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Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 28
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 03:08 pm: | 
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does anyone have any good advice for what to do to get new mother back into riding? i know i can have the foal just run along beside her but i'd rther not as i board at a barn and i would have to be alone in order to ride. is it very dangerous/hazardous to seperate them for an hour? will they get used to it? i'm not worried about the foal because he's not very attached but the mare is VERY protective. has anyone else gone through this? |
Megan Diehl
Nursing Foal
Username: Megan
Post Number: 11
Registered: 02-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 03:21 pm: |
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Good question! Does anyone have any ideas? I also have a mare that we would like to start riding and driving soon. |
Danielle Roosen-Runge
Nursing Foal
Username: Rolling_hills_quarter_horses
Post Number: 20
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 07:19 pm: |
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How old are the foals? Biggest thing I have found is to do it incrementally but I generally don't not have the foals in sight. It can be hazardous at young ages to do so! |
Heather Kutyba
Yearling
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 86
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Monday, March 06, 2006 - 11:37 pm: |
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Not sure what the exact answer is on this one, but it probably varies from horse to horse.
I can't imagine actively working/training a mare with a foal aside. I've ponied foals from the dam or put the foal with a companion horse for a short time. Have also ridden bareback in the pasture w/older foal at side.
Keep in mind that forced exercise can also reduce lactation levels.
It is more likely to have problems with your mare. How your mare responds, will probably dictate what you can do.
Right now, your foal is too young to consider riding the mare. Even at 6-8 weeks of age, foals tire easily and their bone structures shouldn't be subject to forced stress.
If returning to the show ring is of such importance, it is possible to wean early at around 3 months (if eating/drinking/etc. on his own). |
Heather Kutyba
Yearling
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 87
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 12:00 am: |
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Sorry, didn't really address your questions, so will try again.
#1. is it very dangerous/hazardous to seperate them for an hour?
---right now, unless for medical reasons, your mare/foal should not be seperated. He about/around 1 week I think??
#2. i'm not worried about the foal because he's not very attached.
---while your colt may seem quite independent (mine does), you will find a completely different situation if you ACTIVELY seperate them at this point. I have seen foals try to jump over the stall partitions to get back with momma, only to get hurt. Have seen foals run through fences and break necks, etc. If you leave him in the stall and take her away, there is a pretty big certainty that you will have a very frantic foal.
#3. the mare is VERY protective.
---one thought...how much are you going to accomplish with a protective mare that has been taken away from her baby?
#4. has anyone else gone through this?
---Have and currently am. My colt is quite independent...won't come when momma calls, runs with the big horses..runs around the barn instead of coming inside (boys will be boys). My mare is protective, but nonchalant if Buddy is in sight.
My mare is a sweet, well behaved mare. But, she will go through Hell and High water to get to him if she can't see him... and I wouldn't want to get in the middle of that (nor should I). |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 168
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 01:01 pm: |
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Heather- I'm not an expert, but I will tell you that every year our lesson horses have foals and after two weeks they go back to work a little at a time. The foals are with their mothers during the day and then when it's lesson time they stay in the stall while mom works. We'll start this out for 30 minutes a couple of days, then work up to an hour, by about 6 weeks, the mares will be gone for as much as 4 hours at a time. The foals do fine and at weaning time they actually accept it relatively easily. (and we wean a little earlier than most to keep the mares from going too far down on their weight, usually at 3-4 months) |
Heather Kutyba
Yearling
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 88
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 03:04 pm: |
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No expert here either.
Have had mares do fine with this...and others that would flip out.
The biggest advantage to starting a mare up (as you described E), is that it sure makes the weaning process much simpler and less stressful.
I tend to be pro-broodmare/baby on this one, BUT mares many moons ago had foals in the field...hopped up and kept going.
I'm betting the hardest part of the process for Rebecca will be that she is at a boarding stable...
Any likelyhood that there is a stall that faces the arena that the foal could stay in, or another horse that could baby sit?
