 |
Re: [RC] Foal help - heidi larsonI can't remember the exact age I weaned my colt, but it was on the early (5
months) side and it seemed rather easy actually. I have 3 other geldings and
was leasing the mare, he was kind of a pesty baby and mom did get a little
tired of him always wanting to play, however she also was not a good
diciplinarian and so I didn't want him to learn to be too bratty, also, I
didn't really like her and couldn't wait for her to go back to her own house.
(My geldings started fighting over her once she came back into heat.) I
started at about 3 months putting the old "uncle" gelding out with mom and colt
and when that went well, I noticed he was grazing some and eating some of her
hay at night, I gave them both a bit of mare and foal feed w/beet pulp every
evening and then when he was about 4 months old I split her double stall into
two 12' x 12' stalls with colt next to mom, with a pipe run for both of them.
At night they were separated and during the day they
got to be together, slowly stretching the separation out to encompass more
than 12 hours at a time. He would try to nurse through the pipe occasionally.
Then I introduced the other old gelding and that kept baby busy being around
the next uncle. By the time he was about 5 months old, he was only nursing a
couple times per day and mom was getting annoyed at him being so pesty. I seem
to recall that the day mom left, I put all the horses in their stalls/runs with
some feed/hay and loaded mom up while everyone was eating and drove off. He
never really seemed to miss her. It was my first (and likely only) foal and
maybe because he was the first, it seemed pretty easy and non-stressful. Once
we had only boys again, the herd settled down and everything has been fine.
He's about a year and a half now and other than wishing he'd have had another
baby to play with, he's been pretty easy. Just gelded last month when the
neighbors moved two mares in next
to their fence. He was getting too mouthy anyway, but I wanted him to stay
intact as long as possible, he's much sweeter now!
. o o o o
o_ \ \____ o_ \_\
(*)~(*)\_______/
/ \
\______/ /
\_______/\ /-
o-- /_/ \ /
/ \ / /
o o o-- /
/ \
o o
heidi larson
--- On Wed, 8/20/08, sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx <sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
From: sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx <sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] Foal help To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 8:41 PM I haven't been on Ridecamp in quite some time (heck my mom even thinks I'm 'too busy' because I don't call her as much as I used to). . . but thought I'd reach out for some help from the broader community. My beautiful arabian colt is 4 months old now, has been part our small herd since he was a month old and enjoying roaming our 12 hilly acres. I spent 18 months finding the right stallion (exceptionally conformational correct to improve on the mare and live cover because she was a 16 yo maiden). I read 2 voluminous college text books and then solicited the advise my friends as well as my 74 yo mentor (who's forgotten more than I'll ever know). Results are really, really nice! Training also is progressing well in that he leads, ties, bathes and has been trailered twice (and surprised me one day when he hopped in by himself to sneak hay from the floor when I was messing around inside). Next challenge is finding out when to wean - the jury is out, as I've heard everything from 3 - 6 months. . . . and he's 4 months old now, and what to feed once he's weaned. Where are all the 'college texts' on this phase (and then training), specifically for endurance horses??!!!. He currently doesn't get any grain (we did creep feed mare & foal for awhile but no longer), just good oat hay in the a.m. & an alfalfa/grass mix in the evening with his mom (and her milk) and the rest of the herd (3 to 4 geldings, one of which is a wonderful 'uncle' and a dominate boss mare who's pretty protective of him) along with a cup of beet pulp soaked once a day with some Platinum Performance, sized for him. SO, the big question now is, when to wean and what to feed him once mommy is gone. Also, any weaning tips would be great, although I've heard 'the best way' is to take her to our other pasture (35 acres) with is 15 - 20 minutes away and leave her with the other (smaller) herd for a couple of months. Oh and tips on how to care for her while her milk is drying up would be nice too!!~ so, HELP!!~~ Also, because we like the cross so well, we're planning on rebreeding our lovely broodmare again in the spring to the same stallion. Please email me back (privately or not), as I would love all the input!~ Thanks, Sandy AERC#M30961 (yes, that's me riding the 17 yo & 14 yo horses!) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Sandy L Holder | Director - PricewaterhouseCoopers | Telephone: +1 408 218 5028 | Facsimile: +1 813 375 4286 | sandy.l.holder@xxxxxxxxxx _________________________________________________________________ The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon, this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP is a Delaware limited liability partnership.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp
Ride Long and Ride Safe!!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
|