when can foals live out 24/7? Also.. small paddock question...

[TSHEventing]

Pending they have a place to be brought in to if the weather gets really nasty …

but otherwise, when would it be considered safe for a mare and foal to go back living out 24/7 on pasture (with approp. shelter)?

I have a 1 acre grassed field (seeded this winter!) here in Florida and am planning on taking my mare and her foal across our .5 acre field daily for turnout in the grassed field. My problem is that this .5 acre field I would like to be able to turn the remaining horses I have out in as well as soon as possible, but since my stall is right in the middle of this field, I don’t want them pestering her and her foal, so I want to exclude them from the field until her and her foal are out full time.

The small paddock question: I was going to build a small run out turnout attached to the aforementioned stall, it would be about 20 x 50… which is what the vet who foaled her out last time had…but is this really necessary? after a day or so, can I just turn out the new foal and mother (pending good weather and good health) in a nice grassed field alone?

Thanks!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Well you will think I’m terrible…

My foal has lived outside her entire life. Since weaning she is with one (sometimes 2) other foals. She is naked…through blizzards and freezing rain. It is below zero at night. She has a very nice, deep, shelter to go into, heated auto-waterer, but that doesn’t = barn.

She is in good weight and hairy and has no issues. She also has hay 24-7 and grain 2x a day.

I don’t really have another option, but it hasn’t been an issue. The BO has been raising foals here in this weather for years without a problem. And we’ve had some NASTY blizzards.

If it was truly dire or sustained bad weather we can bring them into the indoor, but haven’t yet.

I kid you not, they choose to stand outside when it is snowing.

[coloredcowhorse]

Why not turn the other horses out into the newly seeded field (larger area) and leave mom and foal where they can go in/out of the stall at will? You don’t mention how many or what gender the other horses are…can they not run with the mare and foal? My mares run together and the mares generally foal out in the field and are part of the herd from the beginning. I don’t breed for early foals now…earliest ones this year will be mid to late March so while chilly at night it will be nice during the days.

[goodpony]

baring any unusual situations or weather issues I usually begin turning mine out at about two-three days for short periods-few hours at a time till they are up to all day turn out and in for the evenings. When they are about three weeks and the weather is decent they start going out full time (24/7) with access to a pasture shelter. Mine generally live out full time in small groups (two or three mare and foal pairs) up to and after weaning—through their first winter and beyond…obviously moms and foals are separated at weaning time leaving the babies behind in familiar territory and often with a nanny role model or older sibling they are familiar with.

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

Just so you don’t think I’m evil

Oh if we are talking about next year, I should clarify that my foal, referenced before, was born mid-May and the weather was very nice. So she is 7 mos old now in the “winter” weather.

She and her dam had a stall at night for a good week when she was born. Then they had their own run in (the size of a small barn!–converted machine shed) for her first 3 months–also very nice time of year.

My biggest concern when she was born was bugs, lightening and tornados…ugh

[Almost_Heaven]

Goodpony gives good advice, that works well. We sometimes bring ours in at night to give them practice handling.

Once they’re weaned, they’re out 24/7 (with run-ins) and they prefer it. I actually have to fight them to bring into the barn. Unless I put the hay in the run-in, they love accumulating 3+inches of snow on them.

They look like big furry caterpillars!

[TSHEventing]

Thanks Guys!!

If I turn the others (3 geldings) out on the field they will destroy it (destroy the grass) so I have to be able to rotate them between the other fields.

[Waterwitch]

Mine are out 24-7 by the time they are 2 weeks old. I do have a private paddock in which my foaling shed is situated. I like having that smaller space for first turnouts. Also it has been resurfaced so that it stays dry in bad weather, which is nice.

[acottongim]

We have a similar set up I think… and I’m in NW FL so similar weather.

I typically turn my foals/mares out for a bit (maybe an hour or two) for the first day (weather permitting) the day that they are born (after vet check). From there on I turn out a little more and generally within a week they are out as much as possible. I turn mare/foal out alone for the first month or so just because my mares are pretty teritorial over their foals but when the mare tells me it is ok to go out with her friends I put them out together again (generally about a month into it all).

