JennyB
overo
We have always weaned at 4-6 months depending on the size of the foal, how well they were doing and if the mare was loosing weight or not. I don't know if any others had read a recent Eqqus article about waiting to wean until at least a year?
They had taken some wild horses and had put them in the same stressful situations that domestic horses where used to. It seems that the wild horses didn't develop many bad behavior habits that domestic horses developed. They feel that this may be because wild horses are of course not weaned from their dams until the next foal is born. We of course for many different reasons can't do this, but it was suggested to try(if possible) to wean as old as possible. Then when you do wean, take baby away-next to the mare for only an hour a day. Keeping the mare close to the foal during the whole process. Weaning early doesn't allow a foal to get complete behavior abilities for LIFE from dam and or others. This places the foals under stress and they can develop bad behavior habits such as; cribbing, pacing, kicking walls, biting themselves, meaness towards other foals, etc. Could this also cause ulcers, colic, more general illness too?
What are your feelings about this topic?
I am going to leave my April colt with his dam all winter and see what he is like as he matures after I wean him the following spring. I will be gelding him very soon.
Thanks,
Jenny
They had taken some wild horses and had put them in the same stressful situations that domestic horses where used to. It seems that the wild horses didn't develop many bad behavior habits that domestic horses developed. They feel that this may be because wild horses are of course not weaned from their dams until the next foal is born. We of course for many different reasons can't do this, but it was suggested to try(if possible) to wean as old as possible. Then when you do wean, take baby away-next to the mare for only an hour a day. Keeping the mare close to the foal during the whole process. Weaning early doesn't allow a foal to get complete behavior abilities for LIFE from dam and or others. This places the foals under stress and they can develop bad behavior habits such as; cribbing, pacing, kicking walls, biting themselves, meaness towards other foals, etc. Could this also cause ulcers, colic, more general illness too?
What are your feelings about this topic?
I am going to leave my April colt with his dam all winter and see what he is like as he matures after I wean him the following spring. I will be gelding him very soon.
Thanks,
Jenny
