By playing with your foal's ears early in her life, she will not mind you doing so later. This will make clipping and cleaning her ears for shows effortless, especially important when you lacking time.

Horses like humans are very impressionable at early ages. I have always felt that a foal must be positively worked with as soon as they are born, especially since the foals first experience with a human is the veterinarian conducting an exam and administering shots.

At a foals early age and light weight, they can be easily handled with minimal risk to both you and baby. This is the best time to introduce the foal to as many procedures, devices, and/or situations they may encounter later in their life. Some examples are introduction to; a halter and lead rope, being lead to and from a turn out pen, electric clippers by the ears, nose, face and body, bushing and playing with all parts of their body (ears, tail, belly, legs) as a farrier would do. Bring various objects into their stall when playing with them like bags, blankets, fly spray, cans. As your foals become used to these props try to think of even stranger objects to show them. Try to educate and introduce your foal to as much as you would your children as they grow up. We all learn from repetition through introduction, quizzing, and testing. We should not expect a horse to be more intelligent than ourselves. Knowledge starts with the owner or person in most contact with the young horse. The people in charge of the horses are the teachers or trainers whether they have the title or not. Horse will learn and remember every experience they have with humans, so you better make them good ones!