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Post by Louise Dixon on Sept 24, 2011 21:04:48 GMT
Would be really interested to hear any experiences from breeders who have tried gradual weaning - we keep wondering about trying but haven't yet got our heads around how to manage it yet I am not quite sure if this is what you mean by gradual weaning, but what I do is start to ride my mares a wee bit, first just over the fence from the foal (who is left with the herd) for 5 minutes, then build up to gradually longer and further away, with the mare coming in to the stable for a bit or maybe going in the wagon to ride out with a friend, until one day I ride the mare to the other end of the farm and leave it there. The babies don't seem to notice. I can't do it this year as I have a small baby myself, so not sure what approach to take this time.
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Post by paulal on Sept 24, 2011 21:24:21 GMT
We have just weaned our foal - who was born in February this year - started to feed them separate and within a couple of days he spent his first night in his own stable - not a peep out the pair of them. Next day turned foal and companion out and mum stressed for about ten minutes - in between demolishing her haynet! Then after dinner brought them in and turned mum and another mare out - she called for him - couldnt see him and carried on eating. We were lucky really as it has been quite stress free - I was thinking of turning him away with a couple of other foals but we have weaned our other two at home and wanted to keep any eye on him. So far so good ...... he and mum are quite chilled!
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Post by FF on Sept 24, 2011 21:44:58 GMT
I take my foal into the stable everyday for her feed as mum doesn't get any now and the foal is doing brilliantly. She doesn't get upset just eats her feed and waits to be let out again. She does run straight to the milk bar mind. I also keep taking mum for a walk on her own for 10 minutes and leave foal with a nanny. Think mum is getting fed up with her child now. lol She's only 4 months old so got a while yet before weaning but don't think it will be a problem.
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Billybob
Full Member
There's no such thing as to much HORSEPOWER!!!!!
Posts: 546
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Post by Billybob on Sept 25, 2011 15:50:09 GMT
weaning our colt tomorrow, I am dreading it........ I have decided breeding is far too stressful. As much as I love him I have had stress for a year now. Well longer really, I have stressed out since she went to the stallion. I stressed about the birth which we ended up missing and I am even more stressed about weaning him tomorrow!!!!!!! I feel it would be better for him if we bring him in with his mum for a couple of hours then turn him back out with his other field mate our 2 year old filly who he is best friends with. Then we are moving his mum onto a local yard in a trailer, I really hope all goes well I have knots in my stomach Well we have done it. Left him and his field mate in the same stable with top door shut, loaded his mum and took her to her new yard to start her new life and ridden career. She seems ok with everything loaded and travelled fine, she is eating hay. We have turned the foal and his mate back out they have had a little run round and have settled. Hopefully that will be as far as it will go. He did try to have a drink off her, she wasnt impressed lol x
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Post by llyncathburystud on Oct 2, 2011 20:20:07 GMT
I have a mare that just seems to know exactly when its weaning time and just calls once then walks off and surpisingly all her foals just seem to answer her back and get on with it! she is a senior broodmare and knows the score, you can also see when shes fed up with the foal. I also find it easier and less stressful for the foals to remove the mares out of a field and leave the foal in with her friends, if facilities allow.
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Post by deejay on Oct 18, 2011 9:21:44 GMT
Really interesting to read everyones different methods. I usually get the foal eating with his mum before weaning at 5 months, and then either take mum to another yard further away, or load the foal and take him to be produced for the foal shows. This year we only have one colt foal and he has been handled since birth. He is used to having hay with his mum and I decided to just take her to another paddock where they could not see each other and the foal is now in the indoor stable block. They did call for the first 24 hrs but neither of them was stressed and the foal was eating straight away. The mare was quite happy not to share her food (she doesn't do sharing!) The foal is going out with his grandad (stallion) about 4 times a week and he is brilliant with him. I usually use a sec A gelding as a companion but he is away on loan, so instead of one of the sec C geldings, I put him in with Robbie who I knew I could trust 100% to take care of him. Probably the least stressful weaning I have ever done.
