Conference noted::equitation

    Hi Dave, let me just follow up on your questions with a little
    background.  Two years ago I bred my welsh pony mare and in May
    of 1985 she delivered a healthy, happy little colt.  He has now
    just passed his first birthday and is doing great.
    
    I halter broke him a 3 days and the training has never stopped.
    By the age of 4 months he was leading at the walk and trot, he knew
    to stop and stand and he had learned to repect me.  In a way you
    should be thankful that you are working with a filly, colts can
    tend to be a little bit more fresh and bold especially during their
    first year.  
    
    In my opinion you are just about where you should be in your filly's
    training.  The important part is that she learn respect and trust
    in you.  Keep working with her, and keeping picking up her feet
    and handling her often.  I suspect that she has gained trust in
    you quickly due to the death of her mom, she will value that attention
    she is given now, and will probably learn to be a "people horse"
    because of it.
    
    After "Misty" was about 7 months old and the winter months were
    upon us I stopped the leading excerises and just keep handling him
    and grooming him, just to keep him used to being worked around.
    Now at 1 year and 2 months, we are at a slight standstill.  He leads
    and reponds well, and stands on crossties and lets me groom him,
    I will let him finish growing up before I start line driving him
    next spring.  From what I have heard, the basics are complete and
    he will remember what he learned when he was younger.  I also have
    recently had him gelded and he is much easier to work with.
    
    Good luck, Dave and keep with it, you are doing great!
    
    Jenny Ciampaglia

    I have raised and trained about 7 foals now (colts and fillies)
    and the main thing to keep in mind (as was mentioned in the previous
    reply) is for them to learn trust.  It is amazing how long a foal
    can remember something bad that happens but if you are careful,
    you should have no problems.
    
    Foals also go through stages were it seems that you have worked
    on the same thing for weeks with no progress and then all of a sudden,
    things "click" again.  This is normal so don't get concerned.  (Foals
    and children seem to have many parallels when it comes to adolescent
    development!)
    
    Best of luck with your filly!
    

    Dave, I've trained three foals now, including 2 colts.  What I'm
    finding out is that, if they have the winter off, they tend to need
    a refresher course of basic training early in the spring.  My foals
    were shown lightly on an amateur circuit and had to know the basics.
     
    My plan is to remind them about basic walk/lead commands, but spend
    moree time along the rail until they have the commands down pat.
    Then I'll progress to free lunging (provided I've completed my sand
    ring) in an area no smaller than 60' in diam.  At this point, thy
    will be wearing splint boots.  Once they've learned commands remotely,
    I may put them on a hot walker, for a VERY limited time at first,
    progressing from a walk to a trot, both sides.
    
    The best way to condition a foal during this period is to pony him,
    if you have an agreeable horse that is taller than your yearling.
    
    At the end of the yearling year, I should be able to lunge on a
    line -- again, lightly and with splint boots to protect the legs.
    Some people bit their horses then -- in the stall -- letting them
    eat with bridles/bits to feel comfortablee with them.  Later in
    the winter or early spring is the time to begin long-lining, using
    the bit if possible, or with halter if the now-two-year-old is
    well-trained to basic commands.  Some race trainers I know begin
    ground-driving throughout the summer and use a cart by fall.  They
    also "back" -- as in get on -- the horses in their stalls in the
    fall of th two-year-old year.  The horses are driven throughout
    th winter and put into mild riding in th spring.
    
    An excllent training book is available, by Amaral (not sure of the
    first name).  Also, there are excellent VHS tapes out on training
    the young horse.

    I have a yearling part-Trakehner filly.  She has always been such
    a sweetheart - until this weekend.  As a first-time foal raiser,
    I found that I made a serious mistake.  That is, I made everything
    too easy for my filly.  She never put up much resistance to anything
    I did with her - haltering, leading, standing tied, grooming, working
    with her feet.  The problem is, she was good about those things
    because she wanted to be, not because she thought I was in charge.
    
    Much of the work described above was done when her dam was "out
    of sight, out of mind" off my property.  The mare has been back
    for a few months now.  I decided to do some light lunging work with
    the filly - just to get her used to the circling, mostly at a walk,
    for just a short period (I know it's rough in their legs).  Well,
    getting her to leave the corral she shares with her dam was a rodeo.
    And by the time I got her to the arena, she could not concentrate
    on learning anything new.  My cute little filly who "leads so well"
    was a monster.  I must say, she is BIG and quite strong; I still
    feel the effects of that battle today.
    
    I have since done some more reading...it seems that the warmblood
    breeds, although often calm, also tend to be a bit dominant in their
    relationships - including with people.  It is very important that
    they know who is boss.  If you make it too easy, they don't really
    learn that you are in control.  In retrospect, I would have stressed
    my filly's obedience a lot more when she was still small and easier
    to dominate.  I would have led her away from her dam often, actually
    leaving the corral; instead, I did all that work with the mare nearby.
    I really didn't want conflicts, partly due to my own lack of
    confidence,since she was my first foal.
    
