Foal and youngster management

BABY STEPS

THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF A FOAL’S LIFE ARE PRECIOUS AND LAY THE FOUNDATIONS FOR A HEALTHY PROGRESSION TO ADULTHOOD. HELEN TRIGGS TALKS TO BREEDERS FOR THEIR TIPS ON HOW TO GIVE FOALS AND YOUNGSTERS THE BEST START.

Whether you have twenty foals or just one, the guidelines are still the same. Correct feeding, access to pasture for forage and exercise and socialisation are crucial.

It’s important that the mare is kept in good condition as that can aff ect the composition of the mare’s milk and in turn the growth rate of the foal. It is a careful balance and mares fed a diet too high in fat can cause excessive growth in the foals which impacts on bone maturity.

Getting the foal to suckle straightaway is important as the colostrum which contains antibodies is within the fi rst milk. he danger is that a mare who has been dripping milk for a while before foaling may have lower levels of colostrum. A blood test on the foal can check the antibody levels and a plasma transfer can be given.

At Hawtins Stud and UK Hanoverians, vets will check the newborn foals and the farrier will be involved if there are any concerns about the feet or straightness of the legs. he foal may need to wear splints or cuff s or the foal’s feet may need attention. It needs to be a conversation between the breeder, vet and the farrier to determine the best way forward.

Unfortunately mares are often foaling in inclement weather. Judith Davis of Hawtins Stud says “if I could wave a magic wand I’d have all my foals born in arch. he best thing for foals is to be out in the fi eld. “We’ll turn the mare and foal out as soon as possible, depending on the time of night they foaled, the weather and the temperament of the mare. We have tiny turnout paddocks close to the foaling barn and they will go there for a couple of days to give the foal time to strengthen. he foals will start to pick at the mare’s feed and haylage uite uickly. “ hey’ll nibble grass but are really ust e ploring, says udith.

“ he mares are fed a good uality stud balancer and stud cubes if they need a bit extra. Nearer to weaning we start

ABOVE: CLAIRE RANDALL WITH THE HOMEBRED DIAMOND LIL, AN ORPHAN FOAL, WHICH SHE BUCKET FED. RIGHT: JANE STEARN’S WIFI HOTSPOT, FOALED AT STUD.

putting out feed in the fields for the foals. e try and keep everything as natural as possible. ny additional feeding is to support rather promote growth. ood uality pasture management is important with regular fertilisation and rolling of the fields to minimise poaching which could cause accidents. Establish a regular worming programme once foals are more than two months old.

“I wean as late as I can, says u anne avandera of anoverians tud. “ e wean in one go and find that the foals are already a team and not that bothered. e put them into a barn with their friends. he mares that call the most are usually newer mums. he mares go back into the fields they came off. oving around helps them dry off. fter weaning, foals at both awtins and anoverians go out in age not gender groups. awtins doesn’t retain colts as entires so they will be gelded in the spring of their first year. t anoverians fillies and colts will be separated in the spring and any colts that are to be gelded will be cut then or the following utumn.

If there are no initial problems, feet trimming will start at around five to si weeks so that any issues which could

manifest in later life are identified early. oals are generally handled from birth onwards. “It shouldn’t be stressful, says udith but it makes it easier to do things with them later on. he one time or serial one foal breeder has different issues to bear in mind. It’s important for the foal to have peers to bond and play with and foals kept singly can develop needy behavioural characteristics. anoverians provides foaling down and youngster livery services. “ e like the pregnant mares to come to the stud four to si weeks before foaling so they settle into the yard and the herd. If they are coming on foal livery, we like to have the mare and foal a month before weaning, so the foal can make some friends, says u anne. B member ane tearn has bred from her otspon mare, ed irl and produced an advanced medium nine year old, i i otspot. ane sent the mare to oodlander tud to be inseminated by oodlander avavoom. he was brought home and then returned to stud four weeks before foaling. “ e was a late foal so ended up being weaned at four months but it’s never seemed to do him any harm I didn’t have facilities at home so he was left at stud and came home in his third year. e was in a barn in winter there and out in the good weather. e was very well handled by oodlander and is the friendliest horse imaginable, comments ane. laire andall has bred a small number of foals over the years. er grand pri horse, iamond il II, is a homebred and she has a mare currently in foal to etcher B. “I breed for my pleasure and send them away for foaling, e plains laire. “ ily was an orphan foal and came home pretty much straight away. he was bucket fed and ended up going out with an adult gelding.

“ nother mare, lara, stayed at stud for si months while I tried to get her mum back in foal. ortunately I was then able to send her to indsey awes at airoak range who also had a foal and she stayed there until she was three.

Breeding a foal and watching it mature into a teenager is a rewarding e perience and by being well prepared you can avoid those an ious moments

“I BREED FOR MY PLEASURE AND SEND THEM AWAY

FOR FOALING.” Claire Randall.

