# Weaning age, huge colt dragging mare down



## Countrylady1071 (May 12, 2010)

I've always heard that five to six months is best, but that three or four months can be acceptable too depending on the situation/circumstances. I'm interested to hear others responses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

He can come live with me. I love him!!
Wait, that's not what you asked eh.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

cakemom said:


> He can come live with me. I love him!!
> Wait, that's not what you asked eh.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_



LOL, he will eat you out of house and home, I'm still not 100% decided if he will stay or go, I did say I wanted a big horse, bit by the time he is riding age I might not want to take him on:lol:


----------



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

A google search tells me that 3 months is the minimum but most articles are recommending pulling him at 4 months if he is really pulling her down. 

Why couldn't my kids 'pull me down'...*Laugh*


----------



## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

I would get your vet to advise you. IMHO, the mare still isn't getting enough to eat to sustain them both. I expect that your vet will look at her calorie intake, and suggest that you boost it up a bit. While he is a big boy, and obviously eating a fair bit, it should just be a matter of adjusting the intake to suit. If Mama is still having problems once her feed has been adjusted, you still will want your vet to be involved, because there will clearly be an underlying issue with Mama.


----------



## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

My arab mare came to me severyly underweight and pregnant. She had a hard time keeping both her and the baby well fed. I weaned at four months with no problems. He was a tall sturdy guy. I had already been leading him away and fussing with him by himself so when the final split came there was no more than a evenings fussing. By the next day both of them were relaxed and calm.

I wouldn't go less then four months and prefer six months also.


----------



## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

There is nothing wrong with weaning now for the health of the mare.


----------



## crimsonsky (Feb 18, 2011)

my colt self weaned at 3mths and he's doing wonderful so, if needed, i think your guy would be fine being weaned now/soon. 

however, like Chiilaa said, i think the mare just isn't getting enough nutrients from her feed. that might be the best first approach to this situation. 

good luck!


----------



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

She has been on free choice alfa hay, and I'm hoping that now the grass is growing that will help her. She also gets fed twice a day, fodder beet, oats, canola oil and Equine Power 2000.

If this is not enough feed, I don't really know what will be enough. I say give him a few more weeks while slowly weaning him and then pull him. Your girl is usually a little *ahem* rotund...for him to be pulling her down this hard, he must really be draining her.


----------



## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

corinowalk said:


> She has been on free choice alfa hay, and I'm hoping that now the grass is growing that will help her. She also gets fed twice a day, fodder beet, oats, canola oil and Equine Power 2000.
> 
> If this is not enough feed, I don't really know what will be enough. I say give him a few more weeks while slowly weaning him and then pull him. Your girl is usually a little *ahem* rotund...for him to be pulling her down this hard, he must really be draining her.


I agree... I think she's getting enough feed. The grass may help. My one TB mare does terrible when not on grass. Timothy, alfalfa, hay pellets, barely maintains her weight... grass comes and poof she starts fattening up again. 

If there is a next time maybe start increasing her feed earlier and have some extra weight. I don't like obese mares as I feel this adds extra strain but a bit pudgy in the last couple months before foaling works well.


----------



## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Clearly she isn't getting 'enough', if she was, she wouldn't be losing weight. I am not suggesting that the mare is being starved, or even that the amount would not ordinarily be enough. What I am saying is that she either needs more to accommodate for a very demanding foal, or there is another issue that is accounting for her not keeping weight. Either way, this to me is an issue to be taken to a vet.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

corinowalk said:


> Why couldn't my kids 'pull me down'...*Laugh*


Ohh if only, I managed to breast feed and gain weight, guess I'm an easy keeper:lol:



Chiilaa said:


> I would get your vet to advise you. IMHO, the mare still isn't getting enough to eat to sustain them both.


Thanks for the suggestion, and this is really a genuine question back, is the vet really the best person to advise on diet for horses?? I'm not sure mine is.



mls said:


> There is nothing wrong with weaning now for the health of the mare.


