books/articles/ideas for training extremely smart foal?

Question

I have trained plenty of horses from newborn up, but never one this blatantly smart. He is about 2.5 months old at this time. He is also a typical colt with attention and patience issues. 

For example: Would not go through a gate that was previously closed at 3 days old- he knew that there was fencing there prior and would call for his dam on the other side, but not go through it until we pushed him. He has been leading at  a walk decently since a week old- he never fought leading because he gets to go explore. 
   We recently started on learning to tie since he will wander off everywhere with no regard to his freaking-out dam. He learned that pulling his head back does not get him loose (took about 3 minutes). He then proceeded to pull on the end of the rope to get the slip knot loose. After we fixed that and knotted it tight, he went straight to prying the knot apart with his teeth. After about 5 minutes of failure (he was picking it loose, just not fast enough for him),  he proceeded to find a sharp edge to hook the top of the halter on, and carefully worked it over his ears and thus off.

He also grabs the lunge whip in his teeth and walks shaking it because it makes his dam run- and he knows it. 
He got caught in the fence at 1 month  while trying to get to a crowd of people during a party and it was around his leg and neck- he kept picking his leg or head up, not freaking out, just trying to get it loose, and stood quietly chewing on you when you came to get him out.

I have NEVER had a foal this smart, or really any horse- Most fight tying longer, taking months of patient work, and a few learn how to pull the slip knot out, but never the last 2 steps. All freak out in the fence

There isn't that much you can do with a foal, but I need some suggestions. I know he is going to be a challenge to train already, not because he will fight, but because he will learn quick and get bored, and then cause trouble. I work with my foals continuously so once they get to the age to ride, everything else is an old hat. 

I was thinking introducing trick training and make him do tricks- touch or pick up things, bow, etc because that is variable and thus more interesting.

 I don't want to ruin him getting sullen on training because he gets bored.

Any other suggestions?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

That was my last foal, and his full brother. 

But keep in mind that he isn't even three months yet. Once he gets the basics -- leading and picking up feet -- just let him be a babe. That might be all he needs. Lead him, take care of him as usual, but just let him figure things out for himself and don't worry about anything yet. Now *is* a good time to desensitize to anything and everything you can think of. He's a manageable size, curious, and very impressionable. You don't want to wait until he's a massive draft two year old to find out that flowers spook him (just an example, but you get me).

The gelding I kept still unties knots if I don't tie a billion of them over on each other, so that it takes me an hour to get it unworked. He's also undone stalls and door latches... which has gotten him into a lot of big trouble. 

But these are good things. You want foals like that -- they make absolutely great adults. Finding things to do with them once they get bored with stuff is hard to do.

Here are some books I'd recommend with options for training at certain stages of life:

http://www.amazon.com/From-Birth-Backing-Complete-Handling/dp/0715312847/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344202198&sr=8-1&keywords=from+birth+to+backing
(It's not actually $3k... Buy it used if you like it. Amazon is crazy.)

http://www.amazon.com/Training-Your-Foal-Renate-Ettl/dp/1592287778/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_1
Another foal book.

http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Training-In-Hand-Modern-Working/dp/1570764093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344202206&sr=8-1&keywords=horse+training+in+hand
And here is a favorite for later, adult training. Very good. Love it.

Here's a question I posted that got great answers.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoxYTxOlIRdMTZcxPfInCiHsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20120804171059AANfh0s

There are other books in the suggested reading that might appeal to you, but those are ones I have and they have good ideas and good info. With a foal like you've got, they might get you to eight or nine months before you're looking for more ideas.

When he gets to a stage where he has surpassed the education for a foal of that age, let him be a baby before moving on. Teach. Rest. Refresh. Repeat. But don't let him miss out on being a foal, he can only be a foal for a short period of time before he has to grow up.

Do not let him get away with things like chewing on people or nibbling. I made that mistake, thinking it would be easy to correct after a while... For a foal who is alone, with just his dam, you have got to be *strict*. He has no one else to play with besides you and it will be very, very easy for him to associate you with fun things, so you have to be clear, firm, and black and white. You can be good company but he must always, always listen to you no matter what, and he cannot in any circumstance expect you to be his little human-horsey friend. You're not a playmate. Horseplay is a dangerous thing and you don't want your little man to think it's acceptable behavior with people. Very important.

Anonymous · Answer

I honestly simply watched that. He's dumb. And, I do not like his track. He's in most cases a five yr historic lady making a song approximately love. Hmmm, and i am a fifteen yr historic teenage lady. Doesn't particularly appear like some thing a lady might say approximately him.

Sthomp · Answer

Get him used to everything he will come across in his life, plastic bags, puddles etc..but on the whole..don;t start fiddling..let him be a horse. If he's a clever as you think he is he can learn tricks when he's through his basic training.

Anonymous · Answer

start desensitizing him. big yoga balls, tarps, blankets, bridges, steps, log jumps, boots, wraps, being groomed, loud noises, pedestrian items (strollers, dogs, bikes, kites, etc...) you can start lungeing him if you feel hes ready, just no long intense workouts, his joints are definately still developing at this point, and until hes about 4, so just basic things that will not interfere with his growing and development

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books/articles/ideas for training extremely smart foal?

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