Weaning should begin when your foal is five to seven months old.  When to start, is best determined on an individual basis.  There are also many other factors that should be taken into consideration.

This is a very opinionated subject.  However, the best scenario is to achieve it with as little stress, as possible, and when both mare and foal are ready.

In my opinion, weaning is best done by leaving the foal in the pasture it’s accustomed to with its friends and removing the mare. This method causes the least amount of stress on the foal.

After the weaning process is completely over, life should continue normally for your foal. And by now, the every day routine has paid off and your foal will appreciate your contact through grooming and handling.

Now your foal is an individual and I would handle my foal as a young horse ready for training. You should expect responses to your requests from any horse – no matter the age. Be completely at ease in your handling and set your expectations with the new weanling.

Consistent basic handling and care are the keys at this time. Along with the usual and normal care, now is the time for vaccinations to begin.

“Routine” is the key to any horse’s life. And once you establish one, stick to it!

Jackie Brittain
Merriewold Morgans Horse Trainer

At three months, your foal should be easy to handle and enjoyable.  Grooming is the best part of this work and will instill a life long partnership.  Simple tasks of cleaning the face are important.

Using a clean towel, wipe gently around the eyes and extremely softly around the nostrils.  Take care to move slowly around the face – moving only from the side and from below the eyes.

Also, use a finger and open the mouth from the side.  This will make acceptance of paste-worming and eventually the bit simpler.  It’s also good to look at the teeth to see if the bite is even.

Foot care is of the utmost importance to your foal’s correct growth. It is the one opportunity you have before joints become closed.  Your farrier should trim your foal as often as you trim the dam and if there is corrective trimming to be done, it may be necessary to do it on a three week schedule.

The corrective trimming may only involve a slight rasping of the inside, or outside, to correct a deviation in straightness.  This can go a long way to making a difference in the final growth outcome.

Touch is your best training at this point.  Make sure you can touch your foal gently around the ears and even rub them a bit with you fingers.  This is something foals recognize as soothing and can be a calming aid later in breaking.

Also, lift your foal’s tail.  It should be soft and relaxed. If there is tension in the tail, just wait and gently hold, until the foal’s tail relaxes.  This is a good exercise in relaxation and a good indication of the foal’s temperament.

Leading should be nicely advanced at this point and it should be easier to connect with your foal with body language.

Consistency is the key to a smooth relationship with your foal.  Introduce your foal to different people and their reaction may surprise you!

Jackie Brittain
Merriewold Morgans Trainer

Training should begin at foaling. The young foal is very easy to handle and you can instill a trusting relationship from the start. Working with foals is more for building confidence and only working for short periods of time.

The biggest caution in this procedure is to be in control of the mare when working with the foal. Mares in nature have very protective urges due to hormonal changes. You may think you know your mare but she can be very aggressive at this time.

Make your introduction to your foal gently and use their curiosity to your advantage. Once you can touch your foal and stroke it, as if you were lightly brushing, and move close to its side putting your right arm over its back and around its neck. You are in position to go for you first walk with your foal.

Have the mare led and stay close to her with the foal and off you go on your walk. It is very easy to bond with your foal during this exercise and it is important to stay calm and close to the foal in a reassuring manner.

This is a great lesson and expand the touch and stroking to down the legs and lift the legs as if to clean their hooves. You can also start with putting on a halter (preferably leather foal halter). Again stand next to you foals shoulder with your right arm over the back and around the neck.

Next bring the halter under the neck and up to the head placing the noseband from underneath the chin so as not to scare the foal. Going straight to the face from the front is quite frightening. The main lesson is to build confidence and trust by repeating your movements consistently and quietly and above all for very short sessions!

Jackie Brittain
Merriewold Morgans Trainer