Weaning Nefertiti

[Mercysmom]

I have bred, raised and weaned many a foal over the years and it seems the older I get, the tougher it is to do the weaning thing...on ME! :bgrin

I weaned Nefertiti this week - at almost six months of age she is somewhat upset about not having access to mom 24/7 but she forgets that in the pasture, she was most independent and not near her mom for most of the time.

Her mom could care less... she was eating more than my large mare and was still quite skinny as Neffie was really drawing off of her hard. She will whinny once or twice but realizes she has a life beyond being a mom and I think she likes the break from her demanding child.

Nefertiti has three great babysitters when I am at work... my minis Mercy (six foals under her belt), Independence (2.5 foals) and Freedom (no foal of her own but she adopted my PMU filly as hers). Freedom and Indy keep Neffie in line when she is truly acting like a "baby". Mom and the PMU filly have their own pen and space - they are tightly bonded and like being "big horses".

But, Neffie resumes her "I want to be mature" attitude when we have our training sessions... she knows about standing "pretty" (aka parked-out) and she learned about the longe line (not an intensive session - just a "you go this way at this gait... whoa, reverse and go that way at that gait" and a "whoa and wait for me to approach" for about five minutes at my command...I love seeing her "presence" come through at this young age and know that our future training has potential.

: A plus is that she has the bloodlines of a Modern Shetland Pony I had admired for years....

:

The same "fire" of her grandsire is there in my young Modern filly and I feel truly blessed! My dreams have come true....

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[Lewella]

I think weaning is always harder on us than it is on them! LOL I know it sure seems that way when I wean my foals every fall.

: Sounds like she is adjusting well though and that her big girl lessons are going well too! :aktion033:

 

[kaykay]

i hate weaning. of course it doesnt help that i never have two foals to wean together. I do think that makes it easier. but i agree with lewella its harder on us probably. I just hate it when they cry for mom. mine has been weaned for a month and still cries for her dam.

 

[Mercysmom]

i hate weaning. of course it doesnt help that i never have two foals to wean together. I do think that makes it easier. but i agree with lewella its harder on us probably. I just hate it when they cry for mom. mine has been weaned for a month and still cries for her dam.

We are starting week three this week and I am doing much better! Intrepid whinnies just to check on where Neffie is... but then she calls to everyone. She will watch me when I am working with Neffie to make sure I am doing it right. :lol:

Usually I have other foals to wean which helps but this was my first year in a long time with just one.

Neffie can lead in and out of the barn on her own - we ponied her with Independence and then Freedom at first as she tried to jump out of her stall without someone in next door (Freedom was a big help here - when Neffie would bunch up to jump, Freedom lunged at her with her ears back). Now when she is turned out, Neffie no longer runs to Intrepid and Finisterre's pen... she will eat hay, walk over to check on her mom, and return to her hay pile.

She is funny when she snorts and blows through her nose when she is angry.

I am grateful for the help from Neffie's new herd of Independence, Freedom and Mercy - they are kind to her when she is being reasonable and they discipline her when she is being obnoxious - they are teaching her to be a reasonable horse!

Denise

Silversong Farm

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Weaning is my most hated thing about raising horses with the last foals we had 2 years ago I weaned the colt who was sold and didnt wean the fillies they self weaned (although both dams were not being drawn down so I had that advantage) neither mare was bred back and both self weaned around a year. I did seperate them when they went into stalls at night but they spent the days togther it worked great for me and for any fillies I intend to keep i will do the same thing as long as mom can handle it.