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Post by lucydales on Jul 16, 2008 20:09:05 GMT -1
I thought I'd start a thread on what should you do with babies an when?
For example, if I had my time again I'd introduce a head collar before three weeks! LOL!
I don't agree with imprint training (at birth intervention as in Dr Miller) but have been picking up Tim's feet for some weeks now and can scratch most places without alarm!
What are folk's views and the reasoning behind them?
Many thanks for your participation!
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Post by dalesponyrider on Jul 17, 2008 6:44:57 GMT -1
I'll be VERY interested in the replies to this thread!
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Post by DalesLady on Jul 17, 2008 8:02:51 GMT -1
We leave ours alone a lot, but make sure we are around a lot so they are used to us. We find that once they are brave enough they just cannot stop themselves being curious about us and they bring themselves to us for attention. A headcollar on early is a good idea, it makes things a lot easier later on, but tbh, our little man has only just had one on for the first time this week. This is mainly because we were so preoccupied with other pony problems and it got left. However, we didnt struggle too much because he is now quite happy to have his scratches and cuddles. We also make sure we can touch them all over, including stroking down legs and we talk to them a lot when we are near and apart from that we don't really do anything else but leave them to be ponies and play.
We don't leave headcollars on, but rather put them on, play with the foal and take it off again until they are happy with the process.
Picking up feet comes naturally once they are happy to be touched all over anyway, so we don't even deliberately set out to do that, we just do it when it seems we can do it without them even think about it. You just know when that is instinctively. Maverick has now had his feet picked up, his favourite scratchy bit is at the top of his forlegs and he is happy to play games with us now. He is now 6 and a half weeks old and had his first worming too - clever boy
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Post by tinkerdorisalison on Jul 17, 2008 19:34:06 GMT -1
well we're just doing things as they occur to us at the moment.. ;D Alice will be wearing the leather slip from the weekend, she's had it on before (once when she broke it ;D) so time to start again. she had her front feet picked up very early on to get them out of her mums bucket  |
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Post by cadeby on Jul 22, 2008 13:56:20 GMT -1
Lots of rubs and scratches - progressing to grooming with brushes (but not tied). Lifting the feet, once they are happy being touched all over. Headcollar on and off. A bit of following Mum round the field whilst she is being led, progressing to leading the foal itself on a long line threaded through the headcollar rather than clipped on. Driving cars, tractors, bikes, etc.. alongside the field (providing Mum is not a wimp with these things) We also tend to clatter and drop things (eg. wheelbarrows and feed buckets) fairly noisily rather than carefully creeping about. Lots of visitors and contact with a calm dog. Think that's enough really until weaning, unless you want to show in which case you've got to introduce loading  ..And don't feel ashamed when someone else tells you their foal is a little angel and yours is possessed  |
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Post by DalesLady on Jul 22, 2008 14:06:14 GMT -1
well put Helen, exactly right on all counts!
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