Foster foals

H

Hannahwn

Member
Joined
18 August 2011
Messages
15
Visit site
Right, ok I'm in no way new to horses, so please don't think I'm a newby but I am a bit confused about the new foal I've got.

4weeks ago I got a new tbxnf foal. Her mum was taken off and given to a Newmarket foal when she was 2days old. When I went to pick her up she wasn't in the best condition although aparently weaned but I took her because of her breeding and her temperament is to die for.

I have been worried about her condition and I contacted my vet. He says all is ok, he has recommended some food and is happy with her as long as she gains.

However, someone (I'm sure I know who) has rang the world horse welfare. I have spoken to em, they also say I'm taking good care of her but has advised to put her back onto a milk replacer just to top her up. Can someone please tell me which one as all of the ones I've seen say to stop at 12weeks and she is 19weeks. I'm worried I'll be doing more harm than good. She is ribby but she is improving.
Any help or opinions are appreciated, this is the youngest foal I've ever had.
Thanks :)
 
Sorry I don't know anything about the feeding issue, but how sad to have been removed from it's mother so young and then onto a new home at this tender age just so that a more valuable foal can be suckled. I know it goes on but it is just cruel IMO.
 
I am not sure of the reasons behind taking one foal off a mare to put another foal on her but i think that's tragic behaviour

Sounds like if the foal is only young she does need to be fed milk every 2 hrs
 
I think Maesfan (sorry if i have spelt name wrong) took on two foals which were also taken off their mums for tb foals and are now 3 I believe. Would be worth contacting them for advice.
 
ordinarily foals are not oftern weaned before they are 6 months old...to take away such young foals from their mums and substitute it for a foal perceived to be of 'higher value' because of its breeding, monetary or emotional value to the owner is immoral and unethical.:mad: why????

I'm a big fan of the :)National Foaling Bank:) and Johanna has been doing this the right way for years...without the need to sacrifice another foal.
 
Surely it depends on how it is done? As with all things, there are compassionate ways in which do something and the flip side of that... All to easy to make sweeping statements. Have any of you worked with foster mares/foals?
 
I have... and I assure you it is done with the minimum amount of stress to both mare and foal possible!!!
 
I still think it's very wrong that a foal of a higher value is put in place of a foal with a lower value.

As already stated Johanna Vardon does a extremley valuable and job and surely this could be done with expensive foals.

All foals are worth a fortune to their owners
 
Well ok, firstly seren is a lovely healthy little thing n she will be with me for the rest of her daysso she is a lucky one!!
Yes it's not the best situation to take foals from mares but as I've said before, I'm a farmer and we often take animals off their mums if they cannot cope etc. They're raised on a bottle and grow to be brilliant animals, I have sheep and goats thy were once orphans and now are mums. so as long as they're looked after well theres no difference in the end.
As for the milk replacer issue, I have spoken to feed suppliers, national foal bank etc etc and they have ll said it could be harmful to her digestion if I was to put her back on it. It also states they should only have it for 12weeks.
When you think about it, the new Market foals need mums and unfortunatel the owners are willing to pay a lot of money for one. At least I went and got seren, if I hadn't maybe the only option would be to put her down, which I'm sure is a cheaper option that milk feeding and I'm sure it happens :)

Seren is happy healthy fol with a lot of love, company and time so it's a good end out of a bad situation :)
 
I work in Australia on a large TB stud. As with most of the larger studs, we have our own 'nanny mares' that are put in foal for the sole purpose that if a TB foal needs a mum... she is going to have that job!

Unlike england... there is no national foaling bank... its way too vast to work like that... so they have nanny mares... and farms that put these mares in foals and help with fostering...

the mares are treated well.. and so are their foals!! until you have seen the process in action.. don't knock it! these mares are a valuable asset and so are their foals.. and are treated just as well as the expensive mares and foals.. only difference being the foster foal will be bucket raised with an old retired mare for company! I guarantee within 12 hours the foals are drinking really well from a bucket and are happy as can be with their new companion! the mares generally take to their new foals within 24hrs!
 
Thank you rachi0 and well said... Can I ask what would you feed a 5month old weaned foster foal. She is sired by thoroughbred racehorse and out of a newforest mare. :)
 
The studs that do this often put their nanny mares to the same stallions the pedigree mares go to. Whilst they are not papered themselves, the "spare" foal often goes on to have a worthwhile life doing something very useful. They dont breed potential foster mares to low end stallions "just in case" they need the mare.
 
That exactly like seren, her dads breeding is very good, her mums isn't bad so it makes seren a cream papered sports pony :) anyway can anyone recommend feeds???
 
I have seen milk replacer at countrywide.
I would second suregrow, and you can get special foal creep pellets from most well known feed companies. there might be one better than suregrow for a very young foalie.

one the subject of these professional surrigates, I second Alec's response. I dont like the idea but if I had a foal worth alot of money and the foaling bank failed to bring anything up I wouldnt think twice about trying this method. Its clearly not ideal but neither is losing a foal and IMO so long as the 'spare' foals are happy and healthy and lead uselful lives then I dont see a problem.
 
JosieB said:
I think Maesfan (sorry if i have spelt name wrong) took on two foals which were also taken off their mums for tb foals and are now 3 I believe. Would be worth contacting them for advice.
Click to expand...


Yes, I did and they're both strapping lads at three and a half now so it certainly didn't do them any harm at all (they were just over a fortnight old when they came to me)

I used D & H Equilac milk replacer for them (they were already on it when they came) and were kept on it until they were five months old. They also had right from the start, D & H Suregrow along with nice meadow hay and grazing; it did help a lot that the two of them were kept together as it's most important they have a playmate of some description.

Can't tell you how pleased I was with the Suregrow. I had never used it before but was very impressed as they never once had growth spurts and always looked well. They didn't have anything else mixed in with it until they were yearlings.

Good luck with your foal, would love to see some pics.

This is Harry, not a runt at all (TB x ID/Welsh).
2008_0506new0041.jpg


to this taken last year -
line012.jpg
 
thank you so much, its so very nice to see another couple of foster foals, especially grown up!
Seren is a happy little thing, im so glad i got her, she still acts like a right mare and bosses my shetlie around so im sure she will be fine when it comes to behaviour.
Sure grow sounds fab, i think i shall try it.
thank you ever so much and when i work out how ill add some photos of her :)
Equifest and futurity next year... :)
 
we would bucket raise a tb foal on the bucket if it would be beneficial to it! EG - we unfortunately had a mare die after colic surgery. her foal was 10 weeks old. He was a big, heavy foal.. so we decided that bucket raising him would be better as we could control his feed intake and try to get some weight off of him!

As for the others... we do try and foster onto a mare. its more natural for them, and they generally do better on the mare than on the bucket!

The foster mare foals are tb x and are more hardy! they are tough and smart little things that take to the bucket no problem!

- that's just what we do at the farm i work at.. i'm not talking for everyone!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top