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Managing your foal with imprinting

It’s true that mother knows best, but a little human help doesn’t hurt either. Since Dr. Robert Miller introduced foal imprinting about 20 years ago, breeders, trainers, and owners have embraced this hands-on approach credited with producing more manageable, more trusting, and easier to train horses.

What exactly is foal imprinting? In a nutshell, it is desensitizing the foal to human interaction immediately upon birth. During imprinting the foal is handled by humans before its fight-or-flight instinct kicks in. There are two goals with imprinting: to train a horse to have little or no resistance to veterinary, farrier, and training procedures; and to establish a human dominance in the young foal’s life, leading to a more willing and trainable adult horse.

What does foal imprinting consist of? Immediately following birth, a handler gently probes the baby’s gums, teeth, ears, mouth, nose, and rectum. He or she handles the foal’s feet, applies gentle pressure to the sides and back, and introduces it to distracting sounds like the vibration of clippers, the sounds of crinkling paper, and flapping plastic. The goal is to get the foal to experience sensations it will experience throughout its life, and accept them at the earliest stage.

When is the right time to begin imprint training. Most people begin to imprint train their foal about one hour after birth, right after the foal has stood and nursed. Begin by touching the horse’s body very gently, all over. This will help the foal learn that he can be touched anywhere and it won’t hurt. And best of all, this is a lesson the horse will carry with him throughout his life! Foals who have been touched in this manner shortly after birth learn not to move into or jump away from pressure on their bodies.

One thing that is very important to note. Take care not to desensitize the area around the foal’s sides. You want to preserve sensitivity to the rider’s cues in that area! However, you do want them to understand that they should move away from pressure. You can do this by tapping them until they move. When they finally do move, stop tapping. By teaching the foal the concept of moving away from pressure early on, saddle training will be a breeze later on down the road!

Imprinting is also a great way to get your foal ready for a lifetime of easy farriery. What’s the best way to do this? Pick up and handle each foot. Be sure to lightly tap the hoof and sole with a pick. By doing this, you’ll prepare the foal for foot handling, hoof picking, and other aspects of hoof care it will encounter during its adult life.

To help the foal accept things like accepting the bit, veterinary procedures, teeth floating, and deworming, make sure you pay attention to the baby’s mouth during the imprinting process. Put your fingers in both the mouth and the nose, being sure to feel around the gums and pull the lips back. Desensitizing the mouth will ensure that you foal remains a model patient–one that your vet and dentist enjoy working with–through adulthood.

During imprinting, make sure you only touch one part of the body at a time. Continue to touch that part of the body until the foal accepts what you are doing. Never quit while the foal is resisting! To do so only teaches the horse that resistance leads to you stopping. And that’s not a lesson you want any horse to learn!

Initial imprinting takes about an hour. Over the next 12 hours, do two more five- or 10-minute imprinting sessions. A 10-minute session done once or twice a day thereafter will ensure your horse stays up to speed.

By introducing your young foal to varied stimuli, you can instill a lifetime of trust and willingness!

The Digestive System of your Horse

Digestive System

One of the greatest expenses of owning a horse is feed cost. This expense can be minimized by maintaining the health of your animal, feeding a balanced ration and purchasing feeds that fulfill all nutrient requirements.

Many problems with horses are a result of either overfeeding or underfeeding. Horsemen must understand the horse’s digestive system.

Anatomy of the Digestive System

The digestive system of the horse is different than that of other farm animals. As indicated in Figure 1, the horse’s stomach is quite small. The stomach holds a maximum of 2 to 4 gallons, which is only about 8% of the horse’s digestive tract. The small intestine makes up about 30% of the horse’s digestive tract and is the major site of nutrient absorption. Approximately 65% to 70% of all nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine.

The feed passes through the horse’s stomach and small intestine in one to two hours. In a normal system of digestion, grain and highly digestible nutrients are used in the stomach and small intestine.

The next structure in the digestive system is the cecum, which is basically a fermentation vat responsible for breaking down roughages, such as grass and hay, into useful energy for the horse. The cecum and the large intestine, known as the colon, make up almost 65% of the digestive tract but are responsible for only 25% of the nutrient absorption.

Dangers of Overfeeding

The small stomach and rapid rate of feed passage through the small intestine indicates that a horse must be fed relatively small amounts of feed on a regular basis. In nature, the horse is basically a continuous eater. The advantage of the rapid rate of passage through the stomach and small intestine is that, within a couple of hours after feeding, the horse can normally be ridden without danger of digestive problems.

If the horse is fed large amounts of grain, the undigested feed may move through the upper portion of the tract and overwhelm the lower gut. Grain that is passed into the cecum and large colon is fermented, which normally results in production of gas and gaseous colic. This can make horses susceptible to digestive problems if large amounts of grain are fed.

Feed and Forage Go Hand in Hand

The lower gut, namely the cecum and colon, are relatively inefficient in the digestive and absorptive process. As a result, it is difficult to feed horses on forage alone. Therefore, animals that have any additional requirement other than maintenance, such as performance horses, growing foals and lactating mares, will need additional high-quality feeds. High quality hay and forage are needed to achieve adequate use.

Forages move through the digestive system more slowly than do grains. By feeding hay before grain, the grain portion of the ration can be slowed down through the digestive system and use of the grain is increased as well as reducing the potential for overloading the hind gut. To use the digestive system of the horse properly, horsemen must feed high quality forages and small amounts of grain regularly.

