Learn How to Wean a Foal

There are a lot of stories that have been told over the years regarding the weaning of foals from their mothers. Some foals have been known to still be nursing from their mothers at an age of adulthood making the foal virtually useless in any other way. This horse could not be taken for rides or anything else that would take him away from his mother without making him extremely upset. The poor horse will also endure a lot of abuse from the other members of the herd because this has been done to him. This just shows how important it is to wean a foal at an early age.

There are many ways that people have in regards to doing this but there are general rules that need to be followed when it comes to the weaning process. First thing that needs to be looked at when it comes time to wean a foal is whether or not they are able to eat solid food or not. If they are able to then you need to separate the foal from its mother but keep them at a distance where they can still be able to see the other.

Keep the process of moving them further apart until they are no longer visible to each other. You cannot just take the foal away from his mother and not allow him to see her ever again, that would be a very harsh and cruel thing to do.

Once you have separated the two of them you will need to spend a lot of time creating a bond with the foal. This helps with the weaning process as well with the relationship that they will have with humans. It allows them time to build up trust in the person that is caring for them.

There are some other things that you may want to keep in the back of your mind when it comes to weaning a foal. If the mother has some undesirable traits, you may want to think about weaning the foal at an earlier time so that they do not pick up the bad habits of the other horse.

Never try to wean a horse that is sick. It is a lot like a person and will not be able to put forth the effort that they would normally be able to. The strength that they normally have will be minimized and thus you will be wasting your time. Wait until the horse is well and then start the weaning process.

Make sure that the area that you are in when weaning your foal is known both to the baby and the mother. This will make both animals feel more secure about what is happening. They are a lot like humans when it comes to this and need to feel safe and secure in their environment.

Remember that they are your horses and they are more accustomed to you then anyone else. If there are issues that arise the vet or a neighbour may be of assistance to you. There are others that have dealt with similar situations and there is bound to be someone that can help you with the problem that you have.