Easy Steps to Halter Breaking Your Foal

With weaning time soon approaching, many horse owners will begin halter breaking their foals. This can be very traumatic for a foal, or it can provide them with a foundation that will serve them for the rest of their lives. By teaching him to lead properly, the foal learns good manners which will make him easy to handle throughout his life and easier to train when he is old enough to ride.

The essential equipment for halter breaking a foal is a well fitting halter and a ten foot soft cotton lead rope with a bull snap. There are several types of halters available, and each serves a different purpose. A nylon halter is easy to put on and remove, and puts equal pressure on the contact area. A rope halter puts more pressure on the poll and nose, which can be useful for foals that resist pressure. A calf halter is good for starting a foal as it prevents a foal from getting his leg caught in it if he chooses to fight. Leather halters are not recommended because they can snap, which will teach your foal that he can get away from you if he fights. Lead ropes made from synthetic materials, such as nylon, can shred your gloves and severely injure your hands if the foal begins to fight. For that reason, cotton is recommended. Ten feet is the recommended length because it gives you the option to be far enough away from your foal to prevent injuries if you need to get out of his way, but is short enough that you can prevent yourself from getting tangled up. A bull snap is durable, and will help you keep control of your foal. Always use stronger equipment than you will need to protect both yourself and your foal.

Before a foal can be halter broke, he must first be caught. The easiest way to catch a foal for the first time is to put him in a small pen with a gentle horse. Use the other horse to maneuver the foal into a corner. If you have someone to help you, have him stand behind the foal to block the rear exit. You can then approach the foal from the front. To catch him, put one arm under his neck (which prevents the foal from moving forward) and grasp the base of his tail with the other hand (which prevents him from going backwards). Stand close to the foal and hold him with a firm grasp. Stay relaxed while you slip the halter on him so that he knows there is nothing to be worried about. Be sure to use a halter that fits snugly, so that it will not get caught on objects, but not so snug that it is uncomfortable for the foal to wear. If a halter is fitted properly, you should be able to comfortably slide two fingers between the halter and the foal’s throat.

Once the foal is comfortable wearing the halter, he can begin to learn to lead. Leading is the first training your foal will get, and it is important to teach him how to learn. He also learns manners by learning to lead properly.

The first step of leading is learning to follow. Use a gentle horse again, and pony the foal from him. Dally the lead rope around the saddle horn, and ride the gentle horse until the foal learns to give to pressure and go where the gentle horse goes. Once the foal can be ponied successfully, he has the foundation to learn to lead.

To teach the foal to give to pressure, stand six to eight feet in front of the foal, a little to one side so that he cannot brace against the pressure as easily. Take the slack out of the lead rope and apply just enough pressure so that the foal is uncomfortable, but not so much that he fights against it. When the foal steps towards you, instantly release the pressure. Repeat this until the foal steps towards you as soon as he feels pressure. Be sure to do this from both sides. If the foal moves backwards, follow him and maintain the same pressure until he takes a step forward. The release of pressure is his reward. Some foals will learn to lead the first day, and others will take more time. Just like people, foals learn at different rates. Be sure to be patient with your foal, and give him all the time he needs to learn to lead properly.

After the foal has learned to lead well, the most important command he will learn is whoa. The first few times you teach your foal to whoa, you will need to use a small area where you can have control over him. A barn aisle or a round pen works well for this. Some foals will stop immediately when you say whoa, others will need a tug on the lead rope to get the idea. Every time you ask him to stop, give him the verbal command to whoa. Soon he will learn to stop with only the verbal cue. When you tell your foal to whoa, you should use a soft, relaxed voice. When you first teach your foal to whoa, let him stand for 30 seconds before moving forward again. This way he learns that whoa means to stand still, not to pause and move off again. However, do not make him stand so long that he begins to fidget. You can gradually increase his standing time to teach him patience.

Your foal should also learn to lead from both sides. Horses are normally led from the left side, however, at some point you may need to lead him from the right side. This also teaches the horse to turn to the right as well as he turns to the left. He will be more supple and responsive when you begin to ride him if he has learned to turn both directions.

Your foal should also learn to back up. This sets the foundation for asking him to back when you are riding him, and also teaches him to back out of a trailer. The foal should learn to back up as easily as he leads forward. Remember, backing can be physically demanding on a foal, so only ask for one or two steps at a time, but repeat several times throughout the lesson. When first asking your foal to back, give several firm tugs on the lead rope. A steady pull will encourage him to lean into the pressure and will not teach him to be light and responsive. If he will not take the first step, you can push on his chest to encourage him. If he is still not responding, tap him on the chest with a short whip or the end of the lead rope. Be sure to reward him when he takes that first step. He will soon learn to step back as soon as you ask.

By teaching your foal to lead properly, you are giving him a foundation that will make him easier to train when he is old enough to ride. He becomes more supple, willing, and learns how to learn. This foundation will make him a willing partner, both on the ground and under saddle.