Putting foal with geldings?

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:23 am

Hi all

We only have one foal at the farm -- a six week old filly. We're investigating our options to bring in another mare and foal, but that may or may not happen. (Our friends' mare is over due, our foal is already 6 weeks old, and then there's the extra work involved in keeping another mare and foal).

We've heard that a foal really should have a playmate. Our only choices at the farm are a bunch of geldings. None racing right now, some with very reasonable personalities, one who's just a big kid and is the class clown. (I was thinking she should only be with the ones without shoes, though)

Would it be a very bad idea to put them in the pasture together at some point? If not, when? If so, why?

She's so playful, Mom is about fed up and has no interest in playing. Mom is also very relaxed, non-aggressive and was turned out with all the geldings prior to giving birth and was the dominant horse.

Thanks again for the input/advice!

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:25 am

I would be leery of her getting hurt during "horse play" with the big boys.

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Fri May 23, 2008 7:29 am

Funny Madelyn- I was actually thinking of asking you directly. :lol:

I was thinking the same thing.

Are we doing her a huge disservice by not having another foal there? I worry about her social skills and bone development (from not running and playing as much as she would with a playmate). I might be over thinking this!!! :wink:

Strategic Maneuver · Postby **Strategic Maneuver** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:03 am

I'm having same problem. Only one colt this year and I really don't want to buy another mare and foal. Any suggestions would really be appreciated.

Mood Swings · Postby **Mood Swings** » Fri May 23, 2008 9:19 am

How many geldings? My friend has put her mares and foals with a gelding without any problems. Is there a paddock that shares a common fenceline? You could put the mare and foal in a paddock adjacent to the geldings so they could get to know each other in relative safety. Nothing beats having another foal though. Good luck

ArchDandy · Postby **ArchDandy** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:06 am

Perhaps something non-equine... anyone heard of a foal playing with a goat or something? Ive never seen it, but its possible.

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:12 am

Strategic Maneuver - ship him over here

Our filly acts more like a boy anyway. :lol:

We are seriously thinking about finding/buying/borrowing another foal for her to play with right after she's weaned. Hopefully, that will be easier. We bring our horses in and out every day though, depending on the weather -- ideally we'd find a foal who has also had some handling/training so it wouldn't be alot more work. :wink:

Mood Swings - we have had a gelding or two in an adjacent paddock and it's gone fine. She's so curious about them, as all the boys have been with her. She's the first baby at the farm EVER. :lol:

There are only two or three that I'd seriously consider putting her in with. My primary concern is that they are used to playing rougher with each other and I don't want her to get hurt. We've been introducing them all over the fence though --- it's been alot of fun to see them so curious about each other.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:12 am

A few years ago one of the board members had this same issue. I went to my local stockyard auction and picked up a mixed weanling (part QH, part Arab, part ?) for a few dollars and she came and got him to put with her colt. I believe the mixed-bred weanling went on to a successful career as a riding horse and the TB colt had his playmate/pasture bud through his early life. Just an idea..

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:16 am

ArchDandy wrote:Perhaps something non-equine... anyone heard of a foal playing with a goat or something? Ive never seen it, but its possible.

LOL. We were tossing around that idea last night. Anything in her paddock is fair game though. The dogs figured out fast they better get out of her way. :lol:

She'd probably trample anything smaller. :shock:

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Fri May 23, 2008 10:17 am

madelyn wrote:A few years ago one of the board members had this same issue. I went to my local stockyard auction and picked up a mixed weanling (part QH, part Arab, part ?) for a few dollars and she came and got him to put with her colt. I believe the mixed-bred weanling went on to a successful career as a riding horse and the TB colt had his playmate/pasture bud through his early life. Just an idea..

Hmmm....darn good idea. If I got QH, I'd wanna keep it though. :wink:

Strategic Maneuver · Postby **Strategic Maneuver** » Fri May 23, 2008 11:28 am

Thanks much everyone and Bridled, I ship them to you asap if you weren't so far from me. With diesel prices, TX to PA would probably cost me more than a mare and foal, can you believe it....seriously though, do you all think my colt will be alright by himself til I wean him. I just put my two yrlg. colts in the paddock next to next to him to see if they would perk him up alittle.

KBEquine · Postby **KBEquine** » Sat May 31, 2008 8:47 am

BridledObsession, last year was easy for us because we ended up with 4 fillies. This year its 2 & 2, which is okay for the weanling herd, but when the time comes to separate the yearlings, we may need another filly & another colt so there are 3 + 3.

If you're still looking for foal company at weaning & can stand her leaving, PM us because we're only about 45 minutes or so from Grantville.

[Or, if you have room, you could probably board a weanling or two for someone else & solve the problem that way . . .]

BridledObsession · Postby **BridledObsession** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 5:19 am

KBEquine wrote:
If you're still looking for foal company at weaning & can stand her leaving, PM us because we're only about 45 minutes or so from Grantville.

[Or, if you have room, you could probably board a weanling or two for someone else & solve the problem that way . . .]

Thanks, KB. We'll keep that in mind. A friend of ours just had a filly last night that he had been talking about bringing over -- but since she's almost 2 months younger, that will delay things.

Our filly and Bob have really bonded. :lol:

She's the classic "only child" and spoiled rotten. I'm not sure he'll part with her, but I'll let him know you offered!! Thanks again!

Tiz · Postby **Tiz** » Mon Jun 02, 2008 2:53 pm

When I was a kid, my first horse foaled in a field with a couple of other horses. One of the geldings in the group immediately tried to kill it. That's probably unusual, but I can see your mama charging over the top of baby to chomp one of the boys.

Nowadays, I can't combine our geldings and mares, because the geldings spend all of there time harassing the mares. They seem to think they've still got it. Aggravating.

majxmom · Postby **majxmom** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:44 pm

I have one gelding who was a ridgling that has stallion qualities, and I definitely wouldn't trust him with any foal. But I have another gelding who also acts like a stallion sometimes with herding the mares around and punishing the newcomers, and I use him to keep the weaned foals company. He's excellent with them, like a kindly grandpa that understands their distress. He clearly loves the babies. So I guess you have to know your horse. Be careful! Foals had a remarkable tendency to run headlong into fences.