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Foal
Imprinting
- It is as the word implies, let us explain;
- Just as an animal is born, it is necessary for the animal to identify its parent and form a bond or it is left to fend for itself without protection.
- Remember when you were a child and you found the bird egg that fell from the nest? You just had to take it home so the contents could hatch. Our parents told us that when the bird hatched, the first thing it saw was considered its parent. This is Imprinting.
- It is what the animal saw or smelled (your scent).
- Sight and smell are very powerful things in the animal kingdom. They can and do mean the difference between life and death. Horses tend to Imprint themselves on the largest moving object looming over or around them that they first see. It could be you, your tractor or even the family dog.
- Lets say, for example, you have a 1200 pound horse that is wild as can be, never been touched and you want to handle it. What are the risks involved here, personal injury, death, etc... You don't have to be a rocket scientist to picture the possibilities in your mind.
- It would be so much easier to teach your horse the day they are born all that will be expected of them when you are with them. These lessons stay with the horse for the rest of their lives unless changed by bad training or abuse.
- They
only weigh 100 pounds or less when they are born (depending on the
breed) which makes them a lot easier and safer to handle.
- The lessons they learn through Imprinting will stay with them for life and makes for a great way to start a relationship your horse.
- We would have to say, of all the many advantages, the most important would have to be that we are able to shape the thought processes of the horse in the beginning stages of its mental development. We have found that we can teach them all they need to know for their relationship with us in the first few days of life.
- This is a great way to introduce your new foal to the art of Natural Horsemanship.
- What you input into your new foal becomes a part of them for life.
- We don't want you to go out just after your foal hits the ground with no instruction to start the Imprinting process. The mare must bond with her foal at the same time you are Imprinting the foal. It is a very delicate process.
- You must also be very careful not to teach your foal the wrong things or you'll be sorry.
- Also, we must understand that there is an alphabet to the lessons we teach our foals. We start with the letter "A" and work to "Z" one lesson at a time, one letter at a time, just the way we learned from our parents.
- We should only work with our foals in short intervals. They must be able to rest between sessions to help digest what they have learned. Foals tire quickly and like humans, we don't learn well when we are tired.
Let us teach you the proper way to to Imprint your foal by using your new foal for
an example. The process is ideally a 3 person job. A competent handler
to hold the mare, 1 to imprint and an assistant. I provide myself and
the assistant. It is a great way for you to to learn how to start your
new foal for a life partnership.
This will be a hands-on with step-by-step instruction course at your facilities.
Foals learn and grow quickly so don't miss
out.
You must sign up in advance by phone or e-mail so that we may
schedule our time accordingly and so you may keep us informed of your
mares condition. We only have a 36 hour window to start and complete
the Imprinting process. The best results are
attained just as the foal is birthed and on the ground. click on Contact to call,
write or e-mail us.
You may also see pictures of our Stallion, Mares and their Foals (after
they are born) Spring 2005 on Our Breeding
Program page. All foals at our facilities are Imprinted and some may also be purchased.
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