16/03/2026
It’s Weaning Time! 🐴🌱
Foal weaning time can be stressful for the mare, foal and the owner.
There is no specific age that the foal should be weaned, it is often determined by whether or not the mare is back in foal, how the mare is coping with feeding the foal and maintaining her own body condition, or the growth rate of the foal. Generally weaning occurs somewhere between the age of 5-8 months.
A mare that is in foal again will often see her foal weaned at 5-6 months of age so that she has time to rest and nutritionally recover before the next foal arrives.
Mares that struggle to maintain good body weight when feeding the foal, and particularly if the mare is older may have the foal weaned a little earlier, or creep feeding may be introduced to the foal to take some of the pressure off the mare.
If the foal is not growing and developing as it should, this is likely due to the mare not producing sufficient nutrient rich milk to support the foal’s requirements. In this situation the foal may be weaned earlier than normal so that an appropriate diet can be fed to support optimum growth and development. In other situations, the mare may be producing too much good quality milk, and the growing foal encounters larger than normal growth spurts and/or the signs of Developmental orthopedic diseases (DOD) start to show. Often these foals will be weaned and placed on a strict lower energy diet that will support proper development and a more normal growth rate.
It can be a stressful time, and there are many methods, and it is best to choose the one that works for your situation. A secure stable or yard is essential to reduce the risk of injury for the first few days until they start to settle. Having a calm older horse or pony in the paddock, or in the next stable to the weanling can help to settle them down.
The weanling has higher nutrient requirements compared to a resting horse. As a guide, a resting horse requires 13MJ DE/100kg, where the weanling under 6 months requires 14MJ DE/100kg, weanling over 6 months requires 13.5MJ DE/100kg. Protein requirements in the weanling are also increased; a resting horse requires 130g/100kg, a weanling under 6 months requires 170g/100kg, and a weanling over 6 months requires 160g/100kg. The diet should also include sufficient levels of the bone minerals, trace minerals and vitamins to support the optimum growth and development rate.
A vitamin and mineral supplement such as Kohnke’s Own Cell-Grow can be added to the more natural diet, or to top up the diet where prepared feeds are used but are not sufficient to provide the daily requirements. Cell-Grow is formulated specifically for young growing horses (and pregnant or lactating mares) to aid in providing sufficient levels of vitamins and minerals to support optimum development of bones and joints which is essential for future soundness.
It is important to monitor the weanlings body condition and growth rate carefully throughout. The aim should be to keep the weanling in a moderate body condition, where the ribs are covered but can be still felt, with no fat deposits developing over the body. Any body condition that is lower than this, or growth rate is too slow, then energy will need to be increased. For any weanling that is showing larger growth spurts than normal, or has a higher body condition score, then energy should be reduced to avoid issues such as DOD.
It is common for these young horses to suffer with gastric irritation or ulcers due to the stress of weaning time. This should always be a consideration and Kohnke’s Own Gastro-Coat can be given to support the stomach lining during this time. Gastro-Coat is just added to the feed and will help to support the integrity and function of the stomach lining which is essential to maintain a good appetite. Kohnke’s Own Mag-E can also be used for the weaning period to help the mare and weanling feel a little more settled and calmer.
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