Weanling Advice

[Roasted Chestnuts]

i havent commented as it looked as though you where backing out of the idea. But now seem up for it.
Please listen to those who have experience with weanlings.
IHW has given you the most sensible advice. Please back out now and get a 2/3 year old.
Yes, you may be lucky and everything works out, but should you really be buying a weanling with the facilities youve mentioned based on luck ?
what happens if he panics and attempts to jump out of the field shelter ?

The other year a young girl i know asked for advice about buying a weanling and keeping him on a livery yard. She ignored all the advice given. Brought the weanling back and he ran through all the fencing and got into a paddock with an unsuitable companion. He was hurt, spent weeks on box rest. She fed him way to much as she felt sorry for him on box rest. Next thing we heard he was PTS

Plenty of people with experience of weanlings haven’t fired them into a youngstock herd and left them. Myself included. The right yard is paramount to any horse. There isn’t one way of doing things. A 2/3yr old unhandled will case you more issues than a weanling will. You also run the risk that someone has done them harm in that 2/3yrs you haven’t had them. That’s why I bought a weanling, I was sick of having to work through other issues that were caused long before I got the horse.

There are horror stories and success stories with every method

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I’m finding it hard to believe a six month old foal is fertile and interested in mating, if that was true they would mate with their mothers or other mares in a herd and that doesn’t happen. Maybe by next spring that could be an issue but surely not just now.

Much as you find it hard to believe, it can - and does - happen, at any time of the year.

 

[windand rain]

Again have to agree with CC we had a two year old arrive on livery it has been a bloomin nightmare for trashing the place going through fences (and is so much bigger it destroys the whole fence breaking the post and rails etc), Digging holes to Australia, kicking as it hasn't learned not too by being taught by adults it is unacceptable. I very rarely buy anything older than weanlings for the very reason that by the time they have had more than the breeder owner they are largely nothing but trouble. Is my set up perfect no but the only thing I would change is to have a stable to teach them to stay inside. I use the lorry but for obvious reasons thats not ideal. Ponies age range is currently 3.5, 4, 6.5, 16 and 26 all have been here since they were 2 years or less. If I decide to have another it will be a weanling it will live in this herd moving to share with suitable individuals it might even be the old girl they fit best with personalities come into it too
eta All are easy to catch in fact they are harder to get rid of than get near. All do stable, all stay on their own in sight of others but not in with them.(even the fence trasherwho has learned the electric fence bites) she still digs but a 4 I reckon she always will now

 

[AmyMay]

Are your horses at home WaR?

 

[windand rain]

Are your horses at home WaR?

No We rent a field 10 miles away will concede its not livery but I do have one on livery with mine at any one time

 

[Xmasha]

Plenty of people with experience of weanlings haven’t fired them into a youngstock herd and left them. Myself included. The right yard is paramount to any horse. There isn’t one way of doing things. A 2/3yr old unhandled will case you more issues than a weanling will. You also run the risk that someone has done them harm in that 2/3yrs you haven’t had them. That’s why I bought a weanling, I was sick of having to work through other issues that were caused long before I got the horse.

There are horror stories and success stories with every method

Where have a i mentioned a youngstock herd and where have i suggested an unhandled 2/3 year old ? OP would be far better off getting a companion from a charity/rescue centre.

There are horror stories, yes as foals/weanlings/yearlings seem to seek out danger. so why add risk to an already risky situation

 

[sport horse]

I have seen two weanlings taken into unsuitable yards by owners who did not listen to any advice. Both were dead before they were three years old.

 

[Tiddlypom]

No We rent a field 10 miles away will concede its not livery but I do have one on livery with mine at any one time

Being able to manage your horses as you wish on your rented property is very different to having a weanling on a livery yard, especially one with a control freak YO who IIRC has created issues for the OP during the ownership of her mare.

My heart is sinking reading this thread. Lots of experienced people advising against the current plan, and giving very valid reasons why it may end very badly indeed for the weanling.

 

[Ellietotz]

I have seen two weanlings taken into unsuitable yards by owners who did not listen to any advice. Both were dead before they were three years old.

What would you deem as an unsuitable yard please? Aside from not having other youngsters in a herd.

