Baby Blues/kinda long...

[paintedpastures]

Well it is that dreaded time of year....WEANING.Yes The baby blues,I hate weaning time I think I get more stressed out than Mom & baby sometimes
I worry too much I guess,as actually things are going pretty good so far.

I have worked out at system that seems to have done not bad the last couple of years but would like to hear what other's have used that works well

I have just one baby to wean.First have to pick out weaning buddy.That sometimes can be a challange have to find one that will get along & not stressed themselves leaving the herd.Well this year I picked My baby Ryder's half brother{yearling gelding} Dollar.Wasn't sure how that would be as Dollar hasn't had much education & any leaving the herd since he was weaned last year.I knew Dollar needed to start getting handled more & some more education so thought this might be good for the both of them.All depended on how Dollar was going to react it could be like weaning 2,but one a bigger baby!!
Well it is day 2 & the boys are being so good.Dollar thinks all the extra treats he gets in the barn is great!! he has surprised me totally,has been calm & not calling. Ryder has also been pretty quiet & not pacing much at all in his stall.HORRAY.
I have not halter broke Ryder so that is part of this next months experience,weaning & baby education.He was pretty approachable in the pasture & loved getting brushed so that always helps. Last night was our first big obstacle getting a halter on him.He is a pretty strong beefy boy,he's about 31/2 mths.Hubby & I had to corner him in his stall after numerous attempts finally got him haltered. Now the training begins!! We start halter breaking in his stall.He gets use to me handling his face & halter without running or pulling away.Once he likes that MR rope come out & we just start by asking him to take a step forward to pressure.After they will take one then another,before long they are leading around the box stall.We progress to walking out to alley & in /out of stalls.They will stay inside for 3 days if they are all good & quiet then progress to outside corral.Ryder will know some basics of leading but not be great at it,but they are generally past the freaking out stage,so leading lessons can progress better when we have more room out in the corral.
Mom in the meantime ran around calling the minute I took him away,she knows exactly what's up!!She has cooled her jets by evening & is ok now.
Baby seems to be eating pretty well so that's a bonus,sometimes they go off the feed a few days.

in this thread LETS SHARE your weaning Strategies,helpful hints to alleviatate stress of all involved.

OK ,yes can't forget, I have pictures Ryder is a Greying SPB APHA colt pics taken just before he turned 3mths.

[Crookedblaze]

Man he is huge!

When I had the horses at the ranch, a boarder who weaned always used Rocket as a buddy. Rocket like babies, and will play with them and keep them occupid. I think that another baby would be the best thing for him.

Glad to hear that he's doing good. I know how stressful it can be to leave mommy.

[paintedpastures]

Thanks Crookedblaze.He is a decent size & eating good on his own,so ok to go ahead & wean.Mom gets dragged down{starts dropping some weight} when her babies hit around the 3 mths mark so I usually take them off her 31/2 months.

No other Comments/replys from Horsetopians??
I know that next to foaling season weaning is Most stressful horsey time for me. Does no one else get sressed? Upset moms & babes.They can do foolish stuff{get hurt} or upset themselves enough to get sick.
Worrying about that stuff is second nature I guess for me. Guess I need a chill pill Even though things are going really good for my boy so far, i'm still out running to the barn checking on them to make sure everyone is happy& safe.

[Gotta Love Duns]

I have only weaned one myself and that was 3 years ago, looking back I would have done it differently but it caused me a great deal of stress. I know the mare called for about half an hour and settled right down as I moved the colt right off the property and to his new home.

[kaykay]

I am weaning right now and like you I HATE IT. I have one that is just the biggest baby and 2 weeks later still cries for his dam ughhhhh. Im lucky in that I can wean them as a group which helps a lot. I know some do a slow weaning but I think that just prolongs the agony. I do it cold turkey but they can see their dams but cant nurse. They have their own little pasture. The other 2 are fine and dont seem to care at all.

I do use the farmers almanac for weaning and gelding dates and that seems to help.

Kay

[cowgirlspurs]

My boy been weaned a month-and now that mom is off the property he is adjusting very well. I tried weaning him outside but finally had to lock him up in the barn-where he stood quietly and stopped fretting because he couldn't hear mom.
He has a weaning buddy-another weanling colt who actually leaves next week. I'll use Ryker for weaning my filly in October-they're pretty buddy buddy anyways.
I find it is the perfect time to establish the human/horse bond.

[gbarmranch]

We have already weaned 3 - and have 2 to go.. We usually try to wean them with a buddy... This year one was too early to wean with anyone else, so we did wean her in a pen alone.. and she was fine..

The first few days are noisy, but generally, if they have a friend, much less so. Spider will be weaned in the back pen with the pony as her companion.. and Jesse will be the companion for BJ... since Jesse is a weanling himself - but one who is already dropped - there is no way he is getting near my little girl..

[paintedpastures]

I find it is the perfect time to establish the human/horse bond.[/quote]

I Find this too,they really learn lots during this time.
Well today I will try putting the boys outside.They will be able to see & visit over fence the other horses.This is the big test how excited they get & want to join them.
I have a very senior mare,she is serrogate mom around here to the youngsters.When she had her last couple kids I would have to remove her from the property at weaning as she would keep coming up to fence & nurse whoever.
At this point Ryder's Mom will be ok with him seperate from her, it is if he can suck it up & take being not a baby but a "big boy" now.

[pvf]

I actually don't mind weanling time. We always wean them with a buddy and I have an mare that is great as the babysitter of the little ones. Even when we wean to babies at a time I like using another horse to keep the 2 little ones calmer.
For teaching them to lead, I have someone lead the mare and then I take the babies they naturally want to follow but they learn that they have to listen to me and can't go off running. Once we do that a few times then we work on leading them by themselves.
We also teach them to tie and load ect when there little.

[paintedpastures]

Gbar talking about your colt that is dropped has brought up a question.I had Dollar gelded last fall as a weanling which is the way to GO! I had always waited till they are yearlings then yes you are always having to keep the seperate. Well I want to geld Ryder this fall but he is not dropped down.They are both are there & appear sometimes when he is lying down.Seeing that he is not really dropping will I be able to geld him? would they relax & drop enough with sedation? I really wanted to do him this fall rather than wait till spring....sigh

[gbarmranch]

Jesse is the one we are buying from Diamond Y as a stud prospect.. so I don't want to cut him.. But we will do BJ if he hasn't sold in October.. and generally with the sedation, they do relax enough that our vet can reach up and grab those little squealers.. We have done them at weaning many times..

Excellent way to let their brain take over instead..