“Ten Tips on The Weaning Transition
Safe, Horse Friendly Ways to Interact with Young Horses”
(Listeners’ Choice)
By Popular Demand we have re-published this episode. Each weekend we are choosing the most listened to and commented on episodes for you to enjoy.
This interview was previously published in 2018 Jonna McLean 4 (292)
About Jonna
– If you would like to know more about Jonna then listen to his previous chats
First Chat – 042 – Jonathan McLean
Second Chat – 144 – Jonathan McLean 2 – “Ten Tips for Initial Foal Handling”
Third Chat – 172 – Jonathan McLean 3 – “Ten Steps for Further Foal Handling”
Listeners’ Choice- 211 – Listeners’ Choice interview (042)
Fifth Chat – 318 – Jonna McLean 5 – “Ten Training Tips From Weaning to Yearling”
Sixth Chat – 348 – Jonna McLean 6 – “Ten Steps To Starting The Young Horse Under Saddle”
Seventh Chat – 378 – Jonna McLean 7 – “Ten Points to Remember When Training Your Horse”
About This Episode
Ten Tips on The Weaning Transition, Safe, Horse Friendly Ways to Interact with Young Horses
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“Ten Tips on The Weaning Transition
Safe, Horse Friendly Ways to Interact with Young Horses”
1 – Foaling/Weaning Transition – establish leading aids clearly, consistently signals (keep the mare in sight)
– Trauma – trust
2 – Train in hand aids until you can go reverse one step, then without resistance, come forward one step.
3 – Continue Habituation to touch, grooming and feet etc. (Lots of scratching in the foals favourite places, when desired reactions occur)
– Farrier/Stranger – hold hoof (not fetlock), Nurse Common bond on thigh, rub with/drape towel
4 – Practice leading foal further away from mare. (Short periods out of her vision)
– Self carriage state – without pressure
– only change one thing at a time (not two or more)
5 – Progress foals leading to obstacles ie: different surfaces, textures, sounds
– Wet towel, wet floor
6 – Quality of responses may deteriorate, repeat until predictable (7 reps, without error/resistance)
– Helps the horse to better understand the questions
7 (a) – Practice walking up inclines and declines being able to halt and go when and where ever.
– Banging Coranet band
7 (b) – Practice transitions (stop and go) onto the float ram and beyond
– Racing barriers, if there is a delay
8 – Once transitions are light and responsive, parking (stopping for longer periods) should be possible. Parking is a reflection of calmness through clear training.
– 3 Ways to hobble a horse, physical force, chemicals and training
9 – Identify all the areas where your foal is most anxious, and reduce everything down to single step sequences, to achieve calmness and predictability
– Walk on line, speed/tempo, self carriage
10 – When step back and forward can be done with no resistance, we can then begin tying up training. Remember: pressure motivates reaction, the release (if done timely), trains the reaction.
Tying up – poll pressure of halter
Time Stamps
00:40 – Background
02:00 – 1 – Foaling/Weaning Transition – establish leading aids clearly, consistently signals (keep the mare in sight)
06:30 – 2 – Train in hand aids until you can go reverse one step, then without resistance, come forward one step.
11:18 – 3 – Continue Habituation to touch, grooming and feet etc. (Lots of scratching in the foals favourite places, when desired reactions occur)
18:26 – 4 – Practice leading foal further away from mare. (Short periods out of her vision)
22:47- 5 – Progress foals leading to obstacles ie: different surfaces, textures, sounds
25:31 – 6 – Quality of responses may deteriorate, repeat until predictable (7 reps, without error/resistance)
27:45 – 7 (a) – Practice walking up inclines and declines being able to halt and go when and where ever.
30:20 – 7 (b) – Practice transitions (stop and go) onto the float ram and beyond
32:20 – 8 – Once transitions are light and responsive, parking (stopping for longer periods) should be possible.
34:15 – 9 – Identify all the areas where your foal is most anxious, and reduce everything down to single step sequences, to achieve calmness and predictability
36:15 – 10 – When step back and forward can be done with no resistance, we can then begin tying up training.
38:30 – Summary of points 1 to 10
45:20 – Contact: see details below
Jonna’s Contact Details
Phone: 0417 116 471 or +61 417 116 471
Email: jonamclean@gmail.com
Website: traintowin.com.au
Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/jonna.mclean
Train To Win Facebook Page
Music
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When Jonna is a return guest on Horse Chats, what question would you like to ask him?
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