September 2015
B
uying a foal can be one of the
most exciting but also daunting
experiences that a horse owner
may undertake.
However, the pleasure and enjoyment
that can be gained through raising a foal
into a talented and promising young
horse with all the attributes to succeed
in the future often outweighs the initial
gamble that one may initially take.
Pedigree, temperament, movement
and conformation are key factors to look
for when choosing your special foal.
Having chosen the one for you, the long
process of ensuring your foal receives the
necessary care begins.
Sara has successfully bred and
produced many beautiful and talented
foals for the dressage arena and is
highly knowledgeable in all areas of foal
management.
Before you bring your new foal home,
it is highly advisable to have a final vet
check to ensure the foal is in full health,
before it meets other horses on your
yard. “When you have chosen your foal,
get a vet to check his eyes, lungs and
heart and have a look at conformation
and movement. If there is a time gap
between selecting and bringing your foal
home, it is a good idea to get another
once over to double check that all is well
before leaving the seller’s yard,” said Sara.
You must check your new foal’s
passport and depending on age check
when his next vaccinations are due. The
initial course should be started at six
months of age and it is very important
to ensure your foal is fully protected
as foals are particularly susceptible to
infectious diseases. The timing of the
vaccination programme is crucial as
the antibodies that the foal receives
from its mother to protect him initially
are the same as those that prevent
him developing an immune response
to a vaccine. Therefore it is necessary
for these antibodies to decline before
starting the vaccination programme.
Moving your horse to his new home
will be a very daunting experience for
him and you should aim to make it as
least stressful as possible. Company is
an important factor here and a suitable
companion should be introduced to
your foal as soon as possible. Ideally, this
would be another foal of the same age
“Pedigree,
temperament,
movement and
conformation are key
factors to look for
when choosing your
special foal”
Pendan Biggles: Image Courtesy Pendan Stud
September 2015 • Issue 24 • Everything Horse Magazine
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