# 5 week old colt lost mother



## SpdDrv (Apr 18, 2012)

Not sure where to put this so I am just placing it. I need some help, I am a recreational horse person, I have everyday horses and love them pet all the time ride on occassion and love them dearly. A friend of mine Mare had a female foal that they have given to me she was born March 6, 2012 the mother is full quarter horse and the male is full paint horse. She is black and white but more black so I named her Pepper. Pretty very loving and sweet loves for me to stand and her put her head against my chest and me pet her just overall very mild mannered foal.. They also have 3 other grown horses that are in fenced in area with colt. They are very well fed and get hay daily and taken care of but no grass. 
Yesterday April 16th 2012 mama horse died from collic (sp?) constipation in human words. Pepper is 5 weeks old now and without a mother with 3 grown horses that are jealous of her at times and will snip at her and run her some when people are around. You ride by the area in vehicle and she is out standing by one of the horses and see no signs of them being mean to her except what we see when we are there trying to play with her and they are cutting her off and snipping at her a bit. Pepper is eating everything grain, sweet feed, hay like horses eat. 
Anyway all of that to ask these question.
1) If I move her away from the other horses to a pen here at my house with no other horses is she going to grieve because she has lost her mother and not around the horses she has been with since she was born?. Will she be ok where I can have anytime access to her? I want to get her close to me so I can spend quality time with her and not have to fight with any other horses to feed her or spend time with her is my reasons plus I have concerns about the bigger horses being mean to her because of actions I have seen while I am there.
2) i am having trouble now getting her to suck a bottle with milk replacement or drink from a pan or anything but I think that has more to do with having to deal with the older horses and her at the same time. Me telling NO to the older horses while trying to get her to eat not working to well... She is eating normal horse stuff but I want to make sure I am giving her the right food she needs. Is there anything I need to get to go in her food to help her? I hope if I can move her like I want that working with her she will at least start drinking milk replacement out of a pan/bowl.
Like i said, I am a recreational horse person not showing or anything just have her to enjoy and love on and as years go on I will ride her but nothing fancy just normal everyday riding. I just want to make sure I am taking care of her the best I can.
I don't want to grieve her if I move her to quickly but I also am afraid of the other horses hurting her where she is now. Any suggestions and advice will be greatly appreciated
Thank You,
Stacie


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## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

You need to move her away from those horses. Without her mother, the foal has no protection from those other horses. They could hurt the foal or reject it from the herd. The foal will be okay without company if it has time to recover and grow. The optimal condition is to wait until she is a weanling and turn her out with other weanlings.


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## Ladytrails (Jul 28, 2010)

Orphan foals bring special problems. They learn "horse language" and manners from other horses. If she's kept separately without other horses around, she'll have the potential to have problems for the rest of her life in getting along with other horses and people. 

If she were mine, I'd see if one of the other horses could be moved with her to my house -- and I'd pick one that wasn't mean to her. Or, if that didn't work out, I'd look for I'd find a nice motherly mare or grandfatherly gelding to keep with her. I think your idea of having her close to you is good; I just think it would be best if there was at least one other horse around, especially one with good manners and who could take the youngster under his/her 'wings' so to speak.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

I'd pull her out and take her to the house. There you can feed her what she needs, socialize her, and either let her drink milk from a pan or feed her the Milk Replacer pellets with her feed. I use Replacer Pellets a lot at weaning time, they work great and they seem to like the taste. They also don't spoil like the liquid milk replacers do. When she's a weaner (for me that's about 6 months) I like to put them in with 1 auntie horse or a very gentle gelding and let them bond. Then after 3 weeks to a month of that, they can be back in the herd because Auntie or Unc will protect the foal. Right now, no one is claiming her.


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## calicokatt (Mar 5, 2012)

Ladytrails said:


> Orphan foals bring special problems. They learn "horse language" and manners from other horses. If she's kept separately without other horses around, she'll have the potential to have problems for the rest of her life in getting along with other horses and people.
> 
> If she were mine, I'd see if one of the other horses could be moved with her to my house -- and I'd pick one that wasn't mean to her. Or, if that didn't work out, I'd look for I'd find a nice motherly mare or grandfatherly gelding to keep with her. I think your idea of having her close to you is good; I just think it would be best if there was at least one other horse around, especially one with good manners and who could take the youngster under his/her 'wings' so to speak.


