Gentling baby - what halter

[LaraNSpeedy]

I am a bit neurotic - our 6 week old foal (colt) has a small hernia and I just want to be able to check it and all that.

When he was born - it was like 11 pm and there were no indicators and we did not have a really good due date due to the fact I bought the mare pregnant and the prior owner sold her because she did not want a pregnant mare - the person she bought her from said a stud got to her through the fence.

So we thought she was going into labor and nothing happened and we waited and watched and of course the one night we went to bed because she acted the most like she was not in labor was the night she had him so the next morning he was running around and nursing and everything was grand by 830 am.

Needless to say - I got to love on him that day but he was very spirited and high energy and the mom extremely protective. So I did not push it. I have spent more time loving up on mom and playing with him as he approached me.

But I decided I need to get him to let me halter him and handle him and touch him so my vet can really look at the hernia good and for a countless other reasons. So I take them in the stall and force some love on him which he would hate to admit it but seems to like it. =)

It is easier leaving the halter on of course - he runs backwards when I put it on so I left it on. It is a nylon halter and its on as tight as I can without it causing issues but I am neurotic about him getting caught up in it.

What solutions do you use - what halters do you use? I have a foal rope halter but it loosens as he wears it no matter how I tie it. He is half Arabian and the leather one is loose around the nose. The nylon one I have lets me adjust every strap.

He is a great looking strong big baby - but he is a real boy - he acts very proud and doesnt really want to be told what to do - LOL.

[everafterfarm]

I only ever use leather halters on foals. I personally prefer the “grow with me” ones as they come with 2 crown sizes so it’s almost like 2 in one. Babies love to scratch their ears with hind feet, and a nylon or rope halter will NOT break if baby gets his foot stuck which means something on baby is going to break.

On another note, it’s normal for baby to back up when you try haltering him. Easy solution is to stick his butt in a corner of his stall or a corner of his paddock and then slip it on. Good luck with your new baby.

[JB]

http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=6996900d-e183-466d-b14c-0c3c1cbcfc90

Adjustable leather halter with 2 size crown pieces.

[skip_rainy_shi]

Loved the grow with me leather halter with the short catch rope. Though my filly is growing out of it so fast she will be 5 weeks old and I have added holes to the biggest crown piece she will have out grown it by next week. I then have a nice leather foal halter.

[Bacardi1]

I definitely would NEVER use a nylon or rope halter on a foal. (Well, on any horse for that matter.)

I’ve tried several over the years, but my favorite is the foal halter put out by Gatsby. The leather - including the edges - is very soft from the get-go; absolutely no worries about rubbing tender skin with these. And they’re not only very inexpensive, but very handsome looking to boot. And they clean up & great & LAST. Some of my Gatsby halters are still going strong after 10 years or so.

Some feed stores carry them (at least around here) or can order them for you, & there are definitely a number of online sources. What I love about Gatsby halters are all the different sizes they make - foal, yearling, pony, Arabian, cob, horse, extra-large horses, etc., etc. It’s pretty difficult to not be able to find a halter in their lineup that will comfortably fit your horse(s).

[showjumpers66]

Personally, I am anti halter restraint for young foals as it is so easy to hurt their necks at this age. It is fine for him to wear a halter, but I always use leather halters. Quillin are my favorites. It should not be adjusted snug, but not so loose that it is sagging. The best scenario is to take it on/off each time you work with him.

If you are having trouble getting your hands on him, the halter isn’t going to help much as you shouldn’t be grabbing him by it. That will teach him to run backwards and risk him hurting himself by either pulling back or flipping over. You should be catching and restraining him by wrapping an arm around his chest and an arm around his hindquarters. Best place to do this is in a small space so you can use the wall to squeeze him up against. Always have someone hold the mare and then she can also be used as a barricade.

Once we start to halter break, we use a butt rope, so that the pressure to move forward is there and not the halter. We use guiding pressure on the halter.

If you want to take it slow. Bring mare and foal into a stall daily and just groom her until he gets curious enough to let you scratch him.

[Texarkana]

I really don’t like leaving ANY halter on a foal, and definitely never leave a nylon one on. That’s an accident waiting to happen. I always use leather ones.

Bring mom and baby in to feed. Put the foal in the corner of the stall so he can’t back away from you before even attempting to put the halter on. Catch him by giving him a “hug” around the neck/chest and hindquarters. Love on him, scratch him, pick up his feet, then take the halter off. Rinse, repeat… at least once a day.

If you need to restrain him for the vet, use the corner of a stall or wall to assist you. You shouldn’t attempt to use a halter for restraint on a foal until they have groundwork fundamentals about leading, yielding to pressure, etc. Good way to end up with injuries and bad experiences for both the foal and you!

[showjumpers66]

Quillin foal halter comes with adjustable chin - https://quillin.com/jshop/product.php?xProd=972&xSec=20

[purplnurpl]

I think your baby will have already outgrown the figure 8 halter.

Mine has gone through a halter size a month.