I turn out at night when I’m comfortable with doing so (but almost always it is by the time they are a few weeks old) and it varies from mare to mare (the older more experienced broodies is sooner than the newer ones) and it also depends on the foal - a foal that was compromised at birth might need to wait a bit before being out so much (also if it had contracted tendons etc). Ditto for leaving out when I’m not home… it all just depends.

As for the run - I would love to have something like that for my mom/baby to go out at will in, but not if there were other horses around bothering her… I know that in my stalls I frequently have to put up sheets etc to block the sight of another horse looking at the baby - the mares get pretty fired up and might accidently step on or kick the foal trying to protect it from the other equine…

[Timex]

I ride for a breeder that doesn’t have a barn at all. Each paddock has a run in that can be closed, making a stall, but that rarely happens. So her babies are living out from day 1. And none of them are any worse off for it. Granted, her mares generally foal in April or May, so the weather is pretty decent, but still… The mare I have due to foal mid-March will only be in long enough to foal and ensure the foal’s health, then they will go out into one of my small (50’ x 60’) quarantine pens to live (health and weather permitting) since the mare is such a miserable wretch when she’s kept in for any length of time.

[SAcres]

A friend of mine has a farm with 5-6 broodmares. They stay out 24/7 on 12 acres. They foal outside and stay outside. Her babies look great and have wonderful temperments. She’s had mares foal in March and hasn’t had any problems. The mares have access to several large shelter and I think she beds them with straw during foaling season.

[Merle]

have my weanling and another mare outside together 24/7 with a run-in shed. They love it. The weanling will wander out of the run-in, wander back in when she wants to. She is very hairy and I love the description a poster above said - she is a big furry caterpillar!

Here are some pictures of her from this weekend just to show how cute and furry she is. She has icicles on her butt. They finally melted yesterday when she spent time standing out in the sun. My husband thinks I am crazy for wanting pics of her like this since he thinks she looks like a donkey (vs. how sleek she was this summer).

[Indy-lou]

The majority of horses, young and mature (but not senior citizens of advanced age) will do just fine with a run-in type shelter most of the year. But, you should take into account and assess for yourself that there are some horses that will not feel well in extreme cold temps, and if you are paying attention, some horses will be shivering, while others are feeling fine in the same conditions. Some horses have thick coats and others do not. You should not assume that all horses will be comfortable in all types of extreme weather. Some horses will greatly appreciate a blanket or being brought into the barn when the weather produces wet horses with extreme cold temps and worst of all, wind added to the equation. Weather should be seen as another stressor, and caregivers should be alert to intervening when necessary. As in most cases, sweeping generalities miss the mark a certain percentage of the time.

[mlcoursin]

[QUOTE=TrotTrotPumpkn;5314993]
My foal has lived outside her entire life. Since weaning she is with one (sometimes 2) other foals. She is naked…through blizzards and freezing rain. It is below zero at night. She has a very nice, deep, shelter to go into, heated auto-waterer, but that doesn’t = barn.

She is in good weight and hairy and has no issues. She also has hay 24-7 and grain 2x a day.

I don’t really have another option, but it hasn’t been an issue. The BO has been raising foals here in this weather for years without a problem. And we’ve had some NASTY blizzards.

If it was truly dire or sustained bad weather we can bring them into the indoor, but haven’t yet.

I kid you not, they choose to stand outside when it is snowing.[/QUOTE]

My boy is out 24/7 too. He way prefers it to being stabled. He’s not blanketed either and has a lot of wooliness all over him. Now, they have a deep run in for anytime they want to get out of the weather, but they have a good time being out and being rowdy boys (he’s in a herd of all boys).

ETA: And he’s been on 24/7 turnout since he was a weanling.

[acottongim]

Everyone keeps commenting on the cold (time of the year I guess), but the OP is in FL - and while it IS very cold this year, depending on when the foal will be born and starting out it may be when it is HOT. Just for the OP’s edification, the heat is just as bad as the cold. Foals can and do over heat so you should watch this as well. The first month I watch my foals very carefully for temps either direction and if it is hot I put them under the fans.

Really the things that keep my foals from being out 24/7 after the first few days is 1) the weather and 2) if there are any health or leg/strength issues. Otherwise, trust me, I’d prefer them to be out!

[Equine_Reproduction]

If there are no issues with the foaling and baby and mom are healthy with no post foaling problems, mom and baby go out day one and live out 24/7. We have run in sheds or shelters in the pastures for them, but unless there is some really radical weather, they stay out. Stalls, no matter how well you disinfect and clean, are bacteria farms :). Sunshine and fresh air are absolutely the best disinfectants!