I agree with this, but if you CAN'T bring a motherly horse home, or even a nice quiet laid back old gelding, I'd just bring the baby home anyway.


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## SpdDrv (Apr 18, 2012)

I have heard about the replacer pellets and am going to get some of those tomorrow if at all possible. I live in a remote area but will be going to a bigger town to try to find them. If for some reason I can't find them is it ok to get the powdered replacer and just put the powder on the feed will that be the same thing? 
I thought about that one of their horses with me but after watching the way they interacted with her today I don't think any of them would be good for her. They are all so jealous of anyone trying to play with little horse. 

I have a 11 year gelding and a 5 year mare out at our land where our horses and cows are. We have discussed bringing the gelding in when Pepper gets a little older so she can get that protection you where talking about. I was just going to mention that as I got a little closer to time to do that. 

After reading the replies so far we are going to bring our round pen to the house and set her up a little home so she has a shed to get in so I can feed her and get her socialized as was suggested. Thinking about fencing in the acre and half we have here and bring our other two horse in as she gets older so they can get used to each other under my watchful eye.  
Thank you for the advice!


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

We have raised over 20 orphans. Some were a day old and others were 2 to 10 weeks old. If they are 5 or 6 weeks old, we put them on milk replacer in a bucket. We have always used Land O' Lakes calf Milk replacer that is 'all milk' and no Soy. It should be 'white' and not creme or yellow in color. We feed it 'cool' and feed one that age 3 times a day and late evening before I go to bed. We have used the milk pellets, but have had much better growth and condition when we used milk replacer. All of our orphans have grown as good as the other colts that had mothers. They were not pot bellied or ribby. 

We handle them very little. We halter break them and leave them alone. The last thing we want is a colt that thinks they should identify with people. As soon as they hit 2 1/2 to 3 months, I take another colt of ours and wean it and put them in together. If I don't have another colt the same age, we go to the sale and buy a colt or a mare and colt. After a 2 week quarantine away from the orphan, we wean that colt and take the mare back to the sale and raise the two together. 

I might mention one other thing. So many orphans get so pot bellied. They have to have a very healthy population of 'good' bacteria in their gut. They get it naturally from eating poop -- usually their mother's. So, when I have an orphan, I see that they get a fresh pile of juicy poop in their pen every day. I get it from a big, slick fat 'easy-keeping' gelding that I know has no parasites. This is natural and normal. It makes one have a better appetite, gets them eating solid food more quickly and keeps them from getting digestive problems. 

Hope this helps.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Just wishing you the best of luck for your filly. 
Please be mindful that you always remember that she will grow to be a big horse, and they are like sponges at this age - if you allow her to act like a big dog, she will grow up to be a huge dog, and thats when they start getting dangerous. Don't let her climb over you, bite you etc. Even if it's cute now, it is a very very bad habit to let a foal get into - you don't want 500+kg trying to climb over you when its 5 years old! Orphan foals seem to have the worst behavioural problems, the sooner you can get her out in a herd environment, the better.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Cherie, you have given some good advice, although I do not agree with going to the auction buying a mare and foal, weaning at 2-3 months and returning the mare to auction. I find this to be a little cruel.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

stevenson said:


> Cherie, you have given some good advice, although I do not agree with going to the auction buying a mare and foal, weaning at 2-3 months and returning the mare to auction. I find this to be a little cruel.


I'm sorry, but I fail to see how that's cruel.. The mare and foal are going to have to be separated anyway. Why not just get the mare and foal, let the foals grow together, then sale the mare? That seems like a pretty good idea to me. All parties involved win. Cherie has two healthy foals to do what she wishes with, sale or keep, and she can sale the mare to (hopefully) a good home.. Horses are sold at auction almost every day.. Why not buy a mare and foal that can possibly save all lives involved? It's not like she's taking the foal from it's mom just to raise and save the other one..


