Foal HELP

[Englishcowgirl91]

Hey all,

Just wanted some friendly advice! I have done the horses and ponies, handled youngsters and foals but this is a little different!
So I've finally took the big plunge and bought a foal.. will be around 6 months when I get him.
I have a loaned and taken care of the big horses but a foal seems foreign to me in my overthinking mind So looking for some friendly advice.

I have a private yard with grass livery, and two Shetland ponies who are older in their 20s.. for some reason I have started to doubt myself and I'm overthinking everything..

My 6 month foal will be ok out in the fields 24/7 with two older Shetlands? Right?

The experience I have gained over the years has seemed to go to mush in a matter of months only because I am doubting myself ALOT!

can anyone give me some advice and tell me they are doing things the same? similar? what are you all doing?

Thanks x

 

[Clodagh]

No. I’m afraid he needs a playmate.

 

[tda]

There are plenty threads on this subject of you search, but the general feeling is that youngsters need other youngsters to play with and some older influence to teach manners/behaviour which you have
For the last year all 3 of my foals have lived together, now yearlings and about to be split 2 boys together for now and filly going in mare herd

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Your foal needs companions that he can play with, as well as older horses/ponies to show him how to be a horse.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Foals need foals to play with not aged Shetlands I would try and find a youngstock livery near you until his a bit older, someone I know has recently bought a yearling and turned him out with much older horses and they kicked the crap out of him because to them his just an annoying baby they don't want near them.

 

[ihatework]

No it’s not ok I’m afraid.
Plenty do it and get away with it but I’d stack the odds in your favour and raise your foal until at least late 2yo at Youngstock facilities.

 

[Clodagh]

You could do what I did and buy another foal. That would be cheaper. The drift sales are on soon.

 

[Auslander]

Here's a video of how things can go when you have a youngster with an older horse (25, in this case). Baby was very respectful at first, and learned lots of good stuff from Alf, but as he got older, he started getting unruly, and Alf was not enjoying the shenanigans, so I had to separate them. Could have done with another playful one to keep the brat entertained!

 

[millikins]

As above. Our dales youngster was great with my two Shetland mares and Peter, sec A type when first weaned. Peter's 6/7 but still very playful and it worked well until it all got too rough, he ended up with a big graze down his back and the arthritic Shettie was relentlessly pestered. Youngster had to go back in with his mother which neither were impressed with.

 

[Umbongo]

Agree with above. 2 elderly shetlands are not really ideal companions for a foal.
Your shetlands are at risk of getting quite fed up and potentially injured by a rough, playful youngster.
Ideally need a mix of other young stock to play with and be a baby, but also a good nanny to put them in their place and teach herd manners.
Is sending the foal off to young stock livery an option?

I would also expect your 2 elderly shetlands would require different type of grazing restrictions to that of a young, growing foal?

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

Someone I know tried this Shetland kicked the ### out of the foal and the foal had to go in with the established mare herd wasn’t ideal but they were a lot kinder.

 

[Sleipnir]

I also bought my youngster when he was just 6mo and then arranged him to stay with his original herd, which included another youngster of his age, his mother and several other horses of varying ages. The herd lived outside 24/7, with shelters freely available and a farrier (the breeder) on site.

I visited him as frequently as I could, working on age-appropriate handling, eventually got him gelded and, when he turned 2yo, finally moved him to the yard where I kept my other horse. Now he's 5yo and I couldn't wish for a better developed youngster, physically and mentally.

 

[Cortez]

Foals and youngstock need to be in age-appropriate groups. If you cannot get another weanling to live with your foal, then I would suggest finding a studfarm that can accommodate him in a weanling/youngstock group.

 

[millikins]

Foals and youngstock need to be in age-appropriate groups. If you cannot get another weanling to live with your foal, then I would suggest finding a studfarm that can accommodate him in a weanling/youngstock group.

It's not always that easy, land in the SE is so expensive that young stock livery which doesn't pay much is hard to find. We tried everywhere reasonably local, I even asked on the intercom at Michael Owen's stud about 3 miles from me

 

[Cortez]

It's not always that easy, land in the SE is so expensive that young stock livery which doesn't pay much is hard to find. We tried everywhere reasonably local, I even asked on the intercom at Michael Owen's stud about 3 miles from me

It may or may not be easy, but it is necessary if you are going to have foals.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Wouldn't it have been better to sort all this out before putting the deposit on the foal?

 

[Bobthecob15]

I agree he needs a younger friend ideally...But...I had a foal at 6 months years ago who was initially with a few other younger horses but then we moved and she had to go to a regular livery yard from about the age of 1 until she was backed at age 4. She was in a bigger herd however of all ages, no other youngsters as such. She was absolutely fine though, no issues at all on the ground or under saddle. I think there was enough of a spread of ages in the herd that it didn't make a lot of difference she was the youngest.

I had no idea really what I was doing though, if I did it again I'd want her with a younger friend for the first 2yrs ideally. But in our case it was fine. Bit different to 2 older Shetlands though. Is he a Hardy breed? Being out 24/7 didn't suit mine and she ended up needing to be stabled overnight in winter x

 

[JBM]

I have my foal in with his mother (3yo) and a 4yo mare
Seems to be going well so far but I do have friends with other foals I can move him to if anyone’s getting upset!
So far he seems to spend a lot of time hanging out with the 4yo