Halter breaking foals

[uwharrie]

Any tips or suggestions on halterbreaking foals.

 

[ontherisefarm]

If I have help I have someone lead the mare beside the foal and I always use a butt rope in case the foal pulls back the pressure would be on his rump not his neck. If I dont have help I leave the mare in the stall and work the foal up and down the barn aisleway. Short sessions as foals tend to have short attention spans. gradually I take the mare away while I am teaching the foal so now he will follow me instead of the mare....

 

[Jetiki]

I take a large horse halter with a double buckle crown, upside down. Babies nose goes through the nose hole the ring that would normally be under the chin is now at their withers and then put the crown piece around their rump. I have a baby sized halter on baby. Baby can't injure their necks pulling back as they do sometimes because the piece around their rump works as a butt rope and its easy enough for one person to do. That reminds me I need to get busy on the 2 babies we have.

Karen

 

[angilou]

We used a goat halter and tempted her with something she really liked, i.e. bottle, but it could be a handful of hay for you. I have way better luck working with our filly away from the barn where the she can't see the others. We have to exercise Chloe more than a usual foal trying to work on her loose flexor tendons, so my hubby will drop us off in the truck away from the house and barn and then we walk home, and she does great, but if we start out walking straight out the driveway, it's not as positive of an adventure for her.

 

[Irish Hills Farm]

When I halter break my foals I use a regular mini halter and lead. I generally let the foal led me around at first as my main goal is just to get him/her to move forward wearing the halter and lead. Eventually I'm able to walk with the foal at the barrel and before you know it, I'm leading the foal around with him/her now following me. No dragging, pulling, no stress. I generally start this out in the field near the dam using her as encouragement at first just to get the foal moving forward. Some foals "get it" quicker than others. I also try to start them young, that way if one decides to do the famous foal back flip, they are light enough I can keep their hand from banging on the ground.

I have always done this by myself and have never had any issues.

 

[RedTango]

I got to train my first mini foal to halter lead the other day! It took 3 days for her to learn..

All I did was have a mini halter a lead rope and another rope to put around her butt..Everytime she resisted I would pull the rope that was around her butt and she would stop pulling back.

good luck!

 

[bevann]

When I halter break my foals I use a regular mini halter and lead. I generally let the foal led me around at first as my main goal is just to get him/her to move forward wearing the halter and lead. Eventually I'm able to walk with the foal at the barrel and before you know it, I'm leading the foal around with him/her now following me. No dragging, pulling, no stress. I generally start this out in the field near the dam using her as encouragement at first just to get the foal moving forward. So foals "get it" quicker than others. I also try and start them young, that way if one decides to do the famous foal back flip, they are light enough I can keep their hand from banging on the ground.

2 people needed.1 leads mom another walks behind mom with baby on lead(most foals will follow mom)walk in large circle for a few days for about 6 circles. Next time get baby farther away from mom until mom is standing in middle of circle with baby still walking.Eventually both mom and baby can be seperated for the walk.Take your time so none are stressed.Babies have short attention span so be patient.Been doing it this way for 20 years and once in a while we got a foal who wouldn't cooperate.My rule has always been that NO FOAL OR HORSE EVER leaves this property to go to a new home unless it is lead broke, cross ties, loads in a trailer,stands for farrier,and has feet trimmed, wormed and current vaccinations.sometimes the kids act up, but most times it makes life easier for the new owner and the horse in a new home.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Nowadays none of my foals even starts to wear a halter until they will follow me around happily without one, and allow themselves to be handled standing loose.

Once that is accomplished and their necks are developed enough I may halter them. Last year I did not actually halter my foals until they were around ten months old, but, by that time, they were just about used to everything and stood happily tied up with no fighting.

I understand that some people do needto have a foal leading on a halter, but, unless you do, I would advise leaving it and concentrating on getting the foal very well handled.

 

[uwharrie]

The one I am working with now willingly follows me, but he also has a bit of a independent streak. He could care less where mom is. He does not mind being handled and let me clip abut 1/3 of his wooly coat yesterday

 

[Genie]

We put foal halters on from birth and lead them to the paddock, remove halters while in field, catch and lead back at the end of their exercise.

They are used to it going on and off at least twice a day and being caught in the field.

 

[txminipinto]

I've had great success with allowing the foals to teach themselves when stalled. I leave a halter and a drag rope on the foal in the stall. Just by moving around the stall and stepping on the drag rope they teach themselves to give to pressure. I then start having small micro lessons on moving forward, asking the foal to move their feet in my general direction with light pressure on the halter. I also use this time to teach them to set up for halter and handling their legs. Then, when its time to turn momma and baby out, I allow the mare out first and lead the foal behind her until the foal calms down and then I slip the halter off. Once they are back in the stall, I rehalter the foal and we start all over again the next day.

By doing it this way, I have cut down on a lot of the stress that comes with halter breaking. I only leave a halter on in a safe stall where there is nothing to hang it on and with a good kind gentle mare. Obviously, this wouldn't work for everyone, but it's worked for me the last 4 years.

 

[shannonw]

Where do you get halters small enough for foals? No where here in town sells them that small.

 

[Anne ABC]

http://www.ttminihorse.com/tackstore/

 

[Tab]

When I imprinted it was very easy to halter train. My first had weak pasterns so I had to trim her toes early on and I don't remember that it was difficult at all. I suppose it's very good to still be careful and gentle. I had halters on mine as early as a day old. I did use a butt rope. Again, patience and gentleness were virtues. It's fun to train foals and it came very naturally