your weaning experiences

[lizlew]

Hi, sorry new to all this! just wondering what experiences people have had with weaning? what age they did it, how they did it, as i am aware of many different methods and how mare and foal reacted? Have just brought my first foal not yet weaned, want to do the best for her so would love to hear any experiences good and bad!
Ta very much!!!!

 

[Reashi]

We weaned Afro in probably a way everyone will tell you not to! I can't remember how old she was, but we just kind of bundled her into a trailer (she was completely unhandled as her mother was pretty wild so you couldn't get near either of them), took her to her new home, kept her in a stable for a few days to get used to humans, and then put her in the field with our two (mare and gelding). The harsh weaning hasn't seemed to affect her at all, she absolutely ADORES humans, is fine with other horses, and at the lovely age of 3 and a half is back in a field with her original herd including her mother!

 

[zarney]

unless you are not really bothered let it happen naturally my sister has bred a few horses and she allows them to get on with it them selves, all her youngsters have been brilliant. no issues or problems

 

[AmyMay]

My mare is in foal - and all being well etc. we will have a healthy foal next year.

My plan is to let her wean the foal naturally - only because she will probably not ever be ridden again, so there's no rush.

However, I think general rule of thumb is out of sight and earshot. Plenty on here with years of breeding experience though - so hopefully they'll have a look and reply.

 

[Tia]

I have never interfered with the weaning process - all of mine were weaned naturally with good results. It all depends on your situation though - if the mare has been re-bred then you would want to wean, if the foal is to be sold then you would have to but if the foal and mother are going to remain together then natural weaning is perfect in my opinion.

The mares I have had remain in gentle work and the foals get used to Mummy leaving them for periods of time. Eventually the mare kicks the foal off and the foal in turn isn't craving for it's milk-time.

I've always found that the foals are very well balanced and don't fret - everything is taken in it's own time. Any way of weaning is fine so long as it is well thought through and not done in a harsh manner.

 

[lizlew]

I dont own the mare so she is gonna have to be weaned at a suitable age, they want to get the mare back into work very soon, so have to find the least stressful method of weaning ( if thats poss) !!!

 

[Tia]

Then start taking the mare away from the foal for very short periods of time, gradually getting a minute or two longer each day. You must make sure that the foal is safe though - he needs to have good friends around him or be securely placed in a stable where he can't injure himself.

I initially take the mare to an area and gently work her where the foal can see her and she is still close to him. Once he pays no attention to this then I take her out of eyesight and then gradually you can take her away for periods of time and he shouldn't even notice she has gone.

The time-frames I am talking about is initially only a minute or two to start with. After a week or two you should be up to half an hour and then after that it usually goes without a gliche and the mare can be away for periods of an hour.

 

[Happytohack]

In this month's Horse & Rider, there is a letter about weaning and a good reply by Jane Van Lennep (she is Simple System Feeds). Well worth a read.
I was left with an orphan foal to hand-rear. Luckily our old gelding adopted her and we "weaned" her at 7.5 months off mares milk replacer and being in a split stable apart from him at night.