New born foals and grass livery prices

No it isn't usual to pay any livery for a newborn foal. Most places do not charge for a foal until it is either 6 months old or weaned, whichever comes first. Then the charge is normally a % of the regular livery price until the youngster is 1 or 2 years old.

It doesn't sound like you *are* experienced with breeding or foaling. You've merely been lucky so far. I can't imagine bringing newborn foals into the environment you have chosen for yours however I will say that this sort of unsuitable situation is not that uncommon where I'm from and somehow these little ones born into this type of life often have no problems at all. Not for me, I spend too much on breeding to ever consider keeping youngstock (or any horse) in the type of setup you have.
 
OP you really do need to find more suitable grazing. I too bought a BOGOF and had to move out of nice yard as they did not want a baby there and moved to a nice enough little yard with sort of OK grazing but had to spend a FORTUNE on feed and hay as the grazing was not good enough!

When the baby arrives, the mare will need a lot of additional feed/grass/hay to keep herself and the baby going. If the grass if poor now it will not get much better by the sound of it even in Spring! Foaling down in the field is fine but she should really be by herself or with another animal that you know is going to be OK about this.

Is there really nothing else available nearby? Try contacting some local feed merchants/studs to find out NOW - please do not leave it any longer than needs be.
 
My YO isnt charging me until my foal will be weaned and needs its own stable. Ive just paid to have a large area of our fields post & railed for mum/baby ... :D
 
It is up to the YO what they charge for a foal's livery. In the past I've been on yards that have varied from charging nothing until weaning to charging full livery from the day the foal is born to everything in between. There is no legal requirement on YOs as to what they can/cannot charge.

If I was the OP I would be finding a suitable stud to send the mare to foal down. Usually once the foal is born they charge approx £1 more per week in addition to the mare's livery for grass keep.
 
if you are not prepared to move (there will be other places) then you have to pay, 'simples'

regarding what it is like where you are, i have no problem with mares foaling outside and not being watched 24/7 by a camera, i do think a 1 acre paddock for a mare and a gelding when the mare is due to foal and with unsafe fencing is nowhere big enough. also to expect a mare with a foal at foot to pass through a filed of other horses (if she needs to come in) is going to be very stressful for all concerned. i would think you would be better of renting a larger securely fenced field even if it is isolated-you could always get someone to check midday and bung a caravan on it so you could be there for the evenings-would be far safer than the set up you have now sounds to be
 
amymay said:
Not to mention dangerous.
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forgot that bit yes very

when mine was born at the livery yard (i did not own mare or foal at the time) all the horses used to go crazy seeing the foal go to and from the field (owner insisted they came in every few nights) it was scary enough with a fence between them and us
 
I only charge grass livery once the foal is weaned, this is a personal choice. I have bred 3 foals myself 2 indoors and 1 outside. I would really be concerned about the set up you have for a foaling mare and newborn foal. Foals can be incredibly accident prone and I would worry about the fencing. Also leading the mare and foal out into a field of horses is a recipe for disaster, sorry may be ok but I just wouldn't take the risk. Mum will be protective and baby will be in the middle of a free for all. OP regardless of charge being made for foal I'd be looking for somewhere else. Can't you ask local farmers/ put a wanted advert up?
 
I've heard several horror stories of geldings killing new born foals before they get up - so you might want to reconsider letting her foal out in a mixed herd. That said my gelding was a great daddy to my mares foal once she was a couple of days old. h
 
Shocked that you propose to keep a mare with a newborn in such unsafe conditions.

Shocked that you are not worried.

Shocked that your primary concern is the extra livery charge for the foal. Potentially, your vet bill for injuries may be a more pressing concern in a few weeks.
 
I know for a fact my YO would charge for a foal. At the end of the day it's another horse on the land. He would prob just charge a bit less as it won't be eating grass.

Agree with others about moving/improving conditions. I wouldn't have any horse on a paddock how you describe, never mind a vulnerable mare and foal.

Hope you find a positive outcome soon, OP :)
 
superniky said:
As my mare is in a paddock about 1 acre max with my gelding and very little grass, dreadful fencing it is old wire that has snapped and electric tape tied round wooden fence posts so I have had to electrify the inside of the fence to make it safe for my animals, and if I want to take them out of the paddock I have to negotiate the yo 4 or 5 large horses who are allowed to wander all over the rest of the field and the field gate area is about 1 foot deep in mud I feel that they are being a little mean charging for a foal from birth.
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If you value your new Foals live you will move. Sharpish. There is absolutely NO WAY I would have a foal born into that arrangement. Too many opportunities for accidents. I Certainly wouldn't put up with innadequate fencing (fenced off or not) and I wouldn't entertain the idea of leading a mare and foal through a field of other horses, unless I wanted myself and or the foal to end up dead.

Move and save yourself the worry.
 
superniky said:
I have to negotiate the yo 4 or 5 large horses
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This is dreadful, some horses are very hostile to foals and even if they are not they are bound to come over to investigate. I presume you will have help to lead mare and foal, but even so, it is a disaster waiting to happen. So unfair on the mare and the foal will be so vulnerable.

What will happen to your gelding once the foal is born? Is the mare the boss?

Honestly, you have to move.
 
I too would be very concerned about the gelding in the field (along with a lot of other things). I have seen a foal attacked by a gelding and it was not pretty. One acre is such a small space for these animals. I bought a BOGOF too. I sent her to a stud which was miles away, but I knew they were experienced and had no worries about the care being given. The advantage of this was that the foal had playmates, and at weaning I just brought the mare home, and the foal stayed as a livery.
 
superniky said:
As my mare is in a paddock about 1 acre max with my gelding and very little grass, dreadful fencing it is old wire that has snapped and electric tape tied round wooden fence posts so I have had to electrify the inside of the fence to make it safe for my animals, and if I want to take them out of the paddock I have to negotiate the yo 4 or 5 large horses who are allowed to wander all over the rest of the field and the field gate area is about 1 foot deep in mud I feel that they are being a little mean charging for a foal from birth.
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I certainly wouldn't dream of keeping a mare and foal :-
a with a gelding the mare will be protective and you don't know how the gelding will react to a foal.
b in a paddock with wire
Accident waiting to happen, you need to find a place with experience with mares and foals
 
superniky said:
I just wanted to know if it was correct that a livery owner should charge for a foal from the minute it was born or not. i do understand that it is up to individual people to decide if they are money grabbers or no.
I myself when I had my own yard would never think of charging for a foal until it was at least 6 months.
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Most studs who take in outside mares have one weekly charge for a mare at grass - and a higher charge for a mare with a foal at foot (whatever the age!) And this is reasonable if proper care is being taken - mares with foals at foot should NOT be over-crowded and should NOT be in a field with in-foal mares (and certainly NOT with geldings!) Most studs would charge an extra £10 pw for mares with a foal at foot!
 
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