Equine Care
Weaning Foals with Less Stress BY HEATHER SMITH THOMAS
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here are many ways to wean foals and some methods are less stressful than others. Least stressful are methods in which the foal makes gradual adjustment to being apart from his dam or other adult members of the herd. The most stressful methods include abrupt separation from the mare and other adults. There is no “best” way to wean, however, because many factors enter this equation, including age, health, and temperament of the individual foal (and dam) and your own situation—facilities, conditions and management time. There are some general tips, however, and these can often be tweaked to fit your own (or the foal’s) situation. Trauma of separation is emotional (for both mare and foal) as well as physical, especially for a very young or insecure foal. A 5 to 6-month-old foal is more independent, and able to handle weaning better than a 3-month-old foal. Some foals must be weaned early, however, due to drought/poor pasture and lack of good feed for the mare, or health of the mare (or she’s old or thin) or to keep a fast-growing foal from developing skeletal problems due to too much milk. If care is taken to make the transition as smooth as possible, it’s not so hard on the mare and foal. THE FLORIDA HORSE n APRIL/MAY 2022
