I need to start thinking about weaning

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jessikaGinger

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My foal was born 15th june and i think i need to start planning weaning (im looking at christmas time)
So where do i start? what do i need? is there set things i need to consider? should i be doing anything now?
Foal is well handled and isn't clingy with mum & shes in a field with 2 other mares and sometimes a gelding

Thanks :)
 
Hi I am also interested in what advice you recieve. My plan is to send mare to livery yard so i can ride her and get her working again and keep foal in the surroundings she knows and we can keep an eye on her (field is outside kitchen window) and she is best buddies with a yearling already and seems fine whith the gelding. Is this OK or does it benefit the foal going away from home during this time? Im hoping the mare will be OK she has lived in yards where I have worked and settled fine, obviously it will be different as she will be looking for her baby but I am hoping this will be the easiest and least stressful way of doing this for everyone. I would hate to send the foal away to a field of horses she doesn't know and risk injury. I like the thought of being able to watch her every movement at what will be an upsetting time for her.
 
Unfortunatly my two will still be at the same yard however i have 4 fields but, there stables will be next to eachother
I think i may have one out through the day and one out at night at the start...??
 
I plan to do the same as mcrobbiena. Hopefully leave Harper where she is as they are very knowledgeable and take Angel to her old yard and hopefully bring her back into work.
 
I did what mcrob. wants to do it worked fantastic, that was last year. I did leave it till Mar 1st mine was a June 1st baby. They slept in seperate stables from 1st Feb and neather batted an eye when they were split. I was also spoilt that the weather was really good and mare really enjoyed getting back into work.
So i would recomend the seperate stables for a few weeks OP and take it from there. After my mare had been away 5 weeks they have been back together with a couple of short breaks apart with no problems. A small pony babysits when mare is away or riding.
 
I had to wean mine earlier than planned, on vet advice. I Left the foals where they were and took the mares away. Foals were shut in stable for a week, with adlib hay and a token bowl of feed (both were eating hard feed from their mothers bowls before weaning). It all went incredibly easily, one of the mares called a little for her foal until she was put in the trailer, the other one couldn't have cared less frankly. Both mares pleased to see the back of their babies if I'm honest. Foals were quite happy as long as they got visited, played with, skipped out, fed and watered. Babies are now out during the day and stabled at night. We still shut the top doors, but probably don't need to really. they have plenty of ventilation and a window to look out of.

I think its probably better (less traumatic) for the foals to keep their familiar routine more or less the same, apart from mum no longer being about, rather than move them somewhere different with strange people.
 
I leave mine until after Xmas. I always have an older pony (not much older) with them before weaning and then split them off with that pony. They can always see mum across the fence and it's less stressful, works really well. Eventually, they don't bother calling and enjoy their time with their new friend.
 
If you can't properly split them (because you want to stable side by side) then personally I'd wait until spring and you can put them out and a long way apart...

It depends on the temperament of the mare, but of 10 or so mares and foals I've had only one "pair" were laid back about weaning, the rest got upset, and had we put them side by side night after night we'd have had a nightmare.

I also use an old pony for putting out with the baby, works a treat if you don't have another weanling for them.
 
I can put my mare in a field with 'the big horses' and the foal can stay where she knows in the field with a little 12.2mare

every few days i put my mare to bed and let the foal wonder round the yard for ten mins and she seems to be fine with this (was advised this may help at weaning?)
 
I too have a June foal and have been advised not to wean over winter so im waiting until March, im also hoping the longer it is left on mum the easier it will be too wean as they will both be sick of each other lol (could be wishful thinking) but the foal is very independant already and spends a lot of her time in the top field a few acres away from mum so she end up being half weaned when i try :-)
 
I weaned gradually and there was no stress for either and went really well. Now back together and not at all clingy very happy Mum and Filly. I do have a companion pony who the filly knew from birth and he was a fab nanny and playmate.

I had them in electric taped seperate paddocks next to eachother and bought Mum in for initially 4 feeds a day , then 3 , then 2 etc. Mum one side, Filly and pony the other side. I also delayed fully weaning until she was a year old and therefore it was more natural for her to be becoming more independant from Mum and less clingy.

The mare resumed her ridden work very happily and as I said they were all back in together after 8 weeks or so and very happy. I can now take either the mare of the gelding out and althought the filly calls a little she does not move from her grass munching and is not worried or pacing around :D

Gradual weaning is also kinder on the mare as she doesn't suffer engorgement and therefore risk mastitus.

