getting a foal to come up to you

Question
Hi- I just bought a 4 month old weanling colt. When the guy brought him over, he also brought one of his yearling fillies to keep him company over the winter. Neither one of them has had too much handling done with them. You can catch the colt a little bit, but most of the time he will walk away and the filly won't let you come up to her unless she's in a small enclosed area. I have them in a small 1/2 acre or so pasture and I was wondering what I can do to get them to come up to me. I, unfortunately, do not have a round pen.

Michelle

Answer
Michelle,
    If I were you, I would plan ahead so that you can take the time and patience necessary for this taski.   Get ONE bucket of the feed that you give these foals.   Do not feed them as usual.  Allow these foals to see that you have the feed but only give them bites of feed IF they come to you.  Do not try to touch or catch them for a week.  Just take your time and feed them.  Don't worry, the filly's hunger is going to cause her to come up to you.  Talk to them in normal tones and do not sneak around either one.  After a week, when the foals come up, see if they will allow you to scratch or stroke the shoulders as they eat.  Once they accept that contact without hesitation, stroke them regularly as they eat still from that one bucket. You did not say if these foals have halters on them or not so you will need to get these two to allow you to touch their faces.  I'd start at the shoulder and work up the neck, gently rub around the base of the ear and maybe just a gentle stroke on the cheek until they are calm with that.  Then the forehead and the other side.  When you do halter them, bring the halter up from underneath, put it on quietly, give a bite of feed, scratch and take it on and off several times.  Good luck.