    Well, the situation is not hopeless, since I won the battle - luckily,
    I had a very experienced friend with me, otherwise I might not have
    been so lucky.  I now have a very sore shoulder and a more humble
    filly, but I wish I had asserted myself sooner.  I'm going to try
    and have my battles with this year's foal *this* year - while she's
    still small!
    
    
    

    I have a friend who successfully trains her unweaned foals to
    trustfully leave their dams long enough to enter a halter class
    at shows.  Her secret is to begin training the foals to halter and
    lead at a few days old, then to work on leading and walking while
    both dam and foal are in a paddock.  Gradually, she works away from
    the dam, always praising the foal after the (5 min) workout.  Next,
    she works the foal outside the paddock, with the dam inside the
    paddock.  Gradually, she works the foal farther and farther away
    from the dam.
    
    The foal always knows it will be praised and returned to its dam;
    the dam doesn't fret when the foal is out of her sight.  Foal and
    handler develop trust.
    
    I've used this method, too.  It takes a couple weeks, but it's worth
    it!
    
    Merrie

    With any mares and foals that I have had, both the mare and the
    foal get taken away. I gradually start the mare back to work 2 weeks
    after she has foaled (if it was a no-problem foaling) and by the
    time the foal is 2 months or so, I am able to trail ride the mare
    for 1 to 2 hours (of easy work). This is important because I not
    only use to halter the babies, but I continued to show the mares
    and I definitely did not want an unhappy, screaming baby back in
    the stall while mom was in her classes!
    
    I also did it gradually by teaching the foal to lead at an early
    age (started at about 1 1/2 weeks) by leaving the foal in the stall
    and taking mom away, and also leaving mom in the stall and taking
    the foal away and slowly working up the separation time. I have
    yet to have a problem and it also makes weaning time easier!
    
    Good luck!
    
    Linda
     

    Thanks for the suggestions.  I had no idea that it would be so
    different having the baby leave the mare versus the other way
    around.  When the mare first returned home, we had a bit of a
    circus because mother and daughter still remembered each other and
    didn't like being able to see other yet in separate paddocks.
    However, I never had any problems taking the mare away to ride.
    
    This year's foal is not real close to her mom; they barely tolerate
    each other, it seems.  However, at weaning she may form a close
    relationship with the yearling; so, I'll have to watch out for that.
    And, meanwhile, I will work on separating the foal from her mom
    as described in the previous replies.  The foal is about a month
    old, easy to halter, and leads near the mare - now I just need to
    take it that one step further.  I don't think it will be very
    traumatic, as the filly is so independent and the mom is not the
    affectionate type (not the same mare who has the yearling).
    
    Just when you learn one lesson, the next situation is different.
    I'm not sure how I'll "induce resistance" in this baby, but I'm
    sure some way will present itself.  No more "walking on eggs" to
    avoid a confrontation!

    Hi!
    I'm Pat Hughes Gordon.  I raise Arabians and have raised several
    foals, including orphans.  All of our babies have been complimented
    on their manners and behavior, including our 4 year old home-raised
    stallion.
    The best suggestion I can make is to do everything with your foal
    that you expect it to do as an adult.  This includes clipping,
    grooming, farrier trims, trailoring, walking over,through and around
    all kinds of scary stuff.  My babies do all this and more by the
    time they are 4 months old.  We also saddle them with a pony saddle
    before they are weaned and lead them with that on.  Also don't forget
    blanketing.
    I could go on and on.  The main thing is to expose them to as many
    new situations as possible while they still have the comforting
    presence of their dam. thus They learn from her example to have
    confidence in you and more importantly to have confidence in themselves.

    I'm entering an area where I have not been before.  Have schooled foals
    before and this one too.  I've developed the three year olds to
    dependable mounts and currntly have two good ones that are now 5 and 6
    respectively.  
    
    The latest weanling is now a yearling and does all the right things on
    halter and grooming and with the farrier.  He is a three gait horse now 
    and responds to the cluck and kiss for trot and canter and goes up or
    down and the whoa's are coming along.
    
    This Saturday I put my "wintec" (for lightness) saddle on his back and
    cinched it firmly while on cross ties.  While he took it without
    misbehaving he was tense.  Into the arena (boy I wish I had the
    camcorder going this time) and off at a walk everything ok.  Trot
    command and cluck and the explosion comes.  Straight up, back end up,
    front end up, up and down, up and down, for about 30 seconds.  Saddle
    didn't come off so the little guy gave it up.  was getting some
    soothing talk from me as well.  I glad I am 6'1" and over 200lbs as he
    would dragged a lesser mass aways.
    
    We did the rest of the lesson without mishap or mistake.   On Sunday
    the saddle was on again and was completely accepted without incident.
    So that worked out ok.  But I wonder....
    
    From 12 months to 24 months I would like to prepare this colt as
    potential for eventing and would appreciate some thoughts as to what
    might be the schedule and types of things to work on during this period
    before you can or should swing the old leg over.  I guess the reason
    not too many people buy weanlings is the sheer volume of stuff you have to
    teach them and the 36 months before you get a "horse".  But I would not
    have missed this last six months for anything.
    
