Weaning. Does this sound OK?

[not_with_it]

Im already starting to worry about winter and weaning and so here is my plan. Does this sound do-able?

I want to start riding my mare again and so was planning to do this at the beginning of October when Dixie will be 5 1/2 months old.
I am on a DIY livery yard and so my plan is to turn them out together during the day and put them in seperate stables but next to each other during the night.
Im not too keen on seperating them properly til next spring as everyone turns out and brings in at different times and I dont want them to be left out on their own. If they are together then they will always have company. Next spring, when they start to live out again I can put Dix in with another youngster and seperate them.
I havent yet decided what to do with Dix whilst I ride Gin but there is usually a horse left in so I will try leaving her in the stable.

Does this sound OK or am I setting myself up for problems over the winter? Will it be a problem if Gin is still producing milk when I want to ride her?

 

[not_with_it]

bump

 

[Clodagh]

I'm not experienced enough to comment but I want to start riding Dixie again too. I'm planning early October (Piper will be 4 months but they will still be together 23 hours a day) and leaving Piper shut in the table with Auntie Mystery, my borrowed companion on whom Dixie has dumped full parenting duties bar milk production. Trouble is Dix still gets all maternal if, for instance, a strange dog turns up so I don't know how she will take going out to work but I'm going to try. I will lunge her to start with so if she has a hissy I'm not on board. Piper I will see how it goes but he loves Mys.

 

[not_with_it]

Dixie sounds a bit like Gin. Every now and again she will whiney and look for Dix if she isnt there. Most of the time they are fine though, its only if someone else is around. They graze at opposite ends of the field and Gin is already starting to send Dix away if she doesnt want her to have milk.
The problem is I dont have a companion to put with Dix whilst I ride unless I can borrow a shetland from another livery. All our fencing is electric and I worry that if Gin shouts for her then Dix will go through the fencing.

 

[Clodagh]

I would just shut her in the stable, top door shut, windows barred (safely, so she can't get her feet stuck), make sure its 100% foal proof with some hay and water and feed and go for it.
Its only going to be for an hour max, presumeably less to start with.
As for when you wean her properly you will have to see how the gradual stuff is doing.
Dixie my mare would never be left on her own but when she was in foal I was taking the ponies out for hacks and she went mad, she had to be shut in with the top door shut. Gradually though she got used to it and eventually could be left with the door open and standing on her patio and she wouldn't even neigh.
Thoughts of a first timer, this should be called!

 

[magic104]

I have done exactly that in the past without any issues what so ever. If both are happy then it is ok & at 5.5mths I would think little one would be getting quiet independent anyway. I was lucky, when mum was ridden my other horses kept little one company so never went through any trauma with either mum or offspring.

 

[Daisychain]

I have never weaned any of my foals before 10 months! And the one foal i had i would just tack up the mare and ride her, leaving the foal with his friends in the field (foal was prob 5/6mths) never had a bother. But you would want to make sure the foal had some good buddies before doing this.

Or like you say, leave foal in stable with a friend and just ride her out as an when!

Dont worry about the mare lactating still, i went to a showjumping show once and left foal all day lol! She just had extra when we got home.

Unless your a commercial stud, with the mare in foal again, just let them be. When i did finally wean, i just used to put them next to each other in field till mare dried up.

 

[TallyHo123]

Sounds alright to me, I found not making a detailed plan helped and I just adapted and took it at the pace of my foal.
They were not properly seperated until she was 1 as I was in no rush and I had not a single whinny or anything.
She is now 2 1/2 and back in the same field as her mum.

Good luck

 

[not_with_it]

Thanks for the replies, its really put my mind at rest.
I will see how things go and judge it by their reactions. Its more the seperating for riding thats worrying me more than anything else.
Dix is already really independant already so im hoping things will go to plan.