--- Judy Ryder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> > I agree with that. Proper handling is what I want in my
> > foals....however if I had a choice to purchase a 5 year old with
> > improper handling, or one with very little to no handling, I
> would
> > pick the later......at least I do not have to start off with
> > correcting bad habits.
>
>
> Correct.
>
> However, we should not accept the only alternatives as not being
> handled and
> being handled poorly.
>
> We should be on a course to educate owners, breeders, handlers, to
> handle
> young horses properly, with an eye to helping them become smarter;
> why waste
> the young years when learning is so easy?
>
>
> Judy
I agree. I do think that people have different ideas of proper
handling....I might be a little more strict about handling than some
people here on the list....I like every contact with my foals to be a
learning experience.....we have our babies on a huge pasture in a
herd environment and the herd gets checked on almost weekly, with
Sally and I going out there mabye twice a month. Her filly (Who is
a stunning Silver Dapple Pinto) is very reserved about humans, so we
always let her come to us, never forcing her.....we will be taking
her and her Dam back home this month so we can have the oppertunnity
to get to build more trust with her....we would like to be able to
halter train, and lead her.....but it will never be a force thing, it
will be on her time, we will just make sure we have a lot of
oppertunity to spend time with her here at our farm.....once we get
the haltering and leading down, we will send her back to the big
pasture with the herd...the herd can teach them so much in a natural
setting......we like to do as much as we can possibly to mimic a
natural setting for the babies, but with some human contact, as we
will be part of their environment for their whole lives.
Lots of petting, treating, well, we have seen that type of contact
lead to a very pushy horse, that envades a humans space....then you
need to retrain them so that you can be around them in a safe
manner........especially people who do not know a lot about horses,
even some who do, will treat foals almost like a big dog, forgetting
that those foals will get a lot bigger and stronger, very fast, and
what you could do safely at 2 months old, you can not do at a year
old......
Skye
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