Is weaning late a bad thing?

[flyingfeet]

This years foal is now 6 months old, but she is the only thing standing between her mother and severe obesity. She is already in a herd and playing with a yearling (and terrorising sheep). Weaning won't be a problem, but I'd like to keep her on the mare as otherwise, will need to put the mare in a tiny paddock to prevent her getting any fatter.

Is there any harm in weaning late?

 

[Maesfen]

If mare isn't in foal again I would leave her to wean naturally. If she is and her condition is good enough (which it seems to be!), you could still leave foal until she's seven or eight months gone to give her some time to herself before starting again. In the wild, many are almost yearlings before they stop suckling and the mare drops again!

 

[flyingfeet]

Depsite the stud offering to AI her at home, I didn't spot her in season until very late and didn't get around to putting her back in foal!

The foal is very independant and I think I will leave her on the mare, as the mother looks heavily in foal as she is soooo fat (damn our good grass!).

 

[Roskilly]

I havw weaned foals late, also because of the dams being overweight. I usually wean in March or April which works for me as the foal drinks the weight off the mare over the winter making it easier to put her in foal and the spring grass is starting to grow which helps the foal to maintain it's weight.

 

[springfallstud]

I often wean mine around 8 months , i dont call this late and often think 5-6months is quite early but it depends on your set up and your mares, all mine do very well and i have never had a poor mare, weaning is never a problem for us this way and my foals seem happier for it being a little later, like mentioned a little more natural, i feel sorry for the people who feel pressured to wean early (different if needed to for one or the others sake) studies have been done according to a book i have stating that early weaning can be damaging for the mind and the body.