Turning out open mares with mare and foals

[Blue feather]

I have an open mare who's the dominant of four mares in the pasture. The other three mares are due soon. I'm concerned about turning the open mare out with the other mares once foaled. They've been together for two years but dominant mare has always had a foal by her side as did the other mares. Does anyone have past experience with this situation? Is their reason for concern?

[AscotStud]

I would avoid turning them out together, most mares without foals are not very receptive to having babies playing around or with them. You wouldn't want her to attack any of the foals, even a bite or kick could be very damaging to a foal.

[Mood Swings]

I have done this many times in the past and have not had a problem. However the "open" mare was never an overly agressive mare.
Use your judgement. If you are concerned about how the open mare is behaving towards the pregnant mares now things will only get more complicated when you add helpless foals to the mix. As they say "it is better to be safe than sorry" Good luck

[cadaques]

I faced this last year. A bred maiden mare was turned out with two mares and foals. The young mare had been with the other two mares before they gave birth so they knew each other. The young mare was completely dominant over the other two mares, before the foals and after. She was not mean or aggressive, just clearly dominant. One of the foals became friends with the maiden mare. They would mutually scratch each other, spend time with each other. The foal would even share the maiden mare's feed in the afternoons (the mares and foals ate separately in a stall in the mornings) - she wouldn't think of letting one of the mares eat with her. He spent more time with the maiden than with his own mother. The foal is probably the best I've ever bred, and certainly is the most aware and the smartest. The maiden mare's foal will be delivered in about a week. I'm anxious to see how she will react to having her own foal after her experience with the surrogate last year.

[Bondama]

These posts kind of confirm a train of thought I've been having here lately, as I've watched my alpha mare and another mare's foal interact. It is interesting that you point out that these dominant mares seem to have a form of tender-heartedness, for lack of a better term, towards a foal or foals that are not theirs. We lost a mare about a month ago. This mare had a 6-month old filly at her side. Since that time, the alpha mare has kind of stepped up and adopted the filly. Now, she doesn't nurse, but otherwise stays near to the alpha, the alpha grooms her, whickers to her, otherwise acts like a mom or aunt of sorts. The alpha even lets the filly eat out of her grain bucket which is really incredible - she will pin her ears at any horse that gets too close at mealtimes. This is the same alpha who can keep my stallion in line! She really runs a tight ship, and it's amazing to see her heart open to this orphaned baby. None of the other mares did.

There are other factors that made me wonder. My alpha lost her foal, full term, in the fall. She waited til no one was looking and delivered, then just left it. The foal suffocated in its bag. Was very sad. I wonder if she misses that baby, and the orphan filly is a replacement of sorts?

Very interesting train of thought.

[Sock Monkey]

Do you have another option besides putting them all together? In my experience, mares with foals do better together and leave the open mares together.

I'm of the belief that with foals "better safe than sorry." And, it's awfully easy for a foal to get caught in the middle of mare squabble. So, if you have another option, I would take it. Otherwise, lots of people run mixed groups and have done fine with it, so I'm sure you could get away with it.

[Dave C]

I always run my mares with foals with open mares, geldings, and pregnant mares. I've never had a problem or even been concerned about how the foals will be treated. My experience has always been that horses are very smart and they know the babies are still learning and they are very forgiving of indescretions by the foals. My opinion is that the herd environment is the normal environment for foals to grow up in and that the socialization process helps them becomes fiercely competitive when it comes time to race. I know many people consider their foals to be too valuable of assets to risk getting hurt, I just feel regardless how much money you have sunk into them they're still just horses. JMHO

[AscotStud]

I've done it before our of necessity, and didn't have any major problems it luckily it was only short term. They may "just" be horses, but to me it's not worth risking a foal getting kicked because a mare doesn't feel like playing that day. And to me it's not worth risking a potential 6 figure sales foal because the're "just" horses, they get enough interaction with the other mares and foals in the paddock as it is.

[Karie]

I have never done it and never will..
one kick and the foals career is over.
Its just not worth it...

[teb]

I'm in the wouldn't do it group but have seen it work very well. Still I just don't like taking chances. I have a mare that wasn't bred last year that I most definitely won't stick in with the other mare and foals. She is the ditzy mare of the bunch. One of those that all the sudden starts running around and screaming at the top of her lungs for no reason. Luckily, I have some company for her so I won't have a problem. A friend of mine up the road regulary keeps her open mares with the ones that have foals and never has problems, but I just can't risk it.

Terri