Conference noted::equitation

    No matter how/when you do it, tying can be traumatic for a foal.
    Mine learn at about 3 months - when they're still little enough
    no to break everything in sight should they struggle.  I use a
    strong halter, cotton rope with a strong snap.  I tie them to
    an inner tube attached to something solid - with the rope tied
    at head height or higher.  It won't break, but it won't let them 
    loose either.  I also don't ever leave them alone (although I
    sometimes go hide around the corner). and I always use a safety
    knot or panic snap. While the foal is tied, I usually do something
    with him - feed him, groom him, love on him, whatever.  One more
    thing, by the time I tie them, they lead   and stand reliably.
    
    Most foals will struggle a little, but they won't really panic.
    Just use a little patience, and be firm.
    
    -maureen
    

    I like the inner tube idea.  I heard about that a few years ago,
    but never tried it.
    
    When I tie my foals, I ususally do it during feeding.  I tie the
    dam at the same time, so neither can go anywhere.  If the foal
    associates tying with something pleasant, he shouldn't object.
    
    One thing that I believe is important:  If the foal begins to pull
    back and yanks his head from side to side, DO NOT rush up to him
    anxiously and release him.  Look what he has learned:  If he acts
    that way, he'll be released.  Worse, if he acts that way and it
    upsets "mommy," it must REALLY be bad; he may pull even harder the
    next time.  If the foal begins to pull, let him.  Tell him quietly
    that "It's OK" and wait quietly nearby.  You may have to reassure
    him a few times, but he'll soon settle down.  As long as you don't
    get upset (and hopefully, his dam won't either), he probably won't.
    He'll take his cue from you.
    
    The book, Blessed Are the Broodmares, is really helpful, don't you
    think?  Have you seen the sequel, Blessed Are the Foals?
    
    Merrie

    If we take the time to tie a foal (we don't always), we start by
    just running a cotton lead through a ring in the stall.  I don't
    do it while they are eating because I want them to focus on the
    lesson (i.e. someone has just tied me).  If they pull back so do
    I, but if they get themselves into trouble (they are quite adept
    at this) then I give them enough slack to get their balance back
    but no more.  The reason we don't do this often is because I've
    not experienced many problems in waiting.
    
    As far as the butt rope trick, we begin leading foals at day one
    as they head out to the pasture.  I learned a trick from Tom McNair
    (the Arab worlds best baby handler) that has worked very well for
    me.  You start with a very long cotton lead (about 6 to 7 feet).
    Make a loop which you hold with your right hand and slip behind
    the foals butt.  Attach the clip of the lead to the halter and lead
    with your left hand.  What you want is to lead the foal but when
    they pull back against you, the butt rope is used for forward motion.
    Never pull the foal by the halter because they will just pull back
    on you.  The effect that you are trying to achieve is to have them
    move away from pressure by getting them to move forward (they will
    want to do this naturally if they think something is behind them).
    This will be the first lesson in many which applies this principle
    especially for show halter training.  After a while you will find
    that you can do this maneuver with one hand and lead the mare with
    the other.  
    
    By the way, another thing that Tom said is to always bend down when
    approaching a foal because you will appear less threatening.  To
    demonstrate how well this works, stand in a field of babies and
    you will find that they will be very cautious in approaching you,
    but sit in the same field of babies and they will all want to be
    sitting in your lap.
    
    Regards,
    
    Bob
    

    The way I halter breack a foal is around a week after foaling I
    put a weanling halter on and let the foal get use to it by petting
    the foal letting the mare accept the halter. I than put the mares
    halter on and have a helper lead her out to the pasture with the
    foal also with a lounge rope so taht the foal can get use to the
    idea of something hanging from the halter . The only restaint that
    I might put on the foal for the first few weeks is when the foal
    wants to wonder and once direction is corrected the tension is off.
    
    I also do a lot of hands on during this time so that the foal does
    get use to be handled . Picking up the feet ,etc. It has been my
    experience that going a easy a possible and early can be rewarding
    by the time they weigh 1200Lbs.
    
    Gene in Vermont

    I tried something new (for me) this year:  When my new foals resisted
    having a halter put on, or began to rear or otherwise fuss too much,
    I lifted them up, front legs off the floor.  Talk about surprised!
    They tried to act up again and I picked them up again.  Less
    resistance.
    
    I understand that the idea is to teach the foal that a human is
    dominant.  This is supposed to teach him respect that carries over
    into his later years.  Since these are just babies, I don't know
    the outcome yet.  Although, I haven't had much trouble since.
    
    Merrie

    I think that's a *great* idea!  Horses aren't smart enough to know
    that you won't be able to do that when they weight 900 lbs (are
    they?).
    

