How to teach a foal to lead.

 When haltering a horse that has not yet learned to lead is the first step in getting your horse to lead.  You must be gentle, but you must also be confident.  When you have the horse so that you put your right arm over this neck, then you are ready to put the halter on.  Place your right arm over the horses neck while holding the halter in your left hand.  Then take the top of the halter in your right hand while your right arm is over the horses neck and then simply slip the halter over the horses nose and bring the top of the halter over the back of the horses ears and buckle the halter.

Then, after you have the halter on, it is best to this in a closed enviornment such as a stall or a round pen.  Simply take hold of the horses halter with you right hand and gently move his head back and forth.  When the horse starts to give his head, you can then encourage him to step forward or to one side.  If you have the halter in your hand and the horses begins to give to the halter, he will then take a few steps.  Work with the horse about 10-15 minutes at a time. When the horse learns to give with the halter, you may take it off and leave him along.  Give the horse lots of praise"good boy".  Do not yell at the horse, do not slap the horse, keep your voice low and confident.  Show the horse that you know what you are doing and do not scare the horse in anyway.  If the horse resists you, simply start over.  Work with your horse for several days with the halter asking him to give his head to you. 

Once your horse is giving to the halter and allowing you to place the halter on his head without any trouble, you are ready for the next step.  Then, snap the lead rope on the halter and ask the horse to give to the halter with the lead rope.  Pull on the halter with the lead rope gently asking the horse to move from one side to the other.  When the horse cooperates with this, you are then ready to allow him to move freely on the end of the rope.  You don't have to pull on the rope, just hold it steady, and allow the horse to go around you in a circle.  Keep giving the horse lots and lots of praise.  Show the horse that he does not have to be afraid of you and that you are not going to hurt him.  Once, the horse starts to respond to you, then you can take a few steps forward asking the horse to follow you.  It is often helpful to offer a treat if the horse enjoys them, such a piece of apple, or carrot, or you may choose to use a processed treat.  Do not give the horse a treat unless he makes strides toward giving into the lead rope.  As the horse is more giving, then move to a bigger area, such as a round pen or a paddock.  Once your horse is leading behind you, you can then, start leading him at the shoulder.  Do not stand in front of your horse as he may become scared and step on you with a lunge forward.  It usually takes about a week of working just about 10-15 minutes at a time.  Remember that it takes a full minute to get the horse to respond to you after you give him the cue.  So, be patient!  You will have accomplished your horses first bit of training and you are on your way to being a great owner.