We have the grain bins in our foaling stalls very high - that way the foals aren’t creep eating it and we can make sure the mares that are nursing have access to adequate grain. By the time to foals are getting into those feed tubs at 5-6 months the mares are still holding weight and we can then move the foals to a stall next to them to start the weaning process.
I agree with Seigi - if you spend the money on owning mares, breeding them and producing good foals that you want to mature to good riding horses - you need to accept the fact that decisions have to be made that benefit the foals early nutrition and growth. It’s a critical time in their maturation process.
I like to leave my foals on for a full six months, but my one mare produces a lot of milk and her foals tend to grow very fast - forcing us to wean her foals at 4 months. The weaning is very uneventful - her last filly didn’t even seem to care when we separated them and the mare just seemed relieved. We wean by leaving the foal with the herd and removing the mare - this works well for us - mare’s don’t seem to mind and the foals are left with older horses they are familiar with.
Hi thanks for all of the good advise the reason to wean is medical and it is about the foal. The mare is fine the foal is very healthy (ish) but has an issue that no matter what I try isn’t going away BTW it is sloppy poop up to very fluid all within the same day & believe me I have tried every thing (well almost). Note foal is presenting very healthy with a gleaming coat under the foal coat and fat and I speak to my vet way too often. Personally I don’t like the idea of early weaning any more than anyone else and the foal isn’t weaned yet so it will be older than 3 months when it is. I just am not sure in the long term interest of the foal that I can leave her on her mother until 4 months as I am seriously worried about ulcers. So the next step is fecal count and calorie control i.e. weaning. I actually posted this at 2.30am due to worry so thanks again for your help. Right now I’m not sure I will ever breed another horse they can be such a ##**.
Edit I’ve also had the mare that did poorly no matter what you fed … the foal was like a tick and fat like one when weaned.
Cheers
Milk is too rich??
I have heard it stated before on this BB that such and such foal had to be weaned early as the mare’s milk was “too rich” but I have never actually known of anyone who had to wean due to milk being too rich?
It was my understanding that the mare’s milk decreases substantially in nutritional value after a few months.
And, while I am not someone who will always cry “nature knows best”…does it really make sense that the natural mother of an animal would produce milk that is not appropriate for the healthy and normal development of that animal?
I am not trying to criticize those who state this, I am just very confused about this and feel it doesn’t, on the face of it, make sense.
For the record, I have weaned at 4 months, 5 months and 6 months and am now a fan of 6 months.
edited to add:
ok, I do remember someone who had to limit the amount of time their foal was able to nurse as he was an orphan and the nurse mare was a Belgian. She was apparently a walking dairy bar and colt was happy to consume all that she produced! However, that is a “quantity” issue due to a Belgian nursing a TB colt. I am still really confused as to how a mare could produce milk that is “too rich”
Hi Mozart it happens and is noted in happening in TBs but is probably not limited to just TBs.
Several years ago, my vet did recommend weaning a foal early (2 months) due to the mare’s milk being too rich, too much and the colt was growing too fast, to the point of being considered dangerous for his long term development, joints and health. The weaning went fine, the colt had other babies and mares to grow up with, neither dam nor colt had psychological issues and the colt matured into a wonderfully developed, HUGE, healthy boy!
I do have mares that produce too much milk, (and sometimes too rich) which the babies willingly consume in massive quantities (much, much more than they need!) which, at times, has resulted in very serious diarrhea and gastro-issues…muzzles for the babies for x-number of times/hours per day, adjusting the mares hard feed intake, etc., has helped tremendously. But…sometimes, early weaning is in order… I trust my vet implicitly, and rarely hesitate when he makes a recommendation…
Normally though, my foals are weaned at 4-6 months, with variations in that time frame as needed on an individual basis.
Thanks darkhorse.
Hi update the foal is now weaned and her poop is at 95% with no more diarrhea.
The weaning went well as it was done gradually first in paddocks next to each other (the foal still drank a bit), then paddocks not in touching distance but could still see each other and finally the mare was moved so that they could see each other approx 300 meters distance. There was only really 1/2 a day of mild stress in the whole thing which was really good.
Please note to any one that may read this. The foal was always healthy, growing and on the fat side. It never presented sick apart from the diarrhea and I was always consulting with a vet and tried a number of options before I weaned the foal.
Lolita - glad to hear everything has gone well. I find it very stressful at weaning time, and you have my complete sympathy.
I have a Cabardino filly who was weaned at 3 months due to the breeder selling the mare and she has had the worst health and skin. She lost a ton of weight, she’s hideous to look at, she’s too short - I am just hoping she will jump well when she is older.
I don’t suggest earlier than 4 months, my foals stay with their moms until 6 months if possible.
If I had a choice the foal would have stayed on her mother very sad to hear about sad situations of early weaning but then again the people that made these choices may have had good reason like me.
MyFancyHunterPony have you ever tried herbs on your horse? I have seen them work wonders especially on skin and ill health.
Cheers
