Weaning foals

[Mike Leonard]

Not sure how many actually raise their own horses but thought I would throw this idea out after talking to a man who had been battling with a horse he bought that was extreemly herd bound.

A herd bound horse is one who just can't stand to ride off seperatly from other horses and he fights you and carries on trying to get back to the horses or any horse for that matter and they can be a real pain in the tail. Barn sour horses are also similar wanting the olny sanctuary they know.

Much of this behavior is initiated in that early critical time in a foal's life when he is removed from his mother. Horses are herd animals by nature and some of this is inherent but a horse that has gone thru a very tramatic time during the weaning process is much more likely to lead a life that is socially bankrupt.

The foal learns and moves by the energy and stimulus of it's mother and when that is taken away abruptly it is a terrible experience for him. Many times foals are cut away from their mothers at 6 months and run in with other weanlings who are also going crazy and they are still within earshot of their mothers who will be trying to communicate with them and it causes a real mess.

A better plan we have found is to move the foals completly away from the mares and out of sight and sound. They do however need a baby sitter and nothing works better than a gentile old retired gelding for this. He will instantly be liked but he will continue to teach them dicipline and manners while easing their terrors. Don't try to do a bunch of human handling for the first month or so they are having enough to deal with at this time without adding to it. Once they have settled well and are on the gain again then you can start replacing the gelding's time with some quality time spent with you daily. Watch how the bond of energy they had with their mother is transferred to the older horse and they follow his lead. Soon you can have them tying onto your energy and they will settle down with you and even wish to follow you and stand by you in quiet time.

It's just little things but if neglected you can end up with a horse that never will be properly socialized.

There are some excellent books out on this subject and well worth looking into.


Have fun!

[dwalton]

I liked your post. Some good ideas on weaning. I raised two to four foals a year for several years, about 1\2 mule and 1\2 horse. What I saw was the mule foals were far worst to be herd bound then the horse colts. Here is what worked best for me a lot like what you stated. I would bring all the mares and foals home off summer pasture in the fall. Put the foals in the barn and take the mares and all the horse to winter pasture. The foals would get upset especially the mules. I would have no contact with them other then throwing hay over the wall to them. The mules seem to blame you for taking there mothers away. At first if I went in to halter break them it would be a fight. If I left them a lone for a week or two until they would start coming up to the fence to get hay when they saw me, it was like them asking to be with me then I would start working with to halter break then. When that was done they all went to separate stalls all getting led out to pasture in the morning and brought in to feed at night. Come spring they were turned out with the other mules and geldings for the summer. They were brought in in the fall and work a little while. I work with there feet again and sacked them out and turned them out where I could feed them a little better than the older horses and mules. I tried never to put them out with the mares ever again. At 2 or 3 they went into the herd that I was riding and packing, those animals never were put with the mares if I could help it. If one seemed to get attached to another horse he got to spend time up at the barn and got worked with. Just some ideas that worked. With mules some things work with one animal that does not with another. I miss working with the young but not hitting the hard ground anymore. It is just to hard to get up and get on again when that's what needs to be done. There is nothing better than following a good pack of hounds on a good mule. Dewey

[STUNTMAN]

Mike or anybody, ever take a mare out on a ride and let her foal tag along? If so how old?

[pegleg]

I used to when checking cows or just riding a little and anytime they were a few weeks old it was fine. I wouldn't ever try any serious work with a foal of any age along the mare might not be paying complete attention and the foal sure isn't so a accident is a high probability for someone.

[super white hunter]

Here is what I have learned
Mules and horses are way different and I treat them different.

With the mules I halter break them way before weaning and teach them to stand. I start by just leaving them next to mom at the hitching post then after a month or two of that I tie them next to mom. I think this is one of the biggest lessons you need to instill in a mule. Not that you don't need to with a horse just needs done later in their life.
With the horses, once they reach a couple months old I put two old mules that I have with them. Make sure you don’t do it when there to young. Mules are known for attaching so strongly with a foal they will protect them from the mom and starve them to death.
Once they are of weaning age I separate them from mom with the mules to somewhere out of earshot and sight. Like Mike said they seem to do much better with a total separation.

[Machias]

John mules have killed MANY foals. Lots of mules will attack small animals, including foals, escpecially very young foals. I think they are trying to protect the mares. Plus the John mules play very rough. Don't let your mares with foals or weaned foals in with your John mules. Lots of stories about really docile john mules playing and killing foals.

Weaning mule foals is where you can make some seriously herd bound mules. I like to have a stall that they cannot jump out of, I have seen with my own eyes a 5 month old mule foal clear a 6 foot corral panel, or hurt themselves. I have seen them nearly hurt themselves trying to get through a corral panel and bend the heck out of the cross bars. The biggest mistake folks make when weaning mules is to turn them out with another horse. If your raising pack stock, no biggie, if your raising saddle mules you have just created a herd bound mule. I like to stall mine alone. Oh the wailing and crying. I like to take the next two weeks, and do just the opposite of the gentleman above, I spend every second I can with them over the next 2 weeks, I even take leave to do it. Then for the next month after that I spend every chance I can with them before and after work. They will attach to people and have a much less tendencay to become herd bound or attached to horses. I also NEVER pasture my saddle mules with horses, nothing good can come from letting mules run loose with horses, IMHO. I completely agree with the gentleman above concerning haltering, leading, standing tied next to the mare, trailering. ALL of that should be old school long before weaning. Make sure when you tie them, tie them to a bicycle innertube so there is some give when they pull back and they don't hurt their neck muscles. I also like to hold the lead rope through the innertube the first time so if there is a big blow up, which rarely happens with the mare standing there, I can release the pressue a little bit. With the innertube they learn very quickly to give to pressure. I like to remove the mare completely from the farm, hearing the mare crying out for the foal only prolongs the weaning process.

[drygroundhound]

We raise about 15 foals a year, these are race bred so they are hot blooded. When they are born they are imprinted which consists of rubbing every part of their body that you ever intend to touch at least 50 times or until they can stand it. I do mean EVERY part of the body. Imprinting is done in first 12 hours after birth, preferrably just after nursing and first nap. In the first 24 hours they are haltered and led around, it is so much easier to do when they are little. They don't hardly fight you at all. Lead and handle at least 3 days or more depending on the individual.
Everytime mare is haltered foals are haltered. Weaning consists of removing mares completely from farm, foals settle down in less than day and mares in few hours. Works for us so we do it. Just my 2 cents

Kyle

[dirtydan]

I have used this practice on many grown mules also. I've trained mules for people and myself that were extremely herd bound. I simply remove every other equine friend of theirs and leave them penned up alone for a few days until they are just dying for some interaction. I then start giving them attention and handling until I become the friend and new herd member. I will then lead, ride or even trailer the mule to a pasture or barn where his old friends are. I'll feed them with the rest of the animals and then take them back to their pen. After a few days of this they will look forward to leaving alone to go find their friends. DO NOT take them to their friends but every second or third trip out or you are actually still encouraging the herd bound behavior. I just trick them into thinking we are looking for the herd and it gives me the opportunity to teach them to be comfortable alone. The same concept works for barn sour horses and mules. I will work the hell out of them at the barn and at home then take them somewhere else to be fed and groom them. We've left a bucket of grain a few miles away and rode animals to it every day. After a few days they can't wait to leave the barn where they have to work and go on the trail where there are treats for them. In my opinion I should never have to teach this to full grown equine. This is something that needs to be taught as a weanling and it would save us lots of headaches in the future. I am no professional but this has always worked for me.