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Drum Runner, i think it is cruel to wean at that early of age. Some horses at auction go to nice homes. Most auctions are dumping grounds. 
In my opinion what was stated is cruel. Cruel to the foal whom has to be weaned early, fed supplements.., to keep the other foal company. 
Go purchase a weaned foal. You can agree or disagree. This is my opinion, and you can have your opinion.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

stevenson said:


> Drum Runner, i think it is cruel to wean at that early of age. Some horses at auction go to nice homes. Most auctions are dumping grounds.
> In my opinion what was stated is cruel. Cruel to the foal whom has to be weaned early, fed supplements.., to keep the other foal company.
> Go purchase a weaned foal. You can agree or disagree. This is my opinion, and you can have your opinion.


What age do you think is not cruel to wean? Cherie did not state an age for the sales foal, one would assume it would be of weaning age, not a few weeks old.


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## DrumRunner (Jan 26, 2011)

stevenson said:


> Drum Runner, i think it is cruel to wean at that early of age. Some horses at auction go to nice homes. Most auctions are dumping grounds.
> In my opinion what was stated is cruel. Cruel to the foal whom has to be weaned early, fed supplements.., to keep the other foal company.
> Go purchase a weaned foal. You can agree or disagree. This is my opinion, and you can have your opinion.


That's fine, and I respect that..


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

We have raised so many, and I do not think you could tell any of them from any other colt when they are ready to start under saddle. They are all respectful and easy to handle. 

If you want a monster that you will need to get rid of by the time it is 3, just 'play' with it, let it nip and rub on you and let it follow you around. I can guarantee you a monster. They are cute when they weigh 150#. They ain't nearly so cute when they weigh 1000# and want to play.

When I buy a companion foal at a sale, I try to find a Registered mare of decent quality with a foal at side that is eligible for registration. I will wean that foal at 3 1/2 to 4 months after it is eating good, has been dewormed and is in good flesh. I do not want to waste my time and trouble and $$$.

I usually rebreed the mare to one of our stallions so she can be resold with a breeder's certificate. If she is ridable, we will get her riding nicely so she can be ridden through the sale. They usually make money -- well not much when you count feed -- but it is worth it to get a good quality orphan. We have raised some orphans that sold for $10,000.00 or more.

The local horse sale is 3 miles down the road from my house. I bought a gelding there for $975.00 last night. Several sold for more. Out of 200 horses, about 100 to 125 went to Mexico. Joe Simon from Minnesota was there and bought several riders to put through his sale. The guy with him was buying killers. 

It is NOT a dumping ground. It is simply an auction where people that legally own horses sell them to whoever wants to buy them. If you bring 'junk' horses, they will go to Mexico. If you bring nice horses in good condition, they will bring a good price. I took a well broke gelding that I did not like 2 weeks ago. He brought $800.00. He did not get along well with other horses as he was very dominant. I bought a nice grade 10 yr old paint gelding last night that I like a lot better -- so far. I need 2 or 3 more 8-12 year old big, stout geldings that will go into the summer trail string to carry big riders. It looks like I will have to pay $800.00 to $1200.00 each for them. They have to be gentle and they have to get along well with other horses. 

I don't have time to chase down ads and go look at horses all over the country. I have found that individual s that really want to sell their horse will lie to me worse than the traders at the sale. I can drive 3 miles and look at 25 or 30 of them every other Monday night. So, I like auctions. 

The buyers determine the price. Nobody holds a gun on anyone and makes them bid and nobody stops anyone from buying one. Just stick your hand in the air one more time. The 'killer market' determines the 'set in' price. You have to have a 'set in' price to have an auction.

Many Mondays I help families find suitable horses. I don't make a dime off of them and I don't charge anything. I would rather donate my time and knowledge a see someone get a 'safe' horse than have them buy some 'project' for a 12 year old kid. I don't make guarantees and about half of them work out for the buyers. But, they can bring one back in 2 weeks and try again if you get a dud.

This is not a marriage. It is not a 'till death do us part' deal. It is you buy a horse you think you can use and will do the job you have for it and sell a horse you cannot use or do not want. Simple as that. It is a market place for horses. Just like you can go to a flea market and find priceless antiques or collectables or 'junk'. You can go to an auction and determine what you buy and how much you want to pay for it.


