Weaning Wisely to Reduce Stress on the Mare & Foal

Weaning is one of the biggest transitions in a foal's early life, and with careful planning around timing, nutrition, and method, you can make it far less stressful for both mare and foal.

• When to Wean
• Preparing the Foal for Weaning
• Weaning Methods
• Setting the Mare and Foal Up for Success
• Post-Weaning Care

It’s hard to believe that the adorable newborn who took his first clumsy steps just a few short months ago has grown into a handsome, confident youngster and is ready to start the next phase of his life. As the time approaches to wean your mare and foal, thoughtful planning can help make the transition easier for both.

Weaning is a major milestone that involves more than simply separating the mare and foal – it requires careful attention to nutrition, health and stress management. Foals can experience challenges during the transition and could have an increased risk for developing upper respiratory infections, nutritional imbalances, weight loss, digestive upset or even colic in severe cases. Preparing in advance and understanding what to expect can help ease the transition to reduce stress and minimize health risks.

When to Wean

Horse owners commonly wean foals between 4 to 6 months of age, although the ideal timing depends on the individual foal's physical, mental and social development. For weaning to be the least stressful, the foal should be healthy, consuming significant amounts of forage and concentrate designed for growing foals, and show independence from his dam by regularly interacting socially when out with other foals. Weaning too early can take a mental toll on the foal and place unnecessary stress on the digestive and immune systems, while waiting too long may increase nutritional demands on the mare and encourage excessive dependence.

Preparing the Foal for Weaning

Preparing a foal for weaning begins well before separation from his dam. The nutritional content of the mare’s milk gradually declines after about 6 weeks. Although foals continue to nurse, much of their nutrition comes from forage and concentrate feeds after approximately 3 months of age. At this stage, nursing serves more as a source of comfort and social bonding than for nutrition. Introducing a balanced concentrate feed (creep feed) when the foal is around 2 to 3 months old allows him to become accustomed to eating independently before weaning, while providing the nutrients needed to support the demands of rapid growth.

Weaning is one of the most stressful events in a young horse's life, and that level of stress may reduce feed and water intake or alter the balance of beneficial microbes in the digestive tract, making some foals more susceptible to digestive upset. During this transition, a probiotic, like Farnam® Probiotic Powder or Paste, can be a convenient way to support a healthy intestinal microbial population and normal digestive function. Used alongside a consistent feeding schedule, probiotics can help support normal digestive health and encourage steady feed consumption.

Foals thrive on consistency. During weaning, it’s important to maintain regular feeding times, turnout schedules and handling routines to provide a sense of stability during a significant life change. Whenever possible, avoid combining weaning with other stressful events such as vet or farrier visits, transportation or introducing the foal to a new environment, as these can compound stress and increase health risks. If the foal has recently been sick, wait until he’s back to full health to wean. Be sure to give any vaccinations and/or deworm the foal prior to weaning because the separation from his dam could trigger a strong immune response or cause digestive upset in an already stressed foal. Monitor the weather and pick a day to wean that’s not stormy, or especially hot or humid, so the foal doesn’t have to contend with additional stress.

Weaning Methods

There are three methods of weaning: gradual, abrupt and group/peer weaning. With gradual weaning, the mare and foal are separated for short periods of time each day. The length of time gradually increases over several days until they are no longer together. Fence-line weaning is another gradual method, where the mare and foal are separated by fencing, yet can still see and touch one another without nursing. The gradual method often results in less vocalization, pacing and stress, encourages continued feed intake and is a smoother transition for the mare and foal.

Abrupt weaning involves completely separating the mare and foal with no contact. Although it can result in increased short-term stress as both mare and foal adjust to the separation, there are situations where it may be the preferred method. Complete separation prevents nursing immediately, allowing the mare's milk production to dry up quicker and reduces the likelihood of prolonged nursing attempts. It can be simpler for some barns to manage because it requires less time and fewer specialized structures and fencing than gradual weaning. It may also be beneficial if the mare has a medical condition, poor body condition or behavioral issues that make continued contact with the foal undesirable. When using abrupt weaning, separating the mare completely out of sight and hearing, and maintaining a consistent daily routine can help the foal adjust more quickly to the transition.

Group or peer weaning involves weaning two or more foals together so they remain with familiar companions throughout the transition and continue to benefit from social interaction and herd security. Maintaining contact with other foals can help reduce stress, decrease excessive vocalization and pacing and encourage normal eating and drinking behaviors. Foals often gain confidence from one another, making the adjustment to being independent less stressful than weaning alone. Group weaning can be combined with gradual methods as well as complete separation from the mare. To maximize success, foals should be grouped with compatible companions, potentially with a quiet, gentle “aunt or uncle” adult horse in a safe environment with adequate space, feed and water.

