Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal: A Swift, Effective Method for Permanently Shaping a Horse's Lifetime Behavior

by Robert M. Miller

IMPRINT TRAINING OF THE NEWBORN FOAL offers an easy-to-follow, step-by-step approach to handling and training newborn foals, as well as numerous techniques and exercises that aid the foal in halter training and later in performing riding maneuvers. Imprinting can be defined as a learning process occurring soon after birth in which a behavior pattern is established. The newborn foal is imprinted to follow and bond with whatever large object looms above it at the time of birth.
Dr. Miller's methods lay the foundation for teaching a horse most of what it will need to know to serve as a useful animal for the rest of its life. Early training can, in an amazingly brief period of time, assure an ideal relationship between horse and human, with the horse bonded and submissive to the human. In addition, the horse will be desensitized to the everyday frightening stimuli that typically elicit a flight reaction in the young horse, and which account for the frequent injuries that afflict horses and the people who work with them.
The book includes nineteen chapters beginning with initial imprinting training, then following with subsequent sessions, halter training, performance basics, response reinforcement, problem prevention, and sections on racehorses, mules, and brood mares.

Genres: Horses, Nonfiction, Animals

144 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

About the author

Robert M. Miller was an American equine behaviorist and veterinarian, best recognized for his system of training newborn foals known as imprint training. Miller is also one of the early adopters and promoters of relationship-based horsemanship. His work is often referred to by equine clinicians. He has served as a judge in the annual Road to the Horse competition, and also was a co-founder of the "Light Hands Horsemanship" concept and annual clinic.

Reviews

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the 22nd reprinting, from June 2005. The Introduction notes a couple of minor changes to the original edition, and one major change to help prevent septic foal syndrome. This edition also includes two articles from Western Horseman (from 1994 and 1996, respectively) that involve troubleshooting common mistakes, and a dramatic letter from none other than Monty Roberts, the world's best known "horse whisperer."

The author first made a video of his foal training techniques in 1985, shortly before he retired from his veterinary practice. Despite the success of the video, he was encouraged to write a book and did so. This is very well described and relatively easy to follow PROVIDED you are already familiar with handling horses. You also need to be familiar with some terms such as "baby foal" which means a suckling foal, as opposed to a weanling. Most of these instructions are for healthy foals less than three months old.

This is actually a book on foal training and reducing foal and yearling mortality. Horses that bite, kick or refuse to be handled tend to kill themselves or get shot for hurting a person. The author notes that the phrase "imprint training" is technically wrong, but he'd coined the term in 1970, it caught on, and after the video came out, it was too late to change it.

The book is lavishly illustrated with clear black and white photos, many taken by his wife. There is also a special chapter devoted to racehorses and another on mule foals, which tend to think differently from horse or pony foals. Donkey and mule foals often attack anything canine, for example ... even the beloved family dog.

There are a lot of qualifiers given, and a lot of detail given to both human and equine safety. He discusses disciplining a foal, with the strongest physical reprimand one slap. There is talk about using a whip, which seemed a little extreme.

There's also a lot of repetition, which can get a bit tedious to read. He also mentions about the importance of tying equines to deflated inner tubes in fence posts, but doesn't go into any detail. I had a lot of trouble trying to picture how to use these deflated things. In a book of this length, these are minor quibbles, but enough to knock off a star from the rating.

I did appreciate that the author insisted that mares with vicious temperaments, or who couldn't be handled should never be bred. I've been reading about Quarter Horse and Paint breeders who seem to be proud that they had range broodmares who weren't even halter broke. No wonder there was often such high mortality then, since the mares couldn't even have the most basic of veterinary services.

You can currently find this book at the Internet Archive.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Dr. Miller's work. He always presents a logical and factual approach to everything. Being a vet he knows what will not harm the horse while explaining natural horsemanship and it's logic in the mind of the horse. He's a wonderful author to boot! Starting with the history of colt starting he explains that many of the harshest practices can be completely avoided simply by imprinting the foal. I also just want to mention that he includes a chapter just for mule foals! Which is my motivation behind reading books like this. All in all, a great read!!! Five out of five stars to Imprint Training of the Newborn Foal!

[Ireland · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was just okay. I’ll be honest and say that I DNF’d it. The information that I did read was interesting and Robert Miller is good at explaining why he does what he does with the foals. The pictures showing what was happening did help as well. My only problem with this book that I can think of in this moment was that it wasn’t able to hold my attention long enough for me to finish it.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you raise horses, this book is an essential for your library. It is packed with unique techniques and valuable training tools.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting. Can't wait to try the techniques this spring!