Should foals have company of their own age?

arwenplusone

arwenplusone

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As above really.
Does it give them a better 'upbringing' if they have 'friends' or does the age of the companions not matter?

I'm moving yards before weaning so that my foalie has some friends. Currently she just has her mum for company... she's a bit precocious....
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I think it's vital quite frankly. Even if the companion is a 2 year old it makes a huge difference to the weanling. They need someone younger to interact with and generally be a 'kid' with.
 
Our foal was in a paddock with just his mum until he was about 4 months old, then we carefully introduced a very sweet 2 year old gelding who the mare knew well into the field with them, and then when that had gone well brought all 3 back to join the other 2 brood mares. Fionn loved having a "herd", and we found that they were very gentle but firm with him if he was getting too boisterous, which was very good learning for him.

He's just been weaned, and is now with 2 yearlings and a wonderful "uncle" 3 year old pony who adores him, and they spend their whole time playing, I think that this has made such a difference to his weaning, and has allowed him to be a proper little horse, but also to have lots and lots of fun! He also gets loads of exercise! I would really recommend it.
 
Yes, they should. That's why I've bought a NF pony foal to keep Faith company. He's exactly the same age and they love to play. Everything I've ever read says that foals need foal company, even a yearling is "too old" as they need something of the same age to play with.
 
My foaly had her 'big sister' (9 months older) to play with...along with her aunty (18 years old) and it's worked out very well...the two youngsters play together...and my old mare stands back and disapproves
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S
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I purposefully bought another weanling to run alongside my other foal, and it has worked out perfectly. They have been able to play and mess about with each other and have taught each other such a lot in the 2 years they have been together. I feel that without another foal companion, Tilly my original foal would have missed out on a lot of experiences and wouldn't have gained as much confidence. My older horses just wouldn't have had the patience to deal with them.
 
I also used to think the same as a few of the posters on here; I previously thought it was vital to a foal to have other youngsters around; now I don't. Our first foal this year was the only foal for 4 months before the next foal came. Then there was just the 2 of them for another month until the next 6 came along. The first foal does not like any of the other foals; the second foal wants to play but she never plays with the other foals, only with the big mares in the field; the other 6 foals don't play with anyone although they do run around the field however they tend to spend most of their time with the mares.

So from what I have seen in my foals, no I don't believe it is necessary to have lots of foals together anymore - they are perfectly happy with the company of older horses too.
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We have foals, yearlings, 2yo's, 3yo's and then the retired bunch up to age 30yo. They all live out on a huge pasture together. The youngsters are always found in there own herd in there very specific age groups.. The oldies all hang about together. So because the youngsters selectively choose companions of there own age range I would say that it is important for foals and youngsters to have same age companions.
 
My foal used to play with the two old ponies in our field, taking it in turns to annoy them. They got tired of playing much quicker than he did, not surprisingly, but were pretty good at putting him in his place when they had had enough. He got a bit too big and rough as a two-year-old, so I found another two-year-old to keep him company after that.
 
We've got 2 foals on our yard at the moment and all the horses are turned out together the foals dont seem at all interested in each other. The colt seems to have taken a liking to a 4 year old gelding & the filly hangs around the older mares & the 3 year old.
 
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