ADVICE NEEDED: What to do if a foal has no "herd" to play with

[Didi]

Hi, All! I have been a loyal reader of this forum since even before I bred my mare, so I really respect the opinions of those of you who post or reply here. I would love any tips and tricks you may have for my situation.

I have been a long time customer at a local A and AA hunter show barn. I sold my horse a couple of years ago and decided that I would like to have an experience I never have - raising a foal. The owner of the barn has a lovely TB/Hanoverian (Rio Grande) mare that she bred three years ago. She agreed to loan her to me for expenses paid to breed (she has known me for a long time - I have ridden for over 40 (gulp) years). After a lot of shopping (and Chronicle forums reading), I chose Crown Affair as my baby daddy. This foal is going to be my forever horse and I don’t intend so sell, so no ability to register was not a concern. The experience with the breeder was excellent and things went smoothly. The mare is due in April and I am beyond thrilled.

ANYWAY, since this is not a “breeding” facility, the foal will not have any other youngsters around. I am very loyal to the barn owner and she needs the income from my boarding the foal (which will mainly be pasture board for his first few years as I feel that is very important). I don’t want to sent it elsewhere because of that and because she has a very experienced groom and trainer who love the young ones. Is there any “substitute” for the foal not having young herd mates? Any advice is welcomed. Did I mention I am over the moon excited??

[secuono]

Should live with the mom for sure. Is mom in a herd? Even adults can help teach it and some will even play with them. You can go out there and play with the foal in a way that is fun for it and also teaches.
Know anyone else with foals? Maybe they’d be willing to do playdates?

[Didi]

Mom will be there but she is not in a herd. Unfortunately, the barn is populated with expensive, privately owned show horses and each horse has its own paddock to minimize the chance of injury through horse play (tee hee). There is an older, retired gelding (24 yrs old) that gets turned out with mom half the day, but I am a little worried that he is so bound to her he might hurt the baby. I can check around for play dates, but I don’t know of any off hand. Thanks for your suggestions!

[Aven]

I know its more $$ but can you pick up (foster a youngster for a rescue?) something small and good tempered to be a friend to your foal?

I have oft bred once horse at a time so my foals don’t always have same aged friends and its ok. But they do need other horses to learn manners and how to horse. (funny story about an orphan I raised, she didn’t think she was people, she thought she was a baby barn. She nuzzled and nickered at stall walls … it was weird. Took her a while when she started living with other horses to realize she was not a strange barn but a lovely horse.)

[Ticker]

Once the foal starts approaching weaning time you could introduce the 24 year old gelding you mentioned. I find older geldings make great baby sitters…I call them “horse anchors” as the old ones calmly munch hay the youngsters run around them in a big circle like they are tethered by some invisible line!

[Riverotter]

I would see about fostering or even rescuing a youngster. There are always weanlings out there with a hard luck story that could use 6 months of good care to get them on their way to a bright future. Good karma and good for your baby.

[horsechick]

Agree with Ticker…when my colt was 5 months I reintroduced my husbands Haflinger to mom and baby (Mom and gelding had been out together before) and after a couple nasty mare faces at the gelding, they all settled in happily. Now that he’s weaned, it’s just baby and Doc and they do ok https://scontent-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/10271524_10152809411209487_2978831985972913642_n.jpg?oh=8c2081e66b4e78abe7f42e626e01a5d1&oe=550B281A

[Didi]

Thank you all for responding. There are several noteworthy ideas here. Thanks, also, for the pic, horsechick zoo cute! Any additional suggestions? Thanks, all

[RTF]

I agree with aged geldings if they are mild mannered. I have stuck a few youngsters out with my old pony gelding over the years with good luck!

[arlosmine]

A few thoughts from some one who has raised many young horses, and seen some come from a situation like you describe:

A young horse aimed at being a sport horse not only needs to play hard with a buddy, they need LOTS of space to do so. Paddock raised babies are at a huge disadvantage on many levels. They miss out on developmental “triggers” for a strongly developed body, and the constant hard turning when confronted with a fence isnt how a young horse is meant to play and live. IMO, a two acre field with two weanlings would be a bare minimum.