Foe the mares sake then I would, but although Stewie is happy to be separated from her every day I really don't think he is ready to do without her just yet



corinowalk said:


> Your girl is usually a little *ahem* rotund...for him to be pulling her down this hard, he must really be draining her.


:shock: Rotund, you think :lol::lol:, here she is the week before she foaled, maybe just a touch 'rounded' 














Crossover said:


> If there is a next time maybe start increasing her feed earlier and have some extra weight. I don't like obese mares as I feel this adds extra strain but a bit pudgy in the last couple months before foaling works well.


LOL, see above, but there is not going to be a next time for this girl, Stewie wasn't planned, she is not breeding quality, she is going to become a nice riding horse for someone, once I get my big girl panties on and get her re started.


----------



## Chiilaa (Aug 12, 2010)

Golden Horse said:


> Thanks for the suggestion, and this is really a genuine question back, is the vet really the best person to advise on diet for horses?? I'm not sure mine is.


If your vet doesn't know, then a - they should be able to tell you who to contact who would know, and b - I am not sure they are the best vet for you.

Large animal vets would have studied both the reproduction needs and nutritional needs of horses. It will have been part of their degree.


----------



## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Not in the US. Heck I have more nutritional class hours then most vets get, unless they specialize in nutrition.

ETA - Golden, you may want to look up equine nutritionists in your area. Possibly your university will have some suggestions.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Oh, and yes she has been wormed, her teeth don't appear to give her trouble but she is overdue for a float.

I don't weigh her food, and telling you my scoops wouldn't be helpful, but her feed bucket is darn heavy, and she often leaves a mouthful or so, that tells me that she is physically eating as much in quantity as she can. I'm upping the oil content slowly, and should be getting some flax seed in the next day or two, hoping to add calories rather than anymore quantity.

Stewie is also of course being fed.

I truly don't think that there is any medical issue with Bert, but when you take a foal from this










to this










In 12 weeks it's gotta take it out of you, especially bearing in mind that it was like -20*C for the first month of his life.

I would really like to keep them together for one more month, to allow him to mature mentally just a little, but if I have to pull him it's good to know that 3 months is doable.


----------



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

That photo looks like it was photoshopped...though I know it wasn't...LOL

She looks like a Fjord/Belgian/Elephant cross...lol


----------



## corinowalk (Apr 26, 2010)

Chiilaa said:


> If your vet doesn't know, then a - they should be able to tell you who to contact who would know, and b - I am not sure they are the best vet for you.
> 
> Large animal vets would have studied both the reproduction needs and nutritional needs of horses. It will have been part of their degree.


My vet is oldschool. He would probably ask questions like 'how much sweetfeed is she getting'.

I think he is just a monster baby that is putting a tax on a big mare. I wish Indy would come on over...she has lots of experience with LARGE foals and them putting a draw on momma.


----------



## shmurmer4 (Dec 27, 2008)

If she is leaving grain, and not up to weight, maybe it would be good to evaluate the feed(test it for DE, don't rely on the company to do it properly):hay/alfalfa(have this tested also) ratio


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have the solution... Stewie needs to come down here and live with Rafe and Taz .

I think you would be okay weaning him now. Taz was weaned at around 4 months and his momma had been dry for some time before that. Other than being a little bit dinky (which I don't think Stewie is at risk of ending up:lol, he's perfectly healthy.


----------



## cakemom (Jul 4, 2010)

I already told you, that baby is mine.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Hey, don't fight over him, just send sealed bids, wave enough dollars at me and he is yours at weaning.

Corin, that sounds like my vet to, bless him, round here they are cow vets who look at horses as some sort of odd shaped bovine, the University maybe much more useful.

Shmurmer, she only ever leaves the last mouthful, or just doesn't lick the bowl clean, tells me that physically she is eating all she can, so I need to pack more calories into the volume that she is getting.

