How To Raise a Foal: Essential Training
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Home > Teaching Your Baby Horse
Your Foal: Essential Training for the First Two Years
Now that you've got that new baby... how are you going to train it? Here's your five-Day guide to the proven training techniques of John Lyons: Learn body control for respect, sacking out, halter training, bathing and leading. Download and print from your own computer in minutes!
- Explains the proven methods of famous trainer John Lyons
- Download the book, print it out from home or work
- Learn the exercises/material at a rate comfortable for you
- Format: Five days, five individual chapters
Here's an excerpt from Day 3 of "Your Foal: Essential Training " written by John Lyons Certified Trainer Keith Hosman:
"With an older horse I'll speed the sucker up, maybe move him around till his lungs say to his brain "Hey, figure something out!" But don't try that with a youngster. That is absolutely a no-no. With a foal (remembering that "no sweat" rule), our recourse is more limited. Use your voice or clap your hands, try snapping the whip or running at him to demand an awakening of sorts. If he'll only move off at a lackadaisical speed as if blowing you a raspberry, then by all means, snap him in the rear with the whip. But, if you've been quick to fix his mistakes, his overall respect for you should stay strong. Even when he's trying his heart out be careful to not allow him to "get sloppy" through his repetitions (inside turns, for instance). Allowing him to just "go through the motions" will gradually eat away at the respect he has for you. Don't nag and don't drag things out. Keep things snappy and interesting.
Okay, with you and the colt there in the pen, let's tackle number 3. Let's get the horse haltered. Begin by rubbing your foal stem to stern with the lead rope balled up in your hand. Rub his head and ears with it. If he's okay with that, if he stands there calmly, then progress by rubbing the horse all over with the lead rope folded in half. Droop it over his ears and allow it to catch there, pulling his ears forward and back. Wrap the lead around his neck and tug it back off. Bring it with a swing to wrap around his torso, back legs, neck and head. Keeping yourself there at the point of his shoulder, use both hands to bring the lead back and forth several dozen times past his eyes. Try moving faster. Make a little noise. Get creative and do everything from both sides. Stay vigilant because you'll always be surprised at the strange combinations of movements that will frighten your horse when you wouldn't have expected it."
More "courses on the horse" are available:
Stop Bucking | Read a Review
Round Pen: First Steps | Read a Review
Rein In Your Horse's Speed (For Owners of Nervous / Bolting Horses) | Read a Review
Trailer Training Your Horses | Read a Review
