Epiphysitis - 4 month weaning?

M

mrjreakes

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 January 2009
Messages
54
Visit site
Hi

Basically mum providing rocket fuel and poor little foal has massive growth spurt which we need to slow down. Shes been treated for this and mare and foal stabled for two weeks but vet has said if it doesn't improve we may have to wean her very early. She is quite bold and quite sturdy for 3 months but even so 4 months sounds very scarey.

Does anyone have any experience with this or advice?

Thank you
x
 
I have just had to wean my filly at 4.5 months (just) as she started growing very very quickly. Do not worry about it...as long as she has friends and is eating well herself she will be fine - my girl is completely adjusted and fine now.
 
I would wean and winter her out and let her really drop off condition wise, it's what we were recommended and it did the trick. Vet wanted to easily see all ribs!! Felt bad at the time but paid off in the end.
 
Not at all. I had to wean another filly early last year as dam got mastitis through her no drinking anymore..at 4 months...dam is 15.2 and sire 16.1 - she is only a year and just over 15hh
 
My filly is coming off the mare at 4 months, she is just pulling the mare down too much, cant feed the mare eno to get her looking well, foal is eating feed and grass and drinking water so we are having a month building in with a herd with other babies and then wean at 4 months.
Im not worried but i have to do whats best all round, vet isnt concerned so full steam ahead i say!
 
Yes, I agree with the above, it is far better to take them off early in this situation. You MUST find a suitable companion for her to be paired up well in advance of weaning, but you should find she will almost immediately start improving once she has come off the mare.
Don't stuff her with hard feed - plenty of good quality forage will do the trick. I personally wouldn't winter her out. I think it is too hard on them for their first winter.
 
Yes, definitely agree with the above, especially WRT to finding her a suitable companion to buddy up with well in advance of actual weaning.
Lots of forage, possibly feed D&H Surelimb (powder supplement) or Bailey's Foal Assist - speak to your vet and/or the feed companies about this though.
WRT to living out all winter, all ours live out 24/7 in the winter and they are TB's, bred to race on the flat. No foal/weanling/yearling is rugged for it's first winter and we are actually quite exposed in terms of natural shelter on the Yearling side of the farm. However, they have ad lib forage and the supplements they need.
 
Sportznight said:
Yes, definitely agree with the above, especially WRT to finding her a suitable companion to buddy up with well in advance of actual weaning.
Lots of forage, possibly feed D&H Surelimb (powder supplement) or Bailey's Foal Assist - speak to your vet and/or the feed companies about this though.
WRT to living out all winter, all ours live out 24/7 in the winter and they are TB's, bred to race on the flat. No foal/weanling/yearling is rugged for it's first winter and we are actually quite exposed in terms of natural shelter on the Yearling side of the farm. However, they have ad lib forage and the supplements they need.
Click to expand...

They also have acres and acres of superbly maintained good quality pasture and very experienced people looking after them :)
Something others dont necesarily have.
We cant winter out here they just wouldnt do well enough but would if we were somewhere that it was possible.
Agree with the companionship ,we had to wean one at 3 1/2 months a couple of years ago and she coped just fine, she was weaned with another foal who was 2 months older .
She was a bit backward and still is at times now as a 2 year old but she was a late foal and by a stallion they produces late maturing stock.
She hasnt suffered height wise at all .
She was eating well when she was weaned and so that was never an issue.
We had her on Winergy Equilibrium growth as i felt she needed something extra.
 
I agree with weaning and winter out. We had this years ago with a show pony foal. He was weaned and wintered out. He went on to become a supreme champion in-hand and a champion under saddle. There were no ill-effects at all, except he wasn't mature(fat!) enough to show as a yearling and 2 year old, and I think this was a good thing as far as showing him ridden later on was concerned!
 
sallyf said:
They also have acres and acres of superbly maintained good quality pasture and very experienced people looking after them :)
Something others dont necesarily have.
Click to expand...

True, but it doesn't mean it's not possible to do if you don't have similar facilities. I certainly haven't for my own!! and they have wintered out, un-rugged for their first (and subsequent ones rugged) winters and due to me moving around the country, not at the same place. I was highlighting that it is possible and is actually healthier IMO/E. You have not been on the Yearling side of this farm, only on the Mare side, where it is lovely old pasture with established trees.
 
Agree re: weaning companion & turning out 24/7, though I would rug up in worst of weather - if nothing else, the handling routine and learning to wear a rug stands them in good stead for later life.

However, remember this foal has physitis (i.e. he isn't being weaned early because he is dragging the mare down) and therefore a VERY strict diet is in order. This foal must be allowed to lose a lot of weight (more than most people might feel comfortable with, but completely natural for a first winter post weaning), so I would feed hay (not haylage) ad lib & a good vit & min supplement. Nothing more.

And please do not talk to the feed companies, they'll advise you to have him on more calories than an eventer in heavy work :rolleyes: :mad:
 
Sportznight said:
True, but it doesn't mean it's not possible to do if you don't have similar facilities. I certainly haven't for my own!! and they have wintered out, un-rugged for their first (and subsequent ones rugged) winters and due to me moving around the country, not at the same place. I was highlighting that it is possible and is actually healthier IMO/E. You have not been on the Yearling side of this farm, only on the Mare side, where it is lovely old pasture with established trees.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree :) it wasnt a dig just a bit of fun really hence the smiley
Like i say i would if i could but sadly here there are reasons why we cant.
Hopefully that might change when we move as i agree out is much healthier for all horses not just foals .
 
Thank you all for your advice. One week on, medication and mare now on hay and no hard feed and she is now leaping about it the barn stable they're in and begging to go out!

Growth plates are less swollen and vet due out next week to see if we can get them out for another month before weaning. She is huge though so maybe going it alone soon! We have a companion set up too so at least that will make her happy!

Thanks again.
x
 
Sorry im a virgin foaly owner, is the reason you need to wean because the mare is struggling? as in losing lots of weight..

Im the opposite although my foals greedy my mares a chunk and doesnt appear to be losing and weight due to milking..Send your foal my way :p
 
We have acres of good grazing....and I would also hope we are experienced! :)

However, I still feel they benefit from being barned in the worst of the weather for their first winter. Incidentally, all of the TB studs we have been on over the years also barn the weanlings. The older youngsters winter out.
None of them wear rugs either.
 
Not intending to hijack thread but my two - yearling and three year old - are wintering out I hope. They have lots of shelter (20' hedges and big trees) and a field shelter too and will have hay and 5 acres of grass.
I would like to rug Piper (yearling) but watching them play I don't see how I could do it safely, I would be so worried about them getting a foot through a strap?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top