Foal confined to barracks!

[no_no_nanette]

I'm fretting a bit about exercise for our foal, and would welcome advice. His mother's latest trick, (she's been such an awkward cuss in every possible way in the last few weeks that she's on her last warning before the meat tin LOL ((not really I love her dearly but she is really straining all our patience at the moment))), is to have jumped a fence and caused an old tendon injury to flare up ... so she is now bandaged up and stabled, with poor little Fionn having to be in with her. There's a courtyard that we let him out in when they are being mucked out morning and evening, but I am a bit worried that at 10 weeks its really not very good for him physically or mentally to be stuck inside and not able to gallop about in the field as he so loves doing. Am I being over-anxious, or should we try and work out a way of getting them out?

 

[Fahrenheit]

Can you graze the mare in hand a few times aday and let him have a hoon round for half an hour.

Some of my foals have been stuck in since last Thursday, most have taken it with good grace but one is doing a good impression of a psycho foal, we have called her hazel because she is a nutter!

 

[Navalgem]

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we have called her hazel because she is a nutter!

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Sounds like she needs 'witch' adding in front

lol

I think grazing in hand and letting him have a run about sounds like a good idea for both mare and foal if it's at all possible.

 

[no_no_nanette]

Thanks for suggestions, and we are going to try out doing that in the next few days. The foal, bless him, is being good as gold at the moment, only being a bit too boisterous about how he chases the dog around the yard, but he needs SOME fun!
PS I think my mare has really earned herself the "witch" label as well - I'm sure that the vet who she kicked would think so! (Probably something much less printable)

 

[buzzles]

I know exactly how you feel!! My mare fractured 2 bones in her hock and is on 12 weeks box rest, and her foal is 10 weeks old. She's just finished week 3 and I was also worried about the effect that this will have on the foal. What I've done is put her in a pen 15x15ft in a lean to so the foal has a bit more room and can see plenty from where they are. I was able to let him into a bigger pen for a bit of a play but now she's grazed in hand for 30min twice a day in a small paddock so he can have a play and run around. It was a bit hair raising the first time I let him out as he went mad, galloping and bucking, and the paddock's very small (less than 1/4 acre) so he did slip a few times, thankfully he's settled now and will play calmly, ie collected canter and controlled bucks! It's still not the best way to have him though, so the plan for them when she becomes more stable is to fence in the field shelter so she'll be contained but leave a gap where he can go in and out of and then have the run of the field and also a pony to play with. I also feed adlib hay, and spend a lot of time grooming them. Good luck, I know how frustrating it is!!

 

[Navalgem]

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PS I think my mare has really earned herself the "witch" label as well - I'm sure that the vet who she kicked would think so! (Probably something much less printable)

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ROFL at the foal chasing the dog! - sounds like a real 'you've been framed' moment! Bless

Good luck, hope she's better soon.

 

[eventrider23]

it is definately very funny to watch them especially seeing as the dog is bigger than most shetland ponies as she is a massive pyrenean mountain dog!!