I'm truly hoping that being out on green grass will help, both because Stewie will be getting more of his needs met by grass, and because it will help Bert hold her weight.


----------



## Indyhorse (Dec 3, 2009)

Sorry to be so late to this thread, been offline most the day, but yes, this is something I have firsthand experience with. I have not read all the replies so I apologize if I am re-stating what someone else already said.

I've raised two huge foals out of my mare Freyja (neither of which I bred.) The first one - Finn, who was already huge, as a foal, was at heels when I got her. She came to me in very bad shape, and in interest of getting her in better health the vet recommended weaning Finn at 4 months old - which I did. She was also eating a pretty large amount of feed, at the time she was getting fed 3x per day - roughly about 5 qts feed and probably 4-5 lbs soaked beetpulp per feeding, plus a cup of corn oil. (this is what she is on now, too, BTW, but only 2x a day now) By the time Finn was 6 months old, she was starting to look very good.

Unfortunately (and totally my mistake) I didn't have her checked and didn't know she was bred back to the stallion (Finn's sire) when I got her, and didn't know she was bred until she was nearly 7 months along. So in April of last year along came Fiona, pretty much taking away all the progress I had made with Freyja with her. I did let Fiona nurse until 6 months, I probably should have weaned her at 4 months like I did with Finn as I have found Freyja has had more difficulty recovering and hanging on to the weight this time around. But I hope once she gets up to speed she will be in much better shape - finally not pregnant and/or nursing for the first time since I got her. And I don't think it hurt either foal - Finn at 25 months is 16.2 hh and Fiona, at 13 months is 15.1 hh!

Stewie is darling, but massive and fast growing, just like both my foals and I agree it takes too much from mama. I think an early weaning would be a wise choice.


----------



## Crossover (Sep 18, 2010)

Golden Horse - Mom looked great before... looks like baby is just taking alot out of mom. Early weaning is a good idea there and hopefully the fresh grass will help her get those chubby cheeks back .


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Indyhorse said:


> And I don't think it hurt either foal - Finn at 25 months is 16.2 hh and Fiona, at 13 months is 15.1 hh!
> 
> Stewie is darling, but massive and fast growing, just like both my foals and I agree it takes too much from mama. I think an early weaning would be a wise choice.


Well I sure hope he stops growing before 16.2 hh. Thanks for sharing your experience, it's great to hear from someone who has been through it. 



Crossover said:


> Golden Horse - Mom looked great before... looks like baby is just taking alot out of mom. Early weaning is a good idea there and hopefully the fresh grass will help her get those chubby cheeks back .


I'm really hoping that the green grass will buy me the time I need.


----------



## reiningfan (Jan 7, 2008)

I would take a wait & see approach. Now that we actually have grass in our part of the country, they both ought to do better.
I know that my Vlad has been taking a lot out of Vamp and I am having a heck of a time providing her with enough calories. Thankfully she isn't picky and eats virtually anything I put in front of her.
Good lord Stewie is huge. I've seen both his sire and dam in person and never would have expected him to be quite so big. You did say you wanted a big horse. Another case of being careful what you wish for 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

She has been out on grass for a few days and I'm sure that she is already looking better, maybe it's wishful thinking:lol::lol:


----------



## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

I think we need more pictures of Stewie, just so we can be really sure of how giant he is.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

:lol::lol: OK one more










That's it for a while I think, maybe a bit busy here for a while


----------



## Equilove (Feb 21, 2011)

corinowalk said:


> Why couldn't my kids 'pull me down'...*Laugh*


I laughed out loud... :rofl:

Wouldn't it be nice??


----------



## Juna (Apr 4, 2010)

Such a big boy!! Chunky monkey, eh? lol Gotta say that I love your threads, GH. 

I agree with the early weaning posts. Your mare looks like she is being dragged down in muscle mass now, though she still looks very healthy. I think you are feeding her perfectly, and imo, a colt that big is bound to drag momma down no matter what you put in her feed bucket. (of course, ruling out teeth issues and feeding her the correct ratios, which you are doing.) 

