mynutmeg
Well-Known Member
I'm going to be weaning in the next couple of weeks and am after a bit of advice on the best way to do it. He's a single foal, turned out with his mom and an 'uncle'. Once weaned he is going into a field with my yo's and the grass liveries (2 broodies, an 'uncle' used to babies and a 2 year old). My plan is to seperate and the mare will go to another yard for a couple of weeks as our yard is not big enough to have them out of sight and hearing.
Foal is used to being left in the stable for 10 minutes or so at a time with company and is ok with that. I'm not sure whether I should keep the Milo in for several days until he settles down and then turn out into his new group or whether to put him down straight away. The other option is to remove the mare and leave him with his current 'uncle' but I feel that then he has to move to the other field so would almost be weaning twice. Putting one of his new group in with him now or putting him and mare into new group before weaning is not an option due to yo (my mare can be a bit free with her hind legs with new horses and they don't want to risk their horses, fair enough) Foal is well socialised with other horses on the yard and says hello with correct foal submission etc. Fencing is good quality permemant post and electric tape. Same as he's been out in all summer and he does respect the electric. He's eating very well on balancer and haylage.
Stable doesn't have a top door at all but I have weave bars I can put up to stop him jumping out if needed.
So basic questions are how long do I need to keep them totally seperate (when the mare comes back she'll be within sight/hearing but several fields away) and should Milo be kept stabled for a few days or go straight into the new group or any other way to do it?
Thanks
Foal is used to being left in the stable for 10 minutes or so at a time with company and is ok with that. I'm not sure whether I should keep the Milo in for several days until he settles down and then turn out into his new group or whether to put him down straight away. The other option is to remove the mare and leave him with his current 'uncle' but I feel that then he has to move to the other field so would almost be weaning twice. Putting one of his new group in with him now or putting him and mare into new group before weaning is not an option due to yo (my mare can be a bit free with her hind legs with new horses and they don't want to risk their horses, fair enough) Foal is well socialised with other horses on the yard and says hello with correct foal submission etc. Fencing is good quality permemant post and electric tape. Same as he's been out in all summer and he does respect the electric. He's eating very well on balancer and haylage.
Stable doesn't have a top door at all but I have weave bars I can put up to stop him jumping out if needed.
So basic questions are how long do I need to keep them totally seperate (when the mare comes back she'll be within sight/hearing but several fields away) and should Milo be kept stabled for a few days or go straight into the new group or any other way to do it?
Thanks