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## Lins (Nov 8, 2011)

These are animals you are talking about, not vehicles........
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## franknbeans (Jun 7, 2007)

Lins said:


> These are animals you are talking about, not vehicles........
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Actually......many of the auctions they basically ARE vehicles. The ones I go to are primarily Mennonite and Amish, and it is very much like a used car sale. They are a commodity. Yes, they are also pets for many of us, but we cannot humanize them, nor can we save them all, and this is NOT a thread on the morality of auctions/slaughter. If you want that-start another thread, but it has been done-to death. Maybe just go read some of the old ones. Nothing new will be said most likely.:wink:


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## TimberRidgeRanch (Mar 6, 2012)

I hate to say it but I am all for slaughter houses. Its a evil necessity. Its the handling while transported and means of how they do it that needs to be regulated. Now as far as auctions go I agree with FRANK and with CHERIE to a point. One about the auction but to keep breeding and then turn around and sell rebred just ads to the over population to begin with. if you have top quality bred horses you shouldnt have to rely on auctions to get them sold. JMO
TRR


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

> These are animals you are talking about, not vehicles........
> Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-health/5-week-old-colt-lost-mother-120339/page2/#ixzz1sOTwSjAG
> ​


Exactly -- They're animals. They're livestock. They're 'owned' and can be bought and sold.

No one ever told anyone that they had to sell a horse and no one tells the rest of us that we have to keep one and cannot sell one. What is so difficult about the concept of private property ownership?


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Cherie said:


> Exactly -- They're animals. They're livestock. They're 'owned' and can be bought and sold.
> 
> No one ever told anyone that they had to sell a horse and no one tells the rest of us that we have to keep one and cannot sell one. What is so difficult about the concept of private property ownership?




Because to many people lead with their hearts, instead of their heads. ( I am not one to talk, btw. I have my gelding who is not able to be ridden, but he is my heart so he stays. Now since I can only afford 1 horse,his upkeep is expensive, I don't get to ride.)

We tend to be unable to fathom that horses are still treated as they were 100 years ago, as a commodity, not your 4 legged friend. I don't see anything wrong with you selling YOUR horse where ever you choose, to whomever you choose. All sales are a crap shoot. You can do all the research in the world and still private sale a horse into a bad situation.
And I don't think it is so much grasping the concept of private sale as it is media coverage, internet coverage, talks show exposure, and general consensus that ALL horse auctions are evil and populated ONLY with a fella waiting to abuse the horse the rest of his short life. All the while he is awaiting transported to a slaughter house in Mexico or Canada. DO I think kill buyers frequent auctions, well umm YEAH. It's an auction, a fast moving sale. Money and paperwork change hands, everyone walks away with what they came for. That doesn't make the auction evil or dirty. 

What makes it horrid is knowing that you are taking "Red" to his death. It isn't the auction, it is our minds eye. We see "Red" in a kill pen waiting for the executioner. Most of us have looked at the videos of slaughter plants/killer auctions/kill pens more times than are good for our minds. So we have to project what we know about auctions into the situation. Most people only know that they are killer places.

I think the "horse sale" of my youth would amaze most people who were never privileged to attend the old school auction. Were the horses all in show shape, LOL not on your life. Were their idiots who mistreated the stock going through, Yes. (Idiots will be idiots no matter where) But the auction served a purpose then, and still does now. So in my minds eye, the auction isn't the evilness, that comes from the nature of the people. 

Some folks breed them without thought, hurt them, ruin them, then POOF dispose of them. The crying shame for the horse world is that the auctions of yesterday were reshaped by people who see the horse without ANY heart or compassion. They are still a tool. The auction itself is not inherently evil or bad. 

