Horse Forum: Imprinting the Foal??

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Topic: Imprinting the Foal??

AnnaBelle02
Member
Member # 1091

posted March 31, 2004 07:44 AM

Does anyone have any good tips on Imprinting? Or does anyone know any good sites (on the web) or books about imprinting?

I want my mare to foal by herself (if all goes well, and I'll be watching in the wings)-I'll remove the membranes from it- but I don't plan to really step in until after the umbilical cord breaks (to do the iodine and tie up the placenta so she doesn't step on it) Then I would like to leave them alone (still watching though) until after the foal has its first milk. (I can see already that I'm going to have to have amazing will power to stay away from this darling baby [Cute Kiss]

) Then I'll start imprinting.

Any suggestions on how to imprint, how long to wait before starting to imprint or just any other tips/personal experiences let me know!

Thanks [Big Grin]

[ March 31, 2004, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: AnnaBelle02 ]

Posts: 745 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2003

HorseCrazy1981
Member
Member # 1771

posted March 31, 2004 08:09 AM

I don't know how your mare foals, so this advice may or may not help. When my Arab mare had her last foal (a boy), she had just started to eat her breakfast, then laid down and went into labor. She had him out in about 10 minutes, the umbilical cord broke. I was right there by her side (or rear, lol) through the whole thing. After the foal was out, I pulled the remnants of the bag away from his face, dried him off a bit, she nickered at him, he nickered back, then she rested for about 10 minutes. She then got back up, shook off, and was ready to eat. She let us take care of the baby, though she did keep an eye on us. We moved her into the stall after she finished eating, and attempted to move the baby into the stall, he still couldn't walk right yet. After we pushed, pulled and finally picked him up and carried him in the stall, we left him and momma for a few hours to let them get to know each other. When we came back out (around lunchtime) momma and baby were both standing, doing fine. I went into the stall, momma stood off in a corner, and I played and brushed the baby down, then brushed mamma down. That afternoon, momma got a bath, baby watched and played in the water. That evening, we sat in the stall with baby while momma ate. The next day we put a halter on him (boy was that fun, lol). After a few weeks of this, we were all doing great. Momma would let baby go with us without too much fussing, and baby would walk on the lead without constantly crying for momma. By the time 3 months had passed, he was trained to do everything a full grown horse could do (except riding, but we did put the blanket on his back a few times). We would, tie, trailer, lead, pick up feet(hooves), you know, the basics. He was a perfect gentleman by the time we sold him (10 months). This may or may not help you. Some people like to do things differently.

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I love my babies!!
Beauty--Heinz 57 mare
Prince--TB gelding
Black--Arab/TW mare
Buffy--Belgian mare
Angel--Arabian mare
Desiree--Arabian mare

Eventually I have to get up off my lazy butt and do something.

Posts: 908 | From: Mississippi | Registered: Feb 2004

horse_crazy
Member
Member # 334

posted March 31, 2004 11:52 AM

Imprinting:
If you can, get the foal to lay down. If not thats okay. Pat the hooves, rub the foal all over. Some people take clippers in by the foal and other things such as this. We dont, we just pat the hooves, rub the foal....talk softly to him/her, put the halter on and take it off a few times during the day. But, all of our foals are "played with" everyday. Younger kids, ages 8, 11 and 14 play and touch the foal everyday, so he/she is getting plenty of handling...but not too much.

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Mares:
Honey-buckskin(in-foal to a smutty buckskin stallion)
BG-palomino/dunalino(foaled a beautiful filly)
Dibby-dun(in-foal to a palomino stallion)
Star Bucks-buttermilk buckskin(not bred, we may just use her as a riding horse)

Fillies:
Lizzy-grulla(will be used as a broodmare in the future, due to an injury as a weanling...we are unsure if she will be riding sound, although she might be, as her injury has healed so well...you can't even tell)
Sheba-black(hopefully will be shown in Halter classes starting this year)
Blue-blue roan(we aren't too sure what we are going to do with this filly yet....but she is a cutie)

Geldings:
Poco-sorrel/overo*Paint*(Awesome riding horse!)
Brandy-*FOR SALE*(Nice 2 yr old, going into training soon, price will go up, feel free to ask me about him..if you are interested)

Foals:
Tinker Bell- Red dun filly. Nice short neck, long legs, beautiful eyes..absolutely beautiful. Very people friendly.

Other 2 foals are expecting between May and June.

Posts: 853 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2003

AnnaBelle02
Member
Member # 1091

posted March 31, 2004 12:02 PM

Thanks guys this is good stuff
I agree with you horse_crazy about the kids and things (my mare is fine with kids) but she is leary about some men so I want lots of differnt people in to see the foal.
I heard also instead of clippers you can use a plastic bag. Thankfully my mare isn't affraid of any of these things so she won't mind me doing it.

