Training Tips: Taking baby steps

TRAINING TIPS

Taking baby steps

There’s nothing like the arrival of a new foal. But what’s next? Equestrian Hub mentor DR MATTEA DAVIDSON offers some expert advice.

As a qualified equine vet, 4* event rider and breeder of quality sport horses, Dr Mattea Davidson, BVSc (Hons) MANZCVS (Equine Dentistry) knows her stuff when it comes to producing a high level horse from the ground up. Mattea works alongside husband and fellow top level rider, Shane Davidson, and together they foal down an average of ten of their own mares each season, as well as numerous clients’ mares. While the intention is always to produce an elite equine athlete, ensuring the foal blossoms into a respectful and manageable adult is an integral part of the process. So, when should that training begin? Quietly, at the very beginning, with that very first breath.

Welcome, little one

For Mattea, the highest priority is to have a healthy live foal and a healthy live mare, so everything goes back to that. “Sometimes a foal will get more handling at the point of birth if there is a medical issue, in which case the health of the mare and foal is our top priority,” she says.

Generally speaking, Mattea doesn’t aim to imprint per se, rather she goes through more of a health and well-being checklist. "We go in and do what we have to with the mare during labour, checking foal presentation as they’re being born, that their airways are open once they’re out, and we give them a quick once-over to examine for any abnormalities that may pose a risk.”

Over the next few hours, Mattea is checking that the foal has got up, had a drink from Mum and passed the meconium (first stool). The mare is checked to make sure she has passed the placenta. “So, there is a fair bit of handling that happens in that first period of time,” she explains.

Early days

Shane with a foal sired by Reserve Champion Stallion Check In (Image courtesy Davidson Equestrian).

dictates how much human interaction they receive. “Our embryo transfer foals often don’t get as much handling while they’re still on the mare, because those mares have their foals and then go back out into the paddock and that’s it for that season, they’re not put back in foal until the following year,” says Mattea.

In comparison, mares who carry their own foals are put back in foal six weeks later, so their foals get more handling. They live in the stables, and they’re in and out of the crush multiple times a day and in the middle of the night. The foals are handled and interacted with a little. "We do a bit of ‘foal hugging’, where we get them used to being touched by holding them around the front of their shoulders and around the base of their tail,” Mattea explains, adding that most foals attempt to sit down when you put your hand around their back end, so putting your hand specifically at the base of their tail helps to avoid any accidental fractures. Mattea points out that due to time constraints, their foals are only lightly handled prior to being weaned. But ideally, the more you can do with them early on, the better. “Even at just six months old, a foal is big and strong and potentially much harder to work with,” she cautions.

Picking up feet

From the youngest age it’s a good idea to get them used to having their feet picked up. “You really need a couple of people to make that safe,” Mattea says. The Davidsons tend to start picking up their foals’ feet when they’re in the partition next to their mother in the crush. One person holds or ‘hugs’ the foal, while simultaneously pushing them up against the wall to offer more stability, while the other person picks up the foal’s feet. “When you pick a leg up, often they want to kneel or lie down because they’re not sure what’s going on; they’ve actually got to get used to standing on three legs,” she adds. Some foals are great with their feet right from the start, but others can be touchy and may try to kick out. “You’ve got to be very careful and make sensible decisions around them. There are a lot of injuries that happen to people because of foals – don't treat them like a big dog,” Mattea warns. When you do go to pick up a leg, start from the top of the limb and run your hand down. Importantly, if they try to kick out, keep holding on. Otherwise, they learn very quickly that kicking is a means of making you let go and release that pressure.

Halters and leads

To get them used to it, Mattea suggests putting a halter on your foal as soon as you can. “Just the cheapest, plainest halter you can find. And I say that because you don’t want something sturdy, you want something that’s going to break if it needs to.” Have them in a space, a stable or similar, where they can’t hurt themselves when you first put it on. If they become anxious and want to run away, you don’t want them to gallop through a fence!

Everything for a foal is brand new, so even getting them accustomed to simply having a lead dangling from under their chin takes some careful thought. “When they’re young, we initially attach a piece of bailing twine to the halter, so they get used to having something there, but there is no hard clip or anything to hit themselves with as they flick their head around,” Mattea explains. Plus, bailing twine will break easily if they put their head down and stand on it. “I can’t stress enough how important it is that you get your horse used to standing on their lead rope without thinking it’s a bad thing,” she adds. You can leave them with their dangling twine lead, but again, do so in a safe space. Once they have grasped how to step back off the twine when they tread on it, you can upgrade to leaving an actual lead rope on.

Tying up

Mattea recommends a sturdy hitching rail or a strong tree for safe tie-up training. “If you’re going to tie them up to something, it’s got to be super solid. There can’t be any chance that they’re going to pull it over or pull a rail off.” You want to avoid your impressionable baby becoming injured, or getting a fright.

Initially, youngsters should be tied to the hitching rail in a rope halter and a neck rope, which aids in reducing poll pressure. It’s important to use a lead rope with a clip that won’t break. Mattea has found many leads come with poor quality snap clips. So before use, these are always swapped out for a strong bull clip.

The next stage is patiently standing with friends while tied. “We’ll often have three foals tied to a tree so they have to learn to stand quietly next to each other,” says Mattea. And she always has something close by in case of emergency should a horse become stuck and need to be cut free.

Leading

It’s important for a foal to first be able to tie up before you start doing much leading. “If they understand tying up and

To reduce poll pressure, foals are tied with thick neck straps and rope halters (Image courtesy Davidson Equestrian).

Mattea foal hugging in the crush next to Mum (Image courtesy Davidson Equestrian).

that pressure and release, then they’re less likely to nick off on you when you’re leading them, Mattea says.” Using a rope around the rump as well as the halter rope is a tried and true method of safely teaching the foal to come along where asked without having to drag them. “You want to have the rope quite short, so that if they get a fright and jump forward, you don’t end up with their back end in front of you,” she adds.

Final tasks

For Mattea, a ‘must do’ training component is integrating the concept of a ramp and horse box into everyday life. “We have a float and a truck parked nearby, and will walk the foal up to the tail gate, get them to take a step up, give them some food, then take them back to the stable and repeat it again the next day. It simply becomes part of their everyday life.” moving them away from whip pressure in the round yard; and grooming – which some foals find a bit tickly! “Once we’re content with where they’re at, we put them out in a paddock for a month, before bringing them in and running through it all again,” Mattea concludes.

When done correctly, those all-important foundations are set. The young graduate is turned back out and given time to grow and mature, being handled along the way for regular treatments such as worming and hoof trimming. Breaking in is scheduled when they turn three and, with a bit of luck, they’ll have a very bright future ahead.

Head to Equestrian Hub for the twopart video interview, where Mattea explains the differences between threeyear-old colts and fillies, the perils of processionary caterpillars for pregnant mares, and much more.