Cherie, I have looked at some of your horses. I haven't found anything that would make me not buy a horse bred to one of your studs. From what I have seen they are decent enough to add to the value of a mare going back to an auction. Plus the fact that you send them back better than you got them (training) is a plus for the mares. While you could very well leave them in the pasture until the orphaned foal and their offspring are waiting to be weaned, and do nothing. You make a choice to add to the mare, training, good groceries from the looks of it, and a breeding for foal with a decent chance of a future. Where did the mare lose out in the deal? I don't see it. AND it is really none of my business.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

We don't sell the horses we breed through auctions. Our business is to raise, train and sell them to owners that want a well-trained horse. There is HUGE market for well-trained horses that anyone can ride and that do not come 'un-trained' when they are turned out -- sometimes for years. 

We used to market a lot of trained horses through the Triangle Sale and the World Championship Show Sale and through the Ada Quarter Horse sale before that. [It closed down in the late 80s.] When the internet came along, we no longer had to sell good horses through sales. Now, we have a waiting list for 'finished' horses.

There is no over-breeding now. The surplus of horses bred when they were still high (pre-2006) has about been cleared out. It is all about supply and demand. The only problem with Supply and demand is that it lags about 5 years behind the market. No one has the 'crystal ball' to accurately predict the future. We knew the 'foundation' horse business was going to top out and decline several years before it did. Too many fillies were bought just to take home and raise more babies. Northern ranches in Montana and the Dakotas sold their cattle and raised colts for fall production sales for several years -- till the bottom fell out. Most of these 'broodmares' were not even halter broke -- let alone ridden. We do not even think about breeding mares we have not trained and know what their abilities and trainability is. 

Last Monday, there was great demand for good mares -- for the first time in more than 5 years, people were buying 'good mares'. Thankfully, I have not had an orphan in about 10 years. We had 1 baby last year sired by a Champion cutting horse and I have 1 two year old. I have 2 on the ground now and 2 still coming. That is the most foals I have bred for in 6 years. I am thinking about turning our last stud out with about 5 or 6 mares next week. I have not decided yet. 

We also take out trail riders. I buy and sell the trail horses as I need them. That is what I was looking for Monday. Since I want to use 8 year + geldings, I do not mix the horses we train and sell with the trail geldings. The trail geldings get 'herd-bound' but need to be to keep inept riders that cannot ride at all where they need to be. I keep 4 or 5 of them 'honest' enough to give lessons on and to take out riders that know how to ride. The 'packers' as we call them, just need to be super gentle, very tolerant, stay together and follow the guide. I've have used one gelding 12 years and several have been here, fat and happy, for 8 - 10 years. I have a couple of small kids' horses that are now teaching my granddaughters to ride after 10 years in the trail string. My horses 'have jobs' except for the 10 or 12 mares that I have fed for the last five years because I would NOT take them to the sale. I just could not bring myself to 'ship' them when I had raised babies and sold babies out of their mothers, grandmothers and even great grandmothers. I have a retired old roping mare that is 2/3 crippled, still takes out little kids on a trail ride now and then with a little Bute and has daughters and granddaughters that have been shipped to the UK and Europe. I am riding one of her great granddaughters now.


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## Rascaholic (Oct 4, 2010)

Rascaholic said:


> Cherie, I have looked at some of your horses. I haven't found anything that would make me not buy a horse bred to one of your studs. From what I have seen they are decent enough to add to the value of a mare *going back to an auction*. *Plus the fact that you send them back better than you got them (training) is a plus for the mares.* While you could very well leave them in the pasture until the orphaned foal and their offspring are waiting to be weaned, and do nothing. You make a choice to add to the mare, training, good groceries from the looks of it, and a breeding for foal with a decent chance of a future. Where did the mare lose out in the deal? I don't see it. AND it is really none of my business.


Sorry Cherie, I should have kept it shorter and more to the point. Point being, I don't think you're a horrible horse owner for sending the mares back through the auction, and even if I did it is none of my business. I also didn't mean to imply that you were sending your personals through auction.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Back to the situation of the OP. After raising an orphan, I worry for that foal:-(.Your prime objective here is to getting that foal fed!!:shock: At this age she still needs milk replacer or a nurse mare.They are use to nursing regularily & as an orphan on a bucket they need feeding every few hrs!!Dehydration effects youngsters quickly.They don't eat enough outside of milk to sustain them & have adequate nutrition for growth.I personally had luck with the bucket rather than a nipple for feeding the milk replacer.
That baby needs to be seperated from the herd situation,if you can find a suitable equine buddy that is best,will have company & horsie socialization
You need to work diligently to get that baby onto some kind of milk replacer ,nurse mare or goat milk.At this age they are eating, so also feeding good quality hay & a balanced foal ration is also needed.
Hope you find help for this foal & it will be OK.:-(


