Foal won’t lead away from mum

[Em1001]

I’ve recently purchased a mum and her weaned 7 month old halter trained filly and they are just the most adorable pair.

Foal has been weaned for around 8 weeks before coming to me and not showing any signs of trying to suckle, eating hard feed and mum is definitely setting her boundaries regards to her own space.

I’ve not done too much with foal at the moment as I know it’s a new environment and don’t want to add stress onto either of them. The problem I have is foal will not leave her mum, if I try and lead her without mum it is a no go! Full on stress hissy fit.
I can lead mum and foal together no problem but as soon as I ask the filly to go within 6ft of mum - it’s not happening.
I’m not putting pressure on the filly at the moment, just daily contact and scratches and “trying” to lead around the field.

Will filly become more independent with time?

Any suggestions

 

[twiggy2]

So has the foal been removed from mum for weaning and then put back with her?
How long have they been with you and does the foal have other company?

 

[Em1001]

yes so foal was separated and weaned for 8 weeks before being put back with mum, mums milk has dried up and foal isn’t showing any interest in suckling.

I’ve had both for 2 weeks and I’ve seen a lot of progress with regards to the foal trusting me in that time, comes for scratches but if mum walks away.. foal follows -There is horses in surrounding fields but no direct access

 

[blitznbobs]

Ummm I think you've made an issue for yourself I wouldn't've returned them that soon. Is Mum worried when you are with the foal or is it just the foal?

 

[Em1001]

No Mum doesn’t show any interest on being led away or worry just baby.

I did have a similar situation previously with 2 colts being attached to each other however with time they became independent I’m hoping this will be similar

It’s hard because the lady who had them previously became ill so once weaned I took them off her hands so the intent was good

 

[gallopingby]

I think you’re just going to have to wait it out now you’re in the situation of having them back together. Foals need friends of their own or very similiar age. I usually have two together with an older mare or sensible gelding.
The foal needs a companion and hopefully will become less interested in being with mum over time. Mares usually get ‘fed up’ of foals especially pushy colts after a while and are happy to see them off.

 

[Blanche]

Why are you leading the foal away, is there a reason? At the moment you are just teaching her that having strop stops you trying to lead her, not a good idea. If you want to handle her take them into stables or pens next to each other so the filly can see the mare. It would be better to get a foal companion and stick the mare out with other horses. What breed is the foal?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I would just leave the foal for now until your in a position to put the foal with other horses, tbh it's not unusual for the foal to not want to leave the only horse she has ever known, I'm sure once she has new friends to go out with she will be fine.

 

[maya2008]

Weanling needs friends so can separate properly from mum emotionally. When we weaned ours, she didn’t care one bit, as she already had friends of her own. Are there any other similar sized friends the weanling could go in with?

 

[TheMule]

You either need to separate them totally and place the foal with more appropriate company, or stop having unreasonable expectations of a foal.

 

[Clodagh]

It may be easier if you think of a vulnerable ‘baby’ being led away from its only companion. She’s in a strange place and clinging on to what she knows.

 

[paddy555]

I had to do this with a mare and foal. I weaned the foal for a short period to stop her sucking and then put them back together. I had hoped to leave them to wean naturally but mare was a rescue in very poor condition and simply couldn't sustain the foal. Just left them back together and in the end the mare got so fed up with the foal and the foal went off to play with another youngster and all was well.
Just leave them alone and let them get on with it. I handled the foal as in brushed her, picked up her feet and generally stroked her all over but didn't try to lead her away. That would have been pointless. The mare gets fed up idc and the foal goes it's own way..

If you bring them in together to feed etc you end up with a perfectly tame and handleable foal who has got a lot of confidence from it's mum.

 

[twiggy2]

I had to do this with a mare and foal. I weaned the foal for a short period to stop her sucking and then put them back together. I had hoped to leave them to wean naturally but mare was a rescue in very poor condition and simply couldn't sustain the foal. Just left them back together and in the end the mare got so fed up with the foal and the foal went off to play with another youngster and all was well.
Just leave them alone and let them get on with it. I handled the foal as in brushed her, picked up her feet and generally stroked her all over but didn't try to lead her away. That would have been pointless. The mare gets fed up idc and the foal goes it's own way..

If you bring them in together to feed etc you end up with a perfectly tame and handleable foal who has got a lot of confidence from it's mum.

Those foal doesn't have any other horses to play with, it's only in with the mare.
The foal has been through a lot, it's been weaned, put back with mum, moved to another yard with only mum as security and safety and you want the foal to happily walk away from mum. It's not a realistic expectation.
Foal needs to be in a mixed aged herd to bond and gain confidence with other horses and in its new surrounding, then you need to remove mum from the environment and treat the foal as an individual.

 

[paddy555]

Those foal doesn't have any other horses to play with, it's only in with the mare.
The foal has been through a lot, it's been weaned, put back with mum, moved to another yard with only mum as security and safety and you want the foal to happily walk away from mum. It's not a realistic expectation.
Foal needs to be in a mixed aged herd to bond and gain confidence with other horses and in its new surrounding, then you need to remove mum from the environment and treat the foal as an individual.

I don't want the foal to happily walk away from mum. I wouldn't expect it to. I don't see the problem here. Leave them together and let them get on with it. All that appears to be going wrong is trying to lead the foal away from mum when it is not ready to. Give it another 3 months and I'm sure that will be more successful.

not everyone has a mixed age herd available. People have to adapt to what they have available.

 

[twiggy2]

Are you the OP?

I don't want the foal to happily walk away from mum. I wouldn't expect it to. I don't see the problem here. Leave them together and let them get on with it. All that appears to be going wrong is trying to lead the foal away from mum when it is not ready to. Give it another 3 months and I'm sure that will be more successful.

not everyone has a mixed age herd available. People have to adapt to what they have available.

You stated that in your situation you left then together and the foal went of to play with other youngsters, the only part of my post aimed at you is that this foal doesn't have any others to play with so it doesn't have others to play with, it can't break its dependence on mum without others to bond with.
So you expect that a foal turned out with only its mother for company will be more independent in 3 months by not changing the set up as it currently is?
Yes people have to work with what's avaliable where possible but sometimes a little thought has to be given to what is realistic and things have to change.

 

[paddy555]

Are you the OP?

You stated that in your situation you left then together and the foal went of to play with other youngsters, the only part of my post aimed at you is that this foal doesn't have any others to play with so it doesn't have others to play with, it can't break its dependence on mum without others to bond with.
So you expect that a foal turned out with only its mother for company will be more independent in 3 months by not changing the set up as it currently is?
Yes people have to work with what's avaliable where possible but sometimes a little thought has to be given to what is realistic and things have to change.

why do you think I am the OP??

sorry as you quoted my whole post I presumed it was all aimed at me.
yes i expect that in 3 months it will be more independent. That may be 2 months it may be 5 months but I'm sure it will become obvious. I really don't expect it to still be tied to it's mother's apron strings when it is 20



perhaps there wasn't chance for a little thought as I see the previous owner was ill so things had to happen. I presume in this case OP intends for foal and mum to live together forever in their new home. The foal I referred to in post 12 has lived with mum for 12 years. Neither are bonded to each other. Her previous company was PTS when the foal was around 1.5years so from then just mum and her yearling.