    
     

    If I understood your note correctly, you are long-lining this yearling
    colt. Is that right? If so, you're taking the right approach. The
    mistake was probably in asking for a gait beyond the walk in the first
    session with the saddle. The extra noise of the "demon" on his back
    probably just spooked him. 
    
    The best thing you could do(IMHO) is go back to the early years of
    EQUUS the foal. Dr Matthew MacKay-Smith devised a training program
    for young EQUUS as a yearling which was intended to get him strong and
    fit without injuring his young bones & joints. Young EQUUS the foal was
    destined to compete in Arabian racing. So, the program should be
    applicable to your intended use for this colt. It was mostly
    long-lining with the trainer running behind. So, it will improve YOUR
    fitness too! :-) There has been lots of research on this subject since 
    then that hasvproved that cautious work with these youngsters is GOOD for 
    their bodies and improves their fitness and soundness as adults. 
    
    If you don't have the back issues, I believe that EQUUS magazine has a
    reprint booklet out which would have the articles in it. If all else
    fails, send me mail and I might lend you the appropriate issue(s).
    
    There is also a good video tape by Linda Tellington-Jones which is
    useful in the actual training(but not the physical conditioning)
    of a young saddle horse. It's called "Starting a Young Horse" and it
    has nothing to do with her TTEAM work so don't feel that you need to be
    familiar with her other work to get something out of this tape.
    
    Good luck,
    John

    Thanks for the EQUUS hint, I have back issues but not very far.  Am I
    correct in understanding that the article was called "Young EQUUS the
    Foal"? or was the magazine called that earlier?  Any idea on the
    approximate year?
    
    If by long-lining your are talking about the 38ft lounge line hooked
    through the halter and over the nose, then that is it.  I go  over
    the nose as it can gain respect for your vocal commands when used
    "judiciously", that is to say on the third retry when you are clearly
    being ignored not just misunderstood.  I.E. if I say walk and and I get
    a trot, then wup, wup, and get a walk again no pressure is used.  If the
    trot becomes constant then progressively harder short tugs until he
    wakes up to the message.
    
    Regards,
    

    we prefer to loop the chain (if required) under the chin and attach it
    to the the ring on the halter closest to the eyes, while lounging.
    
    I may be wrong, but I think long lining is with 2 long lines attached
    to a bitting rig (Head stall w/mild bit, surcingle, crupper...).
    
    M

    No, long-lining(also called ground driving) involves putting a bit in
    the horse's mouth and hooking long reins(16'? can't remember the length) 
    and using those reins to steer the critter while you walk behind or at its 
    flank. You can use a surcingle as described in 105.12 by
    STUDIO::PELUSO. You can put the saddle on with the stirrups run up and
    work that way.
    
    What you're doing is lunging.
    
    
    The articles were in the first 3 years of EQUUS magazine. They had a series 
    of monthly articles on raising and training a young horse who was named
    EQUUS. The first year, I think they called it, "EQUUS, the foal", then
    EQUUS the Yearling, etc.
    
    During the second year of the series, they started long-lining
    him for a conditioning effect. Since EQUUS is in it's 15th year, that
    was quite a while ago. But, as I said, they do have a $7-$8 booklet out
    which has the whole series in it. I think the title is "Raising EQUUS" or
    something like that.
    
    John

    Yep, seen long reining done, never done it tho'.  Might be a bit
    furthur along before I try that. (30-60days)  Need to have pretty good
    response to walk and trot I would think before putting in the bit (??).
    
    I used the bit early,(very soft snaffle) and he was confused by it.  So
    dropped it for now.  My surcingle is a bit big yet, are you saying that
    the long lines (reins) go from bit, through stirrups to your hands?
    
    Regards,   

    I have done "longline longeing" on all the young horses.  I prefere to
    use a longeing cavason instead of a bit.  This helps in keeping the
    mouth sensitive but alows one to teach commands in the same manner. 
    The only problem I have encountered is backing.  In the cavason, some
    horses have a problem understanding what is wanted.  You get contact to
    stop but what do you want me to do know"  that is the reaction I get
    from most of the youngsters.  Having an assistant has helped in getting
    the point accross.
    
    just thought I'de put my .02 in
    
    virginia

    Gads, those five months went fast.  Spent far more time doing my best
    to sell Digital, not much with the horses, I'm afraid.  
    the colt is now 17 months and 14.2.  Really filling out.  Still
    responding well to voice and still well behaved.  I WILL get to
    longlining before winter.  
    
    Tried something new.  Out in the field, my son George (12yr) wants to
    get on Jzetah.  Why not? Let see what happens.  leg him up and he grips
    the mane.  Do not touch his ribs, I tell George.  Just say walk.  He
    does and he does.  How about that.  After about 50yds, George gets down
    and Jzetah goes back to the clover.  Could it really be this easy?