In the popular equine literature the term imprinting has been commandeered to refer to a training method (i.e., imprint training) developed by Robert Miller, DVM, that is used to build a connection between the newborn foal and its human caregiver. It is more correctly known as neonatal handling.

Usually this happens at the age of 2.5 or 3 as the horse is leaving the free stable and the herd to begin the “real” training to become a riding horse. So when should the real training ‘really’ begin? Normally at 2 days old the horse is old enough to stand and when he’s old enough to stand, he’s old enough to learn.

Baby Steps

1. Start handling your foal from Day One.
2. Work gently, quietly, and consistently.
3. Rub, stroke, and scratch, using the right touch for each body area.
4. Let baby sniff, explore, and even nuzzle such new objects as brushes, halters, and lead ropes.
5. Introduce the halter in stages.

Imprint training should be done as soon as possible after birth, Miller says. However, in his practice, he sometimes did not reach a foal until 7 or 8 hours after the birth, and he learned that he could obtain the same results even with the delay.

Horses not only remember people who have treated them well, they also understand words better than expected, research shows. Ethologist Sankey of the University of Rennes and her colleagues studied 20 Anglo-Arabian and three French Saddlebred horses stabled in Chamberet, France. …

Many horse breeders handle newborn foals to make them easier to train later, and more user-friendly for the farrier and veterinarian, using a method called imprint training. The very young foal is able to soak up a large amount of information, learning from the surroundings and early experiences.

The newborn foal imprints to her environment and the horses in the environment, the mare in particular, of course. If humans are in the environment, the foal will imprint upon those humans to some degree, but it is preferred that the foal primarily imprints on the dam, more than anyone else, initially.

Here are ways to help create a bond between you and your new horse.

1. 01 of 08. Firm, Fair and Consistent.
2. 02 of 08. Don’t Just Show Up for “Work Times”
3. 03 of 08. Bring Treats.
4. 04 of 08. Understand Body Language.
5. 05 of 08. Grooming.
6. 06 of 08. Respect.
7. 07 of 08. Massage and Other Comforts.
8. 08 of 08. Experience Things Together.

Find a spot he likes to be rubbed and reward him by scratching or petting that area when he approaches you and/or when he responds to a request. Don’t put yourself between the mare and the foal during the first few days of his life.

Use gentle touch to teach your foal to enjoy human contact Soft, kind touch on your horse’s body, face, legs, and hooves can help acclimate a young horse to humans and prepare them for a lifetime of gentle handling.