# Drying up the mare's milk



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

Just wondered what methods do people use I have tried Epsom salts however I can't get her to eat them however I try to smuggle them in even pink lady apples havent worked and just concerned that she might develop mastitis I know it's not common but she seems to have a lot of milk it is still leaking out of her.


----------



## AdorableAlice (21 February 2016)

When was the foal removed and where is the foal in relation to where the mare is ?


----------



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

the foal was only moved yesterday (i know its a long process around 2 weeks so ive been told ) and shes a few miles away so well outta earshot


----------



## JillA (21 February 2016)

They usually don't need any help -  they dry up naturally as a response to not being suckled. In over 20 foals, one of which was euthenased after injury, I never took any special steps to dry the mares off


----------



## AdorableAlice (21 February 2016)

angelina144 said:



			the foal was only moved yesterday (i know its a long process around 2 weeks so ive been told ) and shes a few miles away so well outta earshot
		
Click to expand...

Leave the mare well alone, don't touch her udder and don't feed anything but hay, nature will do the rest.


----------



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

Oh ok i didn't realise about not feeding her shes lost weight over night too  ive spent my whole time since having her trying to put weight on her (she already had the foal ) but i supose if shes not making milk she won't really need to much feed anyway


----------



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

Thanks for all the advice for some reason i had it in my head that id need to feed somthing to help the process


----------



## Maesfen (21 February 2016)

AdorableAlice said:



			Leave the mare well alone, don't touch her udder and don't feed anything but hay, nature will do the rest.
		
Click to expand...

This exactly.  Make sure the mare can move about to walk the milk off.



angelina144 said:



			Oh ok i didn't realise about not feeding her shes lost weight over night too  ive spent my whole time since having her trying to put weight on her (she already had the foal ) but i supose if shes not making milk she won't really need to much feed anyway
		
Click to expand...

I suppose you didn't take the precaution of not feeding her anything but hay for a week at least before weaning as that would have started the drying up process?  
Just give ad lib hay and nothing else until she has dried off properly which could be a month, shorter or longer, they're all different but the last thing she needs is feed being pumped into her whether she's lost weight or not.  Once she's dry, start off gradually but always keep her on ad lib hay (in preference to haylage) and let her have a few months off work to build up properly.  You can't ask a weak horse to work and she's been working damn hard rearing the foal already, she deserves some time to herself to adapt again.


----------



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

Maesfen said:



			This exactly.  Make sure the mare can move about to walk the milk off.



I suppose you didn't take the precaution of not feeding her anything but hay for a week at least before weaning as that would have started the drying up process?  
Just give ad lib hay and nothing else until she has dried off properly which could be a month, shorter or longer, they're all different but the last thing she needs is feed being pumped into her whether she's lost weight or not.  Once she's dry, start off gradually but always keep her on ad lib hay (in preference to haylage) and let her have a few months off work to build up properly.  You can't ask a weak horse to work and she's been working damn hard rearing the foal already, she deserves some time to herself to adapt again.
		
Click to expand...

No i hadn't as i was completely unaware of it but thanks will start that straight away


----------



## PorkChop (21 February 2016)

I have always given mine just hay and water tbh, obviously keeping an eagle eye on the udders.  I would probably keep them in for a day or two with some in hand walking.


----------



## Princess16 (21 February 2016)

I have no idea but would love to see a photo of your foal


----------



## AdorableAlice (21 February 2016)

Princess16 said:



			I have no idea but would love to see a photo of your foal 

Click to expand...

And me, 

Op, the mare will drop off, all her energy has gone into rearing her foal, how old is the foal, given the time of the year I am wondering if it might be an older foal ?  normal weaning is around 6 months.  Your mare will miss her foal and fret a little, that will further take her condition down.  The spring grass will sort her out in due course.


----------



## angelina144 (21 February 2016)

AdorableAlice said:



			And me, 

Op, the mare will drop off, all her energy has gone into rearing her foal, how old is the foal, given the time of the year I am wondering if it might be an older foal ?  normal weaning is around 6 months.  Your mare will miss her foal and fret a little, that will further take her condition down.  The spring grass will sort her out in due course.
		
Click to expand...

Im no good at posting pics on here but will try, its just 6months as it was a late foal hoping the spring grass will come soon  she seemed to be a little calmer tonight but had a real worry this morning she was so tucked up she looked like a rescue case :/ but she seems and looks a little better now foal couldn't care less and has palled up with another horse already n no sign of caring


----------



## Mariposa (21 February 2016)

Can't wait to see photos! We're weaning our terrible two in a few weeks, so will be in the same boat!


----------



## Rollin (22 February 2016)

I always wean slowly.  For the first two weeks the mare and foal are separated at night and turned out together in the day.  I can gradually reduce mare's feed and get baby eating for herself (all but one have been fillies!!).  I find them both less stressed too.


----------