More and more research is coming back that foals should be out where they can exercise and develop. Living in a stall or a small run is not natural and definitely not healthy for growing bones and bodies.

Good luck with your foalings!

[Home_Again_Farm]

As Anissa points out, here in FL it is the heat that is most dangerous to new born foals. You don’t say when this foal is due or how much shade you have in your pasture. That would be important in deciding a turn out schedule. Also, you have more horses on your acreage than is optimum in FL. You will be doing a balancing act between enough turn out time and the horses eating your paddocks down to no grass.

[alliekat]

Our foals are out 24/7 from the start. (barring any medical reason). In fact we have built a small paddock that we bring the mares up to foal out. They will stay there for the first few days. Then we will take them down to their larger field for turnout for a few hours a day. That way the other horses in the ad jointing pasture can see our new bundle of joy and mom can see her friends. If all goes well we will increase their amount of time in the bigger field each day until they are there 24/7. Usually in time to free up the smaller paddock for the next mare. Once she foals we will repeat the process turning her out in the field with the other mares and foals until they no longer need to come up to the small paddock.
I do bring mine up to the barn to hang out in their stalls just so they are used to it but this years filly has never stayed over night in it.(at her inspection was her first time staying over night in a stall)
While we are in NC now we were in Fl. prior. We followed the same protocol. One thing we did for our mares and foals in Fl (though we do it here too) is to set up a water mister system. They loved it. Might be one of the reasons why my foals are so easy for their baths too.
I agree each horse is different and if you keep an eye on them you will be able to tell who is handling the heat/cold and who is not.
I don’t start blanketing mine we get the first cool snaps late fall. I only blanket them if it is cold icy rain.
Good Luck

[TSHEventing]

[QUOTE=Home Again Farm;5316642]
As Anissa points out, here in FL it is the heat that is most dangerous to new born foals. You don’t say when this foal is due or how much shade you have in your pasture. That would be important in deciding a turn out schedule. Also, you have more horses on your acreage than is optimum in FL. You will be doing a balancing act between enough turn out time and the horses eating your paddocks down to no grass.[/QUOTE]

You’ll find that a good portion of people have more horses on their property in florida than is optimum… since optimum is 2 acres per horse… That is why most of us have at least one sacrifice paddock and feed extremely good quality peanut hay or a timothy/alfalfa mix.

I am actually doing a survey at the moment for my graduate studies which has revealed a horse concentration of 2.98 per acre of pasture in central florida out of 244 respondents! I have one horse per acre. Not a deathly situation since I seed with 600 lbs of ryegrass in the fall, overseed with bahia in the summer, rotate paddocks and feed at least 20 lbs of hay a day, year round. I stagger seeding so the horses have about three weeks in the spring and three in the fall where they are exclusively hay fed while the new seed grows and the pastures rest, other than that they have a minimum of 5 hours turnout per day on grass (and the rest of the time are still out on the other lot), around seeding time, to full time turnout in the summer on grass.

The good news is two of these geldings are actually for sale, so hopefully I will be back down to my three horses, which is why I prefer time wise anyway.

I have at least 1/2 my paddocks shaded with trees along with run in sheds. The foal is due mid March.

I do also set up misters in each field for all the horses in the summer as well as fans in each of the turn out sheds.

[Home_Again_Farm]

TSH, please do not take my statement the wrong way. I have been keeping horses in FL for over 40 years and am familiar with the challenges and the pluses. I did not mean to be at all critical.

Since your foal is due in March, I’d say you can go to 24/7 turnout rather quickly. We can get late cold snaps, but I’d not be too worried about cold as long as it is not cold rain. Your mare is foaling at the perfect time of year for FL, so you are in good shape.

If the foal was due later, I’d be very cautious the first 30 days of life as that is when foals have very little ability to regulate their temperatures. When I have late foals, we do a few hours of turn out at a time very early and later in the day, avoiding having them out from about 11 to 5 during the day at first. As soon as possible, they go to night time turn out. By the time they are about 30 days, you can go to full turnout, especially if the mare has access to shade and is sensible about not running the foal about.

Best of luck with it and enjoy your new baby!