Imprinting

[Lena1]

While waiting on our first foal to arrive we have purchased the book Imprint Training of the newborn foal by R Miller. I found it very interesting and would love to do this but am a bit hesitant to go jumping straight in and maybe upsetting mom and the whole bonding experience for her and bub.

Would love to hear your thoughts/experiences on this. Thanks

Karen

Australia

 

[rabbitsfizz]

My foals are all handled at birth.

I make sure they are nursing properly, I do all the checks and make sure they are OK and Mama and baby are kept up for three days to ensure that this remains so.

After that they are let back out with the other mares and let be.

Oh Yes I still go out every day and talk to them and handle them etc but they are left alone to be foals and to run and play and make friends with their brothers and sisters and learn to be horses.

I do not clip and I do not show- the first year is for them and it is short enough.

I can assure you they are as quiet and gentle as any imprinted foal.

Do a Google on the results- independent research has been done in this field.

You have to make up your own mind but IMO, it is an imposition on the horses ability to interact with other horses, and it is also unnecessary.

I halter train my foals at weaning and not one of them, so far, has shown any reluctance to wear a halter, to lead or tie up because they have been correctly and consistently handled.

If you intend to do this there is no need to imprint- a foal imprints on it's Dam, that is what it should do!!

 

[Minimor]

Personally I do not believe in imprinting foals. Handling yes--when the foal is born I treat the stump, check to see if it is filly or colt, and watch to see if the foal starts nursing, and if assistance is needed with that then I assist. That's it. After that, the foals are handled daily--handled as in caught, rubbed/scratched, talked to--and they become very friendly very quickly. When I start halter training them at 3 to 4 weeks there's never a problem putting a halter on them. I usually clip the foals some once the weather turns hot, and I just take the cordless clippers out into the corral & clip there. I do not have to halter the foal nor even restrain it. Last year when I went out to clip all four foals crowded around, trying to to tell me CLIP ME, CLIP ME, no, MEEE!

I fail to see how a foal could be any quieter, friendlier or more agreeable to work with--and I just do not see any need to be "imprinting" the new foals--holding them down, running clippers all over them, sticking my fingers in their mouths...

 

[Marty]

I"m totally in there handing the foal from the minute it's born and every single day.

Learn from the get-go not to let mama keep you away from the baby.

 

[Miniv]

We like to do a modified imprinting. While drying off the foal we use the time to massage its legs, face, ears, etc......(including nose-kisses!) We repeat the process several times over the baby's first days of life.

There've been a few foals that we haven't imprinted on over the years and have noticed a difference on their friendliness as they matured.

No, you don't want to interfere with the bonding with the mare, but there is a way of allowing for both.

MA

 

[MiniHunterHorseFan]

We followed a video on imprint training I think it was by R Miller, on our Arabian filly that we had. And we worked her every day after. But don't spoil the baby. I'm sure thats pretty easy to do seeing as they are so cute. Make sure it respects your space and doesn't think it can nip you or push you around.

 

[Katiean]

Last years foal's mom was a bit stand offish and would try to kick to keep us from the foal. We let her know that we WOULD handle him and she would have to put up with it. We had nothing but trouble with that one. He fought everything we did.But then he was a real "BAD BOY" at 2 1/2 months he was trying to breed, Not just mount (if you know what I mean)his momma. At 6 months we sold him and they said they were going to geld him. This years baby is from a pocket baby momma. We handled him from birth. we put the halter on him and he never even pulled back. I clipped his neck and head. The only part he didn't like was clipping the inside of his ears. but it wasn't any more than a disagreement (I won). He has stood for the farrier with no problems. I don't know if it is just the difference in the moms attitude about people. We treated the foals the same. But they are like night and day.

:

 

[FoRebel]

We handle all of our foals from birth.... Starting with a good rub down and daily "naps in our laps". When they get to be about 2 months old the naps stop but we continue to lead them out to pasture with their mares and back to the stall in the evenings.... we also continue the daily rub downs... Our foals have all been very nice regardless of their mare's personality.

 

[hairicane]

I tried imprinting the foals over several years. I found some ended up pocket pets and others just never were totally friendly even when treated exactly the same. I especially remember 2 fillies born 1 day apart and both were imprinted just the same. One was such a love and the other seemed to hate people and was willful and sullen. The crabby one was from 2 of our most pleasant friendly horses. Imprinting did NOTHING for her. I have found quite a few others it did nothing for. But most foals come around when they are older and realize who feeds them, lol.

 

[Dontworrybeappy]

I do some "imprinting" - not as extensive as Dr. Miller, though. For one thing, I found that by doing 50 repetitions of each movement that I too the foals PAST "acceptance" and into "irritation" - surely not the goal.

I do find that doing imprinting on the first foal of a maiden mare can help the mare understand a foal is nothing to be nervous about.

