Baby Arabian HorsesBaby Arabian horses can weigh as much as 100 pounds of energetic muscle. Arabian horses are full of life and energy, which is part of their attraction, and these qualities are evident from the moment of birth. The rule of thumb to estimate a foal’s weight is to figure that the baby horse weighs about 10 percent of its mother’s weight. This is not a precise way to figure weight, but it is a quick estimation method.  A Big Baby!Baby Arabian horses put on weight quickly, so estimated weight calculations cannot rely on the mother’s weight after a week. For the second, third and fourth weeks, the weight can be figured by subtracting 25 from the heart girth and then dividing that answer by .07. After the first month of life, you can add 10% to the formula. When you measure the girth you should measure around the chest barrel behind the horse’s withers. Most foals are born a chestnut or bay color. After a few weeks, the coat color will begin to change as the foal coat is shed. Baby Arabian horses have fuzzy hair around their eyes and nostrils, and this hair is the first to be shed and replaced with the adult hair. That’s why you need to look in the eye and nostril areas for permanent color when registering your foal. [top] Training My BabyFoals, or baby Arabian horses, must be trained properly. There is plenty of expert advice available to assist you with the correct training procedures. The first rule of thumb is to give your baby plenty of exercise and room to run. The exercise helps the horse to mature naturally and properly. The Arabian horse is built for hard work and endurance and has large muscles in its body that must be stretched. Baby Arabian horses can begin training early, because they are intelligent and companionable. The early training should be completed in stages and each lesson should build upon the preceding lessons. It is not productive to try and force a foal to learn too much too fast. The first stage of training involves the basic grooming and command lessons. The foal will get used to being clipped and bathed. It should also learn how to walk into a trailer, be haltered, and some very basic commands such as “come on”. While still a yearling, the horse learns lessons leading to the first saddling. It may be necessary to teach the horse not to balk at being bit and bridled. Expert trainers have devised tips from experience that make training baby Arabian horses free of unnecessary difficulties. Much of this advice can be found online. Picture PerfectNo discussion of baby Arabian horses would be complete without mentioning how photogenic Arabians are from the moment of birth. Their pointed ears, powerfully muscled bodies, and gentle dispositions make them a pleasure to photograph. If you are interested in purchasing a foal, Arabian farms and ranches post pictures of babies for sale. Just remember that if it is under a month old that it might not have its adult coloring. The problem you will run into when looking at pictures of Arabian horse babies is the desire to own them all! Prancing across fields and bucking with joy, Arabian horse babies never fail to make a horse lover smile. [top]
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