As I mentioned last week, we’ve officially got our first two weanlings of 2023 with Rihanna and Rue! The first official weanling pics are boring because, well… weaning was boring.

Rihanna was a bit past-due for weaning, being 7 months, but we were waiting for Rue to hit 6 months so we could wean them together. Their dams (the surrogate mares) are best friends, and the two fillies are best friends, so it made sense to do them together.

When a lot of people think of weaning they sometimes picture something really traumatic and sad. Truth is though, if you do it at the right age and the right way, it’s really not. Rue and Ri were definitely ready, they were quite independent and didn’t rely on their dams for anything anymore except occasional nursing. By this point though they’re grazing pretty much constantly and eating a little bit of feed, so the nutrition coming from the mare is minimal.

On this farm we’re lucky to have a nice layout that gives us the option to make weaning less of an ordeal. There are a lot of turnouts and all have double fencelines, so there aren’t any shared fences. We pulled the surrogate mares, Goldie and Blue, out of the mare and foal field and put them in the smaller turnout across the driveway. Close enough to still see each other, but not close enough to touch.

Rihanna and Goldie parted ways with barely a peep and never really looked back. Rue is a bit more sensitive and so is Blue, so those two spent a couple days periodically neighing across the fence at each other. Rue hung out by the fenceline closest to them a lot at first, but then gradually assimilated herself back into her herd and continued on with her life. No extended periods of screaming, no upset galloping. Once everyone had been totally quiet and unconcerned for a few days, we moved Goldie and Blue across the farm to the mare fields. There was zero drama with that… the fillies didn’t even notice.

Weaning can be pretty stressful time for a foal so making it as chill and safe and uneventful as possible is in everyone’s best interest.

So now the mare and foal pasture is down to Rihanna, Rue, Chanel and Rhett, Peyton and Lucy, and Vee and Andy. We’ll wean the next three all in one batch as well, for two reasons – 1) they’re close enough in age, all born within a couple weeks of each other 2) those three mares are good friends too. That way the mares get to stay in their friend groups to keep their stress lower as well.

Those three babies were born a good bit later than Ri and Rue – late April – so we’re going to give them another month before weaning. It doesn’t seem like a big difference between 5 months and 6 months, but it really can be. Month 5 is kind of the last month they really look like babies, and once they hit month 6 they start getting awkward fast, heading towards looking like teenagers instead.

Those foals are still a little clingier to their dams, too, so I’m hoping that lessens some with a bit more time. They good news is they’re very well-established in their friend group with each other, which helps a lot, and they’ll have a calming influence from Ri and Rue.

Hard to believe we’re already at this point! Not much longer until we’ve got a field full of weaners.