 

[Ellietotz]

Being able to manage your horses as you wish on your rented property is very different to having a weanling on a livery yard, especially one with a control freak YO who IIRC has created issues for the OP during the ownership of her mare.

My fields themselves are rented independently and I share the yard with the YO, no one else.

 

[chaps89]

My YO has raised several foals, they all came straight back to the yard and put with one other after being stabled first and they've all turned out very independent and confident. No separation issues at all.

If I can find a way to suitably secure him in my field shelter so my mare can live around him for a few days to settle before letting him out with her, would this work?

Then I can see how things go with how he is when separated from her for short periods but I can take this very slowly and I will just leave her if needs be in the field until he is more settled.

I have asked the breeder if he can geld first for me too and I'll pay him or even just have me arrange it and the vet goes there instead. Problem is, no one has been able to check if he has dropped fully or not yet. So perhaps while he is in at mine, I can spend some time with him until he let's me check and I could get him done while he is still in before letting him out providing he is ready.

Does this sound okay? I can put him in when I take her out too in case but presumably, if he is watching her walk around the field grazing for a few days, she will be coming in and out of his range of sight anyway?

Playing devils advocate here, what are you going to do if they haven’t dropped and don’t for some time?

 

[stangs]

You’ve received lots of good advice from people so far. Just stopping to add that gelding can be quite stressful so should either be done while he’s at the breeder’s (it’s familiar territory) or after he’s well settled in at yours.

 

[exracehorse]

You’ve received lots of good advice from people so far. Just stopping to add that gelding can be quite stressful so should either be done while he’s at the breeder’s (it’s familiar territory) or after he’s well settled in at yours.

. My friend bought a colt few months ago. Was agreed he would be castrated. While at owner. She paid full amount plus vet fees to have the op. Unfortunately the owner didn’t look after him. He developed a massive infection. She now wishes she had bought him home and had the op done by our local vet. The insurance didn’t cover as it was a procedure done before and he ended up at horse hospital. Think bill is 7k. . That’s puss coming out.

 

[Polos Mum]

Please correct me if I have read incorrectly - but (gelding aside) I think your medium term plan is to leave the yearling / weanling on his own in a field / shut in a field shelter with a gate over the front - for short periods while you ride / exercise your mare.
There are plenty of adult horses who might struggle to settle with that - it's really too much of an ask for a weanling - unless you don't plan to ride for a couple of years.

Youngsters on their own / in a pair with an older horse can be OK (there is always and exception to prove the rule) but they could easily lack the manners taught to them by the herd (crowding the gate, barging people, biting (for titbits), defending hay, bullying your mare to distraction / injury, etc. etc.) If your mare is tolerant she will be climbed all over and chased about, if she is not tolerant then she will just chase a weanling out of the field. I saw what we thought was a docile mare put a filly through a metal (parkland type) fence when the filly just got too annoying on about the 3rd day. Poor filly had really really nasty injuries.

A charity companion is 100 times a better option for you and for the horse.

If you go ahead do check for 2 x balls before delivery - if they don't drop it's easily £500 - £1k for castration not the usual £300.

 

[Ellietotz]

Please can I just add that those of you that are saddened by the thread so far, I haven't made my decision to go ahead yet. I am trying to see if I can realistically make it work and appreciate all the advice given. Nothing is being written off or ignored. I just want to spout ideas and suggestions in case I can make it work.

He is such a lovely boy, always away from his mum and the herd exploring things on his own, you can't get near any of the others but he is so confident and independent. I knew him for 10 minutes before being able to touch his whole face and put a headcollar on bearing in mind they are all feral. In his current field, there was an empty cattle hay feeder, meters of some trailing rope type stuff, cuttings of corrugated steel buried into the ground, piles of logs, no shelter, deep mud and stock fencing and they're all now in a barn together with less than ideal gates and walls! He's the only boy amongst all of them as well.

Should he come to me, he will have large shelters in 2 acres of field, hay, large stables that can be used, running water, school, well draining ground etc. The fields can be split into 2 without using electric fence or anything to get tangled in. Very elderly geldings in the adjoining fields so I would say in comparison, it is a nicer place for him to be but I am very aware that I haven't done this with a foal before but my YO has and despite previous things, I do have support there if needed.

