mare weaning her foal.

[wantminimore]

Have any of you ever had a mare wean a foal on her own? Or maybe the mare has slowed down/stopped producing milk? The foal is almost 5 months old.

 

[AnnaC]

By the age of 5 months most foals are naturally 'weaned', using their dams for just an occasional 'comfort' drink. We dont actually wean our foals until they are 6 months, but by this time, like your foal, they have very little 'use' for their dams, especially if their have other foals to play with.

I have had several mares with foals, who somewhere between 5 and 6 months will actually stop the foal from drinking - shoving it away or walking off to prevent it suckling - all to the good if the mare is also pregnant again.

Is this what your mare is doing, if so I wouldn't be too worried, just make sure that the foal is getting it full amount of its own feed and plenty of free choice soft leafy hay or free access to good grass if you have pasture.

 

[Wings]

Last year my foal did much of what Anna described, mum was there for snacks not meals! But she made no move to stop him and at 7 months I took him off. I think a lot of mares are content to keep feeding them at this point and without a stallion around to drive them off natural weaning can't really take place.

 

[shadowpaints]

i have a mare that refuses to let the foal nurse around 3 months old. i know, its not ideal, but she starts being so mean to her baby that we must seperate them. neither ever throws a fit, both seem ok about it... the foal just gets extra attention and extra juniopr feed. we usually keep the foal in with the other foals, an yearlings to help . i dont know why this mare does this, buut 2 foals so far and both times its happened to us!

 

[wantminimore]

Thanks for the replies. I haven't noticed thefoal nursing for a while and recently when I did see her try to nurse the mare would lift her hind leg. The foal is getting plenty of hay and feed. I've had the mare and foal in with my gelding until recently and now all of the mares, this foal and the gelding are all together and what a great pal/baby-sitter the gelding makes for the foal.

Thanks again.

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

It depends on the dam. Some do wean early, some foals will move away from their dam earlier than others. This year our oldest foal is taking the longest to get that separation. The two others are off on their own most of the time with an occasional visit to their dams. But their dams were also fairly independent as foals too.

On the other hand I have a coming three year old that still nurses on her dam although there is little if any milk. Her dam has never been bred after that, so I figure it's not hurting either of them.

 

[Lindi-loo]

It depends on the dam. Some do wean early, some foals will move away from their dam earlier than others. This year our oldest foal is taking the longest to get that separation. The two others are off on their own most of the time with an occasional visit to their dams. But their dams were also fairly independent as foals too.

On the other hand I have a coming three year old that still nurses on her dam although there is little if any milk. Her dam has never been bred after that, so I figure it's not hurting either of them.

Yayy good on you ..Im all for natural weaning although most of the time I know its not practical ..I intend to leave my filly on my mare for as long as it takes ..so long as theyr both happy so am I

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