Foal Imprinting- raising and training foals from birth.

Posted Fri, 05/29/2009 - 04:07 by Barb n Ellie  Barb n Ellie

How would you like to raise a foal that is bonded to you and eager to learn, views you as family and leader, leads, ties, is friendly, respectful, obedient, willingly and happily accepts grooming, hoof trimming, clipping, vet examinations and trailer loading, that is calm and unafraid of noise, flapping things, sudden movement, other animals and strange objects?

Foal Imprinting enhances a horse's relationship with humans.It teaches it "good manners" and increase its responsiveness to stimuli that will later improve its performance. Imprint training shapes foal behavior through:

1) Bonding with the imprint trainer. Immediately after birth the foal bonds simultaneously with its dam and with one or more persons handling it. Such foals see humans, not as predators, but as fellow horses.

2) Submission, but not fear.  The foal sees you as herd leader, the ideal relationship between horse and human.

3) Desensitization to sensory stimuli - loud noises, fluttering objects or being touched anywhere on the body will be calmly accepted.

4) Sensitizing to performance related stimuli, such as to respond to head and flank pressure, so the foal will lead where directed, and will move its hind end laterally in response to the touch of a finger in the flank region.

Based on the work of Dr Robert M Miller, author of Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal: A Swift, Effective Method for Permanently Shaping a Horse's Lifetime Behavior

Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal - Dr Robert M Miller.

The book can be obtained from most booksellers and directly from robertmmiller.com (some personally signed copies are currently available!)

A DVD Early Learning - The Complete Training of the Newborn Foal During Its Imprinting & Critical Learning Periods is also available, and highly recommended.

Dr Miller has been a mentor to Pat Parelli and Pat endorses and uses his methods. See the Savvy Club material on the foal 'Smart Seven'.

Clinic with Carmen Smith 4* instructor, near Warwick, December 2011

Posted Thu, 02/10/2011 - 01:20 by painted Dreams  painted Dreams
12/02/2011 00:18
Europe/London

We are hosting a clinic with Carmen Smith in December 2011, Level 1 on Friday, level 2/3 Saturday and Sunday.  Please email me for further information.

painteddrems@bigpond.com

 

Nicole

Update on Painted Dreams

Posted Wed, 01/26/2011 - 10:05 by painted Dreams  painted Dreams

Ok, 3 foals this year, two black and white colts, one bay and white colt (now gelding).  Lovely boys, and I'm proud as punch.

Cadbury is going well, Cougar is 100% sound and bred like a star, all 5 mares covered are in foal for this year.

Survivied the floods, very sad for some families, we are doing our best for donations as we were also affected.  Two of our horses for sale will have half of their sale money donated for the flood victims, and have donated a service for a service auction.

Ecl;ipse Foal update now 11days .

Posted Wed, 07/07/2010 - 22:26 by MelsPartner  MelsPartner

Eclipse is now 11 days old. We've just been spending the last few days mainly just chiiling out with me giving him itches. I've also been spending alot of time inside looking out to see how he relates to the other horses, he seems very dominant with our coloured pony, Jazz Ofcrouse she can move him but he usually bites or kicks her until she tells him off then he goes trotting back to his mother and she very rarely puts him in his place. He's still coming out each day to the front living area and following his mother into the horsebox where she eats her daily feed.

Respecting the horse / the foal

Posted Mon, 07/05/2010 - 20:21 by MelsPartner  MelsPartner

I went out this evening to stroke Eclipse my new foal and noticed his ears were back alot, and then I had a BFO (Blinding flash of the obvious) I had somehow in the last week rather than wait for permission to enter his space / touch him I had got wrapped up in him being "cuddly" and had with out meaning to stopped respecting him properly. My PNH instructor had said to me years ago that I should respect the horse first as a Prey animal, then as a horse, then a breed of horse and lastly as "Mel" or whatever the horse in question is called.

My foal is one week old!

Posted Sun, 07/04/2010 - 13:24 by MelsPartner  MelsPartner

When I woke up this morning to let Eclipse and Mel in to the front "living area/ garden" I saw Eclipse drinking from the water bucket for the first time, he certainly is growing up quick.

He really is the most curios horse I've ever came across, he found an old plastic bag that had blown out of the feedbox and thought it was the greatest fun to hold it in his mouth and wave it around. I somehow thought horses had a natural fear of these, but apparently not to Clips....

To read more click on www.funwithfoals.blogspot.com

6 days old. Eclipse uses my legs as a pillow!

