# Foal Imprinting Do and Don't any info you have



## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I have used it I think its great. It has made a difference in being able to handle the foals as adults. You can put in the work those first hours after birth and have it there even if you let them run wild a bit as a yearling. I think it also can reduce the stress of things like training because they are already used to humans.


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## bbsmfg3 (Aug 12, 2010)

It can go well and it can go not so well. I'm sure you'll hear a lot about the going well.

On the not so well. I'd say about 1/2 do not do so well. Why? The become too much of a pet, and are very difficult to get them responsive when you start training for the saddle. The are in your pocket all of the time. 

IMO. I'd rather have a 3 yr old that has only been handled enough to lead a bit, trim it's feet and worm them. When we were raising 30 plus foals per year, the hardly ever touch became better horses, faster than those we imprinted at birth. We had one that was great as a herd baby sitter. She always brought all of them up, when ever we called. But, as a riding horse she failed miserably. We finally just gave up on her, and let her baby sit. By the way, she is now 44 years young, and gives kids bareback rides all over the petting zoo. She loves it, she can take them wherever she wants and the kids are crazy about her.

This is exactly why the big name pro trainers go faster with the never touched, than with the pets.


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## palogal (May 30, 2008)

I'm never lucky enough to catch the foal at birth, but I would not imprint anyway. I will handle a foal long enough to get a halter on it and then leave it to be with it's mother until weaning time. I handle mama a lot before weaning time and if the foal is interested I will offer attention. They usually do. Having introduced myself to the foal daily before weaning, I don't have a problem halter breaking etc after weaning.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Eh, I prefer a horse that hasn't been imprinted. It seems to be rather rare to find a horse that was an "imprinted foal" that isn't disrespectful.

About all I want done is just enough handling where they will let you lead them, pick up their feet, and get in a trailer. Beyond that, I want them left alone so that they can learn to be a horse.


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## KyMoMoF3CuTiEs (Feb 5, 2013)

That's pretty much what we have always done, we handle the foal very little. Rub it and give it space. Brush it or what not when we have been handling the mare if it shows that it is nosey of what we are doing. But, I was wondering. We have never went into detail as I have seen. Just enough for them to not be scared and friendly twords humans. We have green broke all bit one of our foals so I was looking at new things. I am planning on keeping this foal.
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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

For what it's worth, I have 2 horses that are a year apart (one is coming 4 and one is coming 3). The 4 year old was born on my place and, I admit, I overhandled him and ended up needing help from my very dominant Mustang to teach him some manners when he was about 3 months old. The other wasn't handled at all until I got him when he was about 4-5 months old.

Now, I cannot tell the difference in them at all, but I learned my lesson about babying a baby LOL.


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## jannette (Aug 24, 2011)

we did imprint with our first foal, who is coming two this spring. he is a very personable little horse and always in your space...we can do about anything to him and with him, from picking up his feet to putting rain coats and hats on him (not that that will help in breaking him to ride lol) but now that we are getting serious about ground work he just really has no respect and what was cute with him being "in your pocket" is now a pain :-(. he doesnt bite or kick but he is crowdy and you cant send him away at all, he just moves around you. our last years foal we have handled just the basics. catch, brush, load, pick up feet, a little treat and go. she gets out of the way when u send her and is way more focused on us when we are working with her. but still very comfortable around people. not sure which will end up a better saddle horse though guess we will see.


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## HorseLovinLady (Jul 18, 2011)

I helped imprint "my" foals when they were born, none of them had any respect issues. Yes they did follow me around and want to be close to me, but they also respected my space and were easy to break under saddle and train.


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

I imprinted my first and only foal. He is very in-your-pocket and loves attention! He comes right up to the gate to be haltered and will hang is head over the fence and watches you and makes you feel guilty if you don't give him the attention he feels he deserves. You can handle him all over, run ropes, whips and tarps all over him, no problem accepting all sorts of tack, etc. I think he sees me as his entertainment coordinator! 

The downside? He's always in your space, mouthy, pushy, etc. Doesn't lead politely. Kind of a pain-in-the-behind even though he has a kind disposition.

He is 3 years old this year and he IS learning respect, but man, it's been a tough row to hoe. I will never raise a baby again. I don't know how much was the imprinting and how much was just me over-handling him because he was my first foal and I wanted to teach him everything from the moment he was born. I knew disrespect could be a problem and tried to prevent it but obviously I wasn't very successful.

So I don't know. I think you need a balance of handling and discipline. I handled a lot but apparently didn't discipline enough. 

To give him credit, he's getting better and better and I'm riding him now after sending him off for saddle training. But nothing came easy for us. Our current problems are more along the lines of spooking though and not so much disrespect. Maybe all young horses are like this and I am just not cut out for it. :-( In a way it makes me feel better that other people have had the same problem and it's not just me.

I really hope he will make it as a riding horse for me. Apparently he did fine for the trainer (after initial respect issues were sorted out). For me he is a little spooky and insecure. I pray we both get some confidence this summer!


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## KyMoMoF3CuTiEs (Feb 5, 2013)

So, its better to just stick to the basics, and not handle to much til weaning is what I'm getting.
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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

Well, my experiences are probably "operator error." I really didn't know what I was doing with my first foal. 

But it seems most people feel it is better to just teach the basics and not over-handle. There doesn't seem to be as much risk in getting a spoiled horse that way.


