[QUOTE=JB;5995325]
So, however you keep the 2 of them from occupying the door space at the same time, do that…So there’s no adjoining stall? You can certainly put the foal’s feeder outside - will that work for inclement weather? Where can she wander off too that might cause trouble?..How was the herd with Queen? At 9 weeks, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to put them into the herd, but that’s something you’ll have to determine based on the dynamics.
Nothing so far would make me think there’s anything warranting weaning at even 3 months. Separate feeding arrangements sound like the only thing that needs work. Nothing else about what you’ve said is weaning-worthy. Even if the mare isn’t all that concerned where the foal is at all times, doesn’t mean that’s a reason to wean early :)[/QUOTE]
Well, Ivan the Turdinator is in the stall next to her mama, and it’s the only one that he can’t get out of, LOL. He knows how to get out of all the others. I can mount the foal feeder outside mama’s door and it will still be underneath the barn out of any kind of weather, and that aisle opens to the mini-paddock but not the bigger paddock or the main pasture, and other than Ivan’s head over his stall, she won’t come into contact with any other horses if I leave her to eat in the aisle. I guess she can’t wander off anywhere to get into trouble, but if she wanders off and won’t eat, she won’t be able to get back to her meal until the next feeding time because after they’ve eaten, I put both her and mama back into the bigger paddock.
I keep going back and forth on letting them out in the main pasture with our little herd. Ivan still has shoes, but he didn’t seem to want to pick on the baby when somebody managed to put a hole in the fence between the paddock and main pasture a couple of weeks ago (and of course mama, Aunt Venus, and little Queen all escaped; the hole was were the no climb had been spliced together). The one I’m worried about is my friend’s big Percheron mare who hates ponies. She lunged at Queen even while being led with a halter and lead rope a week or so ago when I was taking her from her stall out to the main pasture (Queen was already out in the paddock and looking on as I was walking the big mare out).
I managed to find a husband who randomly volunteers to help me muck poop and feeds ponies when I’m out of town? I am blessed :yes:
