ive recently got a mare giving to me that is in foal... i know a lot of people to help me out with her after she has the foal but just wondering if anyone has any tips or advice on how they raise their foals, the foal is going to be huge being part clydesdale and i dont want it to be dangerous any advice is welcome thanks:) i hav had a lot of experience with horses so for anyone who worries about these sorts of questions i know enuf to keep the foal alive and healthy:)
Answers:
In my personal opinion, give the foal most of his first few days with momma. Other than his vet checkups, the IGG snap, and the iodine dipping etc. let him be. After 3 or so days, just go right in there and start messing with him. Hold him, restrain him, pet him, hug him, pick up his feet, TOUCH THOSE EARS! Don't give him a heart attack of course, but a good 20-30 minutes a day of just messing with him until he gets used to it will pay off.
Get a halter on early (but make sure to keep it big enough as he grows so fast!) Use a leather or breakaway halter - never a woven one! If he gets stuck on something, leather or especially a breakaway will snap. Vinyl halters will not break and that is bad news for baby.
Once he starts liking you and approaching you, make sure he approaches you but doesn't start getting all over you. I wouldn't give babies cookies or treats until they are 3 or 4 YO - or at least until they know not to get in your space.
I work with Warmbloods, and it's amazing to see how bratty and spoiled most babies are. I know several 4 YOs who will push their huge head right into you looking for treats. 18 hand Holsteiners should not be doing that, for the owner's own safety! It's so important with all horses but especially big horses: you want to make sure he learns to trust and appreciate you, but NEVER to get in your space. When they get in your space, they are dominating you. They have to know they can't treat you like another horse. If you don't instill that in his mind, and he pushes you around... it's not entirely his fault.
Don't let him hook his head over your shoulder. Ever. It might be cute, it might be "ohh look he's giving me a hug!" but no... it's a dominance move for a colt to hook his head over another horse's withers and press down. Give him a nice big punch in the ribs if he tries it. YOU are the boss.
If he bites you. Ever. You know what to do.
When you're leading momma around, try to have someone with you - or have someone else lead momma, so you can hold baby and direct him while he walks beside/behind momma.
Lastly, another important thing that comes to mind... have a lot of people mess with him, not just you. I had a weanling in a training class at college who was terrified of everyone. It took a long time for him to trust me, but once he did... he was then terrified of everyone BUT me. Have people of both sexes and many ages (not little kids of course until he is totally safe) play with your baby, touch him, push him, pick up his feet, play with his ears, tail, lips and so on.
Once he's weaned, teach him to lead, stop, and back up as soon as possible. As long as he learns the rules of proximity, and that ALL people are his boss, you should be safe.
First thing is to get it halter broken and handled. Use a leather foal slip at first because if it ever gets caught on something, the leather will break as opposed to throttling itself in a nylon one. If you get that done, you'll have less problems down the road when it gets a lot bigger.
As long as you have someone to help you it will turn into a great foal. What I do when baby is born is towel it off and help it dry but the real reason is to rub his whole body with it, head, ears, legs etc etc.. Since it sounds like you got the foaling care down my next advice to you is the next morning, put a figure eight halter on the foal. Always lead it with his momma. Someone takes the mare to the field and you take the baby. Make a baby shank for it. Lead it by keeping one arm around its chest and one arm around his rump. I guess you can figure out that the one arm is to push if need be and the other arm is to keep him from running forward. Do this always and before you know it, he will be leading and wean he is weaned you will be able to lead him anywhere. Theres no reason to have to halter break or lead a weanling. If done this way from the beginning you will have no problems when weaned. Just spend lots of time with him petting him and holding him. NEVER EVER let go of him or stop doing what you are doing until he is quiet and not pitching a fit.. It sounds like you will do great and congradulations on the draft cross. They are great!
Handle the baby as often as you possibly can.
Part of our routine has been to make it a practice to run our hands all over the foal when we are with them, every time. Eventually that "flee" instinct kicks in and they get all bug-eyed when we get to the rear, so be careful. I learned the hard way how hard those little babies can kick. And being part Clyde, your foal will probably be the height of a small pony when its born!
If the folks who gave her to you have bred her before, get all the info you can about how she's acted as a new mom in the past. My sis had a friend's mare, one she'd ridden many times and been around daily, quickly turn on her and get her down on the ground because she thought she was a threat to the baby.
First, congratulations on the impending baby! Second, make sure you get a great vet to get you through the process, do the pregnant mare checks and help you through the foaling. And third, handle the foal every day, rubbing on it, talking to it, playing with it. This will imprint the foal and will help tremendously during training later on. Get a good trainer to help you through the rough stuff and don't treat the foal like a big dog, this causes a real dangerous situation later on.
I have percherons so I know the size and strength you will be dealing with. Treat the foal with kindness but absolutely teach respect as he or she grows and don't let the cute antics fool you, they become very powerful and those cute antics can kill you later on!
you want to break it from being scared of a halter and lead rope. They you want to handle it everyday that way it can get used to your toch and that you wont hurt her. Also get calf manna to mix in with the grain you give them in the morning. you might want to wait a while before you separate them, that way if mommygive the foal what it needs.
for the mare gain her in the morning. and be sure to give her plenty attention and feed her a normal diet.
Are you planning to get him gelded?> that is if it is a he? You need to get it used to halters and make sure that it listens and responds to one command name. After that get it used to being handled and led around, before you teach it other gaits. You might also want to consider a trainer. I hope that I could help you!
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