Right Age to Wean a Foal

Weaning is an essential, though stressful, step in a foal's development. If you try to wean it too early, the foal may not receive proper nutrition and weaning it too late will make the ordeal more difficult. Paying attention to your foal's development will help you determine the best time to wean it.

  1. The Right Age

    • Every horse develops at a different pace and needs to be weaned at a different time. Most people tend to wean their horses between the ages of three to six months. However, this is only the average weaning period for captive horses. In nature, a foal may be as old as two when it weans, depending on whether its mother continues to have offspring.

    Signs

    • Your foal should already be eating hay, grass and grain when you begin weaning. Most foals eat solid foods after a few weeks but still receive the majority of their nutrition from their mothers' milk. Starting at about three or four months the foal will seek more and more of its nutrition from solids, making it an ideal time to start weaning. You should also look at the foal's social habits. If it is getting along with the rest of the herd and acting independently, it may be time to start weaning. However, if it is still dependent on its mother and does not fit in with the rest of the herd, it may not be ready for weaning.

    The Weaning Period

    • The key to weaning your foal is to take your time. Do not cut the foal off from its mother suddenly. The foal might develop nutritional or social problems. You should introduce solid food gradually and try to reduce the amount of suckling time. Don't get discouraged if you have set-backs, be patient and take the time to get it right. With the right encouragement, your foal will eventually opt for solid foods on its own.

    Poor Timing

    • There are negative consequences to weaning too soon or too late. If you wait too long to wean your horse, you will not be able to move on to the next stage of its training and your horse may attempt to suckle on horses that are not its mother. Horses that are weaned too early often develop social problems and may have difficulty trusting people or other horses. They may also become agitated more easily and difficult to manage.