Whats the earliest you have weaned?

harli36 · 12-01-2006, 08:54 AM

Horses are not meant to be weaned at 6 weeks or 8. I would get another vet if I were you.

Jenje! · 12-01-2006, 08:58 AM

Horses are also not meant to spend their lives crippled by OCD.

It's fine to question your vet. Do that, and get a second opinion before you do anything.

I weaned my girl a little after five months because she was pulling my mare down.

Jangxbaby · 12-01-2006, 04:48 PM

Rather than actually weaning the foal you could instead do a partial wean where the foal is restricted from drinking from mum for maybe half the day eg paddocked next door to each other and then in with mum at night/vice versa if they are stabled at night. You could also milk the mare before putting them back in together to lessen how much your foal can drink when they reunited.
This was suggested by a vet at the stud farm I was at for similar reasons - foal getting too fat and too much strain on his legs.
I hope you can avoid weaning too early, best of luck.

Heavenly Jumper · 12-01-2006, 07:25 PM

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think there is a device like a diaper that you can get to put on the mare so that you don't have to seperate them, but he can't get to her udder...

Heavenly Jumper · 12-01-2006, 07:29 PM

I found it! It is called "udderware" it is a weaning bra...

Foal Weaning by UdderWare

I think it would be great.

bay_blnd jmpr07 · 12-01-2006, 07:29 PM

My colt was weaned at 3 months. I didn't like it all that much but the mare wasn't mine(they were living at my house) and I just could not afford to keep feeding this mare so much grain and it cost so much for one bag that was gone in a week! Luckily I was able to put my own mare in with the colt(and he took the weaning very well). So Mars has been learning the rest of the ropes from Fiona.

The vet advised we wean early too because of the mare's condition. And he's a BIG baby! We thought he was 3 months when he was only 1 month!

Top Dun · 12-01-2006, 07:45 PM

I wean at 5-6 Months UNLESS there is a medical emergency with mare and or foal. Plus weaniing that early will leve your foal open to far worst things than OCD. Ulcers due to needing supplemental feed at that age. growth issues due to needing to be put on supplemental feed. I'd say the best thing to do is to get a SECOND opinion from a different vet AND an equine nutritionist Before you consider weaning him.

txhorseluver · 12-01-2006, 08:13 PM

I've heard this thing works really well.

Show Equine Professional Company

aqh88 · 12-01-2006, 10:49 PM

I don't think I've actually weaned one before 6months. I have one right now that her mom is a maiden mare and didn't really produce much milk so she has been eating solid food since she was about 1 1/2months old but she's still with mom. My current 2 will be weaned early next year at around 8months old.

Are you feeding the foal anything else or is it getting into mom's grain as well as what type of hay? I've never heard milk by itself causing too much growth. My vet always goes on about how bad alfalfa hay is for causing too fast of growth and not to grain growing horses unless they actually show signs of needing it.

12-01-2006, 08:54 AM	#11
harli36 Senior Member+ Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: northeastern Pa Posts: 4,532 Images: 43	Horses are not meant to be weaned at 6 weeks or 8. I would get another vet if I were you. __________________ The Morgan Horse! Everything else is just a horse. http://www.morganhorse.com/ *Splat I've been snowballed!!!!!!!!*

12-01-2006, 08:58 AM	#12
Jenje! Senior Member+ Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,805 Images: 910 Blog Entries: 27	Horses are also not meant to spend their lives crippled by OCD. It's fine to question your vet. Do that, and get a second opinion before you do anything. I weaned my girl a little after five months because she was pulling my mare down. __________________ ♥ Jen Zombies, Monsters &Ooze (a blog) That love is all there is, is all we know of love. - E. Dickinson *** VA Allure * BBA First Page * Instead Of Flowers ***

12-01-2006, 07:25 PM	#14
Heavenly Jumper Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Yokosuka, Japan Posts: 15,433 Images: 1323 Blog Entries: 270	Correct me if I am wrong, but I think there is a device like a diaper that you can get to put on the mare so that you don't have to seperate them, but he can't get to her udder... __________________ OMG I'm actually IN JAPAN! like, right now! .'~'. epi tan e epi tas .'~'. I've been SNOWBALLED X5!

12-01-2006, 07:29 PM	#15
Heavenly Jumper Senior Member+ Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Yokosuka, Japan Posts: 15,433 Images: 1323 Blog Entries: 270	I found it! It is called "udderware" it is a weaning bra... Foal Weaning by UdderWare I think it would be great. __________________ OMG I'm actually IN JAPAN! like, right now! .'~'. epi tan e epi tas .'~'. I've been SNOWBALLED X5!

12-01-2006, 07:29 PM	#16
bay_blnd jmpr07 Senior Member+ Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: N.Granby, Connecticut Posts: 11,050 Images: 424	My colt was weaned at 3 months. I didn't like it all that much but the mare wasn't mine(they were living at my house) and I just could not afford to keep feeding this mare so much grain and it cost so much for one bag that was gone in a week! Luckily I was able to put my own mare in with the colt(and he took the weaning very well). So Mars has been learning the rest of the ropes from Fiona. The vet advised we wean early too because of the mare's condition. And he's a BIG baby! We thought he was 3 months when he was only 1 month! __________________ Semper Paratus Fiona's First Class-Oldenburg/Arabian mare Waldemar-Hanoverian gelding Illusive Legacy-Miniature filly

12-01-2006, 04:48 PM	#13
Jangxbaby Full Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 49 Images: 4	Rather than actually weaning the foal you could instead do a partial wean where the foal is restricted from drinking from mum for maybe half the day eg paddocked next door to each other and then in with mum at night/vice versa if they are stabled at night. You could also milk the mare before putting them back in together to lessen how much your foal can drink when they reunited. This was suggested by a vet at the stud farm I was at for similar reasons - foal getting too fat and too much strain on his legs. I hope you can avoid weaning too early, best of luck.

12-01-2006, 07:45 PM	#17
Top Dun Senior Member+ Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,702 Images: 183 Blog Entries: 1	I wean at 5-6 Months UNLESS there is a medical emergency with mare and or foal. Plus weaniing that early will leve your foal open to far worst things than OCD. Ulcers due to needing supplemental feed at that age. growth issues due to needing to be put on supplemental feed. I'd say the best thing to do is to get a SECOND opinion from a different vet AND an equine nutritionist Before you consider weaning him. __________________ Cattle Producers DO NOT want NAIS: When asked if they thought NAIS should be a mandatory system requiring all U.S. cattle producers to participate, 21.22% of respondents said yes, 50.32% said no, and 28.46% were undecided.

12-01-2006, 08:13 PM	#18
txhorseluver Full Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Near San Antonio, TX Posts: 102 Images: 4	I've heard this thing works really well. Show Equine Professional Company __________________ "The mind is like a parachute, it only works if it's open."

12-01-2006, 10:49 PM	#19
aqh88 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Iowa Posts: 610	I don't think I've actually weaned one before 6months. I have one right now that her mom is a maiden mare and didn't really produce much milk so she has been eating solid food since she was about 1 1/2months old but she's still with mom. My current 2 will be weaned early next year at around 8months old. Are you feeding the foal anything else or is it getting into mom's grain as well as what type of hay? I've never heard milk by itself causing too much growth. My vet always goes on about how bad alfalfa hay is for causing too fast of growth and not to grain growing horses unless they actually show signs of needing it.

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