Hi Gen,
Great idea! I've not had much experience with foals so it would be reall interesting. At least in September you can get some hands on help from Lynn!!!
Hope all's well with you and your equine friends!
Ruth

Hi Gen
That is a great idea! I think it would be very interesting to atch and to learn with. I havent worked much with foals, so I think it would be great to learn.
HorseCrazy

Hi Ruthy and HorseCrazy
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Yeah, I didn't think of that :-) that's a great idea!
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Glad you both think this is a good idea :-)
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See you later,
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Gen

Fabulous idea, I would like my mare to have a foal next year and I would really like to learn everything from scratch the Monty way, for a happy foal and mum as well as a happy me. I have to say that Monty and Kelly are the only methods I like to practice, I have seen other ways in practice and am not keen at all. I like any horse (or any animal for that matter) to CHOOSE my company and make it as close a loving relationship as possible.

Good idea FYI Dr Robert Miller DVM was the one that popularized imprinting and is the authority on the process. http://www.robertmiller.com/
You are right that there are two views on the subject and like you I trust DrMiller and Monty on this
One thing to keep in mind is that it is a multi step process and cannot be completed in one session
I have seen horse owners try this with out really understanding what they are doing
They get discouraged when the foal keeps away from them

Cheers

Thank you for the ideas! Monty has written some content in his From My Hands to Yours - his only textbook.

Hi Gen, yes I would like to see some of Monty's lessons on foal imprinting too. Many years back on RFDTV I saw a trainer that worked with foals. The techniques that he had done were very rough to me. He was basically forcing the foal to allow a human to handle it. It made me angry.

Hi Gen,
What a very good idea and what I see there are more of us who like this idea. Hopefully Monty can do some video lessons on this.
I am working with a two year old foal and I am teaching him step by step some, lets say, normal daily things.
I started two weeks ago to "shower" him. And it all went well. I asked the helpdesk if I did it right, I didn't do join-up and they gave me the advice to do join-up asap and use the dually halter.
Last week and I am talking about a very small thing (human thouhgt) I broke a carrot in front of the nose of Luuk and he was a little bit reacting on this, I didn't say anything and gave him the two pieces of carrot. Then I showed him the second carrot and broke it again and there was no reaction only mmmmm... I like carrot so give it to me.... so I gave him after a few seconds waiting the carrot and stroke him. What I want to say is also small imprints are important and for the big ones we need Monty,his book or hopefully video lessons, don't you think?
Good luck everybody, kind regards from May, Holland

I would love some videos on handling foals. My mare had a foal about three weeks ago, ( we did not buy her in foal, it was a surprise to everyone). We are very happy about it though.

We are just getting her used to us at the moment and she is just getting happy for us to touch her nose. We have them permanently out in the field as we do not have stabling where we are.

I would love some video on handling foals and what to do to catch them, etc.

Thanks for your comments everyone :-)
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Our first foal is due on August 5 - only a few weeks away now which is very exciting. I have been reading my books but am still a bit worried I will make a mistake as I have not been able to SEE it being done first.
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Like Horse Addict, I have also seen a few DVDs with trainers handling foals that look a bit rough and it just doesn't look right. I am very keen to start my new babies the Monty Roberts way right from birth.
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Good luck with your foals grootgendringen and Dolly Daydream!

Thank you all again :-)

Hi,
I have worked with foals and I find them to be incredible creatures. It is very hard to handle and work with foals at a young age. The way I do it, is at feeding time, I hold the bucket in one hand and gradually stroke with the other, I found this to be a great way of handling with no violence involved, eventually they have started to come to me. I would be much oblidge if Monty good do a segment on foals so I could improve or change my techniques!

Hi, 16 years ago I had the great pleasure of aiding in the birth and first hour imprinting of a foal. It was Amazing! I knew nothing about Monty then but I still want to share what I did because i feel like it was natural and very effective. The horse grew up to be amazing too! After her birth, we sat quietly back while mother and foal bonded for about 30-45 minutes. The foal had not got right up on her feet but did soon after being cleaned by mother. As soon as the foal began to look around at her environment while mother seemed to settle in knowing she had done a good job, i slowly moved in to let the mother know I was near and gave her some strokes on the head. She knew she could trust me and didn't flinch or budge. The foal became curious and began exploring my hands that were touching the mother. Slowly, after a few minutes, I reached to touch the foal at the neck the the face, ears, mouth, chin. The foal just stood there. I put my fingers in her mouth gently, slightly in her nose gently, then rubbed her more all over her head and neck. She actually began to lean on my body at this point. So, I began to rub her legs, torso, touch her tail, under the girth, at the flank, and all over. She flinched a few times but that's about all. She smelled me, put my hair in the mouth, and mouthed on my arm a few times. I slowly moved my body to her far side and did the same rubbing routine on that side using slow, rhythmic motions with slight pressure. Soon, I was able to pick up a foot, rub inside an ear, and walk freely around with the foal curiously following me. This lasted for about 30 minutes then I retreated to let the foal nurse and rest with mother. The next morning, I did the "routine" again. I did the same routine for the first 10 days. After that, I was able to just walk up to the foal and touch her anywhere. She haltered, lead, and learned ground manners in the next 3-4 months with willingness, and ease. At the age of 18 months, she alerted us to the forest fire taking place and about to jump the lake onto our property. She broke out of her paddock, came up to the cabin door banging! She allowed me to place my 3 year old son on her back and lead us out of the Alaska backcountry to the road where we were rescued. We had no telephone out there and cell phones were down. She truly accepted us as part of her "herd" and would not flee to safety without us! As a young mare, she seemed born to just agree with anyone and any rider. By 3 she was the best lesson horse the barn had ever used. After learning about Monty style horsemanship, I instantly thought of this experience and how his philosophy is truly in the heart of every person who really has made a connection with their horse.

