No one looks forward to weaning time. There’s nothing quite as heart-rending as the sound of a panicky foal, galloping up and down the fence line calling desperately for the mother who’s been taken away–unless it’s the sound of his dam calling back! It’s no wonder so many horse owners dread this duty; it pushes the guilt buttons like nothing else.

Still, we know that weaning is a necessary part of the process of growing up for a foal. It’s also important for the mare’s well-being, particularly if she has been bred back and is carrying next year’s foal, because nursing makes significant demands on her nutritional resources and can leave her looking like a hat rack. Wrenching though it may be, it’s got to be done. The question, then, is how to make weaning as painless as possible.