My older mare has taken the new foal under her wing, and he's just as content with her as he is his momma (minus the milk bar). |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 179
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 05:31 pm: |
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Heather- all our mares are in box stalls, the foals stay there while momma is gone, and out of site is best, we have music in our arena ( which is turned up louder when the foals are born..lol ) so that the mares aren't as distracted by their calling.. at first they are aggitated, but it doesn't take but a time or two for them to figure out that their foals are fine and waiting for them when they come back. ( and I think many of them secretly welcome the break from mothering..lol ) |
Heather Kutyba
Yearling
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 90
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 07, 2006 - 08:31 pm: |
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I bet you're right! Sure those mares wish they not only had the overhead music, but headphones to boot. |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 30
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 10:07 am: |
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well, i rode her the past two days. i'll describe what i did so it might help others in same position.
monday night i went out to the barn, put Teleo's halter on him and then put on mom's. put a chain over her nose for control just in case then jsut walked her out of her stall and closed the door and kept going. she whinnied for him till i got into the other barn. (i board at a stable that has two barns, one has arena and stalls, other just has stalls) I lunged her until she wore herself out, then rode her for about 15 minutes. Then I turned her out in the arena and went back down to the other barn to get Teleo. I led him up to the barn and turned him out with mom. Everything turned out fine. I repeated the same thing last night and this time she whinnied about every 5 minutes (even with radio on VERY LOUD) but it did not interrupt her strides or her work. both of them seem to be fine during and after seperation so i will repeat again tonight and see if we get worse or better. so far so good. and i am planning to wean @ 3 months, granted he's eating and drinking on his own. i also plan to take both of them to shows and lessons and repeat the process i use at home. |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 439
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 10:47 am: |
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It sounds like you are making good strides with the mare and foal. It is good to seperate early and the mare and foal will learn that they can be rejoined and you can still work with the mare this way. We normally don't start a riding workout until the baby is about two weeks old. Alot of times the mare and foal will be sepreated on the foal heat for breeding purposes--just depending on what we do for a rebreeding. For us, we tend to leave the baby on the mare for at least 6 months unless there is a problem. If the mare and colt are doing good. Why not keep them together. ?? It has worked for our advantage at shows to keep the baby nursing as it calms the baby and mom both-in most cases. The baby won't loose any weight during weaning time prior to shows and you won't have to retrace your steps. We like to wean come the end of show season/summer... to early fall. This way the baby has gotton past the stressful heat of the summer/show and then won't really loose any weight during weaning as they are really digesting the food they eat without pushing them too hard . Three months is really almost too early to wean. Please think carefully for the colts benifit-as long as it has not had a negitive affect condition wise for your mare--4 months is a bit better but 6 months is great. He can learn alot from his mom in the herd life and how to conduct himself, learn to stand up for himself and how to treat others. Foals need their mama's !
Best of luck- sounds like you have a good start.
Kim |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 188
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 01:54 pm: |
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I agree with Kim, if we didn't have to wean our foals early, we surely wouldn't. Unfortunately, our mares just tend to get too thin if we leave them on much past the 3 to 4 month mark. (because of the number of hours they put in daily, most horses aren't worked like ours are and in that case, I'd leave a foal on the mare up to 6 months so long as they are both doing well) |
Lori aka " Raven"
Nursing Foal
Username: Raven
Post Number: 12
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 05:21 pm: |
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It is good to know that it is better for both mom and foal if you leave them together longer. In the wild they are and so are they on these big rumada farms. In my opinion, if it matters, mares are the only one that knows when it is time to wean and they will do it on their own. There maybe something that the foal needs still that us humans cannot see. You all know the old saying "Momma knows best".
I have a 2yr old Arab in my barn that was taken from mom at 3 months, to this day she still does not have any herd instincts or social skills. With experiance in the dogs they were a better dog when left with littermates and mom longer than 6 weeks.