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Post by mel1973 on Nov 5, 2011 21:49:24 GMT
oooohhhhh i am separating the mare and foal tomorrow and i feel sick as a dog, as this is my first foal i really do not know what to expect so reading all the different ways ppl wean theres has been a great help, i have been told to lock him in the stable for 24 hours which i really dont want to do, as i have beed feedin them separate for wks as the mare is really greedy and would rush hers so she could get to the foals so i have been bringing him to the yard so he can eat his in peace,but then i have trouble getting him back in the field he is not bothered about his mum at all it is her who shouts he just stands behind me and eats so fingers crossed he will not be to bad so i can put him out, but he will be by himself as my mare tries to eat him everytime she sees him lol xxx
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Post by poneydestiny on Nov 17, 2011 15:30:46 GMT
This is an interesting exchange with everyone's experiences! Here are mine to add to the mix -we raise the foals in family groups with a stallion and it is always the stallion who is the most depressed about the departure of a foal at 6 months, and for several days remains at the gate looking down the road. The mother's call a couple of times then seem slightly relieved and show no great anguish. The foals most times are off to their new homes, so there is plenty to see and do that is new, and since they have been fully handled since birth, live out 24/7 eat grass, hay and some hard food with the rest, and have gone through a lot of desensitivation training, they are bold and bright and more interested in their brand new life. We have never had a complaint of over 17 foals delivered in the past couple of years and I do believe it might be related to the time we spend with the "babies" and all the training that is done to make sure they are equipped for their next stage. If the foals are not sold, they are put with a "nanny" shetland for a couple of days who is their mentor in a smaller new group -as they get older we do not worry about reputting older fillies or colts with mothers and they establish their own hierarchy without undue problems.
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Post by FF on Dec 12, 2011 22:51:35 GMT
Well i moved my girls and there friend to the winter field today, lots of grass. Mum will come back tomorrow and foal will stay with nanny mare and a yearling gelding will be added. Hope all goes well, this is my 1st foal so 1st weaning. Don't want to do it as they seem so happy but I want a rug on my mare and the foal keeps ripping them by climbing on mum.
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Post by network on Dec 13, 2011 8:15:58 GMT
Well i moved my girls and there friend to the winter field today, lots of grass. Mum will come back tomorrow and foal will stay with nanny mare and a yearling gelding will be added. Hope all goes well, this is my 1st foal so 1st weaning. Don't want to do it as they seem so happy but I want a rug on my mare and the foal keeps ripping them by climbing on mum. Aww cant believe Roxy is all grown up now, it only seems like yesterday that she was struggling to find the milk bar
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Post by cornbrodolly on Jan 18, 2012 13:43:47 GMT
We bred for 20 years, approx 3 per year. Theres no need to wean before 7-8 months . Earlier then 7 months is straining the foals digestive system - at that age its not built to cope with no milk. We weaned by putting mares and foal overnight in seperatepens , gated so they cann do everything but suckle , then out together by day,. Few weeks of that , then seperate. No trouble whatever. We did keep maresa nd dad [ warmbloods] in 1 family group. its natural for folas to be weaned early the next spring , so this is what we did. Then its no big deal for mare or foal.
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Post by gillwales on Jul 15, 2012 20:44:10 GMT
When I was breeding we used to get the mares in with their foals if not already in, I would ensure the foals had foal slips on and rugs if we were going to show them, all of my indoor stables had grills at the top so they could see eachother. We would then load the mares up in the lorry and drive them round the block and back into the furthest field from the yard, would let the mares out together and stay with them until they had settled down, it stopped the constant screaming for each-other and always worked for me. It goes without saying to ensure the foals will lead prior to weaning, I know that sounds silly but I have seen people wean foals they have never touched, I always taught my foals to walk ahead of their dam, gave them more independence and easier once they were weaned##Good luck it's the one bit I don't miss!
One last thing try not to stress as it will stress your ponies
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Post by cayo on Sept 26, 2012 19:16:36 GMT
we have just moved our foal off mum and into a box next door with our shetty for company neither seem too stressed but im still a bit worried for them tonight will be happier once i know they are all still ahppy and fine in the morning ,we weaned our last foal this way too and it worked well for the mare and foal so hopeing this pair are happy too ,would like to ask is there anything can be done to help mare while she is bagging up and not feeding foal to help dry up milk
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Post by Kaseyleigh on Sept 26, 2012 20:26:19 GMT
I'm weaning my little girl next month at 5 month old because she very mature for her age and we have already started seperating them for an hour for a feed a day and mum and baby are not bothered one bit no naying or fuss so should be easy peasy I'm turning my little one out to grass with other foals that have been weaned leaving her there till she's 2yrs old then back home for manners and stable work again
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Post by lampshade on Sept 27, 2012 8:03:37 GMT
Im weaning mine this weekend. This is my first foal and first weaning. I hope it all goes well. We have a yearling coming up for the foal to pal up with and the mare will then be ridden again. This is the mares first foal aswell so not sure how they will react to being seperated. Fingers crossed x
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Post by gillwales on Sept 27, 2012 8:38:06 GMT
It certainly depends on many factors, I used to bred and we normally had about 4 foals a year. They had all been foaled indoors, well handled and halter broken before being turned out in the summer. I usually had early foals as we showed them and more importantly we had the facilities. THose that had been shown were already in, those that had not been shown would be bought in at least a week before weaning, that time would be spent revising leading and handling lessons, including loading into a lorry and a short journey. We would get them wormed and feet trimmed during this period and we would also put rugs on the foals. My stables are 2 indoor blocks and ponies can see eachother. On the morning of weaning, and always pick a dry day, we loaded up the mares in the horse box, admittedly without bandaging, for the short journey up the drive into the field furthest from the stables, this was safer for my daughter and myself, backed up to the gate and unloaded the mares, they would charge around for about 10 minutes have the odd call then settle down. We then went back to the yard, normally we were greeted by some calling but they all settled down very quickly, especially at food time.
