Many questions about foal care and when do to what

Miniature Horse Talk Forums

Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Never2Mini

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2012
Messages
210
Reaction score
27
Location
Ohio
Some might have seen my other thread. I am new to having a newborn foal. I have been doing some reading on how to care for her and when to start doing what but most of the books and info are about regular size foals not minis.

When do you all worm for the first time and with what ?

When do you start to halter train ?

When do you start to offer grain and tips on how ? Do you buy a creep feeder or ? The creeper feeders I have found are for regular size horse foals. It looks like a Mini horse could eat out of them and eat the foals food.

When do you give vaccines ? This mares vaccine history is unknown other then the tetanus I gave her before foaling.

When do you turn dam and foal out with other mini's ? I have a gelding,a colt (which I am looking to rehome) and 1 other mare due in Aug. Right now I turn dam and filly out by themselves.

Any other advice or tips will be appreciated. Thanks
default_smile.png
 
When do you all worm for the first time and with what ?

Generally you should worm before the foal is born a couple weeks ahead or I have heard some do it when the foal is born so no adverse effects. One of the vets can recommend better.

When do you start to halter train ?

Depends on inidividual - but by the 3rd day generally I have one on and off.

When do you start to offer grain and tips on how ? Do you buy a creep feeder or ? The creeper feeders I have found are for regular size horse foals. It looks like a Mini horse could eat out of them and eat the foals food.

Foals will naturally start testing stuff because they see their dam doing it. They digestive track isn't ready until about 7 days - then you will see them eat some of the dam's poo to get digestive bacteria in their stomachs. Once I see that I don't worry about whether they eat or not.

When do you give vaccines ? This mares vaccine history is unknown other then the tetanus I gave her before foaling.

The foal is protected by the dam for the most part until weaning. I do have a tetanus shot given within 12 hours of foaling though.

When do you turn dam and foal out with other mini's ? I have a gelding,a colt (which I am looking to rehome) and 1 other mare due in Aug. Right now I turn dam and filly out by themselves.

This is up to the individual owner. My momma mares and foals are set apart in their own pasture away from junior mares. Some leave them in herds with no issues.
 
Some might have seen my other thread. I am new to having a newborn foal. I have been doing some reading on how to care for her and when to start doing what but most of the books and info are about regular size foals not minis.

When do you all worm for the first time and with what ? We worm for the first time at 3 mos. then every month untill 1 year old. then they are eevry 8 wks with the other horses for foals we always use Safeguard

When do you start to halter train ? Usually have a halter on them when a couple days old to walk dam and foal out to have an alone time pasture. They don't learn much there as they are just following mom but get somewhat used to wearing a halter for the short trip. Usually at a couple months old we will start to take them for walks with and without mom depending on how mom attached they are

When do you start to offer grain and tips on how ? Do you buy a creep feeder or ? The creeper feeders I have found are for regular size horse foals. It looks like a Mini horse could eat out of them and eat the foals food. As said above we don't use creep feaders foal just joins in mom's feed dish after 1-2 wks old. Most of the mares we have and have had will be glad to share their feed w/ baby. Then when a little older we give them their own feed dish although mom usually ends up finishing that too unless we bring them in the barn hallway out of the stall to eat. We have done that too

When do you give vaccines ? This mares vaccine history is unknown other then the tetanus I gave her before foaling.within 2 days of birth we give a Tetnas Anti Toxin shot, then at 3 mos 4 way,wnv rabies and rhino, then again at 4 mos 4 way wnv . then they would be good for the year and regulaer shots at 1 year old

When do you turn dam and foal out with other mini's ? I have a gelding,a colt (which I am looking to rehome) and 1 other mare due in Aug. Right now I turn dam and filly out by themselves.it depends on our schedule as we want to be home the first day with all together to keep an eye, and also considering what horses they will be with, we usually turn them back with the other mares 1-2 wks old. That is long enough for us to be sure foal knows who mom is without getting confused and separated from her. It gives them bonding time to get aquainted. This is just what we usually do everyone has their own way and many vets suggest different time frames
Any other advice or tips will be appreciated. Thanks
default_smile.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have dial up, so can't respond to each question as everyone else has, but I'll do my best to remember the questions and answer accordingly.

As for worming, I worming the mom with ivermectine the day she foals, for thread worms,

I worm the foal at two weeks, to prohibit round worms, and this is how I do it and with what, I use panacur or strongid which ever I have on hand, I squeeze a Qtip size on my finger and insert into the side of the mouth.

I let the mare and foal bond as much as possable, but do take a chair into their paddock, sit and read or just watch and let the foals come to me for scratches, whatever.

At three weeks of age, I take my chair, which foal is used to and hold it in my lap, touch, brush, scratch all over, clean hooves and have my hubby run a rasp on little hooves, just to even out, and acclimate the foal to having hooves handled, and to show them they won't be hurt.

As for feeding, no creep feeders here eithe, heck, my foals will mouth grain out of Moms at a couple days old. At two weeks of age I give them their own dish

I start giving vaccs at three months, I give two flu, two encephilitis, and tetnus. the follow that up in two more weeks

AS for turning out with other horses, it depends, if I have more then one foal, I'll let the moms and babies be together after two weeks, this year I only have one, so he and his Mom are in their own paddock, plus the fact he flirts already with the other mares, and I just know they will knock his head off.ck
 
My vet likes to vaccinate mine at 3 months, and mama needs a float then anyway. My two foals started eating their own grain, soaked grass hay cube bits and alfalfa bits at 1 week. Turn them out with others at 2 to 3 weeks when she is a little more relaxed about the foal.

