How to Halter Break a Weanling

Horses and ponies are large, powerful animals that need to be handled from the time they are born to prevent injuries and conflicts. When a horse is born their average weight is 100 pounds. From there the horse’s weight multiplies several times to reach his mature weight. Starting to break them when they are smaller in size is just common sense.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Foal sized halter
• Two able assistants

1. Place the mare and foal into a stall or small contained area.
2. Catch the mare with a lead rope and put her back end in a corner away from where you will be working.
3. Approach the baby slowly, allowing it to smell you and get used to your touch. Eventually be able to put one arm in front of its chest and the other arm behind the foal’s butt. The arm on the chest is your brakes and the arm on the butt is the accelerator. Use the tail as a steering wheel.
4. Put the weanling up against a wall to help you have leverage to put a halter on her head.
5. Slide the foal sized halter over the baby’s head very gently. Make the halter tight enough so it will not slide off but loose enough that you can put a finger or two between the halter the foal’s head.
6. Lead the mare slowly to walk in a circle and follow with the weanling in tow while you still have hold of them.
7. Catch the baby daily in the stall. Get the foal used to you catching them by the halter and even putting pressure on the halter.
8. Start walking the weanling with their mother in a larger area once they have learned to trust you. Have one person lead the mare, one person in control of the foal and one person who follows for encouragement and help. When you lead the baby have a lead rope on them and encourage them to go forward using the lead rope or your hand from behind by putting pressure across their butt.
9. Lead the weanling on a regular basis to keep them used to being handled. Also check every week to make sure the baby does not outgrow her halter.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient because weanlings are a lot like children and will test you.
• Be careful of the mare because she will be protective of her foal.