All good observations. Personally I find the colts are more independent than fillies, in general.
While a foal can and will survive nicely at this age, I prefer that the foal is with mom until at least 4 months. It is the social interaction they learn that is of value.....confidence, so the speak, not the milk as that is milk sugar water by the 2.5-3 mos stage and more a nuturing and slow conversion of the foals internal needs to be ready to totally leave milk! (thus the foal-lac when we do wean early)
I like to have the mare/foal pairs go in with some of my younger herd mares just before weaning. I find the younger mares like to play more and the foals, form that relationship with another, then I remove the mare from the group and put her in adjacent field, they all transition well.
Here's a good example: Wednesday a gelding -- who has NEVER believed the deed was done -- found a section of fence that he could get through and did. There were 3 mare/foal pairs and 4 mares 5-7 yrs in the field and had been for 2 weeks. (my transition crew
: ) At the top of this large field were 3 adjacent stallion runs, with stallions there-- again, had been for months. OH, the water source was at this top end.
I look out and find the gelding is herding all to the lower end of the field -- near where he & another gelding were fenced. No way he wanted me to catch him!
: He'd come to me, wouldn't allow a halter.
So, I opened the gate and ran EVERYONE into "his" field, let them all do their run around and settle (10 minutes). Then called the mares to remove them, and leave the geldings where they needed to be.
He would not go back into "his" field........or let the last two foals (both colts, about 3 mos)....and he began herding them!!! The moms didn't come to their rescue but, one of my 5 yr old maiden mares DID.
:
She blazed back into the field, herded those two into a corner and dared that gelding to approach!!! We are talking kicking out and ears back patroling in front of those foals! :bgrin
He went back into his field with all the others. A "feed time" call to those girls brought them back to me and up where I wanted, then I closed the gate on that rascally gelding. All was well.
BUT---there's the way the support group will work and when totally weaned this month, the foals will be fine and protected by their "big sisters".
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