What should a 1 month old colt know?

[HorseyGurl]

The subject line pretty much says it. What type of things should a normal colt be trained to do?

Right now he's just been ok with one person in the paddock at a time petting him. He doesn't like the halter to be put on (if I do mange to get it on, he has no problem wearing it, I don't lead him with it yet)
I've been trying to mess with his legs more, picking up his feet. He'll let me pick them up, but then starts kicking, and because you can't restrain him he just runs away.

[Nanook]

you should start getting him used to his halter, putting it on and off, making him stand for you and maybe start to teach him to lead abit. Remember the bigger they get the more stong and harder they are to catch if they don't want to be. ;) The longer you wait until they are halterbroke and can lead, the more likly they are to decide that they don't want to and you can't make them. introduce him to everything you can think off! from a wooden floor to the rocks outside. quite often people don't think to do that and oneday you lead them out to the gravel and they freak out becuase it feels wierd under their feet. I bought my colt at the age of 12 days (mommy included of course) and we started from day one getting him used to everything. He gashed up his shoulder while only about two months of age and he needed penicillen everyday and to be hosed down. Horses are infamous for hurting themselves so the more they trust you to touch them everywhere the easier it is to treat them when they get hurt. Its alot easier to get them used to picking up their feet while they are younger since their kicks won't have as much force behind them as say a 6 month old or yearling.

Hope this kind of helps in a way. They are babies so you do have to be very slow and gental, teaching them that they can trust their humans and nothing they do will be painful. you do have to realise that they ARE BABIES and obviously won't do everything right away. it might take a few weeks to get him comfortable with you touching his feet. pick it up and put it down if he doesn't start kicking. praise him for everything! lots of pats and scratches! if he kickes, don't let go but place it back on the ground. wait a moment and than do it again. eventually he will be like 'boring.' what next. but if they see you doing things with mommy they will get curious ;)

[galadriel]

Reember that any force you use can backfire on you, both with physical damage to the foal and emotional damage making him frightened of you--or even aggressive towards you.

If he's hesitant about things, give him time. Let him get used to them. If he can't hold up one leg, then just ask him to pick it up and put it back down again. If that's too much, then just get him accustomed to having you touch the leg. You'll get there eventually. (and look at those legs! A baby's not going to be able to balance well on 3 legs...)

Now is the time to stay within his comfort zone, not to push his training until he complies.

[HorseyGurl]

Thanks, that helps.

I've been reading all these training books, but they don't specify when these behavior should be taught! I've been trying to go real slow with him, but I'm just feeling as if I'm not getting any where. I kick myself because there were things I should have done when he was first born that I didn't find out about it was too late. Now I'm trying to play catch up.:(

[Nanook]

don't worry about it to much. Everyone will say somthing different and depending on their own expirences in things they will do different things. not all answers are in the books, every horse is different. The basic thing to remember is that you can never force a horse to do somthing. You can ask, and if they trust you (or just feel like it) they will do it. The main thing is to build trust. not everything you do with him should be work. He SHOULD want to please you in time, he just needs to feel safe and know that what your asking him is safe. Just be very direct with what you do, very slow and don't confuse him.

He will want to be sure that your sure you know what your doing. if he gets stressed out stop. Let him think about it and than do it again. It won't help either of you if he is confused and your annoyed. He will sense that and become frightened.

once you get him comfortable with picking up his feet, tap them to simulate a hammer. or use the back of the hoof pick. This can work wonders for the babies first ferrier visit. Nothing worse than having a bad first visit. They remember and it can be really hard on the owners and ferriers when everytime you have a tramatized horse.

]Remember though! some horses are pastured until they are 4, 5, 6 starting younger is easier on the horse, but doesn't always happen that way. some may need more time. Don't rush the little guy. he will get it eventually! So don't worry that you didn't do stuff with him when he was born, its never to late. ^.^

[Wally]

So long as you can run your hands all over him, and he is happy to be touched, don't worry. Maybe introduce a foal slip but don't try to lead him with it yet.

All you really need to be doing is imprinting humans on him. Scratch his back for him, be there with him. Once he is about 6 weeks then get someone to lead mum about, he'll follow then very, very gently start to lead him alongside mum, when she stops ask him and use on off pressure on his halter just to get him used to it. all he needs to do by 12 months is lead, have is legs and whole body handled and that's that, nothing fancy and you have ages to do it in.

There is no right and wrong way, I have horses who have never had the hand of man on them in 3 years, it is hard work to train them down then, but not impossible. The luxury of a 1 month old foal to work with! ;) If the mother is laid back and tame half the job will be done by her and her example to him.

[Mehitabel]

yep - it should know that humans are a Good Thing, they give cuddles and scratches and kisses. ours have a halter on but are not led from it for several months - they are led with the leadrope round the base of the neck, once they have graduated from a teatowel.

now is the time for shaping its relations with people into a positive one - humans should be a source of Good, never something that scares them. that is the absolute most important thing at this stage, everything else will come from that. if he is absolutely certain you will never do a bad thing to him, then when you come to want to play with his legs he won't mind. if you try to play with his legs before he is convinced of that (remember the legs are his survival - a horse with a leg out of action or restrained is a dead one, in the wild - and he doesn't know he isn't in the wild yet, so legs are a big deal) then he will think you are putting ihm in danger and that wil lshape his opinion in a different direction. so get his confidence first, and then everything else is much easier.