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Is a horse now classified as a domestic animal?

The modern horse is classified as a domestic animal, as he is defined as a species bred, born, raised and used by humans. Some herds of native horse breeds still exist in the wild, but most so-called wild horses are actually domestic breeds that have escaped the domestication process and become naturalised. The only truly wild horses left in existence today are Przewalski’s horses.

When can a foal be weaned?

Foals should not be weaned, except in exceptional circumstances, before six months of age. Even at six months, we should not consider weaning unless the foal is in good physical condition, good health and is taking in adequate amounts of feed. If you wish to wean your foal earlier for a particular reason, you should discuss this with your vet. Waiting longer than six months to wean is generally not an issue, unless the mare is struggling to cope, but this should also be discussed with your vet.

Weaning is a stressful physical and psychological process for mother and foal. We can reduce the physical stress of weaning by ensuring that the solid feed intake of the foal is adequate before weaning so that the removal of milk does not leave him deficient in nutrients. The foal must also be in good health before any attempt is made to wean him. Any signs of illness, no matter how minor, must not be ignored, and the foal must not be weaned until he has returned to full health. On the other hand, psychological stress can be diminished by introducing the foal to his post-weaning companions prior to weaning and also ensuring regular handling by humans before separation from the dam. Ultimately, careful management can help make the process easier and thus reduce the overall stress of weaning. Many stud farm managers are now proposing a gradual weaning system, where the mare and foal are separated for more and more time each day until they can lead completely independent existences.

It is also worth noting that, while it has been the common practice previously to castrate, vaccinate and worm foals around the time of weaning, this multipronged approach can cause trauma for the foal and have a detrimental effect on the health, growth and development of the foal. Therefore, it is advised that foals are vaccinated, wormed and castrated either one month prior to weaning or one month after weaning.

My horse hates trucking boots and stamps and kicks until he gets them off. What can I do about this? I don’t want him to travel without boots?

Often, when horses wear boots for the first time, they feel unsure. As trucking boots are worn relatively infrequently, it is usually just a case of getting your horse used to the boots so that he is comfortable in them.

Begin by going right back to basics. Is your horse comfortable with other boots like tendon boots? If not, you will need to start with these and gradually work up to trucking boots.

When first introducing boots, make sure you wear a hard hat and sturdy shoes and ensure you are in a safe environment. Work with just one boot at a time, to begin with, and start with the front legs. When introducing the boot, spend lots of time running your hands down your horse’s legs, putting the boot on, and then removing it afterwards. You don’t want to leave the boots on for too long initially. Over time, as your horse becomes more comfortable with the process, you can leave the boot on for a bit longer.

You should be able to put the boot on each leg and have your horse stand quietly before you move on to putting on two boots at once, then three and then four. When he can stand quietly in all four boots, you can ask him to take a couple of steps and then stand quietly again. If he does this, reward him and remove the boots. You can then try a few more steps the next day and ultimately load him into the horsebox in the boots. As soon as he is comfortable with this, you can take him for a short drive in the boots and gradually work up to travelling to shows or clinics in them.

This is a long process but avoids the hazards of a horse fighting boots while travelling. Make sure you give plenty of praise and rewards as you work through this, and you’ll find that your horse is a trucking boot pro in no time!