Indifferent Foal

[Jasmine1998]

Jas's most recent foal is very indifferent, If you ignore her totally she will call out to you, if you sit still long enough she will come up to you & sniff/lick you but the second you try to touch her, she is off like a bolt of lightning. We have had several foals in the past, but none like her. The only way we can get her is if we get the mare to go into the run in shed to eat her dinner, then we approach the foal in the corner so she can't run away - who turns her butt to us, but never kicks - then we can reach out & scratch her butt, hold her & put her halter on her. We do this twice per day. Once we get her then she does lead for the most part, as long as you have the lead rope wrapped behind her butt. The leading we only do once per day. She is 3 1/2 weeks old now. Normally I would not do this much with the foal this early on, but she is almost like a wild pony. I think part of the problem is that Jasmine had her 3 weeks early & in the middle of the day, so by the time we realized she had her, the foal was already a few hours old & running around in the field.

Any suggestions to get her to come around?

 

[Avalon1984]

Our colt this year was like that also. Give her time and positive attention. He came around great for us despite being a little standoffish as a baby.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Sometimes babies like this don't really come around to you until they are weaned. They often take the weaning process really hard but once they realized mama is really gone, they will begin to warm up to you, possibly because you're the only one still there. Handle her as much as possible every single day, including picking up her feet, brushing her, etc, so that when mama IS gone, you will seem safe and comforting and familiar, and your routines will already be routine to her.

HTH

Rusty

 

[Glenmar]

Work with her as much as you can. If you are going to show her, start clipping her now. I had some that I did not
work with early enough, and boy did I regret it later. She is independent. Typical girl!

 

[welsummerchicks]

It is not really typical girl. It requires time, lots of time every day - patience, perserverence, patience.

 

[mama24]

Wow, that's a pretty little filly! Is she Arabian? They have the prettiest shaped heads, don't they?

 

[Jasmine1998]

Mama - Thanks! She is Arabian.

She is very independent. She would rather hang out at the bottom of the fence line with the other horses then with him mother half of the time. She will even "yell" at her mom when Jasmine walks back up to the shed because she does not want to leave her friends. The mare is really great, she is perfectly fine with us handling the foal - the foal just stands there & watches when we groom mom like her mom has lost her mind. We were kind of hoping that if she sees how much mom likes it, she will start to like it.

Once we do catch her, she is ok to pick up her feet, etc. You do have to have 2 people, because the second she feels no hands on her, she is off.

 

[EweSheep]

Independent little squirt, isn't she LOL Like my daughter!

 

[Glenmar]

Look at that face!!! You could send her to me anytime now.
Her cousins over here would teach her how to grow up.

 

[lockedhearts]

Once you take mama away and she has to depend on you, her entire outlook will change....... Some foals see no need for humans as long as they have mom.
They are all individuals and have different personalities. I have had some that were pocket ponies and some that gave me the foal look of death. Once they were weaned they all needed me.