Again just my opinion. |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 443
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 08, 2006 - 05:41 pm: |
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Its funny that you mention this in the wild thing.... We Will leave our babies as long as possible. Alot of times we will leave a baby with mom until the late winter the following year. By about nine months we will pull the babys and totally wean(some weaning has already started naturally). It makes weaning so much easier, than having a 4 month old baby trying to finds its ma and ma yelling back at baby. So much can happen to mom and baby if you wean to early as they panic about what nature was meant to be. My mares are open this year(by choice) and I have two babys that will be a year in april. They have their own stalls now(took them out of moms stall about a month ago) and they are seperated at night and together in the day. I would imange that the nurse a few times a day , but you can see that milk production has gone down--and it will the more they rely on water. Also from human experience it is much easier to wean at a older age than too young, and they will wean as they become accoustomed to food and beverage. I forced weaned a nine month and it was horiable (because I wasn't gonna have a year old kid nursing  ) The the next nursed until 13 months and then decided they were done. Wanted no interest. If I would have only knew! LOL. I would not have had to go through all the crying because they wouldn't take a bottle and just wanted to be in moms care. What expereince does for one. If someone would have told me .  |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 204
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 01:29 pm: |
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I've seen mares nursing yearlings from the previous year as well as a foal they currently have. I cannot think that it would be healthy for the mare to continue nursing that long but maybe not. With the feeds that are available now days, I don't think foals miss anything nutritionally by being weaned early, it's mostly the social and developemental aspect of things that come into play. Our set up is certainly not optimum, but unfortunately, it's what we have to deal with, either that, or just use geldings and forget having mares. (perish the thought) |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 31
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 04:19 pm: |
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i have thought of the social factors but i think i have a plan for that as well. the barn where i board at has 10 babies this year including mine and the owner of the barn doesn't wean till 6-7 months on his foals so my weaned baby would be out with them. would he be at a disadvantage with no mom to protect him from other mares? my mare and foal will be turned out with these other mares and foals until weaning, then just Teleo will go out with them. I was also planning on starting him on milk-replacer pellets in a month or so. what's the best way to creep feed? |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 448
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 04:45 pm: |
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I guess it would depend on the other mares attitudes and how they co-habitate. If the mares are possessive with thier foals then you little fellow could get hurt. I had a foal loose it mama when he was about 5 months , he did ok in the herd, but I think that everyone sortta knew what happend to the mom. He had a rough time with the weaning as all the other babies still had their moms .
Either he will do fine or you could have trouble. I really can not condone doing this, three months is to young unless there is a problem to justify it.
Sorry, I wish you the best of luck
kim |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 214
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 05:00 pm: |
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Rebecca- if you leave him on there till he's 6 or 7 months, I'd think that would be pretty close to what most folks do. If you want to show your mare, you can certainly do that and take the foal along for the over night shows and leave him stalled for the close ones. Our babies are only weaned when it's not possible to keep enough weight on the mares because of the amount of usage they get in lessons and summer camp, if the mare goes down too much, we just have to pull the babies off. Pastured mares would be inclined to do better, unfortunately, we have no pasture and ours are all stalled year round. If you can keep him on your mare till the others are weaned, that would certainly be your best option. |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 449
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 05:29 pm: |
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Ev,
done it before, love to drag those babies to shows, it gives them good experience and they aren't as stressed as they would be without mom. Ya, it does take up trailer space, but its good experience for the foals for later dates. Most the times moms can do a good job teaching baby the ropes. I would agree with you in only weaning if necessary. I did have mare , it didn't matter how much you fed her, at 4 months the baby was weaned because the mare would get so pulled down that it would take a while to build her back up.
You must do some sort of riding lessons or trail rides ?? Is that why the mares get so much use?
