Mares back into the herd

[happy appy]

I was just wondering when everyone introduces their mares back into the herd after having their foals?

 

[Songcatcher]

I was just wondering when everyone introduces their mares back into the herd after having their foals?

I have a relatively small herd and primarily a pasture situation (although all have access to run in shelters and mares are usually separated before foaling). I like mares and foals to be separate for a couple of days or so after foaling to allow them to bond together. After that, I try to introduce them in with other horses. IF I want the mare to breed back on foal heat, I put her back in the pasture with the stallion when the foal is about a week old.

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

If the foal and mare are doing good and the foal was not a preemie - - we put them out at 4 or 5 days. We used to wait at least a week before turning them out - but realized that's not necessary if the foal is strong and healthy. They need their exercise outside of that stall and turnout and it sure saves alot of work in the barn not cleaning up after them. We used to fear for the foal in the group setting but past years has lessened that fear so we do it earlier now to save us the work.

It also puts them out before their foal heat so they are acclimated to the group before the added pressure and stress from the stallions eagerness.

We make sure it's morning (and prefereably a weekend) when turning them out so we have the day to watch over the babies with the fence and such rather than worry about them in the dark the first several hours. Adding a new horse to the group always causes a stampede and curious onlookers so we want the daylight to watch for the babies if they get in trouble underfoot or around the fence they've never seen before.

If the foal is really tiny we sometimes will put mare & foal in a pasture alone along side the joining pasture where the stallion is - - so they can adjust through the fence, then after couple days we turn them in together.

That's just the way we do it - less work on us and better for the mare and foal to get out into open space to run and buck.

 

[Rocket's mom]

I wait at least a week just to give the foal enough time to get it's strength and to know what's what.

 

[Miniv]

So much depends on both the foal AND the mare......

If the bond is strong and the foal is sturdy, we turn them out with the other mares and foals within 36 to 48 hours of birth during the day, but stall them at night.

We've adjusted our "turn out time" according to the needs of each new little family.

 

[HGFarm]

Ditto the first couple of posts... it depends on how they are doing, the weather, etc.... I usually keep mine in about a week and this way I know the baby is ready to go out, healthy, neither one is having any health issues and kind of gives the foal time to figure out who mama is and what the world is all about.

 

[cretahillsgal]

Same here. I keep mine separate about a week. A few days less is foal is doing great at keeping up with and staying with mom.

 

[AnnaC]

Our foals are out of their stables the day after they foal that night. Baby needs to stretch it's legs and Momma needs to get some grass! Previously we have grazed our mares in hand on the safety of our lawn for an hour or so that first day, letting the foal scamper around at will, but with just it's Momma and no other mares to confuse it! The next day they would both go out with the other mares and foals/expectant Mums for 2 or 3 hours and so on until they were staying out all day. Mostly our foals will live in at nights until they are about a month old or it is warm enough for them to be out. At the moment we are hand breeding so a stallion with the herd doesn't come into the equation.

All our expectant mares are stabled at nights from a month before their due dates, and as they can all see each other with our barn set up, they watch each other foal, so there is no 'suprise' when Momma and new baby join them in the field on the second day after the birth.

Our non- pregnant mares and young fillies all live together but are kept seperate from those that are expecting. We are just lucky to have anough land to be able to keep everyone in their own little groups.

Anna

 

[Miniv]

Anna,

I like how you explained how you manage things...... We don't like to keep our little ones closed in too long either. Sometimes a foal is "quirky" with its legs and the best thing to do is allow it to exercise.

Ma---

 

[eagles ring farm]

Our new moms and foals are outside the next day weather permitting. but we have a large area that is separate and we put them in there where herd members can visit at the gate. Then when they are 1-2 weeks old depending on our schedule we put them in with the rest of the mares and foals. We like to be home when we put them in together to keep an eye as others have said so we have gone as long as 2 weeks once. This year our 1st 2 foals were born very close together so put the 2 moms and foals out together

Also if you know your herd you'll know when your comfortable with it. But if not in with the herd outside as much as possible to run and stretch those legs. Ours are all stalled at night

 

[Michelle@wescofarms]

It is dependent on the mare/foal here and how spaced out the foaling dates are. There isn't really a hard rule. Weather can also play into it. Too hot/too cold we'll allow more alone time versus perfect spring weather.

Maiden mare's we give more time to with their foal as we want to ensure the bond is solid and the foal is doing 100%. The older mare, if both are well go back out with other mares with foals fairly quickly, usually within 24-48 hours.

Our two boys we've had this year are very active (one we're calling Bruiser for a reason!), they're natural curiosity and play could likely irritate the new mom and could accidentally cause an injury to themselves or the new foal.

Err on the side of caution.

 

[Genie]

Ours go out with a small group of yearling fillies and mares that are being left open about 4 or 5 days after foaling.

The open mares are in other pastures with stallions and once we have all our foals on the ground the mares with foals will then go to pastures with the stallions and the other mares will be pastured in neighbouring fields and watched for coming back in heat.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Mine are outside as soon as the mare is recovered, usually the next day. At this time of year the stallion is still on his own, so the mares go back in with their friends of the winter, who are still waiting for their foals, a couple of days later, again, depending on the mare and the weather.

We have had a sharp, deep frost the past couple of nights, so my youngest foal has been back up in the yard, with access to a stall, at night.

He is staying out tonight, though.

If it rained really hard, and was cold, I should want to keep them up a bit longer, but not stalled, never stalled!

 

[walkermini]

Funny this would come up, I've been rearranging horses the past couple days for this very reason! I usually keep the mare and foal in a stall for just a day or two until the foal is steady on their feet. They are then put out in a paddock with another mare and foal, or a couple mares with foals depending on how many have foaled at the time. I usually keep them in a small group like this until they are about 2-3 weeks old, then they get put with the stallion and open mares. I dont like breeding on foal heat, so this way the mare is past foal heat but will get bred on the next heat, and the foal has a little time to "grow up" and learn to get out of the way of other horses without being with too many others at once. I usually stall just at night until the foal is about six weeks old. I have a question for those that dont stall-how do you feed your nursing mares extra, while with mares that dont have foals on their sides? Or do you just stall at feed time? Just curious, as thats something Im still working on to make sure the nursing mares get enough, but not to stall too much.