I need halp. I have been getting very conflicting advice on how to best halter train a foal and especially at what age-when its born, the second week, two months of age etc... I would really like to get some advice on good training methods. Here is where we are up to: 2 foals (born wihtin 3 days of one another...they are now a week old. We can get them to come to us easily for affection and scratches....how do we introduce haltering......PLEASE PLEASE HELP Us seek the best methods and ones that have worked consitently wihtout making them scared of you or loosing trust...I have tried to look for info on the net and could not find many detailed articles....
Hi Anja, I had my first foal this year. I started with a halter on him about 6 hours after he was born. only for about 5 mins of course. Next, at about a week old, when my baby was laying down I would rub the halter all over his body. When he was a week and a half, he wore the halter for a full day. At night it was taken off. After about 1 week of that he wore his halter 24/7 and continues to do so unless I choose to train without his halter on him, which isn't very often. I would definatly NOT wait until they are two months old. THey won't be used to people enough and it would be a great struggle. The lattest I would wait would be about 2 weeks. Hope this helps.
Anonymous
Posted From: 66.211.207.138
Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 09:31 am:
I would agree with Amy. The sooner the better. It is easiest to introduce the halter while they are still small enough to wrap your arms around them and contain them. Two people can usually halter a foal without upsetting them if they are used to being handled. However I never leave halters on my foals when we aren't out in the barn. When teaching them to lead we use a rope around their rump. Is there anyone in your area who could help you with this? Its much easier to show someone than explain.
Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 12:49 pm:
I will represent the opposite point of view. I have tried haltering within the first few days before, but this year decided to wait until the foals were very comfortable with me scratching them, etc. first. With both this seemed to occur at about 2-3 weeks of age so I introduced the halter and neither of them protested much at all. I think the worst either of them did was walk backwards a few steps. The first foal was pretty friendly right off the get go, but the second was a little stinker and hated me for the first 3 weeks of his life - he kicked me once a week and used to come at me with ears pinned, so he was a good test subject. I was fully expecting that once I tried the halter he would revert to regarding me with great suspiscion but that wasn't the case, he took it all in stride, and I think it was because I waited until he was comfortable and confident with me. I've not found that there were any detrimental reasons in the long run to not introduce the halter earlier, but I did find by waiting that they accepted the halter much faster and with a great deal less stress.
Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 04:28 pm:
My colt was halter trained at 4 days old because he wouldn't stay with his mom . We had no choice!
He was always "people oriented" so no problem to catch him-I think that's where the lack of trust can come from, from attempting to "catch" them-we rubbed the halter on him, scratching at the same time. I then "hugged" him (one arm around his butt and one around his chest) and my sister slowly slipped the halter on. He didn't really care at all. We then worked on leading which was more of an issue....we used the butt rope to get that started and also always followed his mom. Now he's a pro. I agree though about not leaving the halter on when the foal is unattended.
Posted on Wednesday, November 09, 2005 - 06:59 pm:
Anja, I have used a similar method. I halter the foal once its a few day old, just for a few mins, and increase it every day. The whole time the halter is on, i will scratch the foal all over, and make it forget about the halter. After about a week, i put the halter on, scratch for 5mins, then leave them alone and just watch for about half hour. The approach, scratch for another 5mins, and take the halter off. They always love a scratch under where the halter was once you take it off too! It isnt until about 3-4weeks that i will leave a halter on a foal unattended. And even then it still comes off at night, when there isnt any checks being done on them. When it comes to teaching the foal to lead, i start off with someone leading the mare, and someone on the foal. The foal will generally just follow. After a while, the mare can stand in the middle of the "working area" and the foal can be lead around her with a rope around the rump. If the foal refuses to go forward with a gentle tug on the lead, use the but rope IN CONJUNCTION with the halter lead to ask him to move forward. Once he does, release the tension on the butt rope and keep leading him. Make sure you use the butt rope WITH the lead to ask him though, NOT INSTEAD OF. After a while of walking around his mum, you will be able to take him for small walks without her. If he panics, try to keep her in his sight. If she runs around making a scene and calling him, then some feed to keep her occupied will usually do the trick. Hope this helps! Renee
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. We had no choice! 
