Babysitting!

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superted1989

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Every year, once the hay is in and the field recovered, a friend of our YO brings his NF broodmares with their foals to our yard for grazing. This year, he's only bred 2 (instead of the usual 6 or 7, hurrah) and they've gone into the field next to Markie.
Over the years, I've often seen just one mare 'babysitting' the foals whilst the others go off to graze/play/snooze, but, this year, both mares appear to drop the foals off at the gate for Markie and his Shetland chum to watch over!
Wish I'd had my camera yesterday. Markie comes in during the morning then goes back out at lunchtime. However, yesterday, I had to bring him back in at teatime for a feather scrub as we're showing this afternoon. Both he and Amber were in the top end of the field, watching over the 2 foals that were flat out asleep in the gateway, with the broodies nowhere in sight. Normally, I shout and Markie charges down to come in, but, this time, he only turned around (Amber still charged down, fickle Shetland!). As soon as he didn't have his head over the gate, boss broody trotted down to the gate with a face like bag of spanners as if to say 'you promised to watch the kids'!
Do you reckon they are genuinely 'babysitting' as the broody herd is so small this year? Or, do you reckon the mares know that they are safe so are happy to leave the little ones and Markie and Amber are just nosy?
I do like to think they've got a four legged creche system going on.....................
 
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it happens in nature a lot.

if there is a large field with cattle in it, you will find that most of the cows will move away grazing and only a couple will stay with the calves watching them.

My old mare would take over the foals. It was an eye opener to watch. I would have the mares (then it was five brood mares) and foals out together. Madam would be with the yearlings and then towards weaning time I would have the lot together.
At feed time Madam would stand to the side with all the youngsters around her. I would put the feeds out and the mares would start to eat. Then the yearlings and at the last bowl Madam would move to it with the foals. She would stand by whilst they ate.
The mare would hassle the yearlings away but they never ever dared to try and push Madam away from the babies feed.
After she had been with them for a few days she would always have he foals with her. Their mothers were mobile milk bars.
When it came to weaning it was easy. I would take the mares away and the foals were all happy with their surrogate mother.

I have seen mares and geldings look after foals and care for them - not all will be up to the task but some will.

Interestingly if your two 'boys' were in with the mares, odds are that they would A) be chased off by the mares and B) would hassle to foals and until they settled which might take a couple of days, chaos would be to the fore!
 
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