Good luck.
 
well after weeks of deliberating, its all planned for tomorrow ! the foal is very independant and to be honest spends most of her time away from the mare now, she's 6 months old next week and grown very well, poss a little too well, she happily eats anything, but mostly grass still. the mares had very little milk / bag all the way through and its shrunk right down over the last month, i've also noticed the foal drinking more and more water so hopefully this is a sign she's not getting too much milk anymore. hopefully things will go well. the plan is that the foal is staying put with my little mini shettie for company and her big friend in the next paddock. the mare is going to a friends field with 3 old mares for company, she's got a stable if needed but hopefully will stay out for a few more weeks. just hope she doesnt jump out :0 she will be the other side of an electric fence for a few days then the plan is to let them all go together. getting very nervous now, just hope it all goes smoothly.
 
Hi there our foal was born at the end of May & I was considering weaning at the end of Oct- is this too soon? He's a big lad & quite independent, also think mum is a bit fed up in fact she's behaving out of character ( could she be in season?) a friend has offered to take the foal to his farm to run with his foals but the surroundings will be unfamiliar. Any advice would be welcome. Keen to get the mare into work again but obviously want to do what's best for both her & her foal :confused:
 
Hey Newbie, my Foal is a mid may Foal & i have just moved both mare & Foal to a new farm to be weaned. A friends mare & Foal are coming to join them- going to pick them up with her tomorrow & then having the big intro. 2 boys who are pretty much the same age so should work well. My girl is desperate for some other company, let alone foalie!! They are off out together & when working well as a little herd, will wean the foals. I'm very sad this time is already here, but my mare is def done & the other mare is pregnant again so doesnt really need her rather greedy son!! Got a very good older gelding who is a well trained uncle to go out with them both, once mummies are gone.
Good luck with yours, a few weeks time & we will all be done! Phew, def the worst bit!!
 
the deed was done on sat morning, i shut the foalie in overnight with the mini shettie and they didnt even whinnie to each when the mare left. the mare is loving being with the new girlies. her bag was hot and very swollen for the first 24hrs but by sun night had started to go down already, this morning was about half the size, i cant believe how much its shrunk already ! foalie was so settled on sun morning she was turned back out with shetties and a 15.3 5 year old gelding who's a very cool dude (he's been in next paddock for the last 3-4 weeks). she was so settled i've even put the shetties back in their starvie paddock this morning next to her field. i just hope things continue to go smoothly.

the plan is to keep them apart for around 6 weeks, then bring the mare back home again, but still not sure whether to put her back in the same paddock as the foal, or keep her the other side of the fence with my old mare and gelding, any thoughts appreciated.
 
Ahh, well done!!! Bet you feel very relieved!!
I collected the other mare & foal today & affects brief intro through the adjoining stable bars, they have all gone out together this afternoon. Went really well, the other 2 shimmyed off and my 2 whoolied around like donuts desperately showing off!! A few grumbles & little kick outs, but once my mare told everyone she was in charge, all seems very happy!! Phew!! My Foal is so pleased to have a new friend, hes like a kid at Christmas!!
Nipped back tonight to give them all a check & all 4 grazing together!! Next step after bonding is weaning.......i shall be very sad!!! I dont think the horses will care too much!!
 
thanks Jenny, yes i am relieved :) i had hoped the foal would be sold by now, but i would rather keep than let go to an unsuitable home. sounds like your four are going to be good also, i had forgotton how stressfull it was for us, the last time i weaned a foal was 20 years ago, it went smoothly then also. i think gradual intro's and getting them settled is key, still doesnt make it much easier for us, but at least they dont get so upset. best of luck and hope the good work continues :)
 
My foal is nearly 5months old, i dont really have the option to send mum to another yard so this is what i have
Choice of 3 fields, all adjoining (kind of)
stables next to each other
and if needed i can have 24hour turnout

What would you do?
The foal is getting pretty big now
She will eat hard feed grass and hay

I dont want to wean in the middle of winter but im not sure if doing it now is too soon?

Thanks
 
If you really don't have the option of moving your mare then I would go for natural weaning and just take your time until the mare has dried up and the foal no longer looks for milk. Get another companion in to keep the foal company when you eventually take the mare away to start work.
 
I was forced to wean when the snow hit last year and we had to keep them in - my mare went to kick the foal and got me so I shuffled him on the ice and put him 2 boxes down closed the top door and went back to work as I was on my lunch break ! I hadn't intended it that way but 2 days later and all was quiet and then he went back out they were in the field next to each other until the spring and seemed to like having a chat over the fence.

At the time of weaning I had stopped hard feeding my mare to stem the milk production and we didn't have any problems relating to her bag. They have both spent most of the summer back in the same field and this hasn't created any issues either. Mare is now off at livery and in full work
 
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