LSU Ag Center – Cinton Depew & Howard Cormier

Point Two Air Jacket

Point Two Pro Air Jacket

This revolutionary product can reduce your chance of injury while participating in the sports you love! It is easy to use, own and reusable. The rider simply slips on the jacket and, when mounted, a narrow lanyard connects the saddle with the jacket. Should the rider be separated from the saddle, the lanyard will pull the activation key from the jacket, triggering a mechanism to release CO2 into the airbag system. The jacket inflates, encapsulating the rider’s trunk and collar area of the neck before he or she hits the ground, providing shock absorption on impact. Hand wash only with soap, sponge or brush. Complete kit includes: · Jacket · CO2 Canister · Lanyard · Nylon Stirrup Strap · Allen Key · User Manual Note: The Pro Air Jacket is designed to be worn over a traditional protective riding vest (not included). CO2 Canister must be replaced after one discharge. Replacement CO2 Canister sold separately – E000442. Even though the Sizing Chart lists all sizes, please be advised we do not carry sizes Medium Wide and Large Wide.

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Water! The most important nutrient for a horse

Question: What is the most important nutrient for a horse?
Answer: Water

Horses generally drink about 2 quarts of water for every pound of hay they consume. In higher temperatures, during hard work, or for the lactating mare, the water requirement may be 3-4 times the normal consumption.

Nutrients
Horses require six main classes of nutrients to survive; besides water, they require carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.

•Carbohydrates are the main energy source used in most feeds. The main building block of carbohydrates is glucose.

•Protein is found in every organ and tissue of the body. It is vital for muscle development during growth and exercise. The main building blocks of protein are amino acids. Soybean meal and alfalfa are good sources of protein that can be easily added to the diet. Signs of protein deficiency include a rough or course hair coat, a reduction in growth, weight loss, and performance.

•Fats can be added to a feed to increase the energy density of the diet. Vegetable oil is the most commonly used fat source in horse feeds. Certain fatty acids are also essential in the diet. Rice bran is also a fat supplement that is sometimes added to feeds to increase energy.

•Vitamins are fat-soluble (Vitamins A, D, E and K) or water-soluble (Vitamin C, and B-complex vitamins). Horses at maintenance usually have more than adequate amounts of vitamins in their diet if they are receiving fresh green forage and/or complete feed rations. Some cases where a horse would need a vitamin supplement include when feeding a high-grain diet, or low-quality hay, if a horse is under stress (traveling, showing, racing, etc), prolonged strenuous activity, or not eating well (sick, after surgery, etc.). Most of the vitamins are found in green, leafy forages, however Vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, so, typically horses that are stalled for 24 hours a day would need a supplement with Vitamin D. Severely stressed horses may benefit from B-complex and Vitamin C supplements, during periods of high stress.

•Minerals are required for maintenance of body structure, fluid balance in cells, nerve conduction, and muscle contraction. The macro-minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride, magnesium, and sulfur are needed daily. There are also micro-minerals, such as selenium, which are needed in smaller animals. Sweating increases the horse’s need for sodium, chloride and potassium, which is the reason for supplementing with electrolytes if a horse is sweating a lot.

Energy Sources
Carbohydrates in the forms of fermentable fiber or starch are the most common sources of energy. The densest source of energy, however, is fat (almost three times more than carbohydrates or proteins) and can be a great source for horses that tend to “run hot.” An example of a high fat energy source is Cool Calories 100. Horses exercising, growing, pregnant in late gestation or early lactation need increased energy in their diet.

Forages
Forages are classified as legumes or grasses. The nutrients in the forage vary greatly with maturity of the grasses, fertilization, management, and environmental conditions. In order to determine the nutrient content in forage it is recommended to take samples and get them analyzed by a forage testing lab (contact your local County Extension Office). Some commonly used grasses include orchard grass, timothy, bluegrass, and fescue.

•Legumes, such as clover and alfalfa, are usually higher in protein, calcium, and energy than grasses. They have more leaves than grasses and require optimal growth conditions (warm weather and good soil) to contain the best nutrients.

•Hay is dried forage, harvested, dried, and baled before feeding to horses. The legume hay can contain 2-3 times more protein and calcium than grass hay. Common grass hays include timothy, brome and orchard grass. Appearance is usually a good indicator of the amount of nutrients in the hay. Moldy or dusty hay should not be fed to horses.
Concentrates (Grains)

1.Oats are the most popular grain for horses. Oats have a lower energy value and higher fiber content than most other grains. They are also more palatable and digestible for horses than other grains; however, they can be expensive.

2.Corn is the second most common grain for horses. It provides twice as much energy as an equal volume of oats and is low in fiber. Because it is so energy dense it is easy to over feed corn, causing obesity. Moldy corn should never be fed – it can be lethal to horses.

3.Sorghum is a small hard kernel that needs to be processed (steam flaked, crushed, etc.) for efficient digestion and utilization by the horse. Like corn, sorghum is high in energy and low in fiber.

4.Barley also has hard hulls that should be processed to allow easier digestibility. It has moderate fiber and energy content, and can be a nutritious and palatable feed for horses.

5.Wheat is generally only consumed by humans because of its high cost. Its small kernels should be processed for horses to digest. Wheat is higher in energy than corn and best used in a grain mix because of its low palatability.

As you can see, proper nutrition, including supplementation when needed, is essential for the health of your horse. Knowing what your horse needs is a vital step to feeding him day to day.

Nutrition Needs in Horses: Overview
Drs. Foster & Smith Educational Staff