Bit of weanling advice

starbar

starbar

Well-Known Member
Joined
29 April 2010
Messages
505
Visit site
OK, so we picked up baby today. She's a 6 month old filly who we last saw a few weeks ago when she was still with mum and a bit shy. She was supposed to be weaned, handled and halter broken. In actual fact she's pretty wild. She travelled loose in the trailer in a thick straw bed (for 3 hours) and was good as gold. I got a halter on her, still in the trailer when we arrived back, she let me scratch her a bit too although very nervy. She walked off the ramp and into her field without too much fuss, all very calmly but in her own time. Took the halter off and she had a little wander round. Introduced her to an older, supposedly gentle gelding who tried to kill her and almost trampled her. :( She is now on her own but in a field next to my 2 boys so she has some company at least. Going to introduce her to an older kind mare tomorrow as I don't want her to be on her own. God knows how I'm going to catch her though. Leaving her in wasn't really an option as she would have been shut in a stable with no windows and unable to see any other horses. Got a few ideas as to how to progress with her but wondered what other HHonliners would do with her for the next week or so :o :)
 
Older horses don't seem to take kindly to youngsters being put with them. I bought a weanling from France 6 years ago. Language barrier was a problem but expected poor mite to be weaned - nope - the lorry driver (who collected him for me) said that they brought the mare and my baby up the drive and manhandled colt onto lorry. On arrival in the UK I kept him in overnight and then put him out with my friend's older youngster - he chased him and wanted to kill him! So separated him and had him in a post and rail grass school with other horses the other side. Went to work. Got back to find he had somehow climbed out of the paddock and was tearing about wrecking the electric fencing in his wake, absolutely petrified. Pretty well unhandled it appeared! With me in pursuit he jumped over the hedge onto the road outside cantered up and down then jumped over the hedge (and wire fence) into my field where my other two horses were minding their own business. My big gelding was the same colour as colt's mother and he made a bee-line for him and tried to suckle from him (I can still see the look on his face now!!!). Anyway there he stayed as big chap took him under his wing.
One tip I would leave a leather headcollar on your weanling then you have a better chance of getting hold but try not to grab at it, do it gently if you can. Perhaps separate the two parties and watch how they are over a fence first. Learn by my mistakes! They are (I hate to say it) a little like humans when choosing who they would like to be shoved in with. I understand from this forum (Breeding section) that it would be better to have another 'baby' with them, their own age. I couldn't do that this year with my latest youngster but having been through the 'let's kill the youngster' session yet again (do I never learn) I think that another youngster would be a good idea! Happily my yearling is ok with my 7 year old gelding now. With his dad (now a 6 year old stallion) looking on from the other side of an avenued fence. Though I am sure he would like to 'kill the youngster' too!
 
Hi, I bought a wild weanling a year ago, and was able to keep him in a barn for a few weeks, he was alone by day and could see my old gelidng by night. He then jumped out and from then on lived out with the gelding! I couldn't get anywhere near him when he arrived, did all the sitting in the stable malarky, but he was won around in the end by food. I would have someone else have the field companion on a headcollar, don't take her out of the field, and take in a bucket of nuts (sounds good when you shake it!) - hopefully she will have had hard feed, and will be greedy enough to put up with humans in order to get some grub! Hold the bucket up (watch out for pawing hooves!), chat away to her, move about a bit, back away, go for a gentle touch on the shoulder first, hopefully the rest will follow in time. My lad took about a month before I could touch him without him being horrified, and probably six months beofre I could just walk up to him in the field and put on a headcollar, but (and this is really imprtant IMO) he has never had a nasty experience from us, never been walloped or chased or made afraid, so he's happy to work with us, even though he can still feel a bit scared. Hope this helps, good luck, and pictures of her please!
 
