Need Weaning Advice

[makayla001]

I have always held to the belief that foals should be weaned at 4-6 months and I have been successful using the "total separation" method where the mare is taken out of sight and hearing of the foal and the foal is left in the pasture with the rest of the herd. However, my husband's parents believe it is too stressful for the mare and foal to wean this way and have tried various methods of weaning that allow the mare and foal to both stay with the herd. As a result they have yearlings that are still nursing. The defense of their "method" is that in the wild foals may nurse over a year and that it keeps the bond stong between the mare and the foal. I did find a halter online called the EZEE Wean that has rubber prongs on the noseband to discourage nursing and cause "natural weaning", has anyone used this device? Do you have advice one way or the other about weaning methods? Pros or cons on leaving mare and baby together versus total separation?
I am usually happy to agree to disagree but we are now joint owners of a mare in foal and I want to wean the old way when that time comes.

[bndranch]

I wean the same way you do. Best way in my opinion. We take the mare to pasture and leave the foal where they are used to being at. HOWEVER to make it easier when the weaning process came time as we approched that time I would take and work my mare in the round pen and leave the foal in the stall and run, or turn them out so they has seperate times away from each other and could still see each other. Granted I did this at about 3 months of age. The foal would go about her buisness and so would the dam. In the evening I would put them back together. When I seperated them it was stressful but not as much as if I did it cold turkey I think. I think leaving foals on thier dam for too long is far too stressful on the mare.

[morabilityranch]

I wean about the same way at the 6 month range , I do get the foals used to being separated like bnd does , usually at feeding time I pull the foal out and put them in thier own stall next to mom starting when the foal is about a month old it gives me a chance also to work on putting halters on foal and just having one on one time for a little bit with baby while mom eats and the foal also gets a chance to nibble on feed while learning to be away from mom and not panic and this does help when it comes weaning time but no matter how you wean foals it is still a pretty stressful time for all involved for the first week and gradually gets better till foal is fully weaned.

[hermits]

We wean over a gradual period. But have the mare and foal separated during it. The foal starts out being able to nurse 3 times a day..then goes down to 2 after about a week..then about another week goes to once a day..and then after about 2-3 days they stop completely. This is much easier on the mares..it allows them to gradually stop milk production instead of having a full bag and not being able to empty it. Plus after abou thte first week most foals don't even mind being away from mom..and wil happily walk back to their own stall. We do it that the mare is in a straight stall (that's what we have here) and the foal is left in a largeer straight stall loose with a gate across the end..big enough that they have enough room to move around..but not enough room to hurt themselves if they get upset at mom leaving. They are across the barn aisle so baby can see and hear mom. Keeps things pretty queit..and no yelling..which to me is heartbreaking to listen to.

With my first foal I didn't have enough space to wean in the barn so she stayed with mom. She was offiically separated at 11 months and there was no problems at all. She had stopped nursing I'd guess about a month before that. THe mare was in foal with the next baby at the time..she was about 7 months along when they were separated. She was in really good shape and never lost weight at all feeding both. I did watch to make she wasn't being drug down and I would have made arrangements with a friend to wean if needed. But everything worked out great..she's the best filly I have in the barn ;D