valentine
Well-Known Member
Any suggestions on weaning a foal if you havent got any youngsters for him to go out with ? can i leave them together? can anyone help ?
Weaning solo foal
- Thread starter valentine
- Start date
peapod
Well-Known Member
We had this situation last year - have you any other horses that the foal can go out with? With ours we luckily had an oldish, very friendly mare who our filly eventually went in a field with. Basically we just went very gradually - starting off seperating just for feeding, and then gradually increasing the time spent away from each other.
I wouldn't leave mare and foal together, no.
I wouldn't leave mare and foal together, no.
Chambon
Well-Known Member
Should you not have thought of this before putting your mare in foal?
chipsnham
Member
I have had solo foals and weaned them very successfully using another mare or gelding as a babysitter! The foal should be living with the babysitter for a couple of weeks before weaning and on the day take the mare and foal into their stable and then lead the mare out and immediately load her and take her away out of hearing range. Keep the babysitter in the next stable with a talkhole to let the foal see and touch or if you have a small yard with stable attatched leave the babysitter out in the yard with a door grill on the foals stable. You will find it much less stressful if your foal is over 6 months and well grown as he/she won't need mum quite so much. If the foal is sensible then let him out with the babysitter in the yard or small securely fenced paddock for a few hours and increase the time out when you are sure the foal is calm and relaxed. Be careful that the foal doesn't become bonded to the babysitter as you will then have to wean him again later, it is probably not a good idea to have them in the same stable. You can leave your mare and foal together and they will naturally wean but this is generally not practical if you want to use your mare or need her to go away, leave the pair separate for at least 6 weeks for her to dry off her milk and "forget" her baby. Hope this helps. Please also be very careful about the stable you shut your foal in, it's not unknown for them to come through a window or over the door if they get very upset!
AliJo
Well-Known Member
Perhaps it's an unexpected foal like I had last year. Had the mare for a month and then she gave birth!
_jetset_
Well-Known Member
I have this very situation and had to think very hard about it before I decided to breed... but then I also think you can make dozens of plans and then they all get shot down because things change over a period of months.
When it comes to weaning Hannah will stay in the foaling stable because it is quite isolated and the foal will go up to Han's old stable on the top yard where there is lots to see and other horses coming and going.
I will take Han up with the foal, and then lead her back down to the foaling box (about 3 mins walk away) and leave them both in to settle. I am hopefully going to have another horse to put the foal out with by then, but there is no point deciding now who it will be because things change so much. Hannah will simply go out with the mares which is a couple of fields away from where the foal will be.
Just keep it as simple as possible, and I am sure it will go well. If there are no other youngsters (which there might not be) then I will find a friendly horse (there are a few) and put it out with that.
Hope this helps,
Rebecca
When it comes to weaning Hannah will stay in the foaling stable because it is quite isolated and the foal will go up to Han's old stable on the top yard where there is lots to see and other horses coming and going.
I will take Han up with the foal, and then lead her back down to the foaling box (about 3 mins walk away) and leave them both in to settle. I am hopefully going to have another horse to put the foal out with by then, but there is no point deciding now who it will be because things change so much. Hannah will simply go out with the mares which is a couple of fields away from where the foal will be.
Just keep it as simple as possible, and I am sure it will go well. If there are no other youngsters (which there might not be) then I will find a friendly horse (there are a few) and put it out with that.
Hope this helps,
Rebecca
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
You can't really leave them together as some mares will suckle for up to two years!
We even had last year's filly start drinking again from it's dam after she had a new foal this year and they had been apart from each other for six months.
You need to graze the mare and foal with other horses preferably older ones.
One year we did as we always do, put the mares and foals in with the large herd and let them fraternise a few weeks, then we removed the mares. Now normally the folas get looked after by a few mares, but on this occasion two of them decided they liked three real old geldings. they latched on to the geldings and followed them everywhere. To start with the geldings ignored them but within weeks were manfully chasing after the foals playing trying to protect them. They stayed like that in a small group the whole winter until two of the geldings were pts due to infirmity.
I would try and get a similar situation by grazing the foal with the others with it's dam, then remove the dam well out of earshot, preferably to another farm for two weeks. Then return her but not to the same field, if you do often within a month they accept the foal once more.
I don't actually agree with the plans given by some of the replies, removing the foal and expecting it to cope on it's own doesn't work well at all. Either you need two foals, or a companion pony, or a number of horses grazing together.
The worst scenario is a foal who screams blue murder (and it will if parted from it's dam and put on it's own) who then either jumps the half door and hurts itself or runs through a fence in the field if it hasn't bonded with the others.
Some people just put mare and foal in adjoining stables so they can see each other but that is pretty tough on both, one with a painful bag and the other a thirsty foal..
We even had last year's filly start drinking again from it's dam after she had a new foal this year and they had been apart from each other for six months.
You need to graze the mare and foal with other horses preferably older ones.
