Foal Behavior & Other Questions

[horse_apples]

I have a newborn foal and it's amazing how spunky she is, being born just 3 days ago! She runs around like a fool and sometimes her mom nickers to her like "Enough child! Settle down!"

She is already sniffing/nibbling at hay that her mama drops and this morning she was checking out the salt lick.

I caught her checking out her mama's grain already too. I have a small dish of water in the stall for her, but I don't know if she's investigated that yet. I assume she gets enough liquids from her mama's milk.

Because I have other adult minis, I have been keeping her and mama in their stall (which is roomy!) during the work day, letting them out to exercise supervised in the mornings and evenings. What age would be appropriate to introduce her to the rest of the herd? As of now, they can sniff and check her out through the stall walls. I have her Grandma and she is VERY nosey about her new Grandpony

Before anyone gets nasty, I just want to say my horses are pets, I accept they are time consuming and expensive, but I love them to bits and give them the best care I possibly can! I have only had them 4 years and I'm a total newbie to foals.

Here is a pic of Lil' Sadie Jo

Vet thinks she might be silver or roan out like her mother (Blue Roan). Her daddy was a pinto - his previous owner told me he was a dun pinto but i do not see a dorsal stripe - i am BEYOND CONFUSED about horse colorings.....




Here's Daddy and Mommy

 

[Miniv]

Since the others basically know about the new addition through sniffing, etc. I'd go ahead and let the new family out while you are home to observe. We don't have any problems because there's lots of room for mom and baby to run in next to the barn. Then, we bring them in at night.

 

[MountainWoman]

I'd try turning them out with other mares while I'm there to supervise. Sometimes more dominant mares can start running a new mom and her foal ragged so you have to watch for that but usually there isn't a problem especially if the mare who gave birth is high ranking in your herd and they have all been turned out together previously. If it were me, I wouldn't turn them out with a stallion present (if you have one) but that's my personal preference and others might disagree. Best of luck with your beautiful new addition.

 

[weerunner]

I concur with what was said above. I've got a herd that is so used to babies being added that I usually put them in at day 4 once their eyesight is good. I watch closely to make sure that one of the other mares doesn't try to steal the baby. And if that all seems ok, then baby goes out with the herd everyday (except rainy/snowy days) after that. I think it does them a world of good to realize that they are not the center of the universe and that there are rules that the other horses will insist they obey.

 

[AngC]

No nastiness from this quarter; enjoy your foal; they're all beautiful! ...and when it's time, they smell good when you hug them!

Before anyone gets nasty, I just want to say my horses are pets, I accept they are time consuming and expensive, but I love them to bits and give them the best care I possibly can! I have only had them 4 years and I'm a total newbie to foals.

 

[AnnaC]

She's a gorgeous little girl and you are going to have such fun with her in the future.

But I would do things differently from the above posters and err on the side of caution with your precious baby. Unless we have other mares and foals we do not 'mix' everyone in together until baby is at least 2 weeks old and able to deal with the chasing about that will obviously take place when they are all introduced. When you feel the time is right and baby and Momma are well established together, then I would slowly introduce your other animals one at a time (the quietest one first!) over several days so that you can keep watch and separate them again if there is any trouble/too much running around for baby/Momma gets jealous and starts kicking or attacking the new introducee. It is not easy to get in and separate a mare and foal (let alone catch them!) if there is trouble and/or arguements going on between several horses.

Taken slowly I'm sure all will be well - good luck!

 

[madmax]

My opinion is that AnnaC is right on the money. Baby needs to be certain about who is her mother. Your foal appears to be a silver dapple.

 

[REO]

I also agree with AnnaC. In our 20 years.... I always kept moms & babies separate. The one time I put a mare/foal together with another mare/foal, within 3 minutes one mare had kicked the other mare's foal in the eye and $400 and many months of treatment later she always had an ulcer on that eye.

One time a mare whirled to kick another horse through the fence that her colt was sniffing and she stove in her own colt's ribs and killed him. I was devastated.

I do now let mares with foals that are docile be together with other docile mares with foals, once the foal is a month old and I watch them close for some time until I know they'll get along fine.

In my world, you can't be too careful. Better safe than sorry.

I think you're doing just fine

 

[MountainWoman]

Just asking if it depends on how many mares you have? I have a separate mare/foal pasture. In that pasture are two mares with foals and two other low on the totem pole mares. They also have acres to roam so they aren't packed in there and can get away from each other easily. Haven't had a problem thank goodness. So I was wondering if Horse Apples just had a couple of other mares and they are all used to each other would you still separate them?

Robin, so sorry. How awful that must have been!!!

 

[AnnaC]

A lot of these mare and foal questions depend upon you knowing your mares really well and also whether your other mares have had foals before.

The way I work it is to bring those mares due to foal away from the main herd about a month before they are due (which is when they are also starting their 'stalled at night' time) and give them their own separate pasture during the day. The first mare to foal gets daily turnout alone with her baby in another separate pasture. As each mare foals they too are allowed in the now 'mare and foal' pasture, usually once the baby is around 3 days old, and so on until they have all foaled. Never had much of a problem with this method as each mare has her own baby to look after before being added to the other nursing mares, plus they have all been stalled together nights in the barn for at least a month - and watched each other foaling, so 'introductions' out in the pasture are not really necessary.

Once the foals are around 2 months old and all living out full time, we move the mares and foals back into a field next to the remaining herd - with very safe fencing between them - and let everyone get both reintroduced, plus allowing the 'others' to get to know the foals. After a few weeks of this we allow a few of the 'others' into the mare and foal field and every few days, add a few others until everyone is back together again. From then on we open up all the fields and the whole tribe stay together until it is time to wean the foals.

I have several mares that I know will try to 'pinch' young babies from their dams if they dont have their own baby to look after, and this is the reason why I keep the groups separated until the babies are really well established, old enough and strong enough to stand up to some persistant investigation from these dominant mares - plus their dams are a lot less stressed and more relaxed about what their babies are doing! As I said in the beginning, successful 'mixing' of different animals can depend on knowing how the 'others' will react to having a new baby in their midst.

 

[horse_apples]

I have 4 mares total and the little filly. My mare Dolly is the "Grandmare" of the filly (Lil Sadie) and she is very very docile. My other two mares are mother/daughter (Sassafrass and Teaspoon) and Sassy has been trying to take over Dolly's rank as herd boss for a year now. Teaspoon is still just 2 and very "childlike" still. I think what I'll do is put Tea and Sassy in a seperate pasture, while letting Dolly, Baby and Sadie interact in the main pasture for a few hours each day and slowly introduce Tea and Sassy into the mix. Once Baby and Sadie have been put back in the barn all the other mares can be let back into the main pasture together. Haha - I'm basically talking to myself right about it. Thanks for all your advice fellow Mini Moms

 

[AnnaC]

Sounds like a good plan - so much easier to cope with things, should there be any trouble, if you just add one at a time.