Foal Education

Before your baby is weaned, it should understand basic handling and obedience. This will help you reduce the level of stress the baby will experience in this situation. Weaning is hard on mares and foals and should be done with consideration. Some foals mental well-being will be live-long disturbed by uneducated weaning and handling.

1) Teach your baby to accept a halter and lead

Use the mare to teach the baby what leading is. Make her wear a headcollar early to get used to the feel. In Europe, mare and foal get shown when the foal is only 1month old and quickly learns how to be tied up their dams lunge-girth. Try to teach your baby with mom around so they can relax and go for suckle if the situation gets too stressful for them. Don't allow your foal to play with you! They'll misunderstand and always use you as a punching ball. Make sure your mare is well handled, this will make things a lot easier.

2) Teach them to pick up their feet

Hoof care is important from day 1. A healthy hoof as a foal means a healthy hoof for life. Show the baby to your farrier and let him do basic trims as soon as the babies feed harden up in the first month. The earlier the foal learns to pick up his feet, the easier for the handler and all people involved. Most farriers don't appreciate having to battle a stroppy 1 year old while trimming, Hoof care is hard work and a well mannered horse is always much appreciated!

3) Teach them to accept a brush and rug

Mare's milk is very nutritional. If left to their own devices and the mare is left empty, most foals take advantage and suckle to the ripe age of 3years! I personally remember a 17.2hh 4yr old warmblood filly sharing breakfast with her 2 months old brother on a 15.2hh mare! When being supplied by their mother with minerals and vitamins, foals often don't require covers and brushing as they're healthy, fat and develop a good coat. Most weanlings don't take well to the abrupt stop of milk supply and look rather neglected and fluffy in the coming fall and winter. If the baby is used to being brushed and covered, it will be easier for you to keep your yearling healthy and happy.

4) Teach them to eat hard feed

As stated before, milk is best. Weaning unluckily falls onto the colder time of year and the grass won't have very much nutritional value. Weanlings should have been introduced to hay and hard feed when still running with their mothers to ensure adequate mineral supply. You don't want to have to teach your weanling how to eat when he is still trying to find ways to get back to mommy.

5) Teach them how to separate

If you ride your mare, lock baby in a secure paddock right next to the arena with his usual friends and ride your mare gently. The foal will learn that his dam will come back eventually and he will relax. You can slowly increase those away times until mom and baby are happily separated for a day a few weeks before weaning. Make sure either one has paddock mates as horses thrive on having company and you surely don't want your foal to develop into a social retard. If you don't ride your mare, separate them for simple things like moms farrier visit or a groom.

Remember to not attempt to wean your foal before he is 6months old. Any younger and the foal will likely develop odd behavior. Don't turn weanlings out in large groups by themselves. Try to have one or two older horses paddocked with them. They will do the horse education for your foal and provide safety for the babies.

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