Weaning - self-doubt...

[Old_Mac_Donald]

Sorry, to add here: If you are getting the impression that I am a complete nonce when it comes to breeding, you are quite correct. I do NOT consider myself a “competent handler of mares and youngstock” for the very reason that I have had no experience with it! I read a hell of a lot of online stuff and ask plenty of questions (and I do have an experienced trainer looking over my shoulder)… but there are so many opinions and variables that really, for the last seven months my head has been spinning.

Thank you ALL very much for your patience with me, I really, really appreciate it.

[JB]

When you can put mare and foal back together varies hugely, from a month, to never :lol:

Mine went back together 5 (?) months. Maybe 6 but I think 5. Any sooner and it wasn’t good from an environment perspective, ie still cool and wet and knowing that regardless of the trying to nurse issue, it would be 4 horses running around a wet pasture. A friend was able to put hers back after 2 months without an issue. I think the longer you can go before trying, the better

[Gayle_in_Oregon]

I am chiming in late but I am surprised at how many ‘cold turkey’ suggestions I am reading. I wean gradually at about 5-6 months. I put the foals in a pen with moms on both sides so the foals can eat some concentrate and keep them separate for an hour. Then twice a day, then 1 hours 2 time a day and so on till they just are next to mom but eating on their own. So, my foals are weaned gradually and without any emotional trauma. They have already been eating from a manger with mom so they are used to eating plenty. It works and its compassionate and there are no injuries or ‘freak outs’. The mares gradually dry up as they would in nature. One sneaky mare learned to stand really close so her foal could nurse through the panel…so I moved her one more pen away. But, they could still see each other and be calm and feel safe. I don’t like cold turkey. They are a family and I just let them wean over a 10 day period to avoid emotional trauma. It takes a little more time investment on my part but it seems worth it. My foals do not lose weight or condition and they get confidence in them selves.

[rodawn]

Different strokes for different folks, Gayle. There are many ideas on how to do it. Someone just needs to try something or other and decide what works best for them and their particular mares.

Old Mac - I tried my foals back in with their moms in mid-winter (February) which was 4 months after they were weaned. Nobody tried to suckle. Of course they recognize each other and nicker and snuffle, but babies were not checking out the udder, and nobody redeveloped a new bag. There is the odd mare that would be quite willing to let her 2-year-old “baby” nurse as happened to a friend of mine. All you can do is wait and see, try it, and if you suspect behaviour, separate them again for another couple months.

[Ticker]

Having an Aunty mare to babysit goes a long way to simplify everything…good job. I am never in a hurry to wean a single filly as they tend to be more dependent on their moms, unless there is some strong reason to do so.

By the time my single filly gets to 8/9 months, nursing is all but ended. I stable separately at night so nursing is limited to turnout time. I finally separate them by a fence for a few weeks during turnout and then they go backout together again.

I separate colts sooner as they tend to be more independent . They are, by design, intended to run in bachelor herds.
A filly, by design, may live her entire life with her mom, aunts and sisters, which is why I try to leave a filly with her dam as long as possible.

It sounds like you are doing a great job. Relieving moms bag with nursing a few times a day helps to reduce the chance of mastitis. If you decide to end nursing and mom is still uncomfortable, you can hand milk her a few times a day to help her out.

[RoundTheBend]

I really wouldn’t complicate / stress things by taking the nanny mare away at this point, do think that is rather unfair! Foal needs to have a permanent companion, ideally, for at least six months or so, none of this taking away/ putting back together all the time. I think she’s had enough life lessons for now with her mother being taken away.
I would keep the mother well away from the foal now and keep working the mum at a fair rate so that her milk doesn’t get too full.

[VirginiaBred]

I have to agree that sometimes a filly seems (and is) more dependent on their dam. I wean at six months; always by the signs and always cold turkey. I had two 2013 foals (colt & filly) and the colt was weaned at six months cold turkey (he was sold and left the same day he was weaned) so when my filly was six months old I put her with two Nanny types. She is very attached to one of them, but only when I take the babysitter away. When I take the filly away to learn and do other things, she is completely fine.

Silly filly. :sigh:

[M_O_Connor]

Obviously there is not a single “right way” to go about weaning, any more than there is a single right way to to many other things with horses.

It depends on your barn setup, what’s convenient, and what’s sensible. Horses are adaptable, otherwise we wouldn’t be able to train them, and that starts very young. Six of one, half dozen of another if different plans meet the same goal.

It’s worth noting that they will also happily adapt to being catered to at every turn, which can get out of hand when an owner isn’t comfortable drawing a line.

So do what makes sense for you, within reason.

[everafterfarm]

I also do it gradually. There is simply no safe way IMO, for me to do it any other way with my particular set up. I only have 10 acres and the way it’s set up, there is no way for me to get them out of sight from each other. I start with the stall, I use a double, so I put back in half the wall high enough baby won’t be inclined to try and jump it, but can still see, touch mom. With turn out, baby is left with babysitter it’s familiar with, and mom is put in next pasture, it might be 10 mins the first time, or it might be forever. I ALWAYS let the behavior of the horses dictate how fast or slow I go. I have never had any injuries, or much stress for that matter so far. My one rule I do have is once baby spends the whole night away from mom in turnout, they never get back together. Of course later they may end up together again, but for weaning, no.

I agree with others who say you have to do what is best for your situation and set up. I see pros and cons with both gradual and cold turkey, it’s up to you to decide what best fits your horses.