| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Vik1 |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 9:53:50 PM
just wondering at what age do you tend to wean your foals?
Having a conversation on another forum, a lady has said she will collect her new colt at 4 and half months..another member has basically shot her down in flames saying it shouldnt be taken away from mum til at least 6 months.
I commented my boy was weaned an 4 and half months and so was Velvets foal..neither came to any harm as their digestive system is fully functional by then and both were strong and healthy. Not many on this forum have breeding experience.
Just wondering what you guys do with yours? |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Pasch |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 3:22:56 PM
No direct breeding experience but fully agree with Quarabians |
| pinkvboots |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 3:03:37 PM
Going off the subject slightly but thought it was sweet,A friend of mine bought a hand reared arab filly just turned one, and we turned her out with my Sisters Warmblood mare, they loved each other and she tried to suckle from Grace, all Grace did was flick her tail just to give her a warning such a good girl. |
| Kazarsmum |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 1:50:09 PM
i left one mare to do it herself and thought she'd done it by 8months. till i caught the youngster still having the odd suckle at 2 yrs old!!! still now daughter is rediculusly attached to mum. mum couldnt care less. haha in the wild the mare would soon tell the foal when enough is enough.
guess its a bit like humans. some mums feed and ween earlier / later than others. |
| carole ferguson |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 12:49:41 PM
My mare's last foal was not weaned until 9 months - left them together for the winter as the mare was not in foal again. Will do the same this time if all goes well. Not sure when the foal is due as she was running with the stallion from July until September - and came into season and was covered every three weeks - so we thought she was not in foal. She is at present really bagged up - and has been for over 2 weeks - and rather uncomfortable with what looks like quite a large foal - who is often having a disco party in there - poor mare. |
| barbara.gregory |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 10:27:23 AM
I don't wean as I don't sell the foals so they stay with mum and share a large stable. If the mare was to drop condition and extra feed didn't help then I would wean but so far that has never happened. However, if I was to wean it would never be berore 6 months unless there was an urgent need to (not just that I wanted the foal to go to a new home)!
Barbara |
| Vik1 |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 10:07:59 AM
Well in my case with my 2yo, the breeder wanted him weaned and away before she went on holiday so it was less horses for her daughter to deal with. Hes such a laid back chap that he was no problem at all. In Velvets case, I had no choice but to take Danny away from her cos of her very strange hormonal behaviour. She was galloping round the field at breakneck speed and danny was trying to keep up, wondering what was going on, dripping with sweat, or she was jumping gates out fields and then he was throwing himself at them trying to get to her..weaning was the safest option really. Danny was fine about it, happy with his wean mate, but Velvets hormones have been crazy since. |
| Quarabian |
Posted - 22 Jun 2011 : 09:38:05 AM
Maybe I'm too 'natural' but what would happen if the horses could choose. When a foal is for sale it obviously matters that the buyer gets their foal asap. My instinct is not before 7 months. if I am keeping a foal it will stay with mum over the winter. I have done this several times and the weaning happens gently and trouble free. I can still ride the mare leaving the foal for a short time in the stable. They progressed to living in a stable beside mum and out with her in the day.
The foals weaned this way are some of the easiest horses to be with. they are less anxious about seperation from friends and generally more relaxed.
I know we live in a modern world and I am not passing judgement on those who wean early, but if you can, do it later. |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 11:32:11 PM
Yep, I "really really" wanted him!  Actually, it snowed the following weekend and for ages after....so with hindsight it was the perfect time 'cos it would probably have been the new year before I could collect him (his Auntie Ann would have been pleased though).
Caryn |
| kcv1223 |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 11:19:03 PM
I agree, technically 4.5 months is OK but Why the rush? Chips's half brother wasn't weaned until 9 months because he was OK with the mare and she was fat and happy. His full brother was weaned at 6 mths as his new owner wanted him, Chips was 6 mths because Caryn really really wanted him  Their subsequent full sister was left on over the awful winter we've just had for warm milk on tap and finally weaned at 8 months. I think for me, if there is no need, leave it until they are just that bit older and more confident. I bought in a filly who was weaned at 5 months and she has always suffered with separation anxiety - coincidence maybe? |
| Kharidian |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:53:27 PM
Roger was weaned at about 5 months; he was the youngest of the 5 foals born at the stud in 1993 and it was a horrid, wet October....so all the foals were weaned and brought in at the same time (and gelded a couple of weeks later). He was the "coltiest" (is that a word?) of the boys and ran the others ragged with his boy games so it didn't do him any harm. He's now 18 at fit & sound as a 5 year old.
Chips was weaned at 6 months and I collected him from his breeder 2 weeks after. When I was talking to a feed supplier about what to feed him as a weaner, she said the best thing is not to wean until 7 months as the digestive system cannot fully cope until that time.
Therefore, from experience I'd say 4.5 months is technically OK but I'd still like to leave weaning until 5.5-6 months myself.
Caryn |
| Slave 2 Magic |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:26:55 PM
My new colt will be weaned at 6 months unless he starts to pull the mare down He is a big lad. |
| littlearabians |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:20:48 PM
Agree with Pashon2001... My filly last year was weaned at 9 months (could have weaned her before but her dam was happy so left it) wich is my latest ever, and my youngest was nearly 5 months. |
| Callisto |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:18:13 PM
Only one we bred, the mare weaned him herself at about seven months, but we had that luxury. Four and a half months sounds a bit young to me, even if it is viable in terms of survival. |
| Pashon2001 |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:10:41 PM
It entirely depends, I would wean a pestering colt earlier than a filly. Or a large foal that is draining its mother dry earlier than a smaller weaker foal. So anything from 4 1/2 months to 8 months, just depends. |
| Kazarsmum |
Posted - 21 Jun 2011 : 10:02:38 PM
i've always done 6 months.
My stepmothers mare sadly died 4 months after having a foal and the vet was genuinly conserned about the foals survival. shes now a beautiful yearling. |
