Best Ideals to halter breaking foals

[MBhorses]

Hey

I would like eveyone to share their best ways to halter breaking foals.I also would like to know what age you all start your halter breaking.Give ideals on your halter breaking

thanks

 

[griggsmel]

I halter break mine within the first week of life. I play in their stall with them putting the halter on and off many times the first couple days. Then I pull the foal gently from side to side or back and forth with my hand on the halter so they learn to follow the feel of pulling. When I start them going on the leadline I loop it around their hind end and then pull the leadline forward below the chin a few inches. If they don't walk forward I put pressure on the hind end with the loop. As long as they are leading forward they don't get pressure from the hind end. They learn within a couple days to lead great. If they rear, that's fine, eventually they do get tired if doing that.

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I agree the sooner the better. First really get the foal use to you, just sitting there with the foal, rub all over the foal, but the halter is the last thing on my mind. I use a lead rope on their butt and a rope around their neck, not so loose that you won't have control but not snug either, the rope its more like a guide and get them ready for a halter and you can pull them off balance. When they are doing well with that then introduce the halter and always ask with the halter and tell them with the butt rope. Pretty soon its not a big issue. Fairly similar to Melissa's approach, I just don't introduce the halter as quickly, I find less resistance this way.

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

The day after they are born, or two, depending when they are ready to walk to the paddock for the first time. Always lead them, first with just a rope (around the neck, around the butt, in a figure 8) then with a rope and halter, then a halter. Takes about a month with each, if you do it slowly. Don't rush, but don't assume they are too young and just let the foal follow the mare.

 

[Minimor]

I wait until the foal is a month old. I have no need to halter a younger foal--if one needs a medical procedure done it is easily restrained by someone holding it by chest and rear end. At a month of age the foal is still small enough to restrain and easy to start leading--I put the halter on and guide the foal a little bit with the lead--I can walk along & put a hand on baby's backside to push him forward, and I can use my right hand over the shoulder or on the far hip to control the foal should it try to run sideways or backwards. If the foal were older than that then I use a rump rope but I generally do not need one on my home grown babies.

 

[Jill]

For us, it really just takes being in the right frame of mind (I mean us more than the foal!), a butt rope, a halter that fits and about 10 minutes of work. We've used the butt rope method to halter break all our foals and it's been easy so far. Good luck!

 

[Miniv]

BEST time is when the foal is still attatched to mom. Get the foal used to the halter, then clip the lead on and tie the lead to mom's halter and take both for a walk. The foal will learn pressure and release cues without a lot of battle because it wants to still stay close to mom. The foal also is aware that you are a part of the process.

 

[Carolyn R]

Like others, I found it easiest to lead mom and foal together, but if they were set on resistance and putting on the brakes, I used a butt rope to engage the hind quarters in a forward motion like many others suggested.

 

[kales]

Love and TLC from day one! Gets their trust and makes it so much easier! Help to lead mom around so baby follows. Horses are natural followers and the foals are so curious of people. I would give me foal scratches and then move a few steps back (no halter) and then when she came to me tell her what a good girl she was and give her pets, then move away agian. Do short sessions though and don't foget they are just babies

 

[Leeana]

I normally wait until they are a bit older, more closer to weaning. I have a colt that I may show this summer, later on in the summer, and have been rubbing and handling him a bit but won't halter break him for a while longer.

I normally halter them, and in the stall (if mother allows) will take a 8ft rope or so and attach to the halter and loop behind butt and if they dont move off pressure from the halter, I apply pressure to their butt. It normally only takes a couple minutes and one session, sometimes two. Then we go from there.

 

[MBhorses]

Thanks for help you all