Foals and Young Horses: Training and Management for a Well-behaved Horse
By Ute Ochsenbauer and Beate Schmidtlein
Foals and Young Horses: Training and Management for a Well-behaved Horse PDF. Foals imprint on their mothers and are guided by instinct. But over time they get accustomed to humans and can be reared to become trusting, faithful playmates and companions. Therefore, establishing good behaviour at the outset is fundamental to creating a well-adjusted adult horse.
The authors, using their extensive experience and personal stories, explain how to balance natural behaviour with training methods to develop a well-behaved horse. The approach is knowledgeable and patient and is based on mutual respect between horse and rider. Key exercises are explained in the text by a great variety of photos, and can also be used with older horses. Practical topics covered include vaccination, hoofcare, herd behaviour, feeding and housing. The reader is guided through the health, well-being, training, education and attitude of the first three years of a horse’s life, with a focus on building trust throughout.
Foals and Young Horses is a good companion guide for horse owners, riders and especially breeders. It will also be of interest to equine science students and para-professionals.
Before you decide to breed
Deep trust from the start
The final stages of pregnancy
The birth of the foal
Loss of colostrum
Complications
After the birth
Nursing hurdles
Finding the udder
The imprinting stage
Management and feeding of the nursing foal
A good brood mare …
the foal’s character
What foals should learn
Taking care when leading and tying up
Differences between colts and fillies
Worming and vaccinations
Weaning
The weaned foal – the first winter
Management and feeding in the first winter
Do you understand your foal?
Reaching an understanding with your weanling
Exercises with the yearling
The yearling on summer pasture – the second summer
Management and feeding of yearlings
Family ties
Sexual maturity
Handling the young stallion
Castration
Injuries in mixed-age stallion herds on pasture
In the herd
From yearling to two-year-old – the second winter
Management and feeding
How do horses learn?
Paying close attention
More ambitious ground work
Ground work
Training to load
The two-year-old on summer pasture
Management and feeding of two-year-olds
Stallion licensing
Licensing at three and a half years old
Young blood
A horse’s teeth
Exercises for the two-year-old horse
From two-year-old to three-year-old – the third winter
Management and feeding
More ambitious exercises
Willingness and cooperation
Resources
Exercises for every age
Sources
Further reading
Useful addresses
