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There are no dangers to the mare or foal. Wild horses rarely wean their foals before ten to twelve months of age. Early weaning is a people issue. Studies have shown the longer a foal is able to nurse, the less likely it is to develop habits like chewing wood, biting or nipping, etc. Early weaning can cause vices to develop. If left alone, a mare will eventually wean her own foal, except in unusual cases.

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How soon do you introduce new stablemates to a mare and foal?

The earliest you should wean a foal from the baby is 6 months. Though it is possible to do it earlier at about 3 months but is not recommended since the growth of the foal without its mothers milk can be stunted. If you wean a foal earlier then six months it should only be because either the mare is losing a lot of weight and not putting it back on or if something happens to the mare to where she is not able to nurse anymore. Foals in the wild can nurse off of their mothers for over a year.


When to wean a colt?

three times a day any time you like but keep to that time soa bottle for breakfasta bottle for lunchand a bottle for dinnerrough times:breakfast: 9 ishlunch: half 11 or 12:00dinner: 5 6 or 7good luck x


How old until you can put any weight on a foals back?

At about 3 to 4 months. You really need to separate the mother and foal when it is time to wean. The mother will nurse the foal for as long as a year if you let her.Most foals are weaned around 4-6 months of age. However, studys show that foals weaned too early are more likely to develope vices. The best thing to do would let the mare decide when it is time to wean. However, there are special cases such as if the mare is losing alot of weight even when you increase her calorie intake, and then you should wean the foal early.


Is it normal to have a Brooding mare to stop producing milk when the foal is only a couple months old and does that mean she is pregnant?

Depends, how many months. If its been six months its okay because its time to wean the foal. If its only two months then you might want to call your vet. They have a shot that makes them produce milk, it just depends on how old the foal is. And no it doesn't mean she is pregnant, she can still produce milk if she is pregnant and has a foal.


How old does a foal have to be on horse to be able to leave its mother?

Some are weaned at 4 months, most at 6, and some not until a year. In the wild, a foal will nurse for about a year, and if it is a filly, possibly longer. Foals weaned early are proven to be more likely to develop vices (biting, kicking, rearing, etc.) I think the best thing to do would be let the mare decide when to wean the foal. The mare knows when the foal should be weaned much, much better than we do.The only time i would advise early weaning is if the mare is rapidly losing weight.Most nurse for 6-8 months, and then you should start weaning them off milk and onto grass, hay, etc.

Related Questions

When can you reintroduce a mare to her foal after weaning?

After she has dried up, because otherwise the foal might un-wean.


Is it OK to not wean a foal but rather leave the mare to do it when she thinks its ready?

I dont know for sure but the ranch that i work at had weaned the foal/fillies from their mothers. There are these horses down the street from me and they are mother and son. The son was not weaned and now they are inseperable. So, i dont know if that helped, but good luck!!


How soon do you introduce new stablemates to a mare and foal?

The earliest you should wean a foal from the baby is 6 months. Though it is possible to do it earlier at about 3 months but is not recommended since the growth of the foal without its mothers milk can be stunted. If you wean a foal earlier then six months it should only be because either the mare is losing a lot of weight and not putting it back on or if something happens to the mare to where she is not able to nurse anymore. Foals in the wild can nurse off of their mothers for over a year.


Why do people wean foals?

Typically, you would wean your foal at approximately 6 months of age. Foals do not need to be suckling on the dam too far beyond that age. Most of the time foals are weaned so the mare can return to a more relaxed life. Nursing a foal is a drain on the mare, lactating mares require more nutrition. People often wean foals so the dam can return to her normal job (showing, racing, trail riding)


How long does a foal nurse from its mother?

The length of time that a pony foal will nurse depends on the living situation of the pony mare. If the mare lives on a busy breeding farm the foal will likely only be able to nurse up until the fourth to sixth month of age as it will be manually weaned by a human. If the mare is allowed to keep the foal at her side without human interference in the weaning process the foal could nurse up until it is a year old before the mare would naturally wean it off her.


How many months until you can take the baby away from its mother horse?

You should never wean a foal below four months of age with six months being preferable. You can also let the mare naturally wean the foal herself, which she will do either once she is pregnant again or her milk finally dries up.


When does a horse stop suckling?

In my opinion, the mare will know the time to wean him much better than we do. Many domestic horses are weaned at about 6 months. However, in the wild (when the mare decides when to wean), foals will suckle for a year or more. It has actually been proven that foals weaned early are more likely to develop vices, like biting, rearing, stricking, kicking, etc. So, you can wean the horse at 6 months, or you can wait until the mare decides it is time to wean. I would do the later. The only time I think you should wean early is if your mare is losing weight dramatically, and you have ruled out other causes, like stress, change in diet, etc. If you can find no other cause for her weight loss, the foal may be taking too many nutrients, so in this case you could try some supplements, or you should wean the foal.


How do pinto horses' feed their babies?

Like any other horse. A mare has a two-nippled udder between her rear legs that her foal nurses from. A wild mare may nurse her young for up to a year, though domesticated mares generally wean the foals at 4-6 months.


How old is a weanling?

10 months Some people wean at 6 or even 4 months old (but this has proven that foals weaned early are more likely to have vices) However, in the wild a foal will not be weaned until it is a year old, and if it is a filly, they may nurse for even longer. The best thing to do is to let the mare decide when to wean the foal, unless the mare is rapidly losing weight, in which case it would be healthier for the mare to wean the foal early.


When to wean a colt?

three times a day any time you like but keep to that time soa bottle for breakfasta bottle for lunchand a bottle for dinnerrough times:breakfast: 9 ishlunch: half 11 or 12:00dinner: 5 6 or 7good luck x


How old until you can put any weight on a foals back?

At about 3 to 4 months. You really need to separate the mother and foal when it is time to wean. The mother will nurse the foal for as long as a year if you let her.Most foals are weaned around 4-6 months of age. However, studys show that foals weaned too early are more likely to develope vices. The best thing to do would let the mare decide when it is time to wean. However, there are special cases such as if the mare is losing alot of weight even when you increase her calorie intake, and then you should wean the foal early.


Is it normal to have a Brooding mare to stop producing milk when the foal is only a couple months old and does that mean she is pregnant?

Depends, how many months. If its been six months its okay because its time to wean the foal. If its only two months then you might want to call your vet. They have a shot that makes them produce milk, it just depends on how old the foal is. And no it doesn't mean she is pregnant, she can still produce milk if she is pregnant and has a foal.