How long for milk to dry up completely after weaning

[stimpy]

My foal from last year was weaned in April of this year at 11 months old. The mother has stayed here for the weaning, just separated from the foal by a fence line. It has all been very unstressful, no drama but I had been taking the mare away during the day prior to weaning. The mare's udder was horrendous for a week after I separated them but deflated quite quickly after that and her udders now look like they did before she was put in foal. They were apart for 8 weeks but I have a small herd of only four horses so the mother and daughter are now turned out together again with the other two boys, with the mare wearing a sweetitch rug with an udder cover. The yearling does occasionally have a very cursory look for the milk bar but she has not fed, or indeed tried at all hard to feed.

However, I can still get beads of milk from the mare's udder, is this normal 12 weeks after weaning? How long would you expect this to continue? This morning I gave them a pull and I can get a small jet of rather watery looking milk. I don't want to take the rug and udder cover off until I am sure that we won't be going back to square one.

 

[Spring Feather]

I have to answer you honestly here and say I have no idea because I never touch my mares udders once they are weaned, and my weanlings never go back in with their mothers again as they are usually sold and move onto their new homes. Some of the older youngsters that I have retained have been in fields next to their mothers but the mothers have nothing to do with them.

 

[stimpy]

Thanks Spring Feather. I realise I am not in an ideal or traditional situation, just trying to make the best compromises for everyone

 

[Spring Feather]

Oh it's fine what you are doing I used to when I only had the odd foal too; in fact one of my 6 years olds lives with her mother and almost always has. The dam naturally weaned the foal at around 1 year old and the two of them started to spend more time hanging about their own friends within the herd for a few years. Nowadays they are often found grazing together, they are friends as well as mother/daughter I don't do this any more as it's much more structured here now with many foals coming each year so I have enough youngsters to make herds out of.

 

[stimpy]

That's really good to know This is my first (and will almost certainly be the only) foal I have bred, and she will stay here forever so she has to go back in with mum. Thankfully I have two strict but friendly boys at the top of the pecking order (one of whom is playful) that keep her in order, so although a small herd of 4 is not ideal it is working OK I think!

 

[Maesfen]

Can you not split them up and graze with one of the other pair as that would be simplest as I know you say she hasn't suckled but how do you know if you're not there 24/7? For some mares, just the presence of their recently weaned foal is enough to start the milk again. It hasn't helped that you've had to wean just when the grass was coming through as that's no help to drying up, she needed to be on the barest, poorest patch possible, better to have fed her hay than any young grass.

 

[stimpy]

Can you not split them up and graze with one of the other pair as that would be simplest as I know you say she hasn't suckled but how do you know if you're not there 24/7?

Mother and daughter are only together during the day when I am either in the field or working at my desk with them in sight, plus the mare is wearing an udder cover so I am pretty confident she hasn't suckled. For logistical reasons I really want to have them all together when I can, plus I want the youngster to get as much 'other horse' interaction as she can. The youngster is out with just her 'uncle' overnight so the herd is effectively in a pair and two singles for half the time.

For some mares, just the presence of their recently weaned foal is enough to start the milk again. It hasn't helped that you've had to wean just when the grass was coming through as that's no help to drying up, she needed to be on the barest, poorest patch possible, better to have fed her hay than any young grass.

Yes, and I think that Mum is the sort that just loves to be in foal and so does all she can to be a good mother (this was her fourth foal). Mum is laminitic so she is on very meagre rations, when they are out as a herd they are on a track system and fed soaked hay, then Mum goes into a bare pen or a stable overnight.

Thanks for your suggestions Maesfen.