"Why" wean foal from dam?

[ThirdCharm]

All of our broodmares are also riding/show horses, and when the foal is weaned they go back to work and show until the next ‘maternity leave’. I’ve ridden mares with foals at heel, and it is a PAIN as foals tend to want to run/jump/play on/around mom! I suppose if you’re just futzing around it is one thing, but it is hard to focus on executing a good counter-canter or half-pass–much less juump a course!–while maintaining preparedness for evasive action…

I’ve also had a petite mare who looked HORRID when her foal was only two months old–she was fat and slick when she foaled-- the vet thought the foal (judging by her size and condition) was six months old and, after seeing what I was feeding the mare–unlimited good quality hay, three large grain meals, beet pulp, calorie supplements, and not wanting to add alfalfa b/c he was leary of doing that with such a ‘growthy’ foal–vet recommended weaning as soon as possible.

Mare’s milk has little value after two months, and by the time our foals are three months old their moms are THOROUGHLY sick of them… the foals are eating plenty of hay and grain and spend very little time with mom by then, they spend some time in separate stalls, etc. Weaning at 4 months is pretty anticlimactic.

Jennifer

[Beentheredonethat]

Hm. I don’t have that experience. My preggo or nursing mare is MUCH easier to ride than when she’s not, and I work on the pirouettes, half passes, changes, piaffe and passage with baby at her side. I’ve never had too much of an issue with needing evasive action. She does pretty well with all that collection with a full bag of milk. She is also WAY too nice to her babies, so is always fussing with them and letting them nurse and push on her too long.

[crestline]

[QUOTE=JB;5836265]
What is “late” to you?[/QUOTE]

LOL…well I guess it would be late to some and early to others…we try to do them around 7-8 months but sort of see how both mare and foal are doing to decide. Usually sometime between Nov-Jan depending on when foal is born. If the mare is looking good I don’t mind leaving them on an extra month or two but will wean prior to the mare’s last trimester if she’s bred back.

I never had too many issues weaning early either and would in a second if there was any sort of an issue… but after doing both we decided that there wasn’t really any cast in stone reason to wean them at 4 or 5 months and it always has seemed much less stressful since we started doing it a couple months later. I think you have to do whatever works best for the situation you have…

[FatDinah]

The only foal I bred was a colt and he and his mom were pastured with another mare and my daughter’s 20-something POA gelding. So we had to split him off after 6 months as my vet was warning me he could breed for a couple of months, even after being gelded (bullets are still in the gun, she noted). We took his mom and the other mare away and left him with Mr.Crabby Pony, which helped nip any dude attitude very well. They all came back together about three months later. Mare was a bit unhappy but he took it right in stride and by that time was eating on his own entirely.

[JB]

Thanks camohn

I’m trying to decide what to do. Mine is 6 months on 9/21. He still nurses, and he immediately nurses as soon as they are let out after breakfast - security blanket for him. Mare is in good shape. Everyone is grazing/eating hay, eating their own meals, etc.

[caryledee]

Just as a sidenote, there is a pasture of horses I pass on the way to the barn. There is a mare out there and her foal from last summer. He is still nursing off her; I see this quite frequently. There is plenty of grass, so all horses are in good shape, but its pretty odd to see this huge yearling trying to get down low enough to nurse! I can’t imagine weaning is going to be an easy task at this point!

[kookicat]

[QUOTE=JB;5836715]
Thanks camohn

I’m trying to decide what to do. Mine is 6 months on 9/21. He still nurses, and he immediately nurses as soon as they are let out after breakfast - security blanket for him. Mare is in good shape. Everyone is grazing/eating hay, eating their own meals, etc.[/QUOTE]

I’d leave him be if the mare is happy.

[511]

[QUOTE=Highflyer;5835920]
Plus I was kidding! [/QUOTE]

I didn’t find it funny.
I saw it as you baiting me by playing stupid.
Perhaps you can kiss off x amount of dollars of a horses value by a mare firmly weaning a foal but I found your post mocking mine to say the least - upsetting.

It leads me to wonder if you are the sort of person who makes inappropriate statements in a hospital, accident scene or funeral and then expect to excuse your gaff by laughing and saying “Just kidding”

Would you make the same sort of tasteless comment if your neighbors child recieved a disfiguring laceration on their face from a bicycle accident that would result in a lifetime scar and then expect the “Just Kidding” to absolve the situation?

