You’ve pasture bred mares during their foal heat? Where were the foals?
[edit] I specifically asked for experiences with foaling out with the stallion present.
Not pasture breeding. You do realize you can pasture breed mares that do not have foals at their sides/do not have foals that year period?
[edit] I think you are misunderstanding my comments, which is easy to do on the internet. You’ve got the answers you wanted so I’ll step away.
Is it necessary to be quite so rude to another poster who was trying to help?
What others have said…but I found that mares were more dominant about stealing the stallions grain!! You need to watch the stallion’s body condition.
My horse’s sire was in the pasture with weanlings and was very happy. Maybe that’s a happy medium situati on.
They actually all seem to be more settled in this situation - but I realize everyone’s MMV. He’s actually gained needed weight since he’s not worrying and walking the fenceline.
Without going back and re-reading, I don’t remember if I mentioned this, but this group shares a fenceline (hot) with a group of weanlings and one yearling filly. The filly has been swapped out for a gelding as of a few days ago. My stallion is kind and quiet with all, even the newbie, politely sniffing noses under the bottom wire with no drama, squealing or anything else. I am cautiously optimistic
Our stallion lives with a TB mare…maiden until she was 19 years old and had lived with the stud for 3 years!! They are very respectful of each other’s grain…they have stalls in a 24x24 shed, but no doors to keep them in place. These two are the perfect couple…other mares I’ve had were dominating piglets!! Not by choice, but “wife” mare foaled in the barn/pasture with the stud…NO bag or wax…just popped a colt out one morning…Daddy…Mommy…and baby were standing at the gate waiting for breakfast. Absolutely scared me to death, but there was no studdish behavior shown. I don’t know if I’d risk it again, but OUR stallion was a perfect gentlemen and I’m sure that there are others that would be…But I’ve known stallions that went crazy at the sight of a foal. Guess you just have to know your horses! ps…“Little surprise baby” is now 16.1+ hands at 21 months!!
My one stallion maintains his weight WAY easier when he has a buddy gelding or in his group of girls
Prefacing this post to note that I breed Fjords, which is a fairly laid back breed. My stallion has lived out with a mare herd for the last 18 years…more or less his entire life. I keep track of who he is breeding and when. It’s pretty easy since they tend to be loud and he engages in the frequency method. I always have the vet ultrasound and he is good about giving me an accurate estimate of embryo size.
I do take the mare out of this field and into a neighboring paddock for the foaling. I have had a few mares foal a bit earlier than expected in the field with the group. They get pulled for the post partum vet check and then put in the paddock. The paddock shares a fence line with the stallion and mares. This way everyone gets to see the foal, the mare has friends around, but she also has time alone with her foal. Usually the mare and foal goes back with the herd around 3 weeks following birth assuming everything is fine with the mare and foal. My main concern with a newborn is that there can be squirreling around among the mares and stallion and that puts the foal at risk of being knocked around accidentally. After 3 weeks, everyone has stared at the foal so it is a non-event when the mare and foal returns. Also the foal has some weight and balance, as well as its vision is good (versus newborns don’t see as well).
And the foals live out with the stallion and mares until weaning. The rebred mares leave and the foals stay with Daddy. He is very good with foals. He babysits, he plays and he is very mindful of their safety.
It works well for me, but again, I have a laid back breed and a very well mannered stallion.
The breed of horse does matter, as does the temperament of the individual.
I don’t think the OP has mentioned the breed of the stallion, only that he will be new to the situation?