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Foal Training Explained: The First Two Years
Mare owners, if you'd like to get your colt or filly started out with a proper foundation, I would suggest the investment of $5.99 in my foal-training course.

 

- Download and print from your home computer
- 5 days, 5 chapters
- Learn at your own pace

 

Which brings us to the fourth thing on our check list: Teach the horse to move off politely after the halter comes off and only after being released by us. This is just a matter of calling the horse back to us (with our kiss cue), should he pull away or amble off when the halter is removed. If you instill this habit within the youngster, and remain consistently adamant, he'll always be good about this. The method I use to force this habit is a simple one: I just pet the horse briefly (between his ears, maybe a scratch of the withers) each and every time I remove the halter, spending 5-20 seconds of "quality time." My horses have learned through repetition that their signal that we're through is me turning my back on them. They know without a doubt that I'll just call them back and annoy them further if they move off prematurely. Horses that run off are dissing you, telling you in no uncertain terms that you are not the boss of them. Be rock steady in your discipline as outlined in this book, and you'll be shocked at how easy it is to keep a polite horse. To check this off your list as truly accomplished, you must circle with a pencil or say out loud the following: "I will never allow my horse to pull away impolitely as I undo the halter. If he does, I'll call him back, re-halter him, scratch him till we're both bored, then try the whole thing again. Even if it's three in the morning."