THE HORSE GAZETTE training enhanced foal training imagine a horse


By Allen Pogue and Sue De Laurentis © Imagine A Horse 2011 Although there is a


large surplus of horses that need to be or have been re-homed due to the slow economy of the last few years, there still is a need to breed quality horses. Adopting a horse is a consideration but it is not for everyone. Buying a weanling


or even a nursing foal can be a great option to give you a life-long equine partner. Get- ting a foal off to a great start will not only give a sense of accomplishment but will give the young horse skills that will


Imprinting of the new born foal. This is possible because horses are a precocial species which means they are born neurologically complete. Of course their memory bank is not yet filled but they are ready and able to learn. The rapidity at which a foal learns can be seen as he mimics and matches the stride of his dam on their first walk or even gallop side by side.


Enhanc ed Foa l


Training is based on modern concepts that will be the foun- dation training for most other aspects of future and higher edu- cation. This segment will outline some of the elements and fol- lowing segments will give more specific in- structions. Of course all early training is de- pendent on the health and safety of both mare and foal.


our trust bond. We designed a training stall that has a see through gate so the foal can be separated briefly from the dam yet can still see her and touch noses. While the dam is having her morning meal, the foal is gently guided through the sepa- rating gate. During these brief separations we begin to teach him to “walk with” us using the corners of the stall as natural barriers at which we halt and also turn. When the foal learns to go with us in this way, he grows up understanding the concept of “walk with”. We use our hands, body, the contours of the stall and foal guiders to help to guide him. This method makes halter training a non-issue as the young horse is already habituated to walk with the handler.


Pedestal or foal platform Horses a species, the


help to insure that it will have a bright future. There are many fine breeders (all breeds) who are happy to work with pro- spective owners even when the foal is in-utero. Although we raise most of our own horses for exhibition and trail careers we have purchased very fine youngsters that were easy to educate and very rewarding to have as our partners. Dr. Robert Miller


forever changed the horse industry with his revolution- ary Imprint Training methods that made early handling and training not only acceptable but standard practice. He has demonstrated our Imagine a Horse foal training techniques in his lectures for the last five years.


Enhanced Foal Train- pigeon toed and never trimmed


ing can begin soon after initial ask the vet


about 5 year old paint stallion. I am looking to buy him but he is pigeon toed and never been trimmed in this life. If I would get him my farrier said he can fix his feet, but with him being pigeon toed that long, will that affect his legs, like his joints? I want to make him barrel horse and cutting horse. Submitted by Red Bull via HorseGazette. com


Red Bull,


structural make-up of an adult horse can impact performance and long-term soundness. It is difficult to really change much in the way a horse is put together once it reaches skeletal maturity. There has been much written about conformation and its relation to function or per- formance. G. Marvin Beeman, MS, DVM has lectured on the subject and there are excerpts of his discussions published on


Conformation or the I have a question


the web through the American Association of Equine Practitio- ners and The Horse magazine. If you are interested I would encourage you to read what he has written. As Dr. Beeman has so eloquently described, and I only paraphrase, form certainly impacts function, but there is a lot that goes into making a horse run fast or jump high. – Dr. Symm, Retama Equine Hospital


ing at buying has sweet itch. He has rubbed mostly his tail bone raw and I was wondering how the hair will grow back. If it will grow back and make a full main and tail or what? – Courtney Wexler, submitted via HorseGazette.com


Dear Courtney, Frequently hair will


Video Lottery terminals (Continued from Page 1.)


from increased purse sizes and breeding incentives. Additionally funds would be used for equine research, enhanced drug testing, catastrophic insurance for jockeys and other benevolence programs for equine professionals and retired race horses.


affiliations would use funds to supplement prizes for shows, breeder incentives, scholarships for youth, horse recreational de- velopment programs, promotion of urban youth equine programs. The AQHA, NCHA, and APHA would receive funding for use in Texas based programs and services.


Non- r a c ing hor s e


for racing, show, or recreational must be used for events or activi- ties conducted within the state of Texas. The PHDF, if established, will be the first of its kind in the United States. Learn more about VLTs,


All funds, whether


the PHDF, and what you can do to influence your legislators to move toward legalizing VLTs by going to http://texashorseweb.com. The 82nd


so the gears are turning that will determine the solvency of the state of Texas.


Visit us at: www.HorseGazette.com Legislature is now in session


grow back after it has been rubbed out, as long as the un- derlying problem has resolved.


This horse I am look-


horse has depended on the flight mechanism for survival and a foal is born with this in- stinct intact. But horses don’t have a place of their own to run to!! The pedestal, or in this case the foal platform gives the foal a place all their own. The low platform is placed next to the separating gate with the mare eating her meal on the other side of it. As we walk the foal around the stall, we carefully guide it to step on the pedestal where he is next to Mom. We help him to balance and stay on the platform for just a minute or so at first and gradually increase the time and reward him.


