VERY protective new Momma

[PaintedMeadows]

I have a friend's mare here that foaled an adorable little colt yesterday morning. Problem is that she is REALLY aggressive. She foaled in the pasture and I didn't notice any signs to say she was going to foal until he was staning next to her. Anyways, it is cool and rainy here so I put a coat on him which was a struggle with her. She won't let me anywhere near her to catch her. She strikes out, kicks and everything. Today when i had to fix his little coat she grazed my head with her hooves, it was a really close call. Anyways, how long do you think she will be this way? Her filly last year died from exposure and I am stressed. As I said, he isn't mine either and we have never clicked as long as she has been here. I hoope this is just a first few days protection thing.

 

[weerunner]

My mare took 2 weeks to stop threatening me with her ears pinned and that I'll kill you look. She still does that for strangers though and the baby is almost 3 months. Look at it this way, she a good momma. Good luck with winning her over.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Always keep baby between you and her. It will help some because she won't want to injure him. At least thats what we do when we have to doctor a calf and the cow wants to take us out for even looking at that baby. If I were you tho I'd find a way to catch the mare and tie her while you do what needs to be done. Better yet tie her and brush her out and ignore the foal for a while. Maybe she'll get the message that you are entirely the enemy. Good luck and be careful, even our little horses can really hurt us if they try.

 

[Carolyn R]

I had one that was not nearly as bad, but she took two weeks to settle down. She would hip check any human man out of the way if they were near her filly. She calmed down before they went to their new home.

The two mares I have now trust me too much. They wonder off and let me baby sit when I am cleaning the turnout. I had to carry a baby back to her momma tonight.

Carolyn

 

[Marty]

Completely unacceptable.

Baby dying of exposure, horrifying way to die.

I would suggest they both be brought inside immediately and the mare tied periodically for short bits of time like in the stall with the baby for say 5 minutes or less so the baby can be handled and checked safely without the mare being loose to threaten humans. Someone needs to start putting some manners and training on that mare too. I am so glad you didn't get yourself hurt.

You might be able to take three panels and make a catch pen in a corner and catch the mare that way. Also be very careful that the blanket is not soaking through or you will have one very sick baby on your hands. Sometimes the water proof ones leak through the seams and down the neck so just keep checking it.

Please do be careful. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[HaazeMinis]

I agree with Marty that this is unacceptable. This mare needs to be caught and brought up to either a smaller pen or better yet a stall.

We have never had one that agressive with a foal at side and if we did it would not be tollerated at all. Maybe, if you can catch the baby(or get close enough to baby to catch it) take the foal to the smaller area or stall becasue she will follow her baby and then she can be cornered and caught (with patience) to be haltered.

A couple of our mares here will be harder to catch the first few days after the birth of foal when we turn them out in the paddock for the day, but when they decide to be a little "hard" to catch we just snag the foal and the mare will follow baby to her stall.

Our foals are usually really friendly at birth and even after birth. Our mares trust us though so it usually is not a problem catching or handling the mares or foals, but even our most friendliest mares can be protective, but they have never tried to kick or threaten us in any way, it is just more of a "herding" the foal away from us thing that they do and even then it usually only last the first couple of days that they do that.

Good Luck and I hope this colt does ok.

Jeri