We regularly wean at four months old. By that age, all foals are physically ready to be on their own, nutrition wise. And we've found that they are almost always ready mentally, too. If they seem immature mentally then we will keep them on their mom for an extra month. 

Once we left a big colt on his dam for six months because he was very immature mentally (ie, anti-social with other horses and had extreme separation anxiety) and he dragged his dam down so bad in muscle mass, it took a whole year to get her back up to shape. Most of our mares are show horses, so keeping their body condition up is very important. She was eating nearly twice what our other mares were getting during nursing (and after) and it still couldn't keep her mass up. It's very typical and not a big deal, imo. (except that she didn't make it to a show that year. :lol: But that's alright.) Our vet was behind us all the way, too. 

If your colt is ready mentally for the "move out", then for sure wean! 

Good luck! She is a pretty girl and her chunky monkey is a cutie patootie. :lol:


----------



## netty83 (Sep 21, 2010)

I had a mare that weaned the foal herself at 4 months. He was eating grass and also hard feed. I had a lot of negative comments from people but the vet said if the mare had weaned him then it was fine. From the size and build of him i would say he should be fine. he is a stunner


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Bert is doing a lot better, I've added flax and some oil to her diet, and he is tucking into his food twice a day now.

I got a shock today, I was out there looking at him and suddenly went :shock: so I had a closer look and 
:shock:
:shock:
:shock:
:shock:

He has dropped already, I guess I best put him down on the gelding list, the two yearlings need doing, but we're still waiting for them both to drop, but little monster is very forward. 

Oh well, nice to get it done while he is still with mum, and no worries about lack of development on this one :lol::lol:


----------



## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Good lord, he was only just born! Are you sure you didn't nap through a few months?


----------



## drafts4ever (Sep 1, 2009)

holy balls! *teehee*

Little monster grew up fast didn't he! So adorable but wow! I'm going to love watching his progress through your pictures!


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I'm starting to think she caught in 2009 and Stewie was a yearling when he was born, it would explain a lot :lol:


----------



## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

:rofl: That would explain quite a bit!


----------



## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

Maybe he will lose his appetite for a couple of days when he is gelded and give BB a break. Then again, maybe not...:shock:


----------



## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

He is darling!!! He is pulling the mare down so I can see your concern. Keep posting pictures when you can - I'd love to see more of him!


----------



## horsecrazy84 (Mar 20, 2011)

3 months is good to wean. After that they really only nurse for the physical comfort of it instead of getting much nutritional value out of it. I don't think any foal is ready to willingly leave their dam, it is something we force them to do but very rarely do they suffer emotionally long term. I think it's better to lock the foal up in a barn so they won't try to go through a fence to get back with the momma or move them far enough away so they can't see, hear or smell one another. Letting the foal in to nurse even for a little while won't help anything. If he's eating fine on his own he'll be ok.


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

More pics later today, I was going to do it this morning but forgot the camera, but I'm delighted to say that she is doing a lot better.

Horsecrazy, I wasn't sure about weaning at 3 months, and I'm glad I didn't have to. I just happen to believe that there is more to the mother baby bond than her just being a milk provider. Stewie for all his size, and seeming independence is not ready to be weaned, or maybe I'm not ready to try just yet.

When he is weaned he will go into our big dry lot, with two yearlings for company. Momma will be coming in to start work soon though so he will probably be gradually weaned, Stewie will go in with the youngsters for while while Mum is working then they can go back out together.

As long as she can hold her weight she can stay with him,


----------



## atreyu917 (May 22, 2011)

Wow that boy is a beast! So handsome!


Sorry for going off topic haha


----------



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

New Stewie the Moose pics here

http://www.horseforum.com/horse-pictures/stewie-moose-14-weeks-old-88667/#post1060787

Bert is now doing a lot better, I have left them together for now, Stewie is now 3 and a half months old.


----------