Side by side training During the Imprint-


ing process the foal will begin to bond with the human han- dler as well as his dam. Of course, we are not Mom but imprinting is the beginning of


How to reward a foal In the first few weeks,


scratching on the withers is the best way to teach a foal about rewards. Most baby horses love a good wither scratching session and will make all sorts


There is a significant lapse in the time between when these questions are sent in and when the answers appear in the Gazette newspaper and online. If you feel your horse needs to be seen by a veterinarian do not wait for a response. Call a reputable equine veterinarian in your area and let him/her examine the horse! You can contact Retama Equine Hospital at 210-651-6375 for your large & small animal needs.


However, the hair growth can be abnormal or grow back white. I would recommend having a veterinarian perform a pre- purchase examination and get their opinion after examining the horse. – Dr. Sym, Retama Equine Hospital


Thoroughbred gelding. He was diagnosed with Cushings at 16 and has been on Pergolide (1 scoop/day) since then. He has been getting 2 flakes of Orchard or Timothy grass twice a day and a small scoop of rice bran with his pergolide/other supplements. The only type of grass hay my new barn feeds is Ryegrass, I’m having difficulty finding a barn that will feed Orchard/Timothy in the area. My gelding is not overweight, he is in light work 4x a week, and has never foun- dered. Should he be okay on the ryegrass or should I look into moving barns? – Submitted by Allison Fortis via HorseGazette. com


Dear Allison, You should consult


with your local veterinarian about the diet for your horse. Generally speaking grass hay of some kind would be ideal for your horse, but the quality of the hay might need to be analyzed and there might be indication for soaking the hay. Soaking the hay will decrease the simple sugars that are consumed by your horse that can be a problem for some horses that have “Cushings” and possibly underlying metabolic syndrome. A thorough examina- tion by your veterinarian would be best before taking any drastic measures, such as moving barns. – Dr. Symm, Retama Equine Hospital


I have a 22 year old


Sue De Laurentis who were married in Decem- ber.


circle of your wedding rings. Congratulations to Allen Pogue and May your love be as endless as the


of facial expressions that dem- onstrate pleasure.


Why the bean bag We are used to


strange looks when we travel to the vet’s office with a very young foal and a bean bag slung over our shoulder! Ad- ministering medication by mouth to a foal can easily be- come a wrestling match and be very stressful for all involved. Our foals are held in our laps (since day one) as we sit on the bean bag. If their legs are gen- tly folded and carefully held in the fetal position, the foal will relax and will usually fall asleep. It won’t take long for the colt to outgrow a human lap


but we continue to back him up and sit on the bean bag. Strange as it may sound at first, our vets love to work with our colts as there is no struggle!


Standing still-the most impor- tant lesson Learning to stand qui-


etly for handling can be taught early; no need to wait until a colt is old enough to be tied. The foal platform becomes the place that he learns to stay. Routine care such as handling feet and


grooming is taught while the foal is on the pedestal.


Keep it short and sweet Foals learn so quickly


and have little need for repeti- tion so we keep sessions short but may repeat them two or three times a day. Although foals can easily be trained, we keep all lessons age appropriate and non-stressful. For Enhanced Foal


Training information or DVDs visit www.imagineahorse.com


26-equine study courses leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree, Professional Horse Trainer or Riding Instructor Certification, or any single course for your personal enrichment.


WWW.HORSECOURSESONLINE.COM


Don Blazer teaches Conformation and Selection for Performance, Training Performance Horses, Bits and Shoeing and The Business of Making Money with Horses. Nancy Cahill teaches Perfect Lead Changes. Norma Fay teaches Fit to Ride. Tammy Fifer teaches Dressage: Foundation for All Riding Disciplines. Cathy Hanson teaches Preparation for Competition and Showmanship In Hand. Ruth E. Kochard teaches Legal Aspects of Horse Management. Betty Lindquist teaches Equine Massage. Todd Martin teaches Train for Rein- ing. Holly Mason teaches Flexibility by Design. Dr. Jim & Lynda McCall teaches Behavior Modification Techniques and Coat Color Genetics. Eleanor Richards teaches Nutrition for Maximum Performance and Stable Management. Dr. Jack Sales teaches Equine Health and Disease Management and Equine Reproduction. R.E. Smith teaches Traditional Vaquero Hackamore Training. Cherie Vonada teaches Riding Instructor Role and Responsibility and Teaching Techniques and Hunter Under Saddle.


Indoor Stalls - Outdoor Pens (30’x30’) - Covered Stalls with Runs - 150’x300’ Lighted Arena Dressage Arena - Jumping Area - Two Round Pens Two Hot Walkers - Full Care - Feeding Twice Daily Daily Turnout (Except Weekends) Lighted Wash Area Lighted BBQ & Picnic Area - 24-Hr Surveil- lance Riding Lessons - Horse Training


Located approx. 5 minutes from Loop 410 at 13901 Hwy 90 West - just outside San Antonio. Visit us at: www.t-slash-barranch.com.


Call 210-677-0502


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