Color help please? Also early weaning ?s

[ShaunaL]

I haven't been on here in forever with everything else that's been going on but I finally got a chance to get some quick color pics of one of my colts.

First priority, I am concerned about his mama - I'm having trouble keeping weight on her now. She was in great shape when he was born but he's really pulling her down. She's 10 years old, current on deworming, vaccines and teeth were recently checked. She gets a TON to eat (Equine Jr, Purina Omelene 200 and grass hay) and he and my other colt get their own bowls as well but he seems to be taking a lot out of her. Baxter is only 8 weeks old right now but I am thinking I should separate them sooner rather than later. Would he be a candidate for early weaning? Are there special concerns or preventatives due to his young age? Maybe pull him off in a few weeks when he's a bit older?

Both colts nurse off of both mares

but my other mare is holding her weight well even though her baby is FAT. The babies spend most of their time away from the mamas playing and eat on their own as well but he still nurses a lot. As I said the other baby (3 months old) nurses off of her too.

Here is what his condition is like as of yesterday

Also, I need to register him but what color do I say? Would he be a "dunskin"? Dun? Grullo? His dam is a grulla, sire is a buckskin.

Here he is as a newborn - he has stayed the same rich golden color with a darker face and dark points until I clipped him last week

He has a couple dark bars across his shoulders then stripes continue more lightly all the way up his neck to his ears. You might be able to see them in one of these pics. He has dark web-like markings on his face as well, kind of a circular pattern, actually more like he has sets of <>

He has these on his rear legs too

Thank you for your help

 

[Jill]

Shauna --

I just love the wild color on that boy!!! He's got to be dun (very much so) and I'd say is either grullo or buckskin.

In the past, I have weaned one filly at 3mos because she was pulling the mare down too much.

I'm not sure I'd wean as early as 8wks, but if you can go another 3-4 like you're saying, that may work well.

We have an 8wk old foal we've had to handraise and right now, we are having issues with him having diarrhea. Vet's been out, he's not "sick", bloodwork is good. We're now trying a different feed -- we have tried EVERYTHING else (BioSponge, Pepto, Probios, Yogurt, Metamucil, SMZ and pumpkin) with no results He's staying hydrated but it's illustrating to me that they really need mare's milk if at all possible at this age.

However, I would look to wean your boy at 3mos. The filly I did that with did fine.

Good luck,

Jill

 

[IloveMiniatureshorses]

Im going to say grullo dun, but this is just my guess. He is definately a dun without a doubt. He is a very beautiful little guy!!!

 

[Riverdance]

He looks like a primative dun with the zebra type stripes on his leg and neck. Usually the ears are black tiped and there are some markings on the face too.

Cool markings.

 

[Mona]

Looks bay dun to me. (carries agouti)

 

[rubymtminis]

As far as I know Grullo IS dun, dun on black. My Grullo (big) riding gelding has the typical dorsal stripe with the same dun effect leg markings. Also the face wbbing is typical of grullo. He looks like he will be a dunskin or grullo. JMHO

 

[Miniv]

What an AWESOME CLASSIC example of PRIMITIVE DUN Markings! Those should be saved and used as an example.

Thank you for sharing!

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Colour...Dun, possibly on a Buckskin base, possibly on a Black Dun (Grullo) base...you could get him tested for Cream and know for sure.

In his full coat, which is usually the only way of telling colour, he does look like a Bay Dun, but he is wet, what we really need is unclipped, dry, good pictures, that would give a far better idea of his true colour.

I think you need to separate the mares and their babies, it seems obvious to me that the problem here is not that this foal is dragging her down (and I have NEVER had that happen, I am afraid that if I did I should not breed from the mare again) but that she is nursing two foals, it could even be that the other mare has little milk.

I am never too happy when I see more than one foal nursing off a mare, I have had it happen, I have even had five foals nursing off a mare, on occasion, but it never caused the mare to lose weight, had it done so I should have prevented it.

Before you contemplate weaning at such an early age, which could have severe consequences for the foals mental development, I would try separating the two foals.

 

[Jill]

Oh, I totally missed the part about both foals nursing from both mares. I do agree with Jane -- put one mare / her baby in one area and the other mare / her baby in another. Hopefully that will resolve the issue but monitor baby on the heavier mare to be sure that baby's getting enough from her.

 

[ShaunaL]

Thank you so much for all your replies

I will send in a test for cream and agouti. I do love his markings, they are visible through his foal coat so I knew they were there but he's so much more striking now that he's clipped

But what I love most about him is he's fiery and has attitude but is very willing and easy to handle at the same time, he's going to be a nice performance prospect for me I think

Here he is dry and unclipped. He looks very buckskin in his foal coat.

I hate to separate the boys, they are so attached to each other and they are my only babies but yes, it seems that usually when they nurse they nurse together and from whichever mare is closest. They nurse often from the other mare too but she seems to be able to handle it better. I want him to have the best start possible, mentally as well, so I'd of course like him to stay with mama as long as possible. I'll try separating them and having "playtime" when I can.

 

[ClickMini]

That is really a beautiful colt! I LOVE his markings, I bet you felt like you won the lottery when you clipped him. I like him fuzzy too.