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 Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
    
Location: Georgia | Ok so I attempted to lead my 6 week old foal today and let's just say it was not fun. I figured it would be a little challenging but the little devil completely exploded! I know I should have done this a lot sooner but I just wasn't able to get around to it between work and college classes. Please give me some advice on this topic! What's the best way to do this? |
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 Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
| I've had some that it was nbd, and one that it was like I was trying to kill the colt. He went up, and back and finally I knocked him down and laid on him until he submitted to that at least.
I've found that a butt rope helps if the foal doesn't want to yield to poll pressure. Or following mom, or having someone walking at the hip with a hand ready to provide a push. And small steps with a stubborn one. Halter pressure yields before trying lead rope pressure.
I've also had plenty of foals now that I didn't both with them until they were almost yearlings and we started off in the round pen first, then haltering lessons, then leading lessons, then tie lessons, and on from there. ALL the ones I've waited on have ended up with less 'issues.' |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | We always have one leading the mare, and one leading the foal letting the foal follow Mom. Always use a butt rope and just let the natural instincts of following mom be your best friend. We also lead then in to the barn each night, and out during the day so they are led every single day 2x a day. |
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 Living on the edge of common sense
Posts: 24139
Location: Carpenter, WY | We usually let them drag around a lead rope before actually trying to lead them around. They will step on it and teach themselves to give to pressure. Then use the butt rope for those that haven't figured it out lol
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 Chasin my Dream
Posts: 13651
Location: Alberta | ThreeCorners - 2014-05-04 11:32 AM We always have one leading the mare, and one leading the foal letting the foal follow Mom. Always use a butt rope and just let the natural instincts of following mom be your best friend. We also lead then in to the barn each night, and out during the day so they are led every single day 2x a day.
Ditto |
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 Too Skinny
Posts: 8009
Location: LA Lower Alabama | we use the 'ask with the head, tell with the butt' approach. Ask for forward motion with the lead and then pull on a butt rope till they move. Ask again with the head then tell with the butt. It helps if they are still with mom. Also try pulling to the side and almost off balancing them a step then release when they do. As with older horses they learn from the release |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 383
Location: Sweet Home Alabama | I get someone to lead the mother while I lead the foal. if the baby wont go willingly, I put a lead rope around their butt & pull. It's pretty frustrating in the beginning but keep it up & they'll get it. |
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| Before I put a halter on them .... I use a long soft lead rope tossed around their neck and twisted a little bit to keep them from ducking their head out of the long loop made by the lead. I have a hold on both ends and I just teach them to give by moving them left a little bit and then right a little bit ... I also do a little rope training while messing with their give lesson by tossing the end of the lead over their backs over and over ...
When you put a halter on their heads without teaching give and flex head and move feet a little bit .... they want to fight and balk and you end up teaching them how to be good at being a brat ... lol
the follow the mare with very mild guidance on the foal is a good maneuver also when you have two people that are in tune with each other ...
Both things above are teaching foal to move forward and to give to mild pressure until they figure out how to follow you and then how to lead ...
GOOD LUCK
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 Double Standards Don't Fly
Posts: 1283
Location: At the barn | Trying to teach one to lead without a butt rope is asking for a disaster imo. Butt rope for as long as it takes, possibly even 2 or 3 months |
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 Veteran
Posts: 253
Location: EDGE OF INSANITY | trotncowpony - 2014-05-04 5:44 PM
Trying to teach one to lead without a butt rope is asking for a disaster imo. Butt rope for as long as it takes, possibly even 2 or 3 months
yes! i always refer to the butt rope as the gas, the lead rope as the steering wheel lol |
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | I usually start in the stall where we are confined a bit and can just ask for some give and maybe a step forward or so. Then I have a helper and head out with someone on the mare and me on the foal. This last foal I had was a pistol who had no problem going forward... at a very high rate of speed in fact he laid himself down twice all by himself when he hit the end of the rope. For him he ended up getting ponied off his mom at a month old to protect ourselves. She wasn't happy about his antics either but I figured she hadn't helped me give him much manners either up to that point so she would have to take it.
a few times of that and we were pretty good to go. Good luck. |
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 Peecans
| Honistly, dont fret you think your behind. As a general rule around here we dont halter break until after weening, and ive had colts get hurt or cut and its not a big deal to treat and clean them.
I like the colt to be bigger and stronger so I can move him/her around and really get them broke. I start side to side and once the colt can give to the halter sideways I work on forward. If they cant release and give to one side, they cant give to both and drop thier head and move forward softly. I do alot of sending the colt and bending, just getting them soft and supple and truly understanding how to give to the halter and not just follow me.
I often will use my ground work stick over a rope to ask for forward if i need the extra help, but a rope can be a great help as well, I just find the odd one will just sit on the but rope where they cant sit on the stick.
