01/27/2025
OK.... Safety first people! I normally don't share things like this on my Professional page..... BUT.....
How many mistakes can you count?
Here's what I see....
1. Get the Dogs away from this area!
2. Get a halter on the mare and tie her, or take her to a different area!
3. Make sure there is a Strong GATE or pipe fence between you, and the Mare!
4. Don't try to handle a foal by yourself if you don't have to.
OK.....
Grizzly-MARES with a young (especially newborn) foal are going to be PROTECTIVE! Even a gentle mare that knows her owner may act Completely Different with a newborn baby. I have personally woken up in the dirt after a "Gentle, sweet mare".... Stopped me into the ground when I got ahold of her foal, and she got worried.
If I need to move a mare, and foal from one place to another....
I try to approach the mare from The OPPOSITE side as the foal. I want the MARE between me and the foal. I LOOK Only at the Mare. I pretend I don't even see the foal, until I have the mare haltered.
Then, if all is going smoothly.... I'll walk the mare, and hope the foal follows.
I NEVER get Between the Mare and her Foal when they are young.
If I do have to hold/restrain the foal next to the mare....
I'll keep the Foal BETWEEN me and the mare. She is usually less worried this way.
If I can't halter the mare because she is defensive, or being aggressive toward me or horses around us..... I DON'T try to halter her.
I will try to Trick her with food to get her behind a Gate or something.
If I Must move the mare, but her newborn doesn't follow her....
I'll make sure the Mare is locked Away from me and the other horses....
and, THEN.... I'll come back with a Long Rope, or a Large Halter for the foal. I'll make a "Figure 8" around the Foal's neck/chest.... crossing the withers... and the other loop goes around the foal's rear. I can hold the rope where it crosses over the withers to have some control of the foal....
and have a FREE Hand, to open a gate, shoo other horses away, make a call on my phone for help, etc.
The other restraint is putting a Halter on backwards and upside-down around the foal. Put the "Nose" part of the halter Over the foal's head. Then, rotate the halter so the "under-side" of the halter is going along the foal's back.....
Then, put the "strap" under the foal's belly, and buckle it on the other side. You can hang onto the halter or even attach a lead rope to it, to help you hang onto the foal without putting any pressure of the foal's head and neck.
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If I need to medicate or doctor the foal in any way, before returning the foal to the mare.....
I will make sure I'm in a safe area.... JUST the Foal and myself. Hopefully, where the mare can still see the foal near by, but NOT touch you, or get over/through the fence/gate. I've seen an upset mare bolt right through a fence to get back to her foal, so make sure you are in a secure place.
Be safe during foaling season.
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