a weaning question - im scared!!!

forestfantasy

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Mine certainly didn't scream for each other!! they were in next door boxes and could see each other over the 5ft wall. I had his top door closed after a week of being in on his own I was happy that I could leave the top door open

Well they wouldn't scream then would they? My comment was in reference to people weaning and leaving mare & foal within earshot of each other, not next door.
 

Ladylina83

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Well they wouldn't scream then would they? My comment was in reference to people weaning and leaving mare & foal within earshot of each other, not next door.

But next door is in earshot, I was just saying that it doesn't have to be stressfull and shouty - I was really happy with the way it went as it wasn't even planned - I was on my lunch break... and lucky I had a bed down next door. OP may not have thought of doing this way as most people talk about the shutting top door and take mum as far away as poss method that you preffer.
 
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Ladylina83

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:rolleyes:



but could see each other..slightly different!

Exactly a slightly different method to your own - I never said it was the same I said they didn't scream !

you come across as if you way is the only right way... rolls eyes my arse..... let other people be helpful too hey ???? OP asked for advice not for you to be little other peoples methods ! What works for you works for you but I'm telling OP what worked for me when I was in her position
 

jendie

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I was really anxious about weaning my mini shet's foal. I didn't have any experience but had read some dire warnings. It had to be done because the mum was losing condition. In the end I just put the mare into a stable with plenty of hay and left the foal in the nearby paddock with her (gelded) dad. There was no protest, no stress, no hassle. Both adapted almost immediately and I didn't see any signs of stress in either. To be honest I think the mare was glad to be one her own for a rest and the foal was equally happy to stay with her dad. I kept them apart for about a month before reintroducing them. I never saw the foal even attempt to feed from her mum again. Three years later they are living happily as a family group.
 

forestfantasy

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Exactly a slightly different method to your own - I never said it was the same I said they didn't scream !

you come across as if you way is the only right way... rolls eyes my arse..... let other people be helpful too hey ???? OP asked for advice not for you to be little other peoples methods ! What works for you works for you but I'm telling OP what worked for me when I was in her position

Erm excuse me, if you read you would have seen that i agree that Spring Feathers method works, which is similar to yours.

I never said yours didn't work or that mine was better, its just how i do it. Certainly not belittling anyone!

I just find it bizarre that you can compare a mare stabled next door to her foal for weaning, to a mare in a different field to her foal on the same yard in earshot for weaning! Vastly different.

As i also said - it depends which method is better for the OP.
 

Tnavas

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For several weeks I will have a third horse with the mare and foal who will be companion to the foal once weaned. Then I take the mare away off the property for a couple of months - or at least out of earshot and sight.

As you have a stable though you could put mare and foal in together for a couple of days - and then take mum away. You can secure a sack over the weaving grill to prevent baby waving legs into it.

You could also try to find someone else who is also weaning to put the babies together - works well. I do prefer them to have an adult around though as the adult teaches them manners and social skills.

Finally if your foal is really clingy to mum then putting it in the stable is the best - my last one jumped the gate to get to mum who we were leading over to the horsebox - never seen mum loadf so fast once she realised baby was on the way - she really had just had enough of her.
 

Aidey

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We had the same situation as you, bought a mare but didn't know she was in foal.

When it came to weaning the farm we were on had a 'top' yard and a 'bottom' yard, mother went on one and foal on the other, they were far away from eachother but could distantly hear the screaming, about a week or two later they ended up in stables next to one another, turned out in the same field, the mare just warned her off if she tried to suckle which wasn't often as the foal used to wander off to graze with our gelding who took over role of 'stepdad'.

Never did them any harm, they are stabled apart now but are turned out in the same field and are always at opposite ends of the field from eachother so it didn't make them attached. This was 11 years ago now :)
 

Ladylina83

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Erm excuse me, if you read you would have seen that i agree that Spring Feathers method works, which is similar to yours.

I never said yours didn't work or that mine was better, its just how i do it. Certainly not belittling anyone!

I just find it bizarre that you can compare a mare stabled next door to her foal for weaning, to a mare in a different field to her foal on the same yard in earshot for weaning! Vastly different.

As i also said - it depends which method is better for the OP.

it wasn't my intention to come across as if I was drawing a comparison- all I said was that my horses didn't scream and the method I used.

I used your referance as a point of interest re screaming and it not having to be that way, if anything I was agreeing that that is what makes it stressful

also to make you aware I felt belittled by your response hence me drawing it to your attention.
 
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Spring Feather

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Jessika it doesn't have to be a horror story although some of the tales here might reinforce your concerns.

I wean a number of foals together. These foals were all born and have lived with their mothers in the same field for all of their lives right up till they are weaned. There are carers in the foals field who have also lived with them since they were born so they are already quite attached to them pre-weaning.

Have a plan. I watch my foals a lot pre-weaning to make sure they are all ready for weaning. I have to say most of my foals are ready to wean at around 4 months old but I always wait till they are at least 6 months old, so by that time the mares and the foals are very well prepared for weaning.

I do not decide on a day until the day arrives but because I know exactly who is going where it is just initiating the plan. I like to wean on a nice sunny day where the forecast claims the few days thereafter will be mild tempertures with little to no wind.

The mares are taken out of their field and moved into one of the fields next door. They can still touch and cuddle their foals but the foals can't suckle.

After the mares have dried up (usually a month or so later) all the mares go back into the field where the foals are/were. I'm a cr4p breeder like Enfys :)D) as any foals that I decide not to sell winter out with their mothers and their carers although most of the foals leave to go to their new homes before I put the mares back.