Rebecca -- look for some reliable help with your foal-- It sounds as if you are having some difficulty with leading the foal from another thread. Is there some experienced help at the facility that can give you a hand. ?? Sometimes it takes two to work with a baby. One to lead mom and one to work with baby. Let mom do the work, don't fight the baby, walk with the foal and not against it. Walk when baby walks, try to be just company along side the foal to begin with. Once they learn your not there to hurt them they will give. They need to get use to you just being at thier side with a rope in hand . |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 219
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:46 am: |
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Kim- my husband gives riding lessons full time, we have anywhere from 100-150 students a week year round. (the horses at our ranch REALLY earn their living, no yard ornaments I'm afraid, except for maybe my own personal horses..lol, they have it much easier) In and average day, the horses will be in 4 hours of lessons, sometimes as much as 5-6 and then in the summer they are out all day for summer camp and getting several hours of trail rides as well as arena time. We live in KS so when warm weather arrives and they work so hard, it's just impossible to keep the mares at a healthy weight for long if they still have a colt on them. We try to get the foals on the ground early so that they have a good start and can be weaned before the really hot weather arrives. Ideally, we'd like to have two strings of horses and be able to alternate work days, but we only have 10 acres of land (and NO ONE around us will let loose of any pasture) so we have to limit the number we have and they work a full week just like we do. (not to mention shows on the weekends occasionally) I can honestly say, the horses probably put in as many hours in a week as we do! |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 455
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 11:23 am: |
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Wow, thats alot of students to have! Thats a load full.... We have considered it but the liability seems awefully high. Also thought of opening a trail ride company, We live just down the road from a state park that has horse trails but don't offer any horses ...
I just cringe at weaning a 3month old without good reason
Spring is in the air, tulips are popping the ground and birds are singing. I am ready for some sun! Bring it on! Summer fun in the sun! Kids will be in thier first year of 4-h and they are excited! |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 222
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 12:07 pm: |
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Kim- it is a full load, sometimes, it's burdensome though. His last class ends at 8:30 p.m. so most nights we have dinner at 9-9:30 and then crash.. plus there are times I'd like to have the barn and arena to myself, but those moments are few and far between. We also have about 15?? boarded horses, so we aren't often home alone..lol.
I wish we had acres of pasture where we could turn out the mares and let them just be mom's and the babies be foals for a few months, alas, that's never likely to be, they don't lack for anything though, and often we'll sell horses before they've been in lessons more than a year or two..and they go to good homes and families that love them and pamper them..so they have green pastures and open spaces in the long run! (they just have to do their time to get there!) |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 36
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 11:01 am: |
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well, just an update.
i've been repeating the process as i described off and on now for almost two weeks. everything still seems to be doing fine and I've been giving Teleo things in the stall to occupy his time alone. my mare is riding very well now and Teleo is leading well. he's got a problem with rearing but i'm trying to break him of that. other than that, everything is great and i'm going to try to leave mom and baby together at least until he's 5-6 months. if he starts sucking everything out of Skeetles I'll wean him and if he seems to not need her anymore, i'll wean then. |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 487
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 12:05 pm: |
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Rebecca,
I am glad that things seem to be working for you. I am really glad to hear that you are going to try to keep mare and foal together longer than you first posted. That is great news for the foal. 
good luck
Kim |
E Watkins
Breeding Stock
Username: Evie
Post Number: 276
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 04:41 pm: |
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Rebecca- it sounds like you've worked it out well, I hope you have continued success. I bet if you keep the food coming to your mare, she'll do just fine, chances are, she's not working so hard that you won't be able to keep her looking fit. |
Elena Vieira
Weanling
Username: Opheliaimmorttal
Post Number: 46
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 09:59 pm: |
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Hey Everyone!
My mare is 313 days today and there is a 4-h show in the middle of August. I figure the baby will be about 4 months or so when the babies born, would it be okay to take my mare or mare/foal?
Thanks
Elena |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 503
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 07:13 am: |
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OH Heavens Yes! We haul the babys to 4-h shows at 4 months of age . They learn alot this way. Make sure that mom can handle it well. sometimes that is where you trouble is at is with a protective mom. Start working early at seperating them for times in the barn once the baby reaches a couple of months on , that helps alot. Just short times to start , 15 minutes, then 30 work your way up to a couple of hours. In safe conditions though. So mom or baby can't get hurt , sometimes they will get a bit upset. |
Heather Kutyba
Breeding Stock
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 113
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 18, 2006 - 06:13 pm: |
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I've done it in the past, but don't now. Prior mares have posed too much of a problem. Got tired of the calling/screaming back and forth, disturbing to others showing around me, etc. Personally, I prefer to wean them, then I can focus on the which ever I'm showing.
But, I will take them for the experience, only just let them veg out at the trailer munching hay togeather....just not showing. I will only do this at open shows, never breed shows. |