The main problem with novice owners doing imprinting is that they will remove all fear AND all RESPECT for people from the foal - and that can lead to trouble, as that can cause dangerous situations. Discipline and respect are GOOD things, for animals and kids! (and kid animals!)

:

 

[Lena1]

Thankyou all for posting. Your opinions are invaluble to me. I am now leaning towards a not so intensive version of 'Imprinting'. Will let you know how it all goes.

Karen

 

[wildoak]

I also do a modified version of Dr Millers process. I'm there when babies are born, handle and check them over. I try to desensitize them to having their ears handled, legs, fingers in the mouth - in general things they will have to tolerate later on. I run the clippers so they feel the vibration. I don't overdo it, I do think it's more important with full sized horses as you have 1000 pounds to deal with and you do want cooperation. Miniatures generally (always exceptions) seem to be more accomodating and when we did a more extensive imprint we seemed to wind up with horses that were a little too much in your pocket lol.

Jan

 

[CyndiD]

I tried imprinting the foals over several years. I found some ended up pocket pets and others just never were totally friendly even when treated exactly the same.

I agree with Jennifer on this one.

This past year I stepped back a little from it and just handled them briefly at first then just let them "be" horses. I really do think I see a difference in them, in that the older they get the more interested in people they become. I don`t halter them as early as some do, often they are several weeks old before I halter...

 

[dgrminis]

I know that different people may have a different idea of what imprinting is but we have bought mares with foals at their sides that were anywhere from 3 months old to 6 months old and they havent had any handling and it amazes me how fast they come around.. After a week of them being here I can generally go out and halter them and lead them and lift their feet without too much fuss.. And I work full time so it isnt like I am out there 24/7 with them like that.. They are just naturally loving animals I think that want people to love on them..

Now on foals that are born here; when they are born I make sure they are up, cleaned off and nursing, that there "water-works" are working well and that they have pooped. Once they have done all this then I do like to sit down with them and pet them all over -- if they are girls I like to touch their bags and lift their tails and so forth and then if they are boys I touch their sheaths and check for their parts

I also like to open their mouths and put a finger in there and stick a finger up their noses and in their ears and touch around their eyes.. I also pick up each hoof and tap it a couple times and rub up and down their legs. I think this just shows them that this is ok for someone to touch them in these places.. By the time they are a week or two old I like to be put a halter on and off them and then I start leading them as soon as I think they are ready.. Generally about the time they are 2 months old I have lead them somewhat. By the time they are weaned or when they are weaned I want them to be leading completly.. This just makes it so much easier to do thinks like trim them and deworm and vaccinate them

That is just how I do it though

 

[TTF]

We imprinted our first foal and then the ones this year. The baby in the middle was very stand-offish as she got older. So, from our experience, we get friendlier 'kids' if we just approach them after birth and doll around with them. It usually will upset the mare at first, but you have to work through that and just hang out for a little bit. Horses need to adjust to having people around loving them. It just makes sense. I would definitely request that others do this.

: Without a doubt.

I am NOT saying that horses that have NOT been imprinted are stinkers. They can learn as they grow, I'm just giving tips and saying that it helps.

 

[disneyhorse]

I don't really "believe" in imprinting. I think you either handle the foal a lot and it learns what to expect from you, or it's basic personality will shine through later on even if it hasn't been handled.

I have had some colts wild off the pastures... took a lot of time to get them to be able to be caught, but with consistent handling they ended up being so friendly you would never know.

On the opposite, I have gotten horses that were handled a ton as youngsters but not "properly" (I like my horses to learn respect even at a week old... sure they can be friendly but not overbearing, it's just not allowed) and they are spoiled and to me it's a lot harder to unspoil a friendly horse than to gentle a wild one.

I think foals need to learn all about the world they are born into... and not be unhandled. Waiting until they are older means they are stronger and bigger and smarter. A foal will more easily accept a halter or clippers or picking up their feet. Whatever I expect them to encounter as an older horse, I expose them to as soon as they are born.

Foals are a lot stronger and instinct-driven than lots of horsepeople give them credit for. The minute they are born and stand, they are able to take on the world. Nature has provided them the instincts and strength to survive.

Andrea

 

[shadowsmystictopaz]

I think its important to imprint them at birth but allow the mom to bond with them as well. i think that if you want to show the baby that is born you should work with it almost all the time with halter and lead rope. at just a few weeks old maybe at a month old start showing it how to do things like standing square or even if its standing square in a stall tell it good job and then end the lesson. I think that some people wait to long to teach the babies to stand like a show horse and it takes a while to teach them so in my opinion always start out at maybe a month old so that at least when its 3 or 4 months old it can go to its first show without any problem of being fussy about being touched by its feet. Also walk and trot is another big one for me. I would maybe start out at like a month old on teaching them that or 2 months at the most. I am not a big breeder yet but these are just my ideas.