Posted Sat, 07/03/2010 - 17:38 by MelsPartner  MelsPartner

This morning Eclipse was already trying to establish his place in the pecking order and was rearing up ontop of our little coloured pony Jazz, Eclipse is almost as tall as and her already and he has been pulling her mane. When Mel seen that Jazz was not best pleased by this she called Clips ba......

Click http://funwithfoals.blogspot.com/    to read more.

Mel has foaled

Posted Wed, 06/30/2010 - 15:20 by MelsPartner  MelsPartner

Hi guys Mel foaled on Saturday, I'm trying to keep a diary of his early learning life.

 

If you would like to follow it please go to the link below

www.funwithfoals.blogspot.com

Cougar is healing 3

Posted Mon, 05/24/2010 - 10:27 by painted Dreams  painted Dreams

Well, his bandages are off after the vet's last proud flesh removal, and I have left them off, hoping that a bit of air will help.  The small wound that is left has scabbed, which I was hoping to stop the proud flesh.  He is coping well without bandages, and there is no more swelling without the bandages, so I am happy.  Had someone come out today to see him for stud duties, so he may have his first outside mare this breeding season.

Thanks for reading.

Nicole

Our Ride with Danielle

Posted Tue, 07/14/2009 - 02:01 by Joan Baker  Joan Baker

   We made plans for a Sunday Trail Ride, a Lewis and Clark Expedition of a sort.  Where we went there are no real trails, just less brush in some spots.  The forest floor is really nice though and some areas have the finest grass growing.  The meadow is sandy so even if it has rained we can still go riding  there.  

Blackhawk Ridge ( I think !)

Posted Fri, 07/03/2009 - 02:15 by Joan Baker  Joan Baker
Blackhawk Ridge ( I think !)

     Our group of trail riders, are trying to pull together a 'ridge ride' for the fourth of July !  Blackhawk Ridge may be our destination.  One thing about Blackhawk Ridge that one must consider is the SIZE of the insects that decend upon both horse and rider!  Blackhawk is a gorgeous place to ride, with wonderful scenery and the trails are well maintained.  A cute log building at the top, and a covered arena that has terrific footing.  There is a retaining wall of sorts that was fashioned with railroad ties that are four di

Under the Mulberry Tree !

Posted Mon, 06/29/2009 - 02:28 by Joan Baker  Joan Baker
Under the Mulberry Tree !

   The scorching heat subsided for today!  Actually, the temperatures look to moderate for this whole week.  For today our Savvy Trail Riders quickly put together a plan for a ride at our county park.  We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful day, with a breeze that was outstanding.  We  had a few small deer flies biting the horses on their poll and neck. 

Our Baby all grown up

Posted Thu, 06/04/2009 - 02:23 by Joan Baker  Joan Baker
Our Baby all grown up

   Beautiful day at Blackhawk Ridge.  Summit gives and gives......

Our Baby all grown up

Posted Thu, 06/04/2009 - 02:21 by Joan Baker  Joan Baker
Our Baby all grown up

I was here before introducing Summit, who now is just turned Seven years old.  He is such a treat.  Confident, Left Brained Extrovert who is not pushy and is very respectful. 

    I always enjoy him!  He is brilliant in the indoor and on the trails.  A well rounded balanced ride.  Getting better each time he gets to go out for more experience.  We are Savvy trail riders.  He enjoyes the trails.  I will post a recent trail riding picture. 

Parelli Baby correction

Posted Wed, 06/03/2009 - 10:07 by Pasmierka  Pasmierka

Oops silly me!! Red Rose is 6 weeks old today and NOT 12days as I first indicated.

Too much on my mind;)

Pascale

Parelli Baby

Posted Wed, 06/03/2009 - 09:35 by Pasmierka  Pasmierka
Red Rose

Her name is Red Rose she is 12days old she is a Tinker. She has already attended a play day with her mom, Nellie. Where she tasted the tarp (ground sheet), tasted the cones, moved the barrels attempted the figure of 8 at Liberty. And the Grand Finale she even wore the tarp and was not phased by the whole experience.

Ellie & her last foal

Posted Tue, 06/02/2009 - 00:00 by Barb n Ellie  Barb n Ellie

Ellie and her last foal 'Mozart' - the day hewas born (2006)

Ellie was not with me then. Maree, her former owner, bought Ellie for her conformation and looks, so she could breed a warmblood foal and raise it from scratch, following Dr Millers Foal Imprinting & foal raising techniques and, of course, Parelli.