Thank you for all the kind advice so far.

 

[stangs]

If I was feeling very mischievous, I would say the logical conclusion would be to buy two foals minimum

 

[Sandstone1]

Could you have him inside for a few days next to your other horse? Then when they go out he will have already met her and will hopefully not go nuts when out? Im not sure what to suggest about gelding him as a colt and a mare is not a ideal combo? Can you have him done before he comes to you?

 

[TreeDog]

Playing devils advocate here, what are you going to do if they haven’t dropped and don’t for some time?

As I said before my colt wasn't ready to be castrated until he was about 2 years old. A 6 month old may not get a mare pregnant but a 2 year old definitely could. It's not just more expensive to have the more invasive op, I think it also has higher risk of complications.

Also worth mentioning when mine had his done he wouldn't eat his post op antibiotics and bute in food so I made them into a paste and syringed them into him like a wormer. It was unpleasant for him but he's well handled and I've spent time training him to accept wormer syringes. You also want to be able to cold hose the area and walk/ trot in hand at least twice daily for a week or two after to encourage fluid drainage from the wound. That's all a lot harder if they are unhandled, not the end of the world if you can't do it but again risks a higher likelihood of post castration problems.

You say he was quite tolerant to touch when you saw him, can you visit again and try check if his balls have dropped? Otherwise you may need to consider if they haven't and don't soon you might need to separate them or rehome him.

 

[AmyMay]

Good luck with whatever you decide x

 

[Ellietotz]

Please correct me if I have read incorrectly - but (gelding aside) I think your medium term plan is to leave the yearling / weanling on his own in a field / shut in a field shelter with a gate over the front - for short periods while you ride / exercise your mare.
There are plenty of adult horses who might struggle to settle with that - it's really too much of an ask for a weanling - unless you don't plan to ride for a couple of years.

Youngsters on their own / in a pair with an older horse can be OK (there is always and exception to prove the rule) but they could easily lack the manners taught to them by the herd (crowding the gate, barging people, biting (for titbits), defending hay, bullying your mare to distraction / injury, etc. etc.) If your mare is tolerant she will be climbed all over and chased about, if she is not tolerant then she will just chase a weanling out of the field. I saw what we thought was a docile mare put a filly through a metal (parkland type) fence when the filly just got too annoying on about the 3rd day. Poor filly had really really nasty injuries.

A charity companion is 100 times a better option for you and for the horse.

If you go ahead do check for 2 x balls before delivery - if they don't drop it's easily £500 - £1k for castration not the usual £300.

No, I've said that if he isn't happy about it, I won't take her anywhere out of sight or I can put him in with company whilst out. He will be surrounded by calm neighbours but I will work with whatever he is comfortable with. I would be making myself available to be there all day everyday when they are first in together to monitor the situation and if it doesn't work, it doesn't work. No one can tell until we try it.

The breeder will probably have got rid of the mums already so there won't be a chance to geld before weaning unfortunately.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Good luck with whatever you decide x

ditto.

 

[Ellietotz]

Could you have him inside for a few days next to your other horse? Then when they go out he will have already met her and will hopefully not go nuts when out? Im not sure what to suggest about gelding him as a colt and a mare is not a ideal combo? Can you have him done before he comes to you?

Yes, this can be an option too and I've asked about gelding with the breeder first.

 

[Ellietotz]

As I said before my colt wasn't ready to be castrated until he was about 2 years old. A 6 month old may not get a mare pregnant but a 2 year old definitely could. It's not just more expensive to have the more invasive op, I think it also has higher risk of complications.

Also worth mentioning when mine had his done he wouldn't eat his post op antibiotics and bute in food so I made them into a paste and syringed them into him like a wormer. It was unpleasant for him but he's well handled and I've spent time training him to accept wormer syringes. You also want to be able to cold hose the area and walk/ trot in hand at least twice daily for a week or two after to encourage fluid drainage from the wound. That's all a lot harder if they are unhandled, not the end of the world if you can't do it but again risks a higher likelihood of post castration problems.