Most of all, I was going to start a thread to say that with both of my foals, and I have had only two, I never have had the diarrhea issue. I believe it is because I worm the dam right after foaling with Ivermectin, and I give the foal Foal Response the first or second day after birth.

Since both were very long gestational foals and had long hooves at birth they have early hoof trimming. Skye has had 3 now and she is comfortable with us cleaning and filing. Husband sits and holds her around the chest and butt, and I pick and file.
 
Some things to mention that were not on your list. Be sure the mare is getting plenty of calcium in her diet, as she needs it to make all that milk. Good sources are alfalfa in any form or some types of ulcer prevention supplements (read labels). Also, as your foals start to eat grain at a few days of age (we feed mom in a rubber dish on the ground and then give foal his own dish by the time he is 2 weeks old) he is often not real good at this at first. Thus choke can be a real danger. The risk seems to be high between 2 and 4 weeks (based on a thread I posted on here in 2010 when our foal choked). I don't think there is much you can do except be aware of the danger and if you see "stuff" coming out the foal's nose, it could be choke and not a snotty nose.

I think your vaccine schedule for the foal will depend on when the mare was vaccinated. We give our mares their spring shots a month before they are due to foal so the foal should get his immunity from those. The foal will get his own shots in the fall. Of course, always check with your vet.
 
Thanks everyone for the very help info
default_smile.png


Hmm I will have to check her calcium intake. I feed Purina Strategy along with mixed orchard/timothy hay and pasture. I do have some Alfalfa pellets I ad to my 2 yr old colts feed. I did see Tractor supply has yummy looking little bales. Just might have to get one for momma she deserves it. She is a very good momma.

Dreama my foal will come right up to you and likes to be petted all over except her ears. I have been working on that by petting her everywhere she likes then be sneaky and touching her ears. Soon as she realizes I am touching her ears she takes off. Any other tips on getting her to except her ears touched ?

She also does not like to be held. I have just started working on that in the stall. I wrap one arm around her chest the other around her butt. I hold her till she stops struggling and I will pet her a short time then let her go. I thought if I do this everyday she will soon except it and not struggle. Then I will start working with her feet.
 
Horses do not like to be restrained it goes against their flight response, Problem is in order to live with us humans it is a necessary evil. Keep practicing holding her and add a little more time each and every time, you may also touch her ears, horses love, once accepted, haveing their ears rubbed starting from the bottom working your way to the tip, it's called stripping. You'll appreciate this training later when acclimating to the clippers for showing. Also while she is restrained rub her shoulder and work your way down her leg some of them are touchy about legs and it is also good for them to learn early on.
 
Yes rubbing down her legs while holding works for me very well. If you would release her as soon as she stops struggling to get free, then she is rewarded immediately, and little by little she doesn't fight it so much as long as you aren't having to medicate, worm, clean or file a hoof, etc. Pressure and release. She will learn from the release of pressure, not the pressure. This also works well with leading/halter training. Start out with one long lightweight cotton rope, or two small mm ropes. I use my 4mm 6 ft long catch ropes. One looped around the butt, one looped around the throatlatch. NOT with a knot or slipknot. These are held by your two hands. Then you can move the butt forward, and if needed, keep the head and neck straight, or to turn, and the process I won't go into here does 2 things. 1) They don't get hurt by rearing, they have nothing attached to their head yet, that comes later. But the rope around the upper neck safely teaches to give to pressure, and to stop. 2)The rope around the butt controls their forward motion to move forward from pressure, then release.

This is a process of teaching in steps, next to the dam, it is safe, they don't have anything to pull against on their head yet, but you have safe control.

If your interested I could take pictures.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Sure Rubyviewminis I would love to see pictures of your way. I have a the book The Foal Primer its for regular size horses. They talk about a butt rope but theirs is different then yours. They use one 6 foot rope hooked together to make a circle. They put one loop over the foals neck figure 8 it over the foals back then put the other loop around foals butt under the tail. Then hold it at where you figure 8 it over their back. I just worry about it being looped like that with one rope of the foal hurting its self. Looking forward to seeing pictures of your way.
default_smile.png


I picked up panacur and more Alfalfa pellets today at TSC for Momma. They were out of the bales. I plan on giving the Alfalfa pellets to my expecting mare also. Would that be a good idea for her to ? She is due late August.

Riverrose28 do you worm the foal ever month after that ? I did worm Dam right after delivery with Iver. Should I also worm her with the panacur when I worm foal ?

default_smile.png
I found my foals favorite itch spot yesterday ! Its her butt area. I also figured out a better way to handle her ears. Instead of going for her ears by petting up her mane. She likes and excepts it better if I start by scratching her forehead and work the ear touching in from that direction.
default_smile.png
She is a silly girl she actual likes me to rub her legs. Yesterday I picked up her back feet for the first time.
default_smile.png
She is 3 wks old today. Thanks gals for the tips on holding and restraining her. She still needs work on that. I try to do it a little everyday. I am so in love with this girl. If I could bring her and Momma in the house I would. lol !

Almost forgot I bought a tiny halter today. To practice putting on and off. They didn't have pink I had to get light blue.O well next one will be girly.
default_smile.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yes, I rotate wormers and worm every other month the first year, then after they become a yearling, evry three months, Unless, I notice a pot belly or evidence, then I get the vet to run a fecal.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top