Safe travels

THERE CAN BE FEW THINGS MORE SATISFYING AS AN OWNER THAN SEEING A HORSE THAT YOU HAVE BRED FULFIL ITS POTENTIAL. BRITISH DRESSAGE PARTNERS HCR LAW AND KBIS INSURANCE LOOK AT HOW YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE THE RIGHT AGREEMENTS AND COVER FOR ANY EVENTUALITIES IF SENDING YOUR YOUNGSTER AWAY TO A SPECIALIST.

Sending a weanling or other young horse away on youngstock livery or training should be subject to a written contract, so that there can be no doubt as to its terms. It should be detailed, but e ible enough to deal with change. It is essential that the terms are communicated and agreed, and in particular cover: • How the horse will be looked after at the rider’s premises, and what will be included or e cluded. ees should be clear, as should any mechanism for change. • Emergency veterinary treatment should be dealt with

specifically, as with any health issue. Particular problems can arise if an underlying condition appears, so plan ahead. • Be clear about services to be provided – will the horse simply be handled or will it be prepared for backing, showing or sale? What other professionals will be engaged? • Charges should be set out clearly – either by the day or an overall price for a defined service. • Be clear about long term objectives: if the aim is to sell the young horse on, the mechanism for this should be clear. Will there be a commission or a fi ed fee and if the latter, it could include an increase in value.

This could be separated out into a separate sales agreement or included as a schedule to one agreement. • Hopefully all will go to plan but consider what will happen if you part ways and include terms that allow for this in a positive way.

ANYONE RUNNING A BUSINESS WITH HORSES SHOULD HAVE PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE.

IF YOU ARE SENDING A HORSE TO A YOUNGSTOCK SPECIALIST, WHAT INSURANCE COVER WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO HAVE?

Anyone running a business with horses should have Public Liability insurance. Horses can be unpredictable and Public Liability cover protects the business owner should a horse in their care cause an accident involving a third party where they are found to be liable. There have been multiple cases where business owners have been held liable for third party property damage or bodily injury caused by a horse in their care. If they do not have adequate cover this could then fall back to the horse’s owner under the Animals Act 1971 so it is essential cover for both business and horse owners alike.

WHAT COVER SHOULD THE HORSE’S OWNER TAKE OUT, AND WOULD THIS DIFFER FROM IF YOU WERE KEEPING THE HORSE AT HOME?

There is no requirement for any additional cover to be taken out by the owner of the horse. As a minimum though, it is worth having Public Liability insurance. KBIS has seen claims for third party damages e ceeding , , so having protection against this is essential. As mentioned above, under the Animals Act you have strict liability for the actions of your horse regardless of whether or not you were there or responsible so it is important to protect yourself by having suitable liability insurance in place.

Additionally, some owners choose to insure their horses for mortality and/or veterinary fees in preparation for them to move off their yard and into someone else’s care. If you are considering this, it is worth remembering that often limitation periods apply at the beginning of new policies for this type of cover, in order to prevent pre e isting conditions being claimed for. To have full cover and therefore full peace of mind when your horse moves onto the new yard, make sure your policy has been taken out far enough in advance that the limitation period is completed by the time he moves. If you don’t, accidental injuries would still be covered during the limitation period so this does provide some reassurance if they are to get over e cited in a new field and nick themselves on the fence, for e ample.

PRODUCT WATCH FOAL AND

YOUNGSTER

MANAGEMENT

LORD RICO FOALS – THE COUNTDOWN

HAS STARTED! The team WG Stud, the home of Lord Rico, are excitedly awaiting his fi rst crop of foals. This son of Lord Leatherdale (dam line Gribaldi) is expecting foals out of the stud’s top broodmares, with Negro, Uphill and Silvester bloodlines. His fi rst foals are due mid-April, and with just six expected this year prospective purchasers might want to move quickly! This young stallion is also available for breeding this year, with semen available seven days a week.

RRP: POA wgstud.co.uk

THE CLASSIC HAAS BRUSH COLLECTION FROM THE CENTRE LINE

consists of eight specially chosen brushes designed to offer grooming solutions for horses of all ages and coat types. The quality and diversity of this range allows you to gently introduce your sensitive foal or young horse to the joys of grooming. This helps develop your bond with the foal and mare giving them confi dence and trust in you, while also stimulating the skin and hair follicles to cultivate a great coat. This fabulous collection is easy to use, provides a beautiful fi nish and most importantly offers a grooming experience that your young horse and foal will look forward to. Designed to be used in a specifi c order, each brush has a particular job and makes light work of grooming. Created by leading experts Haas, most of the brushes can even be popped in the washing machine at 30°C to keep them clean and bacteria-free!

RRP: RRP £115 | thecentreline.co.uk

STUDBOOK INSPECTION & MARE PERFORMANCE TESTS The British Hanoverian Horse Society will

be accepting mares from other studbooks to participate in our mare performance tests. This includes, but not limited to, KWPN, Oldenburg, Westphalian, Holstein, British Warmbloods, Trakehners and the British Thoroughbred.

RRP: FROM £60 | hanoverian-gb-org.uk