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## Endiku (Dec 6, 2010)

I'm helping raise an orphan foal as well right now, but she's quite a bit older. She was 3 months old when she was orphaned, and I was given the same instructions as you are being given- OP. Kenzie (the orphan) is 4 months old now and turned out with a 12 year old broodmare who doesn't have a foal, a younger mare of good disposition, and one of our lesson mares. I halter broke her, taught her to stand for me to do a health check (ears, nostrils, etc) and turned her out. I don't mess with her otherwise, we're just going to let her grow and develope like a normal foal. So far she seems no different from any of the other colts and fillies that we've raised, except being a bit thinner and slightly pot bellied (our fault, we didn't do milk replacer, just fed her weanling feed). So I'd advise that you do the same.

Good luck!


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

Endiku said:


> I'm helping raise an orphan foal as well right now, but she's quite a bit older. She was 3 months old when she was orphaned, and I was given the same instructions as you are being given- OP. Kenzie (the orphan) is 4 months old now and turned out with a 12 year old broodmare who doesn't have a foal, a younger mare of good disposition, and one of our lesson mares. I halter broke her, taught her to stand for me to do a health check (ears, nostrils, etc) and turned her out. I don't mess with her otherwise, we're just going to let her grow and develope like a normal foal. So far she seems no different from any of the other colts and fillies that we've raised, except being a bit thinner and slightly pot bellied (our fault, we didn't do milk replacer, just fed her weanling feed). So I'd advise that you do the same.
> 
> Good luck!


I weaned my foals at three months.

The mare's milk is to low in butterfat for them to continue to thrive.

I fed free choice sweet feed and just a very little bit of hay. (a hand full) three times a day.

I supplemented with calf manna.


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Ripper said:


> I weaned my foals at three months.
> 
> The mare's milk is to low in butterfat for them to continue to thrive.
> 
> ...


Hoping that's a typo?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

Poco1220 said:


> Hoping that's a typo?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Where?


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

Ripper said:


> I weaned my foals at three months.
> 
> The mare's milk is to low in butterfat for them to continue to thrive.
> 
> ...


There, what's bolded.
I can't really comment on raising orphaned foals, but I did want to sub on this to continue reading. 
Everyone I know that has bred has weaned around 3 months, 5 at the oldest.
I really wish we had an auction close to me..because I'd love to just sit-in on them every so often. If there was an auction house, I'd have a project now. I have no qualms of selling at an auction, because a horse is a horse, not my SO. I wanted to get a 3-4yr old gelding for a project, get some training and showing done this season and resell before I went to college, but no one is buying around here unless it's a 1D, finished barrel horse.

Regardless..just subbing and reading along.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

Iseul said:


> There, what's bolded.
> I can't really comment on raising orphaned foals, but I did want to sub on this to continue reading.
> Everyone I know that has bred has weaned around 3 months, 5 at the oldest.
> I really wish we had an auction close to me..because I'd love to just sit-in on them every so often. If there was an auction house, I'd have a project now. I have no qualms of selling at an auction, because a horse is a horse, not my SO. I wanted to get a 3-4yr old gelding for a project, get some training and showing done this season and resell before I went to college, but no one is buying around here unless it's a 1D, finished barrel horse.
> ...


That is how I fed.

One or, two days after the birth of the foal I started.

I would make a creep feeder in the box stall so the foal could eat sweet feed at any time.

Most of them would lay in that area which was great.

