Instructions
Pet, hold and handle the foal as soon as possible. Equine experts suggest lots of human contact within the first hours of a foal's life and every day thereafter. This allows the horse to "imprint" with humans and as a result, it will accept human companionship and training as it matures.
Provide a quiet, protected environment for baby and mother for the first few days. A private stall is good but mom needs to get out and exercise a little. Before you lead the pair out into the corral, put other horses, dogs and farm animals in a separate area.
Schedule a veterinarian visit within the first week to make sure your foal is healthy and stable. In addition, call your farrier out when the foal is 1-month old for an assessment of the foal's hocks and hooves to determine if corrective shoeing is in order.
Deworm foals on a monthly basis when they reach 2 months of age. Consult your veterinarian for the correct deworming medication, instead of using regular horse dewormer that may be hard on a foal's system.
Supplement mother's milk with quality hay at 1-month old and add grain or oats at 2 months of age. Withhold sweet feed and alfalfa until the foal is 6-months old and monitor his intake at that time to ensure he does not founder.
Wean your foal before he reaches 6 months of age. This is a traumatic time for the foal and he must be totally separate from his mother for at least 3 weeks. During that time, increase his interaction with humans and begin halter training.
Allow time and room for lots of healthy exercise during your foal's first year of life. Letting the foal run in the pasture daily helps prevent epiphystitis, a joint condition arising from lack of exercise.
Enjoy your foal. You can't ride him until he reaches 3 years of age but you can lead him behind another horse and you can work on his social skills on a daily basis.
How to Care for a Foal
The anticipation is over; your foal has finally arrived. A little creature that appears to be more legs than anything is wobbling around in the stall. There are things you can do to help her get a great start in life. The actions you take now will ensure a healthy horse with an even temperament in years to come.