When do weanlings NOT want to jump out of the stable??

[RuthnMeg]

AS title!
Iam coping fine, Penny is great. Just this issue. She is baracaded in, but can see through the mesh. She adores human company, almost too much. When we walk away from her, she walks towards the gate on her hind legs and tries (she can't complete her task) to put her front feet on/through the mesh grill. Once we have gone, she settles better. She has intersting things to watch, people are always walking past, dogs and vehicals. I just want to know when you know its safe to take down the mesh and she will stay put! It won't happen for a while, I realise that. But, for all of you who have access to tradition stables with a top door, you close the top door to keep them in, then you open it and expect them to stay??
Iam also not sure of when to turn her out with Juno. I won't introduce Meg into the equation just yet. I originally thought of keeping Penny in a week, so the 'want to suckle sensation' has vanished, and we can get to know each other. She is so good, but clearly wants us/company, and before the human/foal bond gets too strong and she does need to go out and play with her own kind!!
I walk her twice a day to give her grass... she leads well and I can pick up all feet (slightly flappy with off hind, but managable). She has walked past large tractors and silage wagons, a JCB and we even herded loose cows today (she thought they were ponies!!)
If I turn her out, will it be cruel to catch her and teach her to lead away from Juno?

Oh, I don't know ... confusion strikes!!!
Appriciate help if you can help.

 

[nikkiportia]

We wean ours in the paddock with other foals rather than shutting them in a stable, so I can't comment on when to turn her out etc.
But as far as her trying to get out of the stable, leave the mesh up as long as you need, it is far safer. We close the top doors over on ours if they have to come into a stable for farrier or something.
She sounds upset because she wants a friend, foals need more than just human company, and ideally needs to be out in a paddock with another weanling/horse. Once weaned, our TB's live out all winter unrugged in groups of about 5-6. They are much happier that way.
But I don't know what your situation is, so I would suggest that you get her a mirror if you must keep her shut in alone

 

[Alexart]

Have you got another weanling to keep her company as she will need a buddy for security? We've always weaned in pairs minimum depending on the size of stable, and if no other weanling is available we use an older youngster or quiet horse. We shut the top stable door on ours for a good 3 days sometimes 4 after weaning then we gradually leave it open for longer periods of time only when we are about just so we can keep an eye on them and keep it shut at night so they can't get into trouble!
After 5 days or so when they are totally chilled out they go out into a small paddock during the day to play etc with their buddies in a bigger group gives them a chance to learn about being caught and brought in nicely from the field.
After a few weeks of out during the day and in at night we move them to a paddock with a barn for shelter and they can go in and out as they please - they've usually forgotten about mummy by then and have got the whole idea of being caught and handled etc and don't associate stables as stressful places.

If we've had to stable them over winter at night - colts for example, then we do it in pairs for the first winter as they are still babies and need security etc enough to feel safe to sleep lying down as they do spend alot of time sleeping! Their second winter we do it on their own but so they can touch their buddies etc through the grills between stables - they get the idea very quickly and we've never had any of them stress out at being on their own even when the others are taken away they stay calm and carry on eating.
I'd buddy up your girl and you'll find she will calm down very quickly and you can start leaving the grill off the stable - as she'll be too busy eating!!

 

[Echo Bravo]

I've have always put mare and foal next to each other, when weaning, but I have grills between so that they could see and sniff each other and turned out mare where the foal could see her, but put up a pole so if they tried to jump out of stable they couldn't a bit stressful the first week, but then they get in to routine, wait till mares milk dries up before you put back together. hope that is of some use.

 

[mystiandsunny]

The one on our yard stayed put in the field (leccy fence), and mum went elsewhere. So the foal was left in the field with my two girls, who she'd known for a few weeks. She stressed for a few hours, then settled and attached herself to them. A few days later, she was happy to stay in the field on her own if they came in for work without her.