They would never get stepped on in there.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

My foal was weaned from milk replacer at 3 1/2 mths,she had my senior mare as a surrogate mom.She by that time was eating free choice hay & was fed,oats,beet pulp , a balanced supplement & dewormed on regular basis. She thrived & never really had issues with her getting potty bellied. She was successfully integrated to the herd & now she has several of the herd members that act as babysitters to her


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

paintedpastures said:


> My foal was weaned from milk replacer at 3 1/2 mths,she had my senior mare as a surrogate mom.She by that time was eating free choice hay & was fed,oats,beet pulp , a balanced supplement & dewormed on regular basis. She thrived & never really had issues with her getting potty bellied. She was successfully integrated to the herd & now she has several of the herd members that act as babysitters to her


I never turned my babies out.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Well I guess we differ as mine have all done well in a herd situation & I never feed sweet feed to a youngster!She is just brought in daily for her graining & supplements.When she was having frequent feedings being fed milk replacer she was in & kept with my Boss mare{ now Adoptive mom}.After my babies are weaned they are integrated to live in herd.


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## Nuala (Jan 2, 2012)

You should separate your filly asap. If the other horses completely reject her they can cut her off from food and water and even kill her. You do want to keep her with or near another horse though. A brood mare (breeding female) or a very young weaned horse are ideal (no older then 2). 

For bottle feeding - please make sure you have horse formula or at least goats milk but NOT cow milk. If she is not taking from the nipple coat it in warm honey, this give it the same scent and sweetness her dam (mother horse) tits would have had. 

Also please consult your local vet. We cant give you 100% accurate advice not knowing the whole picture. The vet will also be able to tell you if you need to bottle feed her or since she is already on hard food to just leave her. We dont normally wean until at least 6 months but a foal really should be with its dam for about a year. Our usually have their first molting (shedding out the winter coat the mail will go from sticking up to laid over) before we separate them.

best of luck to you and your filly


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

*CORRECT equine specific milk replacer*

Petag manufactures equine specific milk replacer and pellets.

Equine Milk Replacers - PetAg

It also may not hurt to have an equine vet examine the foal. What caused the mare to colic? Could of been a toxin in her system. Foals are not as hardy as they appear.


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

paintedpastures said:


> Well I guess we differ as mine have all done well in a herd situation & I never feed sweet feed to a youngster!She is just brought in daily for her graining & supplements.When she was having frequent feedings being fed milk replacer she was in & kept with my Boss mare{ now Adoptive mom}.After my babies are weaned they are integrated to live in herd.


Mine had to be fit and ready show.

Many of my foals where sold before they where born.

People wanted to pick them up ready to show and do well.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Ripper said:


> Mine had to be fit and ready show.
> 
> Many of my foals where sold before they where born.
> 
> People wanted to pick them up ready to show and do well.


Well glad you did so well with your youngsters.I also show but We will all do what works for us Just sharing my experience of raising an Orphan foal it was a new learning curve for me,which brought it's own challenges.I'm just happy for a healthy,well adjusted youngster!! If I can share that with someone that is in need of some guidance of what they can do to help their situation I will,they can take from it what they want
To the OP let us know How things are going with your little one,hope all works out for her!


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## kassierae (Jan 1, 2010)

Can't comment on the orphan issue but I will say that my grandmother has had hundreds of babies. Some she bred herself, some weaners and some still at momma's side. She always(and still does) fed free choice hay and sweetfeed. All our horses are on a 10% protein sweetfeed and are thriving. She has never, in 40+ years had a problem with doing things her way. Granted, I would probably do it different, but that's how she does it and it works for her.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AQHSam (Nov 23, 2011)

I was told that a gelding is a great choice for a nanny to foals and yearlings.


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

kassierae said:


> Can't comment on the orphan issue but I will say that my grandmother has had hundreds of babies. Some she bred herself, some weaners and some still at momma's side. She always(and still does) fed free choice hay and sweetfeed. All our horses are on a 10% protein sweetfeed and are thriving. She has never, in 40+ years had a problem with doing things her way. Granted, I would probably do it different, but that's how she does it and it works for her.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I fed third cutting alfalfa hay.

I had to limit the amount they ate.


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## FiFan (Apr 16, 2012)

SpdDrv I don't have experience with foals, so I have no advice to give you I just wanted to let you know that it's very caring of you to help out this colt. I hope he's doing well. Keep us posted


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

One thing that would help this food is to break two eggs and side it down it's throat.

I would do this very two or, three days.


