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Discussion on 2 month old colt pacing the fence | |
Author | Message |
Member: Deggert |
Posted on Wednesday, Jul 21, 2004 - 3:20 pm: If anyone has had a situation like this please help. From previous post in another area, I have a 2 month old colt with his mom and she is healing from foundering in one foot right after the baby was born. This is what I think happened. She could barely walk although they bonded, he would go out in the paddock without her and became attached to his grandma too. This fixation was mild but now when she goes in her stall and he can't see her he does roll backs on the fence (about 15 feet long) sometimes very frantically. We are having excessive heat and humidity. I can't move anyone around right nowas I have no where to put them except where they are. The mare and foal have a huge padded paddock for her foot. I thought of putting up shade in grandmas paddock and forcing her to stay outside, but at 26 years old she deserves her stall and I hate to do that. The colt has had some diarrhea when he does this marathon running back and forth. I am addressing that with the vet and making sure he stays hydrated and treating the diarrhea. I thought too of boarding up the fence so he can't see her at all, but then he will go stand (literally) in the stall window to see her. Any ideas appreciated. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Saturday, Jul 24, 2004 - 8:50 am: Perhaps you could board the window in the stall also?DrO |
Member: Deggert |
Posted on Wednesday, Aug 25, 2004 - 1:04 pm: Dr OThis colt is now 3 months. He still runs the fence every evening, sometimes I think he just like to blow off energy since he is confined to the paddock with his mom. Normally I take the mare and foal down to the boarding facility for turnout but it is down a small hill and rocky. The mare cannot do this. My question is really about his joints. I read the section on physitis. He shows no paid or swelling but his front fetlocks have a somewhat hourglass look. They are shed slick and are white so its easy to see the upper lip at the top of the fetlock and the lower lip at the bottom of the fetlock. My vet is coming next week and I can have her look, but wondered if this is something to be concerned with. His back fetlocks look more rounded. He is not on creep ration yet, he eats with the mare and she has alot of milk. He looks wonderful but maybe a little too much padding over the ribs. I am considering weaning asap so his diet can be monitored and he can get out for exercise. It will have to be the non traumatic weaning because of the mare's foot. thanks ahead for input. |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 9:07 am: Could you post some good pictures Debbie? Since we cannot see this it is hard for us to know if what worries you might be within the range of normal to us. So you have to go with your gut feeling, if it worries you have someone who knows look. I find lots of foal owners concerned when things are OK however.DrO |
Member: Mszoey |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 10:44 am: Your situation would be rather nerve wracking, with concern on this colt's tender joints. I am curious as to why the maternal mare, colt and grandmother cannot be in the same paddock, would this not comfort the colt, by having "both" momma's, and I realize it may be do to the size of area or for another issue on the maternal mother. I have an old mare that is the barn babysitter, several have taken to her, but they still know where there true mother is, she gives comfort to several colts, great when weaning. |
Member: Deggert |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 12:18 pm: Thanks Dr O, I will post if I get a good digital photo this weekend. I am having the vet next week to check my older mare so she can take a look at him too.Sherri, I would love to do this but the situation is confined. Another problem is he is very rambunctious and I have to protect the 26 yr old and him too. His maternal mother is dealing with a foundered foot and lactating. The older mare eats differently due to her age and tooth condition. The baby would love to try and nurse on grandma too, oh what a mess it would be. I wouldn't blame her if she kicked him but wouldn't want him hurt. The other scenario is she just runs from him on her arthritic ankles. I am chuckling to myself at this whole scenario. If he were a filly -maybe. I am going to use grandma to help wean though. The maternal mare can't be overly stressed on her foot so I will do the less traumatic type and just separate them by a fence and grandma will be on the other side. Then I can begin taking him out on small walks with grandma and away from mom. I wish I had the option of big pastures and other mares and babies to turn out with but I don't. Thanks for your thoughts I am figuring out how to get everyone through the weaning process with little stress. |
Member: Mszoey |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 12:37 pm: What a "stressfull" situation, Good Luck |
Member: Mrose |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 1:08 pm: I sympathize; esp. if you're unable to turn anyone else out with him. We have a real sweet old mare that is a wonderful "babysitter" which really helps when weaning. Also, one of our stallions is intrigued by youngsters, and I put colts next to him so they can talk over and through the fences.Do you have anything else you could put in with him? We borrowed a friends miniture donkey for an orphan we once had. She was quite the disciplinarian, but never hurt him, and he liked the company. Being able to eventually get him near grandma will really help. It's so hard when you just have one foal! |
Member: Deggert |
Posted on Friday, Aug 27, 2004 - 2:54 pm: We should be moving in the near future and we will have access to "the ranch". There is some pasture (if cattle aren't in it) but I think once I geld him (soon) he could go out with his mom and grandma at a later date. He is just full of himself and jumps on his mom and bites her and she just tries to get in a corner and be invisible. He is quite lovely but he will be the youngest gelding I have had! He has quite the hormones for such a youngster. He isn't running the fence as much either but the biggest issue in this whole thing is that his mom is confined because of the founder so he is too. Sooo weaning asap is the plan so he can start socializing and pony with the older gelding. Thanks for your input. |