    
    
    Picking them up is something that we have been doing for several
    years now.  We start - even before we put halters on. (I should
    say my husband does it, I determined that I would never want to
    pick one up [arms around the chest and butt] and not be able to
    hold it.) Just for a minute, or until they give in.. which in all
    cases has been a non-event.  The last colt really liked it and 
    would literally run to him to be held!
    
    
    

    What I've noticed as a result of this is that as they grow older
    even the 'hot heads' are trusting and forever faithful.  Seems to
    make for easier training sessions and a happier relationship. I
    heard about this from some pony breeders and decided to give it
    a try...  years later someone has written articles about bonding
    which this seems to fall into.
    
    

    
    I know a Vet that picks his foals up within the first few days they
    are born...he never has any problems with them afterwards and firmly
    believes in this technique.
                                 
    Leading: I think the most important thing to realise is that if
             you PULL or JERK the lead line in response to your foal
    	     pulling on the lead, you can cause neck and spine injuries.
    	     
    			-Nancy-

Our new foal - about 8 or 9 weeks old - made quite a breakthrough yesterday.
My wife was in the pasture getting ready to get the mother, Lady, when the baby,
Maxie, came right up to her and let her pat her.

Maxie had been letting us handle her AFTER we had the halter on, and putting the
halter on was getting easier and easier.  But, in the pasture we had never been
able to get too close to her.

And then this morning, she actually came to the window and asked me to pet her.
What a change from just 2 days ago.  She seems to have associated us with
pleasure.  We have been leading her out to the pasture with the halter on.  We
haven't been leading her back in because we haven't been able to catch her to
put the halter on.  Tonight I am going to try to put the halter on in the
pasture.  Hopefully she will let me.

She is leading ok.  Sometimes whe walks right with me and sometimes she just
stops.  When I am leading her, I have my right hand on her butt, so when she
stops, I sort of grab the top of her tail and give her a gentle nudge forward.
She usually listens.

How old do they need to be before you can leave the halter on all of the time?
I know that many people don't like having the halter on in the pasture, no
matter the age.  But just for my curiousity, at what age is it ok to leave it
on and not have to worry about them hurting themselves?

Ed..

    My opinion only, but there is no age at which they won't hurt
    themselves with a halter on in the pasture.  I have a six year old mare
    that can still scratch her ear with her hind foot.
    
    Good luck...sounds like you are having fun.
    
    Kathie
    

    I agree with Kathie, under no circumstances would I leave a halter on
    an unattended horse, be it in a pasture, a small paddock, or a stall.
    If you absolutely MUST do so, please use a break-away style halter,
    I'm sure they make them in foal sizes, or at the very least a cheap
    leather one. A halter can catch on a fence post, a foot, a water
    bucket, a root sticking up from the ground that the horse has been 
    pawing at......and a million things you'd never think of in the first
    place. If your having a hard time catching a horse, generally the 
    problem is not getting the halter on so much as it is getting close
    enough the the horse to do so....and halter or no, a horse that doesn't
    want to be caught will know better than to allow you that close in the
    first place.
    

    I, too, agree.  I left a leather halter (luckily) on my 2 yr old colt
    this spring, something I very rarely do.  When I came home the halter
    was no longer on him.  My dog found it in the pasture, unbroken, but
    also still hooked/buckled.  I shiver at the thought of how it got off
    him...he obviously was caught in something.
    

    I have no horror stories on this subject, fortunately, but I 
    couldn't agree more -- there ISN'T an age where it is appropriate to 
    leave the halter on fulltime, in my opinion.  
    
    I think you made the significant point - the foal has associated 
    being with you with pleasure, and that is a lots safer method of 
    catching a horse than having a halter on fulltime.  Maybe I've just
    been lucky - or maybe my horses have all been spoiled, but they have all
    enjoyed people enough that they come when they're called - or at the
    very least when they see me coming.  I hope you will be able to develop 
    that with your foal, too.
     
    Have fun with that baby!!
    
    Marci 

Well, we were able to catch the foal last night.  It took a little patience, but
she did come to us.

Now, this morning was another thing.  Her mother was a complete jerk.  She broke
out of her stall (the doors were only pulled shut while I was working with 
Maxie) and wanted to eat all of the grass in the yard.  Donna was finally able
to catch her, but all the while I was handling Maxie.  She handled it reasonably
well.  She freaked once, but only for a second.  However, she wasn't all that
excited about walking nicely after the excitement.  I think they both wanted
out to the pasture.

I guess we will end up going without halters once we feel we can catch both in
the pasture.  Of course, the baby isn't wearing a halter in the pasture or in
the stall.

Ed..