Hi I am looking to get a orphan foal, weanling, or yearling from the kill pen. I am not sure whether they would need another horse of the same age to keep them company. It would have some older horses and possibly a broodmare. Have any of you guys been through a similar situation? Can anybody give me any suggestions? Thanks!:):)
An older horse who is known to be good with youngsters, a pony or a weanling/ yearling are all suitable company.
Some broodmares are not fond of foals to their own…
Ok is this a duplicate of another’s thread?
answer is “it depends”
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I missed the excitement of the previous thread, so I hope it’s replayed in this one.
also, aren’t you banned, OP?
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Ya I was curious about the original thread seems like it was a hum dingah
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I responded on your other thread and I’ll respond again here. Young horses absolutely require safe, suitable companions. This is not necessarily easy. A horse that you “guess” might be friendly could, in a matter of seconds, easily deliver a lethal kick to a foal, weanling, or yearling. Many broodmares can be aggressive with an unknown youngster.
Taking on a young horse that you aren’t prepared for could easily end in tragedy and heartbreak. I understand that the idea of rescuing and raising your own baby horse has a profound magical appeal to a 12 year old person who loves horses. However, the reality is very different. Young horses that have been orphaned or raised without proper care and handling can be very expensive and difficult to raise and train. The horse will be the one that pays for your youthful mistakes. This is a situation where knowing and respecting your own limitations is the path of greater valor.
Could you consider working at a local rescue to both gain experience and also keep an eye out for a more suitable animal that is a little older and would be easier to care for?
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(I’ll give her a chance. Kids should get a chance to learn from mistakes. Maybe she’ll be polite).
OP, if you add up the experience of some of these posters, you’re talking hundreds of years of working with horses. They can help you.
Broodmare would be good, if the baby is not weaned. Another yearling would be good, if the baby is older than weaning age. Buying two babies would be a very bad idea.
First of all, please get someone experienced to go with you to the auction, and listen to them. I don’t mean someone who is trying to take your money for training or someone who can barely support their own horses. I mean a successful horse professional. Make sure your parents are fully supporting this endeavor. Best of luck to you.
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You do realize that the moderator can look at your IP address and ban you again?
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Did you not get enough info about this on your other thread before you were banned?
You might enjoy spending your after-school time at the arcade (might I suggest the game Whack-a-mole?) instead of posting on an internet forum full of pragmatic adult equestrians (and heaven knows who else lurking) about an ill-conceived plan to raise an orphan foal.
If you’re back with an earnest interest in advice on this, read @BeeHoney’s gentle post above a few times until their wisdom really sinks in.
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Thanks sis
I do work at a place that is basically a rescue. Not legally but like you know, it’s a lesson barn that all of its animals have been rescued minus boarders
I know bro I’m not like stupid
So why on earth start another thread? Let me back up, why ask this question if you know? And is this situation before or after you fence it in next to your pool?
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Sounds like a low end lesson barn.
I really don’t think given the context you need to be taking on an orphan foal. If the adults in your life are supporting this idea then that is a red flag that you are not in the presence of quality trainers
Get yourself a sound broke adult horse.
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I agree that it sounds like a low end lesson barn, but I suspect the adults in this kid’s life aren’t onboard with the orphan foal fantasy.
Why come back to sass strangers who’ve explained, patiently, multiple times why some of these ideas about saving poor foals are unrealistic if you’ve got a “trainer” in your corner thinking, “what this young kid needs is a couple hundred pounds of untrained, poorly socialized babyhorse all alone in her backyard between the treehouse and the pool”?
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Seems to me that a 12yr old wants to game the Moderator.
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It would just be for quarantine hun and I was just wondering if it would be a viable option because I had gotten mixed opinions
There were no mixed opinions from the people here. Hun.
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Well, I missed the first thread, so have no idea what happened.
Does a weanling NEED a same age buddy? Of course not.
Do they need a buddy/nanny? Yes, definitely. What do you have as options?
I guess my question is why do you want an orphan foal or weanling from a kill pen? Unless you’re a skilled trainer, that is a huge undertaking with so many ways for it to go badly. Without the right handling and training, you are just raising an unhandled/poorly handled horse that everyone will hate, and the potential to be returned to the kill pen is high.
If you’re not a skilled trainer - how much are you willing to pay for training? Bringing up a baby is a long-term and expensive prospect. It’s usually cheaper to buy a trained horse than to pay for the training. That’s why most breeders/trainers aren’t rich.
Personally, you couldn’t pay me to take either. My OTTB broodmare “rescue” came to my farm with a colt at her side, and another broodmare and foal as part of the temporary package until they could be weaned (a matter of weeks but felt like forever). They were cute for about 2 weeks. After that, the colt was big, ornery, and willing to kick, bite and rear when he was playing, annoyed, or getting scolded. 500+lbs of two year old tantrums? No thanks. I was so glad when they left. Someone with time, money and a death wish could take that little bastard.
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Sorta sounds like the OP…
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