Thanks both, am in no hurry and certainly not going to chase her or worry her. Will let her chill for a couple of days and just let her get used to me being in the field. Will try with the hard feed but not sure she has seen it before as she didn't react at all to the bucket I took in earlier. However, it was all new and she was stressed from the journey (and from the attempt to eat and trample her :( ) so I'll try again and give her some time. Poor little mite, she looked very lost tonight. I know she'll be Ok, just want to get back down there in the morning and check on her :o
This is the only pic I have of her at the moment, not the most flattering. She's about 4 months old here. Will take some more tomorrow

filly.jpg
 
Bit late now but I would have kept her in, tbh. She will be very tired from the journey and because she doesn't know any different, she wouldn't be too stressed to have been in. When I got Ludo, my first baby, he was unhandled and spent his first week in just getting used to me. The first day he stood at the back of his stable, the second day he was curious and came to the door and I could stroke his neck and his curiosity got the better of him and he got better and better. Would they not let you borrow Roo's old stable with the low door? You could put one of the boys in beside her for half the day and then swap with the other so they are only in for either the day or the night and she gets company 24/7?

ETA: Could you borrow Herbie to babysit her? If you can catch her what about Herbie's small paddock - until she's more used to you?
 
Last edited:
domane said:
Bit late now but I would have kept her in, tbh. She will be very tired from the journey and because she doesn't know any different, she wouldn't be too stressed to have been in. When I got Ludo, my first baby, he was unhandled and spent his first week in just getting used to me. The first day he stood at the back of his stable, the second day he was curious and came to the door and I could stroke his neck and his curiosity got the better of him and he got better and better. Would they not let you borrow Roo's old stable with the low door? You could put one of the boys in beside her for half the day and then swap with the other so they are only in for either the day or the night and she gets company 24/7?

ETA: Could you borrow Herbie to babysit her? If you can catch her what about Herbie's small paddock - until she's more used to you?
Click to expand...

With hindsight maybe....but I was worried about her trying to jump out and didn't want to shut the top door as it would have been pitch black in there. Going to try and catch her this morning and put her in there when I can be around all day to make sure she doesn't do anything daft :o
Will ask about Herbie :)
 
She is lovely. I bought a section D foal unexpectedly at a sale many years ago and didn't have a stable and popped him in with my two mares. Our big mare tried to kill him too but the old pony mare was very protective and took him under her wing.

He was unhandled but feed soon won him round and he is now the friendliest chap you could ask for.

You will get there, I have never left a headcollar on any of mine as there are too many trees and hedges here for them to get caught up in.
 
I think that the older kind mare should make a better companion for your filly than the gelding. Has the mare ever had a foal?

When I got my filly she went out into a small paddock and we then put an old mare in with her. This mare has had foals in the past and had never shown any aggression. Here's a photo of their introduction (2 mins after they met).
Flossandmelody.jpg

We were ready to split them up if needed but this was as exciting as it got, they've been buddies ever since. :)

Good luck.
 
Aww bless, when i got my now 2yr old he was also supposed to have been basically handled but it was fairly obvious he hadnt been. I just got a book and went and read it in his stable and curiousity got the better of him plus a couple pony nuts here and their. When he went out it was never a problem he just came in when everyone else came in at night and he has just been used to that since. I think establishing a good routine early on is good as they start to look for you and expect you. I also decided to take the flak of picking out his feet etc at this time as he was still so small and i would of had no one to help me ever so once he learnt how to tie up i just went for it and he has honestly never been a problem now for farrier etc, just do everything very calmy and quietly and totally ignore any little strops. My 2yr old is basically the love of my life now :) ooh i'm excited for you, you have it all to look forwards to :D x
 
YO's foal was put in with my two with mum, then when mum was sold, the lead mare took her under her wing (even lets her eat from her feed bowl if little one asks) and the little one is quite attached to her now. My other pony went in with them later, and she was fine with the foal too - just ignored her pretty much, but didn't mind her hanging around.
 
Think we're going to be OK. Sat on a bucket in the field for a while (in the rain :p ) She came up and had a sniff, she was eating hay off the floor right next to me and even took some out of my hand.....and not been here 24 hours yet. Going to try and get her to eat a bit of hard feed later. Shes got my 2 boys next door, they are all standing together quite happily by the fence, if it carries on this way, they MAY be able to go out together in a week or so. Much happier with it all this morning :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top