<P> There is tremendous debate over the proper age to begin training a foal . Some advocate beginning to accustom a foal to human handling from the moment of birth, using a process termed imprinting or "imprint training". Others feel that imprint training of a foal interferes with the mare and foal bond and prefer to wait until the foal is a few days old, but do begin training within the first week to month of life . Yet other horse breeding operations wait until weaning, theorizing that a foal is more willing to bond to a human as a companion at the time it is separated from its mother . Regardless of theory, most modern horse breeding operations consider it wise to give a foal basic training while it is still young, and consider it far safer than trying to tame a semi-feral adult - sized horse . </P> <P> In either case, foals that have not bonded to their mothers will have difficulty in pasture . The mare will find it more difficult to teach the foal to follow her . Other horses can have difficulty communicating with the foal and may ostracise it due to speaking a different "language". It can be difficult to lead a foal that has never even been led by its dam . </P> <P> Horses are not fully mature until the age of four or five, but most are started as working animals much younger, though care must be taken not to over-stress the "soft" bones of younger animals . Yearlings are generally too young to be ridden at all, though many race horses are put under saddle as "long" yearlings, in autumn . Physiologically young horses are still not truly mature as two - year olds, though some breeders and most race horse trainers do start young horses in a cart or under saddle at that age . The most common age for young horses to begin training under saddle is the age of three . A few breeds and disciplines wait until the animal is four . </P>

When can a baby horse leave its mother