Foal NZ works with studs via our foal behaviour consultancy sessions to ensure both owners and staff understand every interaction they have with their horses should optimise future performance and promote their welfare.
At Foal NZ, we work alongside farms to enhance the welfare of their horse by training their staff using methods based in learning theory. We emphasise the privileged role your staff have in nurturing the potential of these future champions, and by taking advantage of our foal behaviour consultancy programmes, owners can be confident they have helped towards the success of their horses and people.
Foundation behaviours that the foal learns through Foal NZ’s foal education programme will be strengthened if those handling it every day are trained in the correct ways to enforce the behaviours learnt. Equally, if those handling the newly-trained foal do not understand how to reinforce the learned behaviours, all the foals’, mares’, and Foal NZ’s hard work can be quickly undone.
At Foal NZ, we offer three different foal behaviour consultancy programmes to farm staff to ensure the foals’ established behaviours are optimised as they continue in their racing career. These programmes are Foundation, Training and Custom (tailored specifically to meet your stud needs).
FOUNDATION CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME
This interactive session gives the foundation for the behaviour your staff will see working with thoroughbred horses. Because our foal education programmes are underpinned by the how and why horses react individually as they do, this theory is included as our Foundation Consultancy Programme.
"We were really impressed with the depth and practical understanding Equus Education presented to the stud. The talk was a great reminder of the risks with horses, what we see in the field and how we can adapt our thinking to accommodate the range of horses. This is not at all in competition to current stud practices but gives us a greater in-depth understanding of natural behaviour for staff. We highly recommend it to other stud owners. I have already booked another talk."
- Foundation Consultancy Programme client
CUSTOM CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME
As a stud owner you are continually using professionals in their chosen area of expertise to give your horses the performance edge. Your training systems are no different and many advancements have been made in this field. We give fresh eyes to your existing farm and training processes. We customise a programme that works with you, your staff, horses and environment.
"We are working towards the new system that Foal NZ has put in place. It is by continually up-skilling our staff and processes that we stay at the top of our game and produce the best horses we can."
- Custom Consultancy Programme client
TRAINING CONSULTANCY PROGRAMME
Many of your staff will be involved in training and work with your young stock. Foal NZ’s Training Consultancy Programme specialises in the importance of the introduction of any new behaviours also the process. The process of how your young horses learn and the responsibility of your staff to consistently reinforce these. Your staff will learn a process to introduce new behaviours and the indicators of when to stress behaviours to strengthen them.
"We were unsure at first as this was not something we had done in the past. It worked really well and it was great to get the whole staff on board and to realise their responsibilities with the weanlings and how we need to work as a team to produce our draft. The information Foal NZ described has changed the way we first approach our horses. The talk has been really valuable to us."
- Training Consultancy Programme client
