Teaching Good Manners to Foals

drewsbadboy · Postby **drewsbadboy** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 3:50 pm

I'm hoping you guys can give me some good advice about teaching my foal not to bite... :idea:

This was my first time for having my mare bred and for having a foal. He is super sweet, but just gets a little rowdy. He was born 2/20/09. I know part of his problem is that he is a colt. We are careful to handle him everyday. We absolutely do not play games with him, since I know that will lead him to dangerous behavior. Currently, when he goes to nip we just put our hand under his lower jaw and gently push his nose away. This gets him to stop without making him afraid, but I was wondering if there is a better way or a different way. How do you guys teach your foals? I have 25 years of experience with hunter/jumpers, but almost zero experience with foals.

His pedigree is Swain-Shardelisada (Sharpen Up)= All Turf Horse

Thanks for any suggestions.

drewsbadboy · Postby **drewsbadboy** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:28 pm

Here's his picture. He's three days old in this photo.

drewsbadboy · Postby **drewsbadboy** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:47 pm

Here's one more picture of him... six weeks old

Crystal · Postby **Crystal** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:02 pm

he's a 2/20???? holy crap.

drewsbadboy · Postby **drewsbadboy** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 5:07 pm

yeah... I think he's pretty tall already.

AscotStud · Postby **AscotStud** » Wed Apr 08, 2009 10:30 pm

he's just a bold playful foal, the best think is to handle them as much as possible, don't let them get away with it, but you don't want to reprimand a young foal too much so they get afraid of you or get too headshy. They usually grow out of it, until midway through their yearling year, then the battle begins again.

ASB · Postby **ASB** » Thu Apr 09, 2009 8:09 am

If he's a Swain like the photo caption suggests, get use to it! I have two full sisters by Swain and both are mean bitches.

The older mare is smarter and vindictive and you can never let your guard down with her and the younger of the sisters is just an idiot and nutcase.

I've been around enough Swains to know they all have some starch and are hardheaded in general, but some are flat out mean. Just make sure he never gets away with the biting, even if it's just a playful mouthing.