But do you wonder if she will mind strange men in with the foal? Some of my professors (who she has never met) are planning on making a day trip down to see the foal when it is born.

Posts: 745 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2003

horse_crazy
Member
Member # 334

posted March 31, 2004 12:17 PM

Well, if she is leary of men int eh first place Id be VERY VERY careful w/ strange men coming in seeing her foal. I dont know if you have evr had a foal before, Im guessing not...but if you dont know how the mare is w/ a foal you should be careful, w/ anyone going in by her and the foal. Especially the amount of people. When we bought our palomino mare 2 years ago, she was pregnant and due to foal. Well, she foaled and she was pretective of her foal, everyone that had horses near us had to come see the foal....well she didnt like that too much. So just be aware of the fact that their moods towards other people may OR maynot change when their foal comes along.

If you'd like to take a plastic bag in their and rub the baby w/ it, and your mare allows it, go for it. As I said, just be aware that the mare CAN get a little cranky if you are playing w/ her foal too much.( again, this might not be the case w/ your mare....Im just saying as a heads up...just incase.)

Good luck w/ your foaling experience, i hoep your mare has a beautiful and healthy foal!

--------------------
Mares:
Honey-buckskin(in-foal to a smutty buckskin stallion)
BG-palomino/dunalino(foaled a beautiful filly)
Dibby-dun(in-foal to a palomino stallion)
Star Bucks-buttermilk buckskin(not bred, we may just use her as a riding horse)

Fillies:
Lizzy-grulla(will be used as a broodmare in the future, due to an injury as a weanling...we are unsure if she will be riding sound, although she might be, as her injury has healed so well...you can't even tell)
Sheba-black(hopefully will be shown in Halter classes starting this year)
Blue-blue roan(we aren't too sure what we are going to do with this filly yet....but she is a cutie)

Geldings:
Poco-sorrel/overo*Paint*(Awesome riding horse!)
Brandy-*FOR SALE*(Nice 2 yr old, going into training soon, price will go up, feel free to ask me about him..if you are interested)

Foals:
Tinker Bell- Red dun filly. Nice short neck, long legs, beautiful eyes..absolutely beautiful. Very people friendly.

Other 2 foals are expecting between May and June.

Posts: 853 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Jun 2003

Sandra-A1
Member
Member # 588

posted March 31, 2004 03:21 PM

We start the imprinting process as soon as the foal is out of the mare and the umbillical cord is broken. We treat the cord and start imprinting! Never had a problem with the mares having us there or bonding with their foals.

The BEST thing for you to however, is to buy Dr.Robert Miller's Imprint Training books or rent/buy his videos. Imprint training is fantastic but can be done incorrectly or not enough. The books will help you know what you need to be doing and how to do it correctly. The videos are great because you see it being done and are told the hows and whys as well as show what to look for and expect. Both tell you NOT what to do!!!!
You can find the books at most tack shops and book stores you can also get them online at Amazon and from his website:

Dr. Robert Miller - Imprint Training

Also here is another method of training foals too:

Enhanced Foal Training

[ March 31, 2004, 03:30 PM: Message edited by: Sandra-A1 ]

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"It is our choices Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
-Dumbledore

Posts: 1863 | From: Alabama | Registered: Aug 2003

AnnaBelle02
Member
Member # 1091

posted April 01, 2004 05:07 PM

Wow!!! Those were some amazing picture on the Enhanced training one!!
Those bean bag 'chairs' - LayZ boys for horses or what!? hehe

I've seen that book - it does seem really good I'll probably buy it.

Posts: 745 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2003

probarrelracer
Member
Member # 1942

posted April 01, 2004 06:52 PM

Something else that we do in addition to all of the things listed above is to push the foal around after it stands. Push him over to the right and left. Push him forward and back. This is the foundation for teaching them to give to pressure. We run clippers, spray water with a bottle, rub inside the nostrils, between front and back legs etc.
[Wink]

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http://www.picturetrail.com/gid3998200

Posts: 466 | From: Louisiana | Registered: Mar 2004

AnnaBelle02
Member
Member # 1091

posted April 05, 2004 05:29 PM

I'm praying the foal will take after 'mom'. I got her as a 2 year old and she had really never had anything done with her (she had got caught in a fence as a yearling and after that they just turned her out to pasture until she sold). Anyways she never had a problem with anything - spraying bottles, hoses, clippers, plastic bags (thats where treats come from you know [Razz]

) hehe so ya hopefully some of her level headedness will rub off.

Posts: 745 | From: Ontario, Canada | Registered: Nov 2003

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