Raising a child takes a village, notes one African proverb; the collective experiences of a community forming the individual person. Similarly, a growing foal takes its cues from his dam, surrounding herd, and handlers, and care approaches become particularly important when the foal is orphaned. One of the key aspects handlers must consider when raising a foal is how decisions they make in the beginning will shape that horse’s behavior for life.

Sue McDonnell, PhD, Cert. AAB, adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and the founding head of the Center’s Equine Behavior Program, described mare and foal behavior and how to avoid perpetuating undesirable orphan foal behavior at the 2012 American Association of Equine Practitioners’ Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif.

Mare and Foal Bonding

During and after birth a mare generally investigates the fetal fluids and membranes she expels, as well as inspecting and interacting with the foal. A foal generally mimics his dam’s behavior, she added