Hi, my name is Adrienne of Fit to Compete Wellness. When I first became involved in equine academia (Royal Veterinary College, University of Edinburgh), I was excited to contribute to research and evidence-based practice that was not available in the equine industry. However, shortly after I began my Master's degree, I learnt that there is a sea of research available and being conducted on horses - why then, don't we implement it in our barns? In an effort to walk what I talk, I have begun implementing evidence-based approaches to my equine care since 2021 such as track systems, positive-reinforcement training, and horse-centered socialization (more on that later!). And now, weaning.
I have previously bred for several foals in my breeding program, however did not have any born for the past few years as I focused on other aspects of the horse-world (Namely, getting Fit to Compete Wellness up and running!). My first foal since my breeding hiatus is a 2023 KWPN colt.
Research demonstrates there is a correlation between weaning stress endured as a foal and development of vices as an adult. Weaning has been shown to cause psychological, physical and nutritional stressors on both the foal and the dam. There is potential that these welfare concerns have long-term impacts on the horse: behaviourally (vices, maternal instinct), trainability and performance ability (1).
Here are three untraditional (but scientifically-backed) things I did for rearing/weaning my 2023 colt:
1) Dam-led weaning
Traditionally, domestic foals are often weaned between 3-6 months of age. This means that foals are often weaned in the autumn in the Northern Hemisphere (typical foaling months are March-June)(1). Previously, I have weaned foals as young as 3.5 months, and as old as 5 months.
However, research shows that foals and dams will naturally begin to separate and wean themselves around 8-9 months of age (1).
I did not begin separating the 2023 colt from his dam until he was 8 months old, and even then it was just for short bouts.
2) Gradual separation
The age of weaning, as discussed above, has been shown to have an effect on the stress experienced by dam and foal, but the pace of separation between dam and foal has also been studied. Sudden versus gradual weaning has been shown to have consequences of stress on both the mare and the foal(2). Gradual (progressive) separated foals were noted to be less fearful and more curious even months after weaning as compared to the suddenly weaned foals. This is important to consider when planning for longevity and trainability of a horse's future career.
My stalls allow for horses to socialize between grills. About a month after I noticed the foal and dam spending longer times apart than together in their paddock, I began putting them in separate stalls (side-by-side with a socialization grill in between) during feeding time. The first day they were fed their grain along the same wall, in their usual rubber feed trays placed on the ground. Once they were finished they were immediately returned to their broodmare stall.
Every few days the time spent separated in the stall increased by 10-30 minutes, so within ~3 weeks time, they were spending all evening in their respective stalls before being put back together in their broodmare stall.
Eventually (about 3 weeks after beginning stalled separation), they spent their first night separated which then signalled complete weaning (mare and foal were not placed back together from that point on).
At no point during this weaning did mare or colt ever whinny, pace, stall-walk, rear, or show any outward signs of stress. They both happily drank, peed, passed manure, and chomped hay.
3) Turnout
Research conducted in 2002 showed that foals who were weaned in a group paddock setting engaged in natural behaviours such as grazing and grooming one another. It was proposed that foals who are weaned in a stall may experience sensory deprivation, and showed more dejected behaviours like lying down, wall-chewing and pawing compared to the group-weaned (3). This is important when we consider the development and presentation of vices in adult horses.
The first day of complete weaning (aka, the morning after their first separated night), foal and dam were led out to two paddocks. This is the same paddock they had been turned out into for the last 3 months, but it was not separated in half via permanent fencing. The fenceline was always there, but previously the dividing gate had remained open. The mare was placed on one half, and the colt placed on the other.
Hay was given on either side of the gate so that they could continue eating hay together, but the colt could no longer nurse. In addition, the colt was given hay piles along a fenceline that was now shared with his soon-to-be-herd, 3 geldings (aged 12-22). The mare was additionally given hay in the normal hay area, across the paddock from the foal-shared gate.
The first day, the colt (now 9.5 months old), was observed to sunbathe in the middle of his field, eat along the gateline with his dam, eat along the fenceline with the geldings, graze on the far fenceline where no other horses were present, and nap. He was observed to drink from his water trough.
The mare was observed to eat hay along the gateline with foal, eat hay across the paddock from the foal in its usual location, also chat with the geldings across the fenceline, drink from her water trough located in the barn (and out of sightline of foal), and rest in the barn (again, out of sightline of foal).
Timeline
The time interval between when the mare and foal were first separated for dinner until complete weaning was 3 weeks.
The time interval between complete separation and integration with a new horse was 2 weeks. One quiet gelding was removed from the established 3-gelding herd and placed with the colt. The other 2 geldings were then introduced 1 week later.
The total length of time was 6 weeks from first separation for a meal to complete integration with an established gelding herd.
(1) Waran et al., 2008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.03.024
(2) Lansade et al., 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.07.005
(3) Heleski et al., 2002. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00108-9