I have been at other people's yards when they have weaned and been shocked to see people take out the mare THEN try to fit a headcollar on the foal, that in my opinion is total madness and should be avoided.
If chilly put on a turnout rug on the mare in the eveniing
good luck to everyone
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Post by jump4joy on Oct 13, 2012 12:16:28 GMT
I have the perfect nanny pony for weaning. He has nannied all ours and he is quiet, firm and fair. He is fit, healthy, never had Lami please PM for further datails, or there is a post on either breeding chit chat or poines for loan thanks
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Post by jump4joy on Oct 13, 2012 12:37:38 GMT
Weaning commercialy; I worked on TB stud for many years; we used to fetch in mares and foals and barn them 4 mares and foals in a barn filly and colts seperated. We would take out a mare each day until all the mares had gone away, no screaming no nothing, mares dried up naturally. Colts and filly's already seperated 4 to a barn, ready for winter. Weaning for my own hobby breeding; i have a wonderful pony who we never intended to be a nanny it just evolved after our old, old nanny mare passed away. He was accidently put him in with the mares and foals one year ( i only have 2-3 foals a year) He was amazing with the foals, the mares loved him and his babysitting skills, he was an instant hit. He has nannied foals, yearlings etc until we get them in to break, any catching issues we would catch him and the foals would follow, this got the foals in to a routine. He is available to recomence his nanning duties!! before him; like gillwales, i had a row of stables with mesh in between and would wean them all on the same day, ship the mares out and put foals in individual stables but where they could see each other, no silly screaming after mother. Only had one attachment issue later in life and belive this particular individual would have had issues which ever way he was weaned, only just grown out of feeling insecure.
gillwales your post re letting foal go in front to be more independant made me smile; one of my last foals (last year) too independant, would take herself off and leader with her, mother going frantic as madam foal strutted her stuff...destined to going racing, so showing early promise ;-) ha
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Post by mountainsandhorses on Dec 4, 2012 22:03:43 GMT
Just wanted to post two methods of weaning I have used....as I know first time weaners find this really stressful My first foal lived out in a lovely 28 acre field with lots of other "ken and barbie" (palomino and buckskin) foals with his TB mum and her new Welsh friends. One day I took him down out of the field, loaded him and took him 30 miles away to my home. His mother called of him once and then set back off up the fields to her new Welsh friends..she suffered some rain scald as decided she was too "ferral" to have a rug on, and being again in foal, I didnt want her rearing over backwards for the sake of a rug. In hindsight I would have been more pro-active and brought her in to get a rug on. The "little" foal was OK on arrival home but perked up more when I was able to turn him out. They were reunited two months later with the mare acknowledging the foal but he was behind my warmblood mare when it came to who was going to be be best friends. This year, Welsh part bred foal (less handled than his brother the year before as I wasn't present at birth) at five months I simply herded him into field adjoining mare. I left a yearling C colt who had been bolshy prior and a bit after being gelded. My mare was soo much into her food she ignored the fact that her previously "beloved son" was now not with her and merely watched him calling for her whilst she munched her hay thoughtfully. WPB foal turned out with his brother (who had I list above) and called for mum the first day but then not a peep. Two weeks later I took WPB to a show after cleaning and shutting him in field shelter- a load of hay left outside so his brother would keep watch. I arrived the following morning to find foal still in stable but his brother had abandoned him for three blades of grass left at the top of the field and mum and her new "whipping boy" the C gelding out of sight in their paddock. Little PBW foal trotted happily with me and into trailer for his first party with none of his "family" even wishing him a nice journey!!! He returned to a Hero's welcome where his mum tried to bite him over the gate but his big bro gave him a hug -see picture post- So two ways of weaning but I think my second foal was happier and lost less condition.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 20, 2013 11:32:36 GMT
Weaning tonight foal is now 5 months, mum is going to be stabled with my gelding. foal is staying in her own stable tonight she shared with mum then she is going out with her uncle iggy tomorrow, her field is safe enough she can have a little run round and look for mum without getting out etc i want everything to be as normal for baby as possible minus mum. but she has had enough handling and is very independant so i have no worries about foal. its just mum. i have her "cage" ready to put her in tonight as im hoping she will settle overnight enought then i have all weekend to keep an eye on her till monday when we are all back at work.
when would you turn her out again? im just worried as she is so attached to the foal shes going to have to be in a while otherwise shes a tank and a fence wont stop her.
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