Foal needs to play but mare is too aggressive with others

[Deleted]

A title says really, i cannot fault my mare being a good mum. but my foal has got to the age that she wants to play and the mare hasnt got the time of day for her.

we tried introducing the mares old field mate in and she was dangerously aggressive and didnt care if the foal was in the way. tried a couple of my other horses to no avail.

She even chases the horses that walk down the road she runs the fence.

Any tips or ideas, i have put things in the field for the foal to play with, but as far as putting another horse in, one of them will end up seriously injured and im not risking it especially after i saw her not giving a hoot that her foal was in her way.

i just dont want the foal seeing me a play thing now shes got to big and i need her to see me as a leader not a equal.

i spoke to a couple of people at a show yesterday and they only turn their mares and foals out in separate paddocks.

im stuck for ideas.

[judyh]

Not worth risking an accident. I had a mare pinch another mare's foal.It was quite frightening ,I would just leave her in her own paddock-the foal will be fine.

[Deleted]

your right i dont want to risk anything, just sad seeing foaly want to play and she wont. maybe try again when the foal is less reliant on mum

[wol]

I find that it takes a couple of weeks of 24/7 turnout together for even best buddy mares to allow their foals to play together and the other mare to move from the opposite side of the field, but they are not dangerously aggressive. Maybe give it a bit longer till foaly figures out to get out of the way. Can you put something in an adjoinging paddock at a decreasing distance with electric tape to get the mare used to the idea slowly?

[Deleted]

Her field is opposite out house and it is bordered by a road and a farm so no chance of that. I wouldn't trust her not to go through an electric fence if I fenced a paddock I side hers.

[gillwales]

has your mare had a bad experience, or is she hormonal? The trick I found was when the mares wintered together and so they knew each other, also they could see each other in the foaling block. I found that they did not really play together until 8 to 10 weeks old, they would show an interest but not be brave enough to really leave mum and play. We had one visiting mare who was hormonal and she was dangerous . Be patient.

[Deleted]

I'm presuming she was turned out with the stallion before we got her with other mares. I've only had her since feb. she wouldnt turn out on her own when we got her so we put her out with our old darty in my mares own new field. She hated him but wouldnt go out without him, she would attack if he got to close but was quite happy him being in the field. But now she won't even have him in the field or any of our others. Ill leave it a week or two and try again. She's just very over protective at the min. Even at 5 weeks old you can't get inbetween the two of them in the foaling box or she gets upset and pushes you out of the way.

[gillwales]

I have to say I would NEVER run mares with stallions with foals at foot, it is just too easy for accidents to happen and can also result in this sort of behavior. Most of my mares were maidens when they first foals so I was able to give them an experience that gave them confidence with me and my family. However at 5 weeks baby is still very young, give them time. If the problem still persists in a months time then hold 2 mares to let the foals play together.

good luck x

[sarahp]

I don't think stallions are an issue in this case, but you will find many native pony breeders run stallions out with mares with foals in perfect safety - certainly all the boys I've had here have loved the foals, whether their own offspring or not.

[brt]

Is it her first foal? i find my maiden mares are a lot more protective for longer then my old broodmares.
My old broodies run out all year round together and designate a "nanny" so they get a bit of peace after the foal is about 3 weeks old.
My young mares seem to cling to their foals for longer shooing the other mares away until about 6 weeks old.
Give her time, i think it's early days yet, try again in a few more weeks.

[Deleted]

Yes it's her first foal. She was turned out with our old dartmoor gelding for the two months we had had her before foaling. She didn't like him then and wouldn't tolerate him near her but wouldn't turn out without him.

We tried to reintroduce him back last weekend and she nearly killed him and flattened foal. We also tried my filly and my Andalusian mare who used to be a nanny. No aggression from others just my mare. But I can understand. She is a fab mum but no time for baby play. We will persevere. See how we get on. Gill I don't have any other foals to turn out with. Just 4 geldings a mare and filly. And one of the geldings was her field mare as he's an old lad and used to be a stallion up until he was 9 so knows the ropes with mares and baby's. she just won't tolerate him at all which is sad as he's an awfully good boy,

[holiday]

We had the same with two maiden mares this year, one mare who is completely joined at the hip with the other and they are now both four and were born and have run together since but totally tried to kill the other mare when first turned out together and had a huge fall out, but we put them out in our bigger field and they stayed separate to start with and have over the last couple of weeks now joined back up and are happy to be led in and out together again. It was a heart in the mouth but now that mare is out with another 6 mares and they are all running happily together.

[Deleted]

I have never had this, so can't say anything, my mares and foals all run out with everybody, including one of the stallions when the time comes, never had any problems. I often foal a group of mares together with their 'man'

[sarahp]

I expect mine too as well Jane, and they seem to.

[gillwales]

Im glad to hear that you ladies have had good experiences, I have certainly heard of many accidents in this sort of scenario, to a degree it depends on the stallion, however it is easy for a foal to be kicked, squashed or ran raged by running mares with foals out with a stallion. Loulabelle, your mare is likely to be more protective has this is her first baby.

[holmedown]

personally I have never heard of an accident regarding a stallion and a foal. All my stallions have run out with the mares and foals - are with them 24/7 365 days a year so in the field when the mares foal etc etc. Have done this with "old" stallions and also with the young colt when he was 2 years onwards never had a problem. In fact if anything I find that when the foals want to play and mothers have had enough they go and torment the poor stallion and they have all just put up with it -whether they are "their" foals or not