Since behavioural problems can render a horse unsuitable for inexperienced riders, the horse’s temperament, including its manageability, reactivity and/or fearfulness, is of importance. Handling during infancy and other early-life experiences may influence a horse’s adult behaviour. It may also reduce its fear of humans and other frightening situations. Studies on cattle and goats have found handling around the time of weaning to be effective in increasing ease of handling. This study was designed to test the effects of handling young horses around the time of weaning. Horses were handled for either 12 days immediately following weaning (‘early handling’) or 21 days later (‘late handling’). Haltering, gently petting all parts of the horse’s body, picking up its feet, and leading the foal over 120 meters all constituted ‘handling’. Foals that had not been handled served as the control treatment. During handling sessions, ‘early handling’ foals were easier to handle than ‘late handling’ foals. In other words, the times taken to equip the foal with a halter, to pick up its feet, and the ‘walk-ratio’ (time walking under constraint/total time walking) were lower for ‘early handled’ foals. Tests conducted two days, four months, seven months, 10 months, and 18 months after the end of the handling period showed that ‘early handling’ and ‘late handling’ foals were easier to handle and were less reactive than control foals, although the differences lessened over time. The results of this study indicated that the post-weaning period can be qualified as an ‘optimal period’ for handling, and that the effects of handling during the post-weaning period can persist for at least 18 months.