One year we did as we always do, put the mares and foals in with the large herd and let them fraternise a few weeks, then we removed the mares. Now normally the folas get looked after by a few mares, but on this occasion two of them decided they liked three real old geldings. they latched on to the geldings and followed them everywhere. To start with the geldings ignored them but within weeks were manfully chasing after the foals playing trying to protect them. They stayed like that in a small group the whole winter until two of the geldings were pts due to infirmity.
I would try and get a similar situation by grazing the foal with the others with it's dam, then remove the dam well out of earshot, preferably to another farm for two weeks. Then return her but not to the same field, if you do often within a month they accept the foal once more.
I don't actually agree with the plans given by some of the replies, removing the foal and expecting it to cope on it's own doesn't work well at all. Either you need two foals, or a companion pony, or a number of horses grazing together.
The worst scenario is a foal who screams blue murder (and it will if parted from it's dam and put on it's own) who then either jumps the half door and hurts itself or runs through a fence in the field if it hasn't bonded with the others.
Some people just put mare and foal in adjoining stables so they can see each other but that is pretty tough on both, one with a painful bag and the other a thirsty foal..
valentine
Well-Known Member
yes i did think of this but unfortunatley the other mare that was due the same time had a still born! things are never simple!!!!!!
valentine
Well-Known Member
hi thanks for you help the mares and geldings you weaned with obviously werent in work? is this right. just want to get it right thanks
henryhorn
Well-Known Member
Yes, I have to say none had shoes on.. You can have some success using an old pony, we keep a 34 year old mini shetland specifically for company if a horse needs quiet grazing or company going to shows. can you borrow one from anyone?
valentine
Well-Known Member
goodluck will be monitoring the progress
Chambon
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear that, such a shame.
Have you tried contacting local studs? Or the stud where your mare went? They may be able to take the foal for weaning and run it on with their weanlings for a while?
Have you tried contacting local studs? Or the stud where your mare went? They may be able to take the foal for weaning and run it on with their weanlings for a while?
valentine
Well-Known Member
that is my next move but we are at livery yard were everyone rides everything a bit of a nightmare just not keen about him going some wer else
valentine
Well-Known Member
hi we wre in a livery yard were everyone rides everything but that is my next move just a nightmare thought it would be less complicated if i repeated myself sorry
_jetset_
Well-Known Member
Sorry, forgot to add what Henryhorn mentioned... make sure whatever you put foalie out with does not have shoes on. This is the problem I am facing at the moment as the old horse I was going to put mine with sadly passed away a few months ago quite unexpectedly (that is why I was saying I am not making too many plans just yet). There are two ponies (15hh and 13.2hh) that do not have shoes on at the moment, but anything could happen between now and then!
valentine
Well-Known Member
im going to put an advert in the local places to see if anyone has an elderly pony the only thing is they will have to pay the grass livery but i would look after them does that sound like a good deal ?
seaview
Well-Known Member
my donkey was invaluable when I was weaning Kate and her mummy, now they are the best of friends still and chat over the fence but are very manageable and can be with or without each other.
Her donkey was her best friend for quite a while but now she is two her donkey got a new friend to play with.
As soon as she was weaned from mum we put her in with jessica the donkey in a stable and they bonded.
Be careful though sometimes you get in a situation that you have to wean the foal from its friend too as they latch on very quickly.
I have to say I HATED weaning but then who doesnt and we had to do it at about 5 months as my foal was huge and it just wasnt practical anymore to have them together.
I just went up to the yard one night and knew they were ready and that was that, saying that jessica was in the back ground ready to take over!
Good Luck
Nat
x
Her donkey was her best friend for quite a while but now she is two her donkey got a new friend to play with.
As soon as she was weaned from mum we put her in with jessica the donkey in a stable and they bonded.
Be careful though sometimes you get in a situation that you have to wean the foal from its friend too as they latch on very quickly.
I have to say I HATED weaning but then who doesnt and we had to do it at about 5 months as my foal was huge and it just wasnt practical anymore to have them together.
I just went up to the yard one night and knew they were ready and that was that, saying that jessica was in the back ground ready to take over!
Good Luck
Nat
x
Folara
Well-Known Member
How about advertising to see if anyone else is in the same situ as you are. They might be glad to share the "work" etc and then of course the little man could stay where he is and have a companion.
If you get on old little pony as a companion you could always get someone to share it and split some of the costs - im sure there would be a little girl somewhere that would be happy to share!!!
Oh and of course it wont be for too long as next year he could have a couple of other "friends" to play with.
If you get on old little pony as a companion you could always get someone to share it and split some of the costs - im sure there would be a little girl somewhere that would be happy to share!!!
Oh and of course it wont be for too long as next year he could have a couple of other "friends" to play with.
valentine
Well-Known Member
yes this is right ! think i reconise that horse dont i !!!!!!!!
