How to Rear Foals

Rearing foals correctly can mean the difference between a well-mannered horse that enjoys a good home and a horse with behavioral problems that ends up abused. Proper rearing starts with having a well-conditioned mare that understands basic commands such as leading and hand cues. Foals form their first perceptions of humans from the mare's responses, and they spend the first months of their lives watching their mothers. Rearing foals requires patience, consistency and gentleness.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter and lead
  • Commercial foal feed
  • Adjacent stalls
  • Pasture area
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Instructions

    • 1

      Help your foal nurse by placing one hand under the foal's jaw and the other hand around the foal's hindquarters. Gently push the foal toward the udder. Foals should nurse within 3 hours of birth. After nursing, gently massage the mare's udder and note any sore spots. If the mare appears in pain, have a veterinarian examine her for mastitis.

    • 2

      Imprint the foal using non-stressful daily contact such as rubbing her withers or the base of her tail. These sessions should be limited to less than 10 minutes and should end on a positive note. Giving the mare treats such as apples can help set a positive example for the foal, as she will note her mother's positive reaction to you. For the first months of the foal's life, most of the contact should be in an enclosed space with the mare present.

    • 3

      Move the foal to an adjacent stall for three to four days when she is about 4 to 5 months old to wean her from the mare; then move the foal and mare to a separate pasture or barn. Before weaning, the foal should be used to eating a daily commercial grain supplement designed for foals. Begin feeding this at 2 months of age. Plan to visit the foal twice a day during weaning; she will begin to associate you as a replacement for her mother.

    • 4

      Hold the halter below the foal's eye level and allow him to sniff it (this is the first step of halter-breaking). Gently unbuckle the halter and place it at the base of the foal's neck, eventually working up to buckling the halter and leading the foal next to his mother. Break up the procedures into a series of small steps, often lasting a couple of days, rather than attempting to buckle the halter during the first session.