Tipsy Tuesday #2

With many colts reaching that age of teething here is a helpful tip by Cheyanne West of Igancio, Colorado that is published in the great Western Horseman Book, Helpful Hints for Horseman.

Foal Teething

Several years ago I found two solutions to the problems of mares losing manes and tail to teething foals. The first solution I’ve used for about 8 years, but by combining it with the second, newer idea, I’ve virtually eliminate the problem.

The first solution is to combine 1/2 –cup oil (corn or vegetable) with 2 tablespoons chili powder. Coat the mane and tail of the mare and other nearby horses liberally. When a foal starts chewing usually at 2 to 3 weeks of age, he finds this distasteful; I call this taste imprinting an addition to foal imprinting. Tabasco sauce works equally well, but I’ve found other types of hot sauces don’t last as long as Tabasco, hence his stable name of Mikie.

The next solution requires an old cotton lead rope, perhaps a broken one, about 12 inches long, and I wrap the rope with synthetic sheepskin material and attach a snap on either end. I attach the rope in the stall next to the creep feeder or the water bucket, or in the pasture or corral where the mares gather. I snap the rope to the fence horizontally, or use eye hooks on the wood inside the stall, about 3 feet from the ground. The foals chew and tug on the rope to satisfy their need to stimulate the gums. The sheepskin covering seems to work better than the plain cotton rope.

I’ve found this to be safe, provided the rope is placed high and is taut; that way, a foal can’t get a leg through the loop or a jaw caught in it. Initially, I let the rope hang, but the foals seem more interested when it’ attached horizontally. Usually the rope stays up for 6 to 8 months, and this technique seems to have no bad long-term effects.

Although a second application of sauce is sometimes needed on the mare’s manes and tails, the sauce combined with the rope chew-toy has been successful for me.

If you would like to read more tips from the Western Horseman Books they are available with a 10% discount for mentioning this blog, at Burns Saddlery’s store or at our website http://www.burnssaddlery.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=HELPFULHINTS&eq=&Tp= . Just enter coupon code "blogbooks" during checkout.


Happy Horse Teething,

Danna