Traning foals

Question
Hi, I was wondering if you could give me any advice on training the foals at work?

Badger was born Oct 2005 & is getting very strong and pushy, also bites, not nips but really bites but he is getting better & is starting to mount everything including his mum, other foals & even his handlers.

The other 2 are both fillies, 1 was 19th April. I have just started halter training her. The other is about a week old & has had barely any handerling yet.

The April one is very lovable & scratching is a great reward. She will stand still to be stratched & I can slip a lead rope around her neck while I put the foal headcollar on. At first she was very head-shy but yesturday was the first time she wasn't too bothered. The problem is leading her. She is ok if the lead rope is still around her neck & I stand beside her or slightly behind. Any pressure is exerted on her neck but as soon as she feels it around her head she instantly backs off & tries to rear. On one occasion she did manage to rear & almost fell backwards. It just happened so suddenly I couldn't stop her. She does stand still now when we get to the field gate & lets me take the headcollar off. Then stands for me to scratch her before I let her go.

I haven't had time to begin any training with the week old except sit in her paddock or stable & let her come up to me & sniff me so she gets used to me. Yesturday she was brought in because it was pouring & she was shivering so I caught her to rub her down. She struggled first but after a couple of mins she stood still & I quickly dried her then released her. That was her first experience of being handled all over.

But I have only a few mins a day to spend with the foal & the only time they get led is when I take them down to the field in the evening. They don't get led down when I'm not there. I'm only there 2 days a week but it'll be 4 or 5 during the summer.

Any advice will be great!

Thankyou, El

Answer
Hello El,
When it comes to foals my personal opinion is, if at all possible, just let them grow up as a free horse. When it comes to a young and pushy guy who is wanting to bite you the best advise is dont let him get close enough to do it! Shake your lead rope in a side to side motion until he takes even one step back and then stop. The release when you stop is going to tell him right answer! When you are leading them let the rule be "you follow me" if he gets worried and jumps around its no problem- he just has to know he can not jump into your space ever! When teaching to lead, once the horse can have a halter on stand next to the horse and hold the halter or the lead, with a light pulsing with your fingers-like you are milking a cow- see if you can get them to "give" their head in your direction. Of course our goal is to bend their head all the way over, remember that for every milimeter they give us in the direction we want you should pause to say right answer and try again. Once that is working for you try it from further and further away. When actually leading them it is your responsibility to pause if they stop and feel they cannot move- keep the same light amount of tension on the rope and start walking yourself sideways until you are in that familiar side position and see if you can get just one step (you are pulling them off balance)-and pause. Leading is our goal, however we build to leading by teaching the horse that when we request something the right answer is a YES! So if you are getting into any trouble, try to break it down into smaller and smaller requests until you get a YES and then build on that.
Good luck with all your babies!
Let me know if something else comes up.
Best Wishes