After weaning.....

[Keri]

When do you reintroduce the weanling back into the herd??? I run all mine together and this was our first baby. So I was wondering when you can reintroduce the baby back without him wanting to milk mommy. I started weaning today as he's 3 1/2 months old.

 

[Mona]

I normally wean in August/September, and I leave them apart until the following Spring. I have tried putting them back in sooner, but have had mares that will actually let them go back and start to nurse again. Now I just leave them away longer, usually not putting them back in until March or so.

 

[JWC sr.]

We separate the babies for at least the first two years by sex and age. Young horses added into a herd of older horses can really take a lot of abuse from the entire heard. Additionally there is the problem of a young colt (10-12 months old) breeding mares or worse yet fillies that are too young.

Good Luck,

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Same here..mine do not go back, once they are weaned, that is it, basically.

I have never had only one foal so I'm not sure what I would do in those circumstances...I can see you are trying to do the best for the foal, company wise, but maybe a dry mare or a gentle gelding??

 

[Miniv]

If our weanlings ever go back in the same group as their mom's, it's usually many months later. But we have a program where we have a "colt group" and "filly group", which makes it easier. Actually, we have TWO of each, based on maturity and feeding needs. Several of our broodmares will be going into our "older filly" group this fall or winter when we wean because we are cutting back on re-breeding for next year.

 

[StellaLenoir]

We have only ever had one baby. He just turned a year Aug 5th

I was able to send his mom away for 2 months to a great horsey friend. Chocolate Thunder our foal was home with his older sister he did just fine with mama away.

When Rainbow, his mom came home in just a few days he tried to nurse! I only had 3 horses at the time and no way to seperate. He still trys to nurse now and again, but not too often. Rainbow has no udder so I am not sure if he even gets anything.

I have seen recently a nursing prevention muzzle (I am sure it is not called that but I couldnt think of how else to describe it lol) Maybe try that . Ok I just found what it is

Ezee wean halter weaning halter

I have no idea how or if it works but you might want to check it out.

Or like others said if you can give him a friend in a seperate pasture. That was not possible for us. It does take a long time for them to give up on the milk bar!

 

[Nathan Luszcz]

Foals that are weaned need a LONG time seperate from their dam before they can be reintroduced. Even a year or two is NOT long enough in some cases! It has been demonstrated again and again that two and three year olds can and will start nursing on their dam when reintroduced, and the mares can and will allow them to suckle, some even going back into milk for them. As far as I'm concerned mares and their foals are forever seperated, for many years.