Jessika you have post and rail fencing which would allow you to wean your pony and her foal over the fence. The electric shouldn't be a problem as your foal knows it's there and it's at the top of your post and rail. Your mare being a chronic laminitic may put obstacles in your path for doing it this way if the field you were planning for her to go in has a lot of grass. In your situation, from what I understand of the set up, would be to naturally wean. I'd start taking the mare away from the foal and riding her. As I recall you have been riding her for a while now but with the foal in tow. You could try gradually taking the mare out and leaving the foal in the field with the other pony. Remain in view for the first few times and don't keep them separated for too long at the beginning. The foal and mare will soon get used to these short separations and you can start to lengthen the time spent apart, whether that be riding the pony or putting her in her stable for periods throughout the day. Eventually you will be at a stage where you can either keep putting the mare back or you can move her to another field. This type of weaning often works well for independent foals. It's important that you do what makes most sense to you in your situation and one that will suit your mare and foal.

Honestly weaning doesn't have to be horrid like so many people have said. I don't dread weaning. It's just another day and I don't have any upsets or screaming and hollering, it's calm and quiet and none of the mares or foals even realise that they have been weaned.
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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:) Interesting, and food for thought for the OP.


I notice that no-one has yet recommended the partial separation method where the foal is still permitted to nurse a couple of times a day, that one sometimes comes up.

That is something I used to do with my own mares & foals.
Quite often they were youngish mares - 4 or 5 yrs olds who would be coming back into work so late summer or early autumn we would leave foal in stable with another foal or a quiet riding pony while mum got used to going out for a short riding bimble/hack etc of about 15 - 30 mins or so.
By late autumn foals were usually pretty well adjusted so mum could go into steady work & they were left in the adjacent fields with other small fuzzy friends to winter out unless weather very bad.

If it was owners mares & they were not keeping foal, then I'd still split them slowly over a couple of weeks & then send mare home & new owner would collect foal from me.

Its all a confidence thing & no one method works for all.
 

TelH

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My youngster was weaned this summer. He was gelded before weaning and is pretty chilled out. I put him in a stable opposite his Mum at night, the first night he squealed for a minute or so then shut up, his Mum wasn't bothered. In the morning I turned them out together with a couple of other ponies and she let him suckle. Did this for 3 days, although there was no squealing after the first night. On the 4th morning she tried to kick him when he tried to suckle, same thing on the 5th morning and I have never seen him try to suckle since then. In the field are the youngster, his Mum, his full sister who is a year older than him and my 4yo who is not related to them. Nobody freaks out, if I take one away there is no squealing or silliness or anything. Probably not the way some people would advise but it has worked for me.
 

jessikaGinger

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I think the self weaning route is the one my foal is taking...

We have had to section off one of the fields into 3 sections

This is the 2nd morning i have found my two in seperate sections (the foal has jumped the fence)

So if the weather has not turned too bad by the weekend Saturday will be D-DAY :D

Thanks for the brill advice
 

jessikaGinger

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So this week i have been putting them in seperate stables at tea time
Mare - doesnt even notice
Foal - ignores food carries on gets pretty stressed
So have decided this method isn't for us

The foal likes the idea of over the fence weaning as they are now in electric fenced off paddocks & she keeps jumping out to graze in a grassier one :rolleyes:

So i think tomorrow i will split them for good
Im thinking mare in the field Foal in the stable, all i have is and anti weave grill so i am going to put like a 'sack' over it so it is completly covered

Wish me luck & thanks for all the replies
 

scarymare

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Don't be.

I've done 3 now with great results.

What I do is wait till spring (pretty much job done anyhow). Wait until I see foaly in separate field with one of its mates. Then shut the gate between them. TBH last years' foal was still suckling at 13 months and it was my hubby who shut the gate on his way to work!

You get so much less attachment issues like this (awful grammar sorry).

Only one I've ever seen done the barbaric way (not mine) ended up running through a fence and jumping a gate.
 

xTrooperx

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ok im going to be the odd one out.

is there a reason for weaning now, is your foal dragging mum down??, if your mare is getting annoyed by the foal she wean the foal herself slowly over the next couple of months.
Sometimes just beacuse it is the norn for wean at 6 months doesn't mean it is best for your foal/mare.
 

jessikaGinger

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Ideally i would of liked to naturally wean her but the mare has quite a temper and she has begun to strike out at the foal in the stable & im worried she will get hurt
Also she lost alot of weight last winter
 

forestfantasy

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I think you are doing the right thing to sageguard your foal if the mare is becomming dangerous & if she is looking a little poor.
She's clearly had enough & foaly isn't getting the message!
Let us know how it goes :)
 

MarinaBay

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Just want to say good luck and hope it goes well! My foal will be 6 months at the end of December, she is in an established herd & I hope will wean easily - she is very independent and they are not too fussed about each other. I love them being together however I know it has to change - for a short time at least!

Jess - it is a shame we aren't closer to each other we could have tackled it together!

Can I just ask do people normally wean after the worst of the winter is over if it is a late foal?
 

jessikaGinger

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So today i bit the bullet and...

Shipped the mare off to full livery!!

It wasnt even an option until last night! i must say its gone fab! mare travelled amazingly some shouting but since coming off the box and into her new stable we didnt hear a peep from her!!
The foals still shouting and quite sweaty but shes barracaded in her stable with plenty of food she can see out and she's not climbing the walls so all in all fingers crossed its a success :)
Thanks for all of the adsvice
 

jessikaGinger

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I am amazed how drama free it has been (touch wood) although i did manage to brake my fingers when the mare bolted whilst i was getting them from the field:rolleyes:
When my mare went into her new stable she looked at me a:rolleyes:s if to say, thanks for getting me away from the little terror:D
 
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