You've got lots of time to get him nice! Heck I have acquired a 4 year old thats not halter broke lol. |
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 Lady Di
Posts: 21556
Location: Oklahoma | teehaha - 2014-05-04 1:03 PM
We usually let them drag around a lead rope before actually trying to lead them around. They will step on it and teach themselves to give to pressure. Then use the butt rope for those that haven't figured it out lol
This is what I always did. They teach themselves. |
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 Keeper of the King Snake
Posts: 7622
Location: Dubach, LA | Around here it's common to see them tied to donkeys. I can't say that it works, but I can't say that it doesn't. I guess I'd learn to follow real fast if someone tied me to a donkey. |
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 The Worst Seller Ever
Posts: 4138
Location: Oklahoma | I had a difficult colt.. We don't start teaching to lead until we wean them.
We did the butt rope for a few weeks, tied him, let him drag the rope, ect. He knew to give to the pressure, but would try to see if he was stronger than you. Finally last month I taught him to pony. He leads like a dream now.. It only took once and he learned.. I don't think you should start here, but an option is to lead him off his mother. |
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia |
Thank you guys for the advice! Problem with this filly is that she could really care less about mom. We tried using the mare to help and the baby didnt pay her any attention. Once I got the lead on her she flipped herself over in the stall and fell several times once we got outside. It was a disaster waiting to happen so I unclipped the lead as soon as I got the chance. We were going to use the butt rope as soon as she stood still but that was not going to happen. I guess I just have one of "those" foals. What are the pros and cons of waiting until they are weaned? Kind of thinking I might take that route. |
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Peecans
| Runninbay - 2014-05-05 1:53 PM
Thank you guys for the advice! Problem with this filly is that she could really care less about mom. We tried using the mare to help and the baby didnt pay her any attention. Once I got the lead on her she flipped herself over in the stall and fell several times once we got outside. It was a disaster waiting to happen so I unclipped the lead as soon as I got the chance. We were going to use the butt rope as soon as she stood still but that was not going to happen. I guess I just have one of "those" foals. What are the pros and cons of waiting until they are weaned? Kind of thinking I might take that route.
The pros and cons are different for every person and how you are set up to rais foals.
For us and how I like to halter break wating works best. I feel that I can really get one trained to lead vrs tought to follow. I dont feel a baby is ready to really learn as they are busy learning about being a horse. I also dont like to work baby very much at all as they are so young, like your colt if he was older id use a long rope and send him out and he its feet moving and bend him in, send him out until he settled, get him to move out vrs having a throwing himself around fit. But I wouldent work a sucking colt like that.
However, we are setup that we dont have to lead mare and foal around the farm to pasture stall ext. We only have max 3 foals at a time and its easy to move mom and baby fallow. Some places that does not work and baby must be on a lead or theyd get into too much trouble. Ours go out to pasture and stay there all summer.
I did an experiment a few years ago I had two similar mares foal to the same stud. I halter broke one as a baby the other as a yearling. The older one was halter broke faster and a far easier start than the other. But they could have just been like that cant for sure say it was anything to do with when they were halter broke. Lots of nice horses are halter broke as babies just what I noticed with my two.
Thats just me though different things work for different people :-) |
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Georgia Peach
Posts: 8338
Location: Georgia | della - 2014-05-05 4:16 PM Runninbay - 2014-05-05 1:53 PM
Thank you guys for the advice! Problem with this filly is that she could really care less about mom. We tried using the mare to help and the baby didnt pay her any attention. Once I got the lead on her she flipped herself over in the stall and fell several times once we got outside. It was a disaster waiting to happen so I unclipped the lead as soon as I got the chance. We were going to use the butt rope as soon as she stood still but that was not going to happen. I guess I just have one of "those" foals. What are the pros and cons of waiting until they are weaned? Kind of thinking I might take that route. The pros and cons are different for every person and how you are set up to rais foals. For us and how I like to halter break wating works best. I feel that I can really get one trained to lead vrs tought to follow. I dont feel a baby is ready to really learn as they are busy learning about being a horse. I also dont like to work baby very much at all as they are so young, like your colt if he was older id use a long rope and send him out and he its feet moving and bend him in, send him out until he settled, get him to move out vrs having a throwing himself around fit. But I wouldent work a sucking colt like that. However, we are setup that we dont have to lead mare and foal around the farm to pasture stall ext. We only have max 3 foals at a time and its easy to move mom and baby fallow. Some places that does not work and baby must be on a lead or theyd get into too much trouble. Ours go out to pasture and stay there all summer. I did an experiment a few years ago I had two similar mares foal to the same stud. I halter broke one as a baby the other as a yearling. The older one was halter broke faster and a far easier start than the other. But they could have just been like that cant for sure say it was anything to do with when they were halter broke. Lots of nice horses are halter broke as babies just what I noticed with my two. Thats just me though different things work for different people :- )
Thank you della! 
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Sock Snob
Posts: 3021
| I have a yearling that leads like a,champ. Honestly probably have not leqd her around more than ten times with 3 which was done like in last month. Mare was probably clinton anderson showed how he did a neck rope and drove then forward and pulled then around first couple of times where a little wirey, did it in stall with mare then it was nasty winter. But about 3 weeks ago put the halter on lead her around she forgot everything. But it was easy. And once you get then driving forward and pulling then around. Ya pull on halter like on the side when they take a small step you release by the time they take 5 or 6 steps they are leading the you pull on tye other side same thing and then you back up. |
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