Foal’s first walk to the field – getting it right

Getting your hands on a cute foal is very exciting, but there is a lot to consider. Horse&Rider find out how modern stud practices result in a healthy, happy foal. Follow Britannia’s Caberet ‘Twiglet’ on his learning curve, along with some guidelines to help you continue the good management practices, and tips to make your journey to the field less eventful.

One important step is introducing a foal slip, so to help you out here’s what you need to look for…

Foal slips are tiny headcollars for foals. They have adjustment points on the crown, nose and jaw, and are usually made of leather with small, metal fittings. Leather is the preferred material because it will break easily in case of emergency, freeing the foal from danger or injury. The slip needs to fit securely, so the foal cannot get his hooves caught up in it, nor catch himself on anything in his environment. Standing for the foal slip to be put on and taken off is essential training for the foal.