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## countryryder (Jan 27, 2012)

I've always imprinted mine,with great success. Never had issues like what has been mentioned here,with them being spoiled,pushy,ect.. If it is done RIGHT,there are many benefits to it,but it is very important to do it properly!


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## trailhorserider (Oct 13, 2009)

countryryder said:


> I've always imprinted mine,with great success. Never had issues like what has been mentioned here.. If it is done RIGHT,there are many benefits to it,but it is very important to do it properly!


I tried to do it right. I bought and studied Dr. Miller's book. I'm really not sure exactly where I went wrong. I can only assume it's discipline because of the "respect" issues. But I can't even tell you where I went wrong. :-(

Baby was very desensitized to wearing things at a young age however. :lol:


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I think imprinting is good but you can be sucked into the "its a baby" thought process. Which means you allow certain behaviors because "its a baby". If you imprint you treat them as "its a horse". So, when we imprint, any behavior that would not be tolerated in a 2 year old is not tolerated in a 2 day old.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I read a research paper on this and the conclusion was that the unhandled until a yearling babies fared better with their handling than the very early handling. I believe a foal should be handled in a way that a vet might require, that it's fine with an arm around it's chest or hips, or both, will hold a hoof up, etc. Other than that it should be left to learn how to be a respectul foal as it's mama would teach it.


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## CCBella (Jul 6, 2010)

I own one horse that wasn't imprinted and two that I've bred myself and imprinted at birth. My imprinted girls while definitely pocket ponies know their boundaries, aren't bargy and are easy to train. My girl who wasn't imprinted or handled much before weaning is a lot more argumentative and less trustful of people. I've seen the complete opposite in other peoples' horses. I think it depends on the horse and if you are imprinting don't over do it and make sure the foal is treated like any other horse.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

I will handle a foal as much as it will allow in the months from birth to weaning. I dont inprint. I wait until the foal is functioning. We do do the necessary doctoring of the foals when they are born, but that is all the handling we do right away. That is more restraining than handling anyway. The mare and baby are given time to bond and recover. 

It is all up to the baby how much I do. My GOAL is to have the foal where it will come to me and let me touch and handle him all over, an usually picking up all four feet before it is weaned. I want them to want to be with me because when they are weaned they lose all choice in the matter. It also makes them easier to teach. We have the luxury of not having to halter right away, so we wait until weaning. It is a lot of work and takes a great deal of patience but it works for us. For us, it is best. 

Sometimes it takes me a few weeks to get them to allow me to touch them, others a few months. Due to my schedule, I only succeeded with one last year and not the other. You can really tell the difference. The one I had handled a little is pretty much okay with everything. The other puts up more fight over new things. She is slowly coming to trust. She's a good girl though, no matter how snitty and opinionated she is.
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## CessBee (Dec 6, 2008)

I did not imprint Piper, I have been taking it slow with her with learning at her pace. She is 5 months now, going to wean around 7-8 as i dont really have any time constraints on that front, she leads, stands for brushing, halters with no fuss, still not too solid on the hoof holding thing, but we'll get there with time. 
As I can only be there for a week at a time every 2-4 week's it has really prevented the overhandling. I treat her like a horse and do not baby her if she takes a wrong step I calmly and firmly correct it. She is currently a really nosey thing and can be a little overbearing but is learning the boundaries quickly.
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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I do not imprint foals as such but, one of the first things I do do once they are happily up on their feet is to confine them in my arms and if possible to actually lift and carry them This makes them think that people are stronger than horses. 

I like my foals to learn to pick up their feet, have a halter on and off and lead with their dams. That is it. Once they have this then it doesn't matter if they are left for three years they will not forget.

I would rather have an unhandled horse then a spoilt one. I have never had any problem doing anything with an unhandled horse (like clipping)


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## 2horses (Oct 11, 2009)

trailhorserider said:


> I imprinted my first and only foal. He is very in-your-pocket and loves attention! He comes right up to the gate to be haltered and will hang is head over the fence and watches you and makes you feel guilty if you don't give him the attention he feels he deserves. You can handle him all over, run ropes, whips and tarps all over him, no problem accepting all sorts of tack, etc. I think he sees me as his entertainment coordinator!
> 
> The downside? He's always in your space, mouthy, pushy, etc. Doesn't lead politely. Kind of a pain-in-the-behind even though he has a kind disposition.
> 
> ...



I really relate to you. Your horse sounds a lot like my three-year-old. I did not have him at birth, but he was raised in a lesson barn, where kids hung all over him from day one. The good news is that he is not afraid of much and has never minded people laying on his back or anything like that, but on the downside, it takes so much to get him out of your space. I sometimes feel almost abusive just to get him to take a few steps away from me. It seems as though he is missing all of the fear (I'm not sure "fear" is the right word) of humans that some horses have. I wanted a non-spooky horse, but he might be taking it a bit too far. 

I wonder about the nature/nurture philosophy. Maybe it's just the individual nature of the horse. My Haflinger is the exact opposite of my young guy, but I don't know how he was raised.


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## LadyDreamer (Jan 25, 2008)

^ on horses like these, I have found they don't really believe you unless you are wielding something, like a stick or a hat, or a rope, or some other object you can use to whack them with. I can pummel and slap and punch and poke and pinch and hit and wave all day long with as much force as I can muster on a few of them with my bare hands and they don't bat an eye. If I have a stick I don't even have to touch them usually. "Oh! THAT'S what you wanted! Why didn't you say so?"
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