Hi guys we just had a foal the night before last beautiful paint little horse tobiano and i should have read this before but i'm still going to try cause she is already coming close to inspect and letting us touch her on her withers so thanks for the idea but will still take as slow as it takes

I give my support for the lessons!

Hi everybody. Your story, medicinalarts, is really amazing ! I would also love to have lessons about foal imprintint and handling. They are impressing little personalities, aren't they. We have had two in May, a colt and a filly and they could not me more different ! It is so interesting just to sit down and watch the social live within the herd. First the babies had access of about three meters off mothers side. They would call them back immediately if they went over that line. Day by day the area the moms allowed their foals out became larger. But one mother was much more worried than the other one. I learned from the last year born foals that it is critical to keep the contact, built up a bond rooted in trust AND teach them also respect for our personal space. Especially the young colt otherwise can become dangerous and later difficult to handle if they don't learn respect for the human in time. And it is fun to teach them. Every time I am out to take in my two year old I take time for the colt who is one year old. He improves just by that little short lessons ! VioBerlin

Hi there. I would also LOVE to see video lessons! I have adopted two horses recently, a 10 year old mare and a foal that is now a year and six months old. I really struggle with the foal who was one when I had adopted him, but has never been touched by a human for the whole of his first year on earth. I touched him for the first time when I was brushing the mare (who is not his mother, but from the same herd) when he came closer to inspect the situation. I have been able to very slowly get a halter on him eventually, but have not been able to do so again since I took the halter off a few days later to get it washed. I spend time with them every day and try to touch him every day, but feels like hardly any progress is being made as one day he would allow me to touch him and the next he wouldn't and so it goes. I have also tried the touching while feeding concept, but it only worked for a few months. Now he wouldn’t allow me to touch him at all while he eats or walk to close to him or he tries to kick me. Kicking (second to biting) is his latest and seeming favourite latest discovery and I do not know how to handle him anymore. I have never once hurt him or treated him with anything other than utmost care, patience and love. I feel utterly lost with him at this stage and he is growing bigger and stronger by the day, so he comes across more intimidating etc. I do not want him to grow wilder before he grows up. I NEEEED a video lesson urgently Starting from the beginning before getting a halter on!

Actually I am visiting regularly 4 foals on their pasture, using the body language of Join-Up. None of them has had an imprinting, but one had an unexperienced mother and after birth was regularly carried to her for drinking milk (not by me). This is now the foal to handle more easily, or even looses sometimes the necessary distance to me, to mention a probable disadvantage.

Dennis, thanks for the connection to Robert Miller. There is little error, it is http://www.robertmmiller.com/

Looks Like a Foal Imprinting Lesson is Needed. So Many People Having Babies! Maybe this is a Good Lesson for a Special Guest to do.

Wow! How cool is this forum? Join up is the definite WAY TO GO for connecting with horses. I happened across a Dennis Miller book on imprinting and was able to Apply what I learned on my first filly born on the 30th of October, 2014. She is a pleasure to be around and easy to work with. Her brother was 5 months old when I first came to the farm and he is 18 months old now. We have a round pen and I must admit that Join Up has worked the stubborn out of him. Once they know who the leader is, it truly is no problem. I read, read, and read some more and then APPLY WHAT I've learned and true to form.... It works! I look forward to learning with you all.....

Welcome nissi1302!
You all are going to love Leigh Wills from New Zealand whose series starts in a few weeks on handling and haltering foals at about 3 weeks. Leigh trained under Monty, became Certified and returned to New Zealand to develop a world renowned system of handling Thoroughbred foals. She enlisted the help of Sally King, long time student of Monty's and also a Monty Roberts Certified Instructor.
This is not a foal imprinting lesson per se but it is definitely a valuable piece of the education you will want to consider for your babies.
Other lessons to reference for this forum column are:
Foal Handling http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/training/2031188796
Dually Dance with Foals http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/training/2031188798
Think Like a Foal http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/training/2031188839
Wild Horses: First Halter http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/training/2031188780
Training to Load Safely in the Trailer: http://www.montyrobertsuniversity.com/training/2031188812
Any other suggestions? Please add yours :)

I would like to see this too on the video lessons :) You have my support.

Hi Debbie and all,

I learned about the Leigh Wills series coming, when at Dillenburg, Germany I met Ann Lindberg at Monty's demo. She told me Leigh had given a lecture for the Instuctors, when they gathered at Monty's birhtday. I'm so looking forward to these lessons! There's so much to learn and even more to gain from it, in all walks of life...

Miriam