- Breeding
- A Brief History of Horse Breeding
- Horse Breeding, Part 3: Birth and Care of a Foal
- Horse Breeding, Part 1: The Estrous Cycle
- General Horse Articles
- Horses in Art: An Abridged History
- Riding Tree: Relaxation
- First Rides: Evaluating a Horse’s Vocabulary
- Horse Feeding
- You’ve Got the Right Feed, Now What?: Proper Feeding Practices
- 5 Horse Feeding "Don'ts"
- A Look at Horse Feed
- Horse Grooming
- An Overview of Horse Grooming
- Mane Saving Ideas
- Keeping Your Horse Beautiful with Horse Products
- Horse Health Issues
- Common Horse Illnesses: Laminitis
- Sleep and Your Horse’s Health
- Common Horse Illnesses: Colic
- Horse Training
- Mythunderstandings About Riding the Trot
- Training Mythunderstandings: Heeding Groundwork: Class Review
- Starting Early: Training the Foal
- Horses & History
- Horses in Art: An Abridged History
- A Brief History of Horse Breeding
- A Brief History of Draft Horses
- Horses & Sports
- Ask Chelsie Natural Horsemanship - What Does It Mean To Disengage My Horse?
- How to Prepare for Your First Equestrian Competition
- Nearly $7 Million Generated Annually for the District of Columbia
Starting Early: Training the Foal
05/26/2008
For a horse to become disciplined in a particular area, it is important for them to go through several stages of training. It is crucial that this training begins early, and ideally, when they are a foal.
For a horse to become disciplined in a particular area, it is important for them to go through several stages of training. It is crucial that this training begins early, and ideally, when they are a foal.
Beginning to handle a foal can start as early as birth, or when it comes time to wean the foal away from its mother. Many feel that it is important to start at birth, so that the foal develops interaction with humans as early on as possible. This is important so that the foal understands that the human will not harm it and will begin to trust it. This will breed a respectful relationship between human and horse.
The first steps in training the young horse in its first year are very simple tasks; no riding while it is young. These simple tasks include allowing a halter to be placed on its head, be led to walk by a human, and stopping when directed. A foal needs to learn to be calm during grooming and veterinary exams. The young horse can also be trained to stand still while its feet are being picked up to have its hooves trimmed. Then a foal can be taught basic skills that it will need to know for the rest of its life, such as being loaded into a horse trailer, and to not fear noisy objects. While living around a human, a young horse can learn to get used to human devices and noises.
Some do insist that you do not handle the foal until weaning. If you wait until the horse is weaned from its mother, some argue, you will create a stronger bond as the separation from its mother will cause fear. If the foal understands you will protect it, it may readily follow you. Horses at this age are still highly impressionable, and while they may be quicker than they were at birth, they are still a fraction of the size and strength of a full horse.
The importance here is starting young. Some do not begin training until the horse is able to be ridden, but it takes much more skill to train a full horse without being injured in the process.