[crestline]

5- please take a deep breath. I have a feeling most of us reading this thread saw absolutly no connection to your post at all. OP asked " why to wean" and Highflyer said " because it would be a pain to have a riding horse that wanted to nurse"…and I think we all read that as a joke. I see absolutely no connection between these posts and your unfortunate sitation and have no idea how you drew any connection to your filly personally as well. I’m sure we all feel bad for your filly but c’mon…play nice. Your filly could have just as likely freaked out during an early weaning and broke her leg in the stall…that’s how it goes. Hindsight is always perfect but don’t take posts personally that are a joke directed at the OP…it’s just so much nicer to read a pleasant thread tossing around productive ideas, personal experiences and an occasional lighthearted comment.

Again…sorry for your filly but you never know how bad things could have gone weaning sooner…such is a beauty of horses!

[kookicat]

[QUOTE=5;5836996]
I didn’t find it funny.
I saw it as you baiting me by playing stupid.
Perhaps you can kiss off x amount of dollars of a horses value by a mare firmly weaning a foal but I found your post mocking mine to say the least - upsetting.

It leads me to wonder if you are the sort of person who makes inappropriate statements in a hospital, accident scene or funeral and then expect to excuse your gaff by laughing and saying “Just kidding”

Would you make the same sort of tasteless comment if your neighbors child recieved a disfiguring laceration on their face from a bicycle accident that would result in a lifetime scar and then expect the “Just Kidding” to absolve the situation?[/QUOTE]

Bit of an over reaction, I think. I’m sorry your foal’s ear was damaged, but you need a bit of perspective. Your mare could have kicked him and killed her.

[Kyzteke]

@back in the saddle;5833962

I know it’s probably a dumb question, but I’ve never heard “why” you wean foals. The only thing I’ve heard about weaning is that its done around 3-6 months.

So what are the reasons you wean?

Custom.

Foals in the wild “self-wean” and are often over 1 yr old when it happens. If the mare isn’t pregnant again it may be longer.

I remember I saw a pic once of this 2 yr old COLT kneeling down so he could nurse off his dam!

I have a breeder friend who doesn’t bother to wean…it works.

But if the mare is being sucked down or is rebred or the foal is going to be for sale; all these are reasons most of us wean.

For me, if the baby is emotionally ready, I would rather give the nutrition directly to the baby, rather than feed mom to feed baby.

But No, you really don’t HAVE to wean.

I have enough other horses and the babies have been in a “herd” all their lives, so removing mom at 4-6 mos isn’t usually a big deal. And I DO put them back together eventually – usually after afew months. Plus my place is so small they can always hear each other, if not see each other. So it’s rarely that traumatic.

This year’s weaner has already been sneaking out of the electric fence and going with her “cousin” (who is 2 yrs old), and running amok. Actually trotted down my little dirt road about 1/4 mile from the property afew days ago! Just followed “cuz” right off the farm!

Mom yelled, but the filly really could have cared less. So I don’t see it as being that big a deal. I usually wean shortly after inspection; she’ll be 5 mos old.

[Pennywell_Bay]

[QUOTE=5;5836996]
I didn’t find it funny.
I saw it as you baiting me by playing stupid.
Perhaps you can kiss off x amount of dollars of a horses value by a mare firmly weaning a foal but I found your post mocking mine to say the least - upsetting.

It leads me to wonder if you are the sort of person who makes inappropriate statements in a hospital, accident scene or funeral and then expect to excuse your gaff by laughing and saying “Just kidding”

Would you make the same sort of tasteless comment if your neighbors child recieved a disfiguring laceration on their face from a bicycle accident that would result in a lifetime scar and then expect the “Just Kidding” to absolve the situation?[/QUOTE]

I did not see a connection to your post. I’m sure the incident has left you upset, who would not be? But drawing such personal conclusions about someone by a one line post is a bit harsh.

Hopefully your foal will grow up just as loved, and receive a fabulous home, despite the ear issue.

Oh- an to answer the original post, for me, it has been when they are both ready. When I see my foal out in the field, exporing on his own, eating well, looking well, mom not too concerned- I start to make my plans.

To be honest- what has worked with me ( I had to wean one at about 3 months but he was ready) was using two stalls with a grill divider. They could see each other , comfort each other. I weaned them in stages. Out during the day together, in at night in a stall with a grill. It worked awesome. One day, I just lead out the mare, put a babysitter next to him ( who they have already been with) and Poof. No worries. Again, this has worked for me.