[PaintedKirby00]

I have some ideas on what it will be like to wean my filly but I would love to here opinions about preperation and what has worked for you on weaning a foal. My filly is about 10 weeks old. Thanks so much

[Heavenly Jumper]

When I weaned. I separated mom and foal completely when baby was 6 months old.

Foal went to one side of a paddock with her gelding buddy. Mom to the other. No contact other than sight/sound/smell through the fence.

She did fine. After a few weeks, I would start taking the gelding out and putting him with mom and switching the paddocks back and forth but never letting mom and baby together. I wanted her to experience different things.

[Diva_Lady]

I weaned my colt at 6-7 months (i think?? it was 3 years ago!). I left mommy in her pasture and put baby a long, long way away. I did this so that when baby cried mommy wouldn't get worried and try to break loose to find him, because she couldn't hear him, and visa versa. I left mommy with another mare and a gelding that she was buddies with and put baby with grandma Smoke whom he was very close to. It all worked out super well, not too many screams for mommy or baby good luck with your filly!!!!
Diva

[FallenAngel]

I ended up moving barns, so mommie went to one barn, maybe to another. I kept baby in a stall for the first night (shes good at jumping fences) and the next day she was fine, no crying or anything

[MidnightStarr]

At 3 months (or 4 depending on Momma)

We either take baby or Mom off the property to a friends house!

That way they are out of sight, out of mind!

They usually whinny for a day or two but realize they are gone lol

[PaintedKirby00]

Thank you sooo much everyone for helping me.

[Heavenly Jumper]

I should also add, that during feeding times when she was big enough to get her own serving, she was separated into another stall. So she got used to spending an hour or so alone in there before she was ever fully weaned.

Just for fun...I thought you might like to see the video I made of the first few minutes of Ember being weaned. The funniest part is when she gets stressed and runs to my geldings 'udder'.

Oh, and when she met "Mr. Hotwire" for the first time too!

YouTube - Ember gets weaned

[PaintedKirby00]

Originally Posted by Heavenly Jumper

I should also add, that during feeding times when she was big enough to get her own serving, she was separated into another stall. So she got used to spending an hour or so alone in there before she was ever fully weaned.

Just for fun...I thought you might like to see the video I made of the first few minutes of Ember being weaned. The funniest part is when she gets stressed and runs to my geldings 'udder'.

Oh, and when she met "Mr. Hotwire" for the first time too!

YouTube - Ember gets weaned

Great video, also I would love to barrow your geldinghe seemed so patient with her. Thank you soooo much. Had you ever put your foal out with anyone before you weaned her? Thanks again for sharing your video with me.

[KiereeAngel86]

I introduced my foal to our 2 geldings when he was about 2 1/2 months old. When it came time to wean him, I just put mom in our other pasture and that was that. He called for her about 3-5 times and that was done. Good luck on your weaning.

[County]

I don't think theres a best way just differant ones that work best for differant people. We wean ours in pairs, lead the mare and foal into a box stall then take the mare out. The mares go to a pasture about 3/4 mile from home the two foals go in a stall together. After a day or two we halter the foals and teach them to lead to a round pen next to the barn. They drag ropes on their halters and each evening go back to the stall for grain and hay. Doesn't take long and they have figured out leading back to the barn means grain. After they learn that we remove the halters when in the round pen.

After a few days they have the haltering figured out and we do another pair same way. After they learn leading and haltering they go to their new owners or our pen we raise each years crop of foals in. They get haltered for farrier work, worming, and vaccinating till sold or if we keep them till their late two year olds when formal saddle training starts.