom that it does.



There's something else that's important, besides leading over tarps, walking through cones, and going to get the mail. The horse's confidence in his handler is vital.

The horse needs to know that the handler will stay calm no matter what happens around him (the baby). Siegi mentioned Willy Arts before, and I will again.

In the video "Showing Your Sporthorse in Hand" Willy is leading a youngster, a yearling or two year old. The setting is at home, not at a show.

The one thing that has always remained with me from that video, is that Willy
just keeps going, never looks back at the horse, and stays calm, and confident.

It's most evident in one scene as Willy is walking the horse towards the camera, and the horse, with head and ears up, is clearly looking at the camera equipment. He looks as if he's about to stop in his tracks and spook.

But he doesn't, because Willy stays calm and relaxed and doesn't react to him. Willy just walks along like nothing's going on. He looks at the horse briefly, for a split second, but then looks forward again,and at one point his eyes are even looking down at the ground, as if he's walking alone. Willy never changed his demeanor while the horse was getting tense. He just kept going.

The horse sensed Willy's calmness and confidence, and stayed right with him. "Well, if Willy thinks it's ok, then it must be."

Although it was not mentioned in the video, that brief segment was very telling, and a wonderful lesson.

The young horse has to learn to trust US, not a tarp.
Just MHO.

[JB]

Mardi, nice post, I agree!

Don't you think that the more things the horse (of whatever age) is exposed to, the more he learns he can trust his human in whatever situation? I think that is also part of the exposure deal - not just teaching the horse how to react, but that he can trust that his person won't put him in harm's way.

It's one thing to have him realize that mailboxes are safe because he's been exposed to it, it didn't bite, didn't chase him, etc. But that's one experience. 2 different scary things says "Hmmm, again, nothing bad happened to me". 3 makes him go "wow, this is nice, I go where s/he goes and I'm fine, even if I'm not certain". But after more, different situations, the horse doesn't even begin to think "scary thing, but human hasn't let me down yet, I guess I'll go". he just thinks "I go where human says to go, end of story"

Yes?

[Libera]

That's true JB, but they can learn that as a 2yo too... after they've grown up a bit.
And you don't necessarily need tarps and mailboxes, JMHO...

[Equilibrium]

Indy-Lou,

Please know I did not mean any disrespect when replying. Just was thinking that certain climates meant babies might get used to different things out of necessity!:) I only had one summer my foals knew what a bath was as it was actually hot. Since that summer, I wouldn't give my babies a bath because it wasn't necessary and actually might have been a bit cruel. They must know what wet is by now.

And having lived in California, I know the exteme temps and weather variations you can have. Hope you are bundled up!

Terri

[JB]

That's true JB, but they can learn that as a 2yo too... after they've grown up a bit.
Have you found any difference in exposure to new, scary things as a 2yo, who might be also working on asserting his dominance, as opposed to a foal? Just curious.

My WB gelding was very docile as a weaner. He'd been to his keuring at 5 months, then moved to where I boarded him. His pasture bordered a fairly busy road, so he was acclimated to noises and movement like that. The BO did his own repair work, so there was often a chainsaw or something going on, and he was always wanting to go see the action. As an early yearling I took him to a local show to hang out. He was a certifiable nutcase, rearing and spinning and screaming. How I wish I'd been able to take him places when he was smaller ;) Or, at the very least, done more with him other than basic leading/feet/loading.

And you don't necessarily need tarps and mailboxes, JMHO...
IME, the more items you can expose the horse to, the more they learn that it isn't about the item, it's about understanding that he pays attention to his human and does what's asked quietly and calmly. Of course you can't expose him to *everything* he might encounter, just not possible, but the more, different items you can use to instill that learning, the easier. IME :)