There are two predominate weaning techniques adopted by horse breeders: 1. Abrupt Separation – The dam is taken as far away from the foal as possible, such that she is not within eyesight (and preferably earshot) of the foal. 2. Gradual Separation – The dam is either kept in a next-door paddock or permitted to visit the foal daily for increasingly shorter periods of time.

Breaking up is hard to do by Rebecca Colnar. Weaning-age recommendations range from four to six months of age. On the advice of my veterinarian, who felt he was not ready at four months, I opted to wean Poco at five months. I dreaded the thought of separation-would he really miss his mama a lot? Old-timers had said to wean by the dark of the moon, and friends who had several foals agreed.

Weaning the Foal, a Better Way - by Linda Bateman, owner of Horsing Around, LLC. Most often the foal owner is reluctant to start the weaning process because of the undesirable symptoms that occur when using the “abrupt separation” method. The heart wrenching whinnying is very disturbing for the passionate horse owner.

Weaning time can be stressful, not only for the foal, but for the owners who have to listen to the heart-rending whinnies as the young horse calls frantically for his dam. But weaning is both natural and necessary. In the wild, a mare who has become pregnant again will wean her own foal in order to be able to provide the nutrients needed for the new life growing inside her.