Handling Foals Today to Prepare for Tomorrow

It's never too early to start teaching your foal good manners.  In fact getting them use to being handled and haltered early in life will make your life much less stressful!

The best time to begin conditioning foals to halter is when they're 1 week old - any earlier and you could accidentally damage their necks by pulling on them.  However, before you ever put a halter on your foal, they should learn how to stand quietly and accept being "caught".  One good method is to place your left arm under the foal's neck and around its chest and grasp their tail 6-8 inches above the tailhead with your right hand.  Usually foals will stand quietly if their tails are slightly bent over their croup.  The best place to do this is in a box stall or closed pen with the dam nearby.  If the dam is calm, you can use her to help position the foal in a corner so it will be easier to catch.  However, it can be difficult to use this method if the foal is large or rambunctious, so remember to start early!

These training sessions should be very short (2-5 minutes) and done 2 to 3 times a day.  Once the foal stops struggling and submits to being touched, gently rub its body - including the face, ears, belly, and legs - before releasing it.  Never release the foal if it is still struggling!  This will teach the foal to continue to struggle instead of submit.  It can be frustrating, but remember to be patient and gentle, with the foal.  They're learning too!

During the training sessions, remember to keep an eye on the mare while handling the foal.  Even normally gentle mares can become aggressive if they think their foal is in danger.  Consider tying the mare in a corner of the stall or pen until you know how she will react better.

Below is a short video from Clinton Anderson with some suggestions on how to handle your foals and prepare them for future trainings and care.