Do not hit forward of the withers with anything that could injure his eyes. You can swat his rump with the lead rope but not his neck. After 3 seconds, go back to hugging and petting him.

Remember, if he’s doing it now as a little baby, he will do it later as a full size adult. You don’t want that coming at you in the round pen with the gate closed..

Part of creating the no-stress environment is keeping the foal’s dam close by. Tying her is ok as long as she has been taught to tie and give to pressure, meaning she will not pull back, even if the foal becomes upset. If there is a possibility that she may pull, leave her loose or put her in a neighboring paddock where she can see the baby and the baby can see her.

The bite stops here. Biting may be playful or exploratory but it soon becomes aggressive. Getting bitten by a colt is no fun, regardless of why he is doing it.

Getting bitten by a 1,500 pound horse who was never taught any better is even less fun.

The cure for this is the same 3 second rule.

Horses are big and people are not. People must have that personal respect space around them in order to stay safe near the horse. The horse must learn that it can’t treat us like another horse. It is very important that people realize this, also.

The foal’s antics of bucking, kicking and racing are cute until we get kicked or he ploughs into us. We’ve all seen unruly foals dragging their owners around, knocking them down or striking them in the head. It’s never pretty.

The foal should eventually look at us and come to us when we ask, say yes to our simple requests such as move over or walk with me and to let us handle any part of his body, anytime. He should pick up his feet when asked and become de-sensitized to clippers, bathing, loading, newspapers, plastic bags and tarps.

He should eventually look upon all these things as safe, not feeling trapped, and say, "Yes, I can do this."

Spend lots of time hugging him, stroking his head and saying kind words as his reward for good behavior. You don’t want a tug of war, you want a cooperative animal that you look forward to spending time and working with.

With slow and simple training you can actually develop control and politeness in the animal, and with easy "yes" answers at the beginning, it will be easier for him to say "yes" later to more difficult requests.

The aforementioned article is meant as a guideline and not training analysis. Always consult the expertise of a qualified trainer when working with a new foal.

CN is not responsible should injury occur due to working with an unruly animal.

Well, soon they'll be calling you to the warm up ring, better get up there, you don’t want to keep the judge waiting. See you there and see you next week right here at Horsin’ Around in the Community News.

Until then, listen to the immortal words of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, "Happy Trails to You."