We just handle them in the very beginning. They wear a halter from day one. I find that loving on the mare peaks their curiosity and before you know it you can’t go in the pasture without them wanting to be scratched and loved on too. They learn to lead right away and I will walk them away from mom while she eats her alfalfa hay to work on respecting my space and basic handling. IMO it is all about it ending on a good note more than what you actually do with them. I want them to want to learn.
Here is a video of our colt from last year at 3 weeks that shows what we do with ours.
http://youtu.be/QFV4EBEINmw
I agree with all of the other posters that it is just good horsemanship to handle the foal regularly and teach it to lead etc early on. I really dislike the term “imprint” - gives me the same feeling I get related to Parelli threads lol. To me it is too intrusive and is done for the human, not the mare an foal. We normally have 2 to 4 foals a year and my husband is a 3rd generation TB breeder and the key is just to handle them regularly, teach them that it feels good to be groomed and that humans are not playthings. I also agree that it really helps to groom the mom as well - the foal gets curious and also sees that mom is calm and enjoying the attention.
I think that people who really get too intrusive with the foal can cause issues with them similar to orphan foals. They don’t seem to blend into the herd and understand how to be a horse when they are raised so extensively by a human. Let mom be the mom, and work towards raising a respectful and sensible foal. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the foal and have fun, cuddle, spend time with them, it just means that you do that while teaching them some of the useful things (like picking up their feet and learning to lead). I think one of the best things as far as having a mannerly foal is to lead them in for feed time twice a day and then spend some grooming time after feed.
One thing we avoid is letting the foal chase or play with us like they would with another foal. Some people think it’s funny and cute, but when they get a little bigger and their hormones kick in, it is downright dangerous and they may have an issue with respect for humans.
As an aside, I first gave a trace clip then a few weeks later a complete body clip to my foal. She was loose in the stall with her dam. She never moved a muscle even on her belly or flanks. That was last June and July. So she was pretty well seasoned to clipping and definitely not the slightest bit concerned about clippers at a young age. Now at 11 months she thinks clippers are a fire breathing dragon! I take the tiny ear clippers and let them vibrate all over her body while stuffing her with treats and she is coming along well until the clippers actually clip her hair. She doesn’t like that. So when I body clip this week she is most likely going to be tranqed in spite of all the work I have done.
