company for weanlings

[the watcher]

Thinking ahead - but it is best to plan! My colt foal will be ready to separate from the mare in January/February, all being well. At the moment there is one other mare on the yard and a small group of geldings, split into two groups.

Will a young colt (or possibly gelding, depending on when it is done) cope in a group of adult horses or should I be thinking now about his future companion? I have an offer to move him down to a friend's yard so he could go out with their filly - the downside being that I wouldn't see him everyday (although I do trust them implicitly) or do I look for another youngster to loan or buy to put out with him (and have to pay yet another lot of livery for this companion?)
Finally there might be a TB breeder near me who might be able to put him out with her latest crop - but I haven't approached her yet.

Your thoughts - how do small breeders deal with this?

 

[Hettie]

I bought a companion for mine. Bit drastic maybe but it has worked really well. I bought a "straight from the forrest" NF weanling colt for very little £ and they have lived together since and are the best of friends. Have gelded the pony and he is shaping up to be a nice little kids pony whilst the big boy is still entire and happy to have someone to play with in the field.

 

[toffeesmarty]

In preparation for weaning my 3 month old filly and her mare have been with my other 4 (all adult ponies) for the last month and a half. I introduced them over a period of a month and there has been no trouble at all. When the time for weaning comes I'm going to leave the filly with three of the ponies all of whom groom and play with her now, and put my veteran pony in with the mare until it's safe to put them back together again.

I know I don't have a colt but hope it helps.

 

[Maesfen]

It always seems to me to be pleasanter for them if they have same age company but before I had more than one, it would have been in with my others, either after it was a couple of months old or when mare and foal returned from stud.
For the first few days, the mare will be protective of it but as they're her normal friends, she soon forgets and baby is allowed to go and play with the others too.
I know not everyone likes to do this and it does depend on how your mare got on with the others before foaling and to play it by ear as they all can change, but I feel it is better than it being left with nobody else to play with except the mare as foal does need to learn to interact with others and with his Mum there to protect him at the start, it's an ideal way to learn. Think of foals in herds, they all play together and learn to interact naturally.
Basically, what I'm saying in my long winded way is providing you can turn mare and foal in with the ones you want him to be with after weaning and they all get on alright, then foal shouldn't have any problems after weaning as he will know everyone and their habits well before then. It won't really matter to him that they are older as long as they get on with him and aren't inclined to too much grumpiness, but on the other hand, if you can get a similar age weanling, then that is sometimes better for them both.

 

[the watcher]

That could have been my other plan, I have the colt's half brother here and I was debating putting him in with them and then leaving the two boys together, but unfortunately he won't be here long enough for the plan to work - and obviously I can't use one belonging to another livery client..

...looks like I might be foal shopping

 

[toffeesmarty]

I love shopping. Need any help?

 

[Clodagh]

Your local rescue may well have a youngster that needs to go out to 'walk'. A friend of mine did that and sent it back when it was three, ready to break.

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
I love shopping. Need any help?

[/ QUOTE ]

Bah! Don't encourage me - I spotted a little chocolate dun on the NFED site and am torturing myself with it

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
Your local rescue may well have a youngster that needs to go out to 'walk'. A friend of mine did that and sent it back when it was three, ready to break.

[/ QUOTE ]

Now that is a really good idea!

 

[Faithkat]

Ditto . . . . NFs are cheap enough round here . . . and foals need foal company. If you need any help finding a NF let me know

 

[toffeesmarty]

I know the one you mean. Do you me to view it for you?!

 

[the watcher]

Stop it now, you tease!