You say he was quite tolerant to touch when you saw him, can you visit again and try check if his balls have dropped? Otherwise you may need to consider if they haven't and don't soon you might need to separate them or rehome him.

Unfortunately, I only got as far as getting him used to me touching his back. He is now in with the breeder being weaned. I will just ask him to be done first though, it would be much easier.

 

[ihatework]

Please can I just add that those of you that are saddened by the thread so far, I haven't made my decision to go ahead yet. I am trying to see if I can realistically make it work and appreciate all the advice given. Nothing is being written off or ignored. I just want to spout ideas and suggestions in case I can make it work.

He is such a lovely boy, always away from his mum and the herd exploring things on his own, you can't get near any of the others but he is so confident and independent. I knew him for 10 minutes before being able to touch his whole face and put a headcollar on bearing in mind they are all feral. In his current field, there was an empty cattle hay feeder, meters of some trailing rope type stuff, cuttings of corrugated steel buried into the ground, piles of logs, no shelter, deep mud and stock fencing and they're all now in a barn together with less than ideal gates and walls! He's the only boy amongst all of them as well.

Should he come to me, he will have large shelters in 2 acres of field, hay, large stables that can be used, running water, school, well draining ground etc. The fields can be split into 2 without using electric fence or anything to get tangled in. Very elderly geldings in the adjoining fields so I would say in comparison, it is a nicer place for him to be but I am very aware that I haven't done this with a foal before but my YO has and despite previous things, I do have support there if needed.

Thank you for all the kind advice so far.

In that case I’d also budget for a worm burden and lack of early nutrition. Were IGg done? What was the dams pre natal care like. Are the limbs correct/feet correctly balanced?
Anyone that raises foals in those conditions is unlikely to go the extra mile with the above.

That said, he does sound like a sweetheart, and for sure you are offering more than he currently has.

So yes, good luck if you go ahead. I’d still say something older would be the sensible way to go though

 

[Xmasha]

="Ellietotz, post: 14779329, member: 114884".

. In his current field, there was an empty cattle hay feeder, meters of some trailing rope type stuff, cuttings of corrugated steel buried into the ground, piles of logs, no shelter, deep mud and stock fencing and they're all now in a barn together with less than ideal gates and walls! He's the only boy amongst all of them as well.

It sounds like the equivalent of puppy farming (as opposed to buying from a breeder )

 

[[153312]]

Sounds like a situation that ought to be reported to welfare charities ?

 

[Ellietotz]

In that case I’d also budget for a worm burden and lack of early nutrition. Were IGg done? What was the dams pre natal care like. Are the limbs correct/feet correctly balanced?
Anyone that raises foals in those conditions is unlikely to go the extra mile with the above.

That said, he does sound like a sweetheart, and for sure you are offering more than he currently has.

So yes, good luck if you go ahead. I’d still say something older would be the sensible way to go though

Thank you.

Breeder is worming him too and doing his vaccinations. They come off the forest once born and that's it, totally unhandled and forest run. Happy to PM a picture but I think he looks well.

He is just lovely, so confident and curious. He had a little moment of nipping, I stepped back and told him no firmly but calm and he stopped. I showed him the headcollar and put it straight on, it's like he didn't even notice! He will be so easily trainable I think. It would be hard to let go but if it's for the best for him, that's fine.

 

[Ellietotz]

It sounds like the equivalent of puppy farming (as opposed to buying from a breeder )

Not condoning it but it's just his hay field. They're only in there temporarily. Not that it makes it right, no.

 

[Clodagh]

Will you be ok if he persecuted your mare? Even if he is gelded he is still going to want to play with her (or you) if that is the only option. Is she playful herself?
When I bred a foal he was turned out with mum, auntie and I bought a companion just for him, so they could torment each other.

 

[Ellietotz]

Will you be ok if he persecuted your mare? Even if he is gelded he is still going to want to play with her (or you) if that is the only option. Is she playful herself?
When I bred a foal he was turned out with mum, auntie and I bought a companion just for him, so they could torment each other.

Yes, she will run around having a play and will tolerate things for animals she likes! Again though, I don't know until it happens.