How to set your youngster up for success
Movement is the basis of soundness.
Starting a young horse from scratch can be such a rewarding experience, even more so if you're starting off with a new-born foal. Like a fresh sheet of paper, you get to decide how he will be interacted with, what his environment will be like, how he will be introduced to training. Having that measure of control can be great, but also a bit daunting. There are things that we can do very early in life to ensure our horses have a long and healthy career right from the start. Here are a few tips on managing youngsters to facilitate future success.
Movement, movement, movement. Large amounts of movement are one of the basic needs for all horses, but for foals and youngsters, this is even more true. Movement promotes good development of not just muscles and coordination, but bones and healthy cartilage. Research has shown that if a young horse misses out on good cartilage development in the first six months of his life, it is hard to play catch up later on in life. So, don't lock your foals and young horses in stalls, let them live somewhere where they can roam and run (preferably with other youngsters).
Good hoof care. It's hard to overstate just how important hoof balance is for overall soundness. And it all starts with young feet. A foal's feet should be checked out by a good hoof care practitioner within the first week of his life, and after that seen to on a 4–6-week schedule. Early intervention can correct minor imbalances and set the horse up for success, even if mother nature didn't bless him with perfect feet. Adjustments in balance can be made more easily when the horse is very young, as the tissues are rapidly developing and adapting to the environment.
Wean gently. Weaning is a stressful event both for the foal and the dam. Research shows that the incidence of stomach ulcers in weanlings is surprisingly high. An abrupt weaning coupled with a transition to a brand-new environment can be so stressful on a foal they develop stomach issues. This can be a huge problem for them, so how about we try to minimize the stress? It helps if we wait a little longer with weaning, so the mare can start to wean the foal herself. If the foal needs to go to a new home, explore the possibility of bringing the dam with him for a while so he can get used to a new environment (and make some new friends) before they are separated. Be creative and try to make this process as gentle as possible.
Communication and mutual respect. Work on a good relationship with the horse from the very beginning. While it is tempting to allow the foal to invade your personal space and act like a cuddly puppy, it can be hard for both the horse and owner to have to set brand new boundaries when the horse gets older. Be consistent from the very beginning, and never forget that respect goes both ways. Teach the basics like moving away from pressure, leading and picking up feet early and consistently. Work on gentle leading with as minimal cues as you can. Teach the youngster to stop on your exhale and start on your inhale, see just how subtle the communication can be. This will pay dividends once actual work begins.
Introduce work gradually. The general rule of thumb is that horses should not be properly started under saddle before the age of four. This does not mean we shouldn't do anything with them before that age. During the first two years we can work on good communication in very short sessions. After that we can start to incorporate some gentle groundwork and even work on the lunge, as long as it is kept very short. We absolutely cannot just wait four years and then jump on the horse's back after two weeks of lunge work. The horse's back (especially the modern sport horse's back) must be gradually conditioned and strengthened before it can properly carry a rider. We can start this process very slowly during ages two and four and then start to introduce the saddle and rider once the horse has developed a strong core and knows how to properly use his body.
Obviously, rearing a youngster and setting him up for success is way more complex than five bullet points, but these are some basic things that help tip the scale in a favourable direction.