While I understand your reasoning behind wanting to keep him where he will be born, I think you should research what is really best for the foal, up to two years old. I gaurentee you that if you ask about the origins of the nicest, well adjusted, athletic horses you know, you will fins that none of them were an pnly child raised in a boarding barn.

Do your baby a favor and give him the gift of some time in a large field with other weanlings. Wean him and get him in a herd at a breeder’s or foal raising facility. If you must, bring him back to the boarding barn the next summer.
I personally look for prospects who have been out on large acreage as youngsters, and would pass on one raised as a single foal in a boarding facility.

A year spent with the baby out living like a horse will pass like very quickly, and you will get a better horse because of it

[DawnJL]

Ditto what arlosmine said except I prefer to raise youngsters with at least one adult auntie or uncle as well as a same/similar age companion. The adults instill manners that playmates just don’t. I am fortunate to be able to raise my youngsters on large fields in well socialized mixed age groups.

[RanchoAdobe]

What arlosmine said. If you want strong mind and body leave them on big acreage with a herd until at least two- it will be the best thing you can do for him or her. Congrats on your baby! Enjoy the experience.

[NoDQhere]

Research is showing that stall raising babies is not a good idea for long term health and soundness. Find a place where baby can be raised outside, in a companionable herd, and learn to be a horse.

[Personal_Champ]

I have an only foal right now - he is out with mom, a standard donk and a mini donk in a 3 acre field. The standard donk is his BFF and they play all the time.

Maybe look for a different species as a possible playmate, too.

[Didi]

Thank you all so much for the food for thought. I do know of a place that specializes in raising weanlings for the first year or so. I guess I don’t want to hurt the barn owners feelings/pocketbook and I don’t want to “miss out” on seeing the baby grow. I do understand that the baby is the first priority, though. Look like I have a lot of pondering to do!!

[exvet]

I too only had one foal this year. I just weaned him at 8 months of age. He is out with an older gelding. Prior to that his dam and he were turned out with neighboring horses across the fence. My little guy is getting his ‘horse manners’ from his uncle. He also plays A LOT through the fence with his sire who shares a common fence with their respective turnouts. I live on small acreage so this guy and his uncle are turned out on a little over an acre. He gets plenty of room to run and scream around without concern for sharp turns, quick stops or the rest that have been described. I usually only have 1-2 foals every other year and so far all have grown up healthy, sound of mind and body and with tons of bone. While I long for my acreage of endless pasture of years ago, some of us have to make due with what we have. In the desert we have dry lots but mine are of ample size for exercise. My guys end up with great feet too because of the terrain.

[Scaramouch]

If you want to “give” the BO money, it makes much more sense to pay a lease fee for the mare (over and above expenses) than it does to pay to board the foal at a show barn…

[Corbyville283]

I have often thought that I’d like to develop a horse weanling to two year old boarding stable. We have 30 acres of pasture divided into 4 fields. None of the fields are flat. Rolling - actually very hilly and would be perfect for teaching youngsters balance and brakes. Perfect way to develop agile youngsters. I’d teach them ground manners and they’d be handled daily but they’d be out in a bunch and just allowed to be horses.

[horsechick]

Corby…Allie Armento at Worth a Shot offers exactly that in NC, and always has a waiting list! If you can do it, I’m sure you would have more than enough interest

[arlosmine]

It’s very kind of you to be thinking of the BO…however, if you make the well-being of your new youngster the priority, finding an established “young-horse friendly” place is your best bet for the long term. You are very lucky to have access to a young horse facility, and I hope you take advantage of it.

It’s hard sometimes, to put the horse before our personal desired to do well by other people…and before our own emotional desires. But that’s what good horse owners do.