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## stevenson (Sep 12, 2011)

Wean at earliest 4 months to 6 months. IMO
I dont send any horse through an auction. 
If I cannot find a home for one, I keep it. I do without so my horses have what is needed. I do not breed horses, there are far to many unwanted starved abused animals that I do not add to the problem.
I dont think Mexico is the answer.
I would not take a horse to slaughter but there is a need, beats starving to death slowly and painfully. 
A bullet to the head is better than starving to death. 
I dont do guides or pack trips or need a string of dude ranch broke horses.
I would love to have an Amish raised and trained horse. 
As stated in my first comment,, it is my opinion. You are entitled to your opinion . There is no need to condemn people for thier opinions. What I find cruel someone else may not. 
The last Auction that was in my local area, started refusing lame , crippled, and starved animals. They lost their variance with the county and closed a few years ago. It was a dumping ground. You could find some good horses. The killers were in attendence every auction when it was running.


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## Ripper (Apr 1, 2012)

Ripper said:


> One thing that would help this food is to break two eggs and side it down it's throat.
> 
> I would do this very two or, three days.


LOL....

That should have read "every".....:lol::lol::lol:


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## SpdDrv (Apr 18, 2012)

Cherie- Thank you for the advice on milk replacer and feeding, My husband went to the next big town an hour away and talked to feed store owner who suggested Pellets called Lone Star nutri boost it is fortified with probotics to help digestive system he said something about the baby eating mothers poop. He also got a milk replacer made by Manna Pro Unimilk for foals . The man said he has raised several using these two products with no problems. The other products were ok but he used these. so we will see. Didn't see any of them with the names you mentioned but like I said we live in a small area so probably don't have the access to the same things you do. I am a newbie at this and she just going to be a pet I not raising her to sell, show or anything but I do understand wanting her to be a horse and not think she is human. I also don't want her wanting to sit in my lap if she gets 1000+ pounds LOL Thank you for the information. 

Kayty, I understand that part abou being a lap horse perfectly that is what I am dealing with with the horses Pepper is with now they have all been with this couple from a very young age and are spoiled get in your face want all the attention etc. I want her to keep her loving temperament but don't want her being an attention hog wanting me to pet her all the time and then get mad or bite at another horses when they are getting attention. So I am working on finding the correct way to train her. She is letting me pet on her and each day I can do more and rub longer, like I said she is a very gentle and even tempered horse, But right now with the bigger horses trying to hog all the attention she is constantly on the look out for them. So I think building trust with her will be easier once we get her home. 
We tried to get Pepper today but had lots of trouble with the bigger horses. The man that owns the big horses was out of town today his wife was there but she is a petite framed like me and we had a hard time trying to keep those horses away and while trying to get a halter her. He had said when he first said I could have her that he would have her halter broke when we got her. We just didn't expect mom to die so suddenly. We had a hard time trying to get a halter on Pepper while fighting with the older horses. They would get spooked and whatever the older horse did pepper did. I could walk up to her or she walk up to me and pet her no problem but I have lupus and am just getting back on my feet and such so don't have the strength to be able to hold onto the rope if she took off running and I didn't want to hurt her, plus I didn't want to go mud sliding across the pasture if she took off puling me behind her. LOL . Pepper had only met my husband a few times and she would let him pet her but not with the rope in his hand. She smart cookie LOL So we are going to try again tomorrow when the owner of the horses are there to control his plus he feeds 2 times a day and always messes with Pepper and had just begun working with a rope around her so he might have a better chance of getting a rope etc on her without her hurting herself.
Is there any articles on this site about training a horse from a baby on up that I can't find? I am looking for ways so as I spend time with her I can start working to get her halter broke etc and train her properly. If yall could point me to a good site, article or have any suggestions on getting a colt halter broke etc it would be very helpful for me. Like I said I am a newbie at training I have had horses growing up but haven't been around them in years since I got sick. I got her because I fell in love with her when I saw her and she came right up to me when I was standing at the gate. Plus it will give me something to get outside to do that I will enjoy doing. 
Thanks for the advice hopefully we can bring her home tomorrow. Thanks again yall are life savers!


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