Orphan Foal Behavior
- January 10, 2019
- Posted by Nancy Diehl, VMD, MS
Q.A friend recently lost her mare during foaling, and she’s now hand-raising the foal as she hasn’t been able to find a nurse mare. I’ve heard orphan foals can develop some behavior problems if they’re hand-reared. Is this true, and how can my friend prevent these problems from developing? And, while she doesn’t have another mare on the property, there’s an older gelding and his pony friend. Would these horses be suitable companions for the orphan foal?
—Via e-mail
A.Yes, hand-reared foals can develop behavior problems, but they are not necessarily inevitable or
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Written by:
Nancy Diehl, VMD, MS
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2 Responses
Could you explain more about using both positive and negative reinforcement with the foal and gives some examples of when each would be appropriate?
You didn’t mention that you can create your own nurse mare, as long as you have access to a mare. You don’t need a mare that has recently given birth is still lactating to serve as a nurse mare. Giving a mare domperidone will induce lactation after a period of several days. Won’t produce colostrum, but will give the foal the experience of nursing, may be able to supply complete nutrition and will provide the foal with maternal guidance and horse education. It is best to use a mare that has been a mother before. We have done this in the past, although even a few days of hand-rearing can result in a horse with poor ground manners!