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 Midget Lover
     
Location: Kentucky | I feel like everyone has their own definition of this. I mess with my colts every day, even if it's just to touch them, and give them a scratch, but for the most part they are in the field with momma till they are weaned. They are haltered, brushed, feet picked up, but that's about it. I don't really consider this imprinting, but then someone told it is was? So I feel like this definition is very subjective. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| I always took it as someone spending time with a foal and messing with it to get it used to human touch and interaction so the foal wasn't scared of humans. |
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| I believe there's a technical method out there from whoever pioneered he concept of not letting them be hellians until they were weaned, I think that the technical plan starts at birth. but I consider what you guys are doing to be imprinting, and having had the lovely experience of working with a weanling/nearly yearling who hadn't had much training...it's the way to go. There is no fun in them trying to come over the top of you or kick your head off. |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| Tho Prehistoric didn't go into details, the gist of imprinting is very clear in the other post. It is a process that desensitizes. Dr. Miller has written more than one book on foaling and imprinting and they are all very informative.
I decided to stop imprinting when I realized how easily desensitization can become sensitization, which means you have an issue. If you don't move through one of the steps (say desensitizing ears) completely and beyond you can create an ear shy horse. I do a modified imprint now and only do the most important parts at birth (ears and face, genitals especially on filly, feet and legs) and move through some of the other areas in the first days and weeks. If a young horse trusts and respects you, at 6 months or as a 2yo, they will be fine with learning clippers.
Dr. Miller's books are worth a read, you will learn a ton about horse/human relationship even if you don't decide to practice imprinting. |
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 Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | My best advice is make sure you learn to do it right because you can set yourself up for problems if you don't.
http://www.robertmmiller.com/
You can also find him on youTube
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Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | equussynergy - 2014-04-22 9:36 AM My best advice is make sure you learn to do it right because you can set yourself up for problems if you don't.
http://www.robertmmiller.com/
You can also find him on youTube
I don't necessarily want to learn how to do it, but I was just curious what everyone considered imprinting to be. I've heard that it's as soon as baby is foaled, that imprinting is getting hands on them immediately.... I'm not into that much. I just want my babes to have hands on them so they aren't scared of people, and that I can handle them when they are bigger. I guess I don't really consider what I do to be imprinting, but some people do. |
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Swiffer PIcker Upper
Posts: 4015
Location: Four Corners Colorado | Murphy - 2014-04-22 7:49 AM equussynergy - 2014-04-22 9:36 AM My best advice is make sure you learn to do it right because you can set yourself up for problems if you don't.
http://www.robertmmiller.com/
You can also find him on youTube
I like to get my hands on them as soon as possible after they are born. Within the first hour. I follow the procedure that Dr. Miller teaches and it is pretty intense. But it is really nice to have a confident foal that is so easy to handle. Legs, feet, head. They are so easy to handle. When you take momma and baby to the vet your foal at a few days or weeks old will stand there quietly and is easier to keep safe. I've also found later they are easier to teach to tie. Weaning is easier, everything is easier. I like to take the foals on walks without mom and build their confidence. Then when you put their first rides outside they hardly spook at anything and are much more "bold". That is also why you must teach them to respect your space. The rule is "I can touch you anywhere, but you must never touch me" at least un-invited. That is where people go wrong because cuddly foals are irresistible.
One thing I do that is probably a little different and people will disagree with is, if the mare is willing, I will milk her and bottle feed the foal colostum as soon as it starts looking for something to suck on that way the first thing in his mouth and gut are colostum.
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| I consider imprinting doing the procedure of Dr. Millers that is done at birth. I do not imprint. I do handle my foals after birth and prior to weaning. They load up and haul to the vet with their mommas to be bred, and until they get a little big for their britches and don't think they need to follow momma, we don't have problems. Plus, this trailer loading lesson lasts a lifetime. All foals are different, some love attention and others don't want to be messed with. We don't do much real work until they are weaned. This is where they learn to lead, be touched all over, and pick up feet (I don't like to tie until they are older simply because I don't want them to pull back and do damage). Then they go back to pasture until they are yearlings. We don't handle them a lot, but what we do we try to do as correctly as possible. They retain this training, and we can go gather them from the pasture and pick right up where we left off. They know how to stand tied without a fight because they've learned to give to the pressure of the halter.
I don't have a problem with imprinting as long as it is done correctly. Unfortunately, too many people only skim the book and don't follow the program or get an understanding of why these things are done. This leads to spoiled horses that lack respect. It's a lot harder to undo that than it is to gain respect from a horse that has not been over-handled. |
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 Expert
Posts: 4121
Location: SE Louisiana | Murphy - 2014-04-22 8:49 AM
equussynergy - 2014-04-22 9:36 AM My best advice is make sure you learn to do it right because you can set yourself up for problems if you don't.
http://www.robertmmiller.com/
You can also find him on youTube
it is hands on at birth..... Normally it can be done before the mare ever stands up. Not much followup is needed after you are done. Simply touch everything you will want to touch when the horse is an adult. Just rub it all with a towel. I've done several and the difference between an imprinted foal and one that was not is remarkable. |
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  Semper Fi
Location: North Texas | Or a foal can be imprinted in this manner........................
Born with an impacted bowel, take to Vet only to have 'mainline' said foal and then spend almost a week in Vet Hospital. This Foal (Rosie) is now 14 and as broke as can be. And was not a problem in the least to break or handle any other way. |
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