How To Wean A Foal.

Weaning a foal is a very difficult task for many horse owners. If not done correctly, the mother and her foal can become injured. They will also try to whinny back and forth constantly. This can really tug on your heart if you are a passionate horse lover.

Many people use the separation method to wean their foal and it's mother. This may seem to be a good way to wean a foal but in fact it is very unhealthy. When a mother and her foal is separated the immune system of both the foal and the mare becomes decreased. This then puts both horse to be at greater risks of becoming sick and developing a disease. Also, many temperament traits may develop from this type of weaning that can create an undesirable horse. Horses that are weaned the wrong way may become timid or they can possibly become very aggressive.

The weaning process should take place between four and six months of age. This should happen spread out and should not be dramatic for the mare or foal. Try taking the foal away from the mother for a few hours a day. In this time, the foal should have companions around. You could also be working with the foal in this time. This is a great time to get the horse used to you. After a few horses you can turn the foal back out to her mother. If you are going to separate the mother and the foal in two separate pastures, make sure that the mother and foal can see each other. Do not put the foal in a stall and the mare outside. In this case the foal is probably going to hurt its self and then you are going to create a bad experience for the baby.

Continue to do this process. Once the foal seems to be doing okay with the mother in the next pasture, try to separate the foal farther away but only for a few hours. You can make up different types of separation for the horse. This should include different areas as well as different amounts of time. By the end, the horse should be able to be on its own.