weaning...........

[bellaboo]

Am due to bring my foal home very shortly now. I don't own the mare, and the way they are thinking of weaning her is to put her into the trailer and bring her over to my field. I know there is many different ways to wean but they only have a field. They have started working mum now so are not happy about me bringing mum home for too long to help the foal settle in, which was my first idea, so now this looks like the foal will be loaded up and brought home. She's going into a field with my shettie first as my mare will kill her ( not a nice welcome home!) What do you think? is it really cruel, most people have said its the owners with the problem not the horse!!! Any other ideas of how to do it with only the mums owner having a field?

 

[lennysmith]

We weaned baby D by putting his mum back in the field and him in a stable. I think on the surface of it this sounds cruel. HOWEVER, my mare has been in work since he was 6 weeks gradually being taken away for longer periods. She had started to refuse to feed him and was really biting him when he tried. The would graze at seperate ends of the field. All these things just meant the time was right.

It was easier than I ever imagined it took litteraly 20 mins and they were weaned! thats it.

So no I dont think it's a cruel way, however maybe travel the mum and baby over to yours and take mum back? As long as the time is right there shouldn't be any issue. Maybe a little hoot and holler but it shoujldbe reletively straight forward.

It'll do the foal good to have a little companion and if it's anything like my boy, he'll be too busy stuffing his face to worry about mum.

Hope all this helps. Good luck with everything xxx

 

[bellaboo]

They had been taking mum out for short rides and leaving the foal in with another foal and she was fine although this has'nt been done for a while. But in the field she is far more interested in the other foal and also when there was another horse in the field she got attached to that!!!
She is now 5 and a half months, the owner wanted her to go at 4mths but have managed to keep her there a little longer, but she really wants her gone now!!!!
So nervous of bringing her home, have heard so many horror stories!!

 

[lennysmith]

DONT listen to the horror stories and thats an order!!!

I had some very nasty pms sent to me saying how bad things could ahve been and that I was cruel and he was only 5.5 months. Well it went perfectly. Not one moment of stress and he's actually put on a vast amount of weight (pig) so it cant all be that bad.

Just do everything sensibly. Make sure fences are secure etc. 4 months I agree was perhaps a little too soon, so you are already thinking of foalie.

As mum has been taken for short rides then foalies will already be used to being away. It's the first time thats the worst and thats already been done. Maye ask if they could have a couple more rides til she comes to you?

I'm sure you will be fine. Oh and one piece of advise I woujld give (GOd listen to me all know it all, really I know nothing!!) is dont humanise things. I got it into my head baby d was going to fall apart being away form his mum and he would tear everything up and pine. I knew it was a load of rubbish, but was just thinking how my boys would have been if they'd been taken from me, erm tatally different. Og I'm such a wally!

Seriously, you'll be fine. Always pm if you need a chat xxx

 

[S_N]

If it's the only option available to you then you have to go with that. The foal sounds like it is becoming more independant by the day too, so that helps. Do you have a stable? A big one preferably? If the foal and your shettie are put in the stable - maybe a joining ones initially, see how they get on, then that would be preferable to transporting the foal over and turing it straight out - IMO that could potentially be asking for trouble......