“I’ve used different methods and abrupt weaning is the best I’ve found,” says Kevin Oliver of Snaffle Bit Quarter Horses in Canyon, Texas. “I’ve tried the gradual method where you separate the baby for a few hours a day with the mare across the fence, but I feel it drags out the stress. For me, the abrupt method works much better because the stress is over within the first couple days. There’s going to be stress no matter how you wean, so you want to minimize it as much as possible.”

Choosing a Weaning Method

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to weaning. The best method often depends on your farm and the resources available. Choosing the method that’s best for you depends on several factors:

• Temperament of the mare and foal
• Number of mares and foals to wean
• Facility set-up, including fencing and stalls/corrals
• Management practices and resources, including number of people that can help
• Time available to dedicate to monitoring the transition

To ensure safe weaning, make sure all fencing and enclosures are sturdy and foal-appropriate. Barbed wire, electric wire or plain smooth wire fencing should never be considered acceptable fencing around foals, especially at weaning time when they are likely to act first, think later.

Regardless of the method chosen, the goal is the same: to minimize stress while supporting the foal's health, nutrition and emotional well-being. Understanding the advantages and considerations of each weaning method can help you select the approach that best fits the needs of your horses and your operation.

Setting the Mare and Foal Up for Success

Studies have shown that group pasture weaning is typically the least stressful method on both mares and foals. This works best when the group has been together long enough that the horses have buddies, and there are multiple mares and foals to be weaned. After determining which foal is ready for weaning, that baby’s mother is removed from the pasture and taken to a distant paddock where she can’t see or hear her foal. Her baby remains in the field with his friends and familiar surroundings. The rest of the mares are gradually removed until all the foals are weaned. With this method, the group stays relatively stable since only one or two mares are removed at a time which isn’t as stressful as all the mares leaving at once.

Stall weaning is when the mare and foal are brought into the barn and put in side-by-side stalls where they can see, smell and hear each other, then taking the mare away to a distant paddock after about a week. Before removing the mare, it’s important to take out buckets and anything else the foal could run into if he gets upset after the mare is removed. Once the weaned foals have settled down and are eating well, they can be turned back out together in a group. Some owners attempt to put two foals in a stall together for weaning, but research has shown this can sometimes cause more stress as they try to establish their hierarchy.

“I put each foal in its own stall, but there are other horses in the barn to keep them company,” says Oliver, who finds the barn weaning method works to his advantage.

"There’s a transition period as the foal adjusts to being separated from its dam, and during that time I step in to provide the reassurance the foal is looking for," he explains. "While the foal is with its mother, it depends on her for security. By spending time with each foal during weaning, I become its primary source of comfort and guidance to help build trust and make the transition as calm as possible."

Oliver has found that if there’s only one foal to wean, it can be more stressful because he hasn’t had other foals to play with and tends to be more dependent on the mare. “You may need to spend more time with this foal at weaning,” he notes.

Post-Weaning Care

Carefully observing the mare and foal throughout the weaning process, especially during the first several days after weaning, allows problems to be identified early, so make sure to wean on a day when you are available to monitor them closely. Foals should continue eating normally, remain bright and alert and maintain normal manure consistency and hydration. It’s wise to take temperatures daily during these first few days, as an elevated temperature is often the first sign of illness or infection. Elevated temperature, reduced appetite, weight loss, diarrhea, depression or other signs of illness should be evaluated immediately by a veterinarian.

By the time weaning occurs, the foal should already be accustomed to eating high-quality forage and a balanced growth ration or vitamin-mineral supplement, such as Farnam® Grow Colt® supplement to support the nutritional demands in the first years of a foal’s life. To grow correctly and achieve full genetic potential, young horses must receive a nutritionally balanced diet adequate in protein, energy, vitamins and minerals to support proper bone, muscle and tissue development without promoting excessively rapid growth.

While much of the focus is on the foal, the mare also requires careful management during the weaning process. As nursing stops, milk production naturally declines, and the mare should be monitored daily for udder discomfort, heat, swelling or signs of mastitis. To help reduce milk production, it’s recommended to decrease the mare's grain intake – but not her forage – after weaning. Avoid expressing milk from the udder unless directed by your veterinarian, as continued stimulation can prolong milk production. Once the mare's udder has dried up and she’s comfortable, her diet can gradually be adjusted to meet her current body condition and future workload or reproductive plans.

The days and weeks following weaning are critical for establishing healthy lifelong habits with your foal. Continue feeding a balanced ration formulated for growing horses, maintain regular turnout and exercise and provide opportunities for appropriate social interaction with other horses. Routine health care, including vaccinations, deworming and farrier care, should continue according to your veterinarian's recommendations.

Weaning is a pivotal step in a foal’s life that lays the foundation for his future health, growth and development. While the transition can be challenging for both mare and foal, careful preparation, proper nutrition, stress management, consistent routines and close observation can help make the process as smooth as possible and help support a successful transition into the next stage of the foal's development.