Picture of my colt that mom won't accept

[bpotze]

Maiden mare still won't accept colt...I have tried just about everything suggested...by forum members...things I have read...and vets advice...I have tried tranquilizing the mare...had a very relaxed mare..that still cow-kicked when the colt tried to nurse...I removed the mare from the stall after she started charging at the baby....she has a very small bag...but has milk....she will reluctantly stand if I hold her...but continues to cow kick and try to bite him....when I removed her from the stall...she took off out into the pasture and didn't come back until I went to get her....she just doesn't care...I started him on a bottle until I give up on mom....I'm not sure how long I should keep bringing her in to let him nurse...I hate to give up on her...but I am still recovering from a hip replacement...and going out the barn every two hours is wearing me out.....here are a few pics...one of the mare and foal the day he was born...

And the last one is my grandaughter giving baby a kiss

Becky

 

[Riverrose28]

Oh God love him! See if he'll drink some milk replacer out of small shallow feed dish, no water it will give him loose stools and could dehydrate him before two weeks of age.

 

[Eagle]

Life is cruel at times. If only we were closer, you could have given him to Britt to bring up. She so wanted her baby.

He is just too cute for words. I wish you all the best.

 

[srpwildrose]

What an adorable colt.

If you lived close by, I would love to help you out. Looks like you are doing a good job.

Maybe there is another miniature horse farm in your area that could help with nursing times.

He will be one very spoiled lil colt.

 

[Jill]

Oh my gosh, he is so precious!!!

 

[supaspot]

hes adorable !

 

[SampleMM]

What a darling colt! I guess your mare is like some women who just could care less to be mothers and don't have that "motherly instinct". I'm sorry you are going through this, you must be exhausted.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Yep, hand raising a baby is plain hard work. But you may be getting closer to relief than you may think.

1) Weigh daily. Doesn't have to gain a lot, but be sure he's not losing weight.

2) Feed 25% of his body weight in milk/day. If he won't eat that much then ask your Vet to set an indwelling nasogastric tube so you can simply inject more milk with a syringe.

3) Babies only need to be fed for 30 days. Each week you should be able to decrease feedings by 1-2 hours and by week 3 you should be able to fill his belly at night and then restart the process the following am.

4) I wouldn't have given up on the mare, but that's me. If its easier for you, then the foal's odds are better if you forget her.

Goodluck!!

Dr Taylor

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

I HAD A MARE THAT WOULDN'T NURSE HER BABY AND WOULD ATTACK HIM. WE STARTED TYING HER SHORT IN THE STALL AND STOOD BESIDE HER SO THE BABY COULD NURSE. IT TOOK AWHILE BUT SHE FINALLY LET HIM FEED ONHER OWN. TRY TYING HER SHORT IN THE STALL, WORTH A TRY. CUTE BOY! GOOD LUCK

 

[JAX]

Have you tried putting them both with any other horses? Sometimes that protective instinct will kick in when other horses are around their little one. Of course I'd stay close by to be sure little one doesnt get hurt... I bottle fed one four years ago for 4 months. Mare was a good mother but didnt make milk. Oxy shot did not work. I wish I had known about Domperidone at that time...The next time we started her on Domperidone as soon as evident no milk and it worked wonders for her. Also I learned that it would have MUCH easier if I had taught the filly to drink from a pail instead of the bottle. Good Luck. I remember how tired I was... So sorry you are having to go through this!!

 

[ohmt]

Awww what a cutie! Jill's thread in the best of forum helped me so much with my orphaned colt. Get your colt drinking from a pan-SO much easier and he will learn within minutes. Get him on milk pellets too and then work equine junior in as soon as he'll eat it. That's what I did with my colt and he was never behind the other foals in growth or maturity.

 

[bpotze]

Yep, hand raising a baby is plain hard work. But you may be getting closer to relief than you may think.

1) Weigh daily. Doesn't have to gain a lot, but be sure he's not losing weight.

2) Feed 25% of his body weight in milk/day. If he won't eat that much then ask your Vet to set an indwelling nasogastric tube so you can simply inject more milk with a syringe.

3) Babies only need to be fed for 30 days. Each week you should be able to decrease feedings by 1-2 hours and by week 3 you should be able to fill his belly at night and then restart the process the following am.

4) I wouldn't have given up on the mare, but that's me. If its easier for you, then the foal's odds are better if you forget her.

Goodluck!!

Dr Taylor

I'm not giving up on the mare yet....still working with her....and still hoping that she will come around..

 

[Sandy B]

Hobble her hind legs, low around the pasterns with a single rope hobble. That way she can not kick. I would tie her through the night with those hobbles on so that baby can nurse and you can get rest. During the day I would un-hobble her for awhile so she can rest (lay down for a bit). Then untie her but put hobbles back on and see how it goes. Hind leg hobbles will keep her from kicking the baby.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

I'm not giving up on the mare yet....still working with her....and still hoping that she will come around..

I have the most luck with putting the mare in a stanchion type situation. Tied up 24/7 and not able to swing right or left. It may seem harsh, but keep in mind she wants that foal gone and dead would be fine with her. Vigorous foals will nurse even if she wiggles some, in the stanchion the foal won't get hurt and after a while the mare usually gives in.

Dr Taylor

 

[ClickMini]

I had trouble with my maiden mare in the beginning, too, plus her foal was slightly preemie and not very strong. Got through it with a combo of banamine, tranquilizers, tieing her up and holding up a front leg to keep her from kicking. I really like the idea of the hind hobbles.

Best of luck to you, that is a very sweet little baby.

 

[eagles ring farm]

What a little darling

I can't add anything to help

we had 1 mare (maiden) who loved her foal but wanted to lightly cow kick with him trying to nurse

we tied her and stayed held up a front or even back leg at times and within a day or a little longer she came around fine. Difference being she loved him just didn't want him trying to nurse. So we luckily got through it.

Wishing you so much luck with resolving the situation so you can get some rest 24-36 hrs was enough for me. You must be exhausted

 

[rabbitsfizz]

You need to keep the mare in the stall with the foal but I do not agree with tying her up, I just don't!

You can make up a stall within a stall, where the baby will be able to stand and turn and be there, smell, sight etc, but Mama is not restricted either, and not just some nurse cow....sorry, but there are more humane ways of doing this, and still getting a good result, I know as I have done it.

There is a good chance, if you restrict the mare as suggested, she will resent the foal even more- I know I would.

You should not allow the foal to approach the mare without you being there and the mare being held- if you do this religiously, always being present and always holding the mare, eventually you will be able to back off and there is a good chance of a good ending. Tying the mare, I do not think I would ever trust letting her loose, whereas with the more humane route you can back off a bit at a time, keeping up on the pain meds and the sedative until you are sure. As I said at the start it took me 15 days this last time, til the mare was what I would call "normal" but that is the longest it has ever taken.

The foal, if you are hand rearing, would be better off, as some have said, on a bowl than a bottle, and I normally have my orphan foals weaned onto a mash feed by one month- obviously they still have milk pellets in there, but, again, they wean off a lot quicker than a natural raised foal as there is no emotional tie to break.

I have never had a problem with foals drinking water and all my foals, orphans and otherwise, are drinking water by 2/3 days- I would worry of they were not. Whilst I can see the dangers of an orphan drinking too much water, if the milk feeds offered are right it should not have any more need to drink water than a natural raised foal.

So- clean water at all times, maybe just not a HUGE bucket of the stuff

 

[miniheart]

I don't mean to sound mean and hope I don't but maybe hobble her? Then she couldn't kick and use a grazing muzzle so she couldn't bite? Soon she may just give in. Or does that sound cruel?

 

[bpotze]

I don't mean to sound mean and hope I don't but maybe hobble her? Then she couldn't kick and use a grazing muzzle so she couldn't bite? Soon she may just give in. Or does that sound cruel?

That doesn't sound cruel at all....We have tried....she still jerks her leg up and scares him....she only lets him on one side...

Becky

 

[Sandy B]

Again, I would try hobbling the two hind legs together about 18" apart and low. The mare will eventually give up and the baby will get smart and realize that momma can't kick.