[horse-struck]

As soon as my mare is of weaning age I have got to lease her out due to financial reasons, which means that I have to start getting her back into condition while the foal is still at her side.

I have never done this before and I know there are a lot of people that do by leaving the foal in the stall while they go for a ride.

My qustion is what is the easiest least traumatizing way to seperate the two? as well as how old should the foal be before I attempt this, and is there anything special I need to do to get a broodmare back into working condition?

Thanks a ton!

[arabkid]

My dad used to work the mare with the foal in the stall, but for the frist week had someone stay with the foal for company....then slowly removed the person, eventually the foal would use the time when the mare was gone as "nap time" lol

good luck!

[Isis67]

Just whatever removing you do, do it slowly 5 min, 10, 20, 30 and never stay out working the mare for too long.

[Ginger_Nell]

We just don't bother with the foal he comes with in whatever she does if we go for a walk or ride he comes with if I work her in a circle he goes with or runs around Ive never seperate them though, It accidently happened once and they both fliped out.

[BestofPrincess]

I let the foal work with me just do work in the arena, at about 2 months he would just do to the center of the ring and graze.

[Lolly]

i would not remove the mare from the foal for exercise, it would cause to much distress probably more to the mare!
A friend of mine bought a mare unknowing that it was in foal, she rode the mare in the field with foal at foot, and this worked fine. Howver i wouldnt do this while the foal is still very young and clingy, she did it when the foal was feeling more confident and running a larger circle round the mare. also be aware of how your mare will react if you ride her way from the foal, many mares, particularly first time mothers panick if they cannto see their foal.

[CJ]

I used to ride a mare with a foal at her side. Other than the occasional unplanned short/ sliding stop when the lil sob would run and cut us off, riding w/ the foal in the ring was not a problem. I imagine the mare would have been totally distracted if the baby had been forced to stay in a stall while she was worked on.

[BestofPrincess]

Ya dont you love it when the foals cut you off... hehehe

[Aztec]

If we do work mare's in a ring foals are at foot, and for first month of riding mare with foal this is how we do it...then slowly seperate them if we want to ride out...luckily here than we've got a dirt track that goes around our farm, enclosed so foals can follow, otherwize we have a nanny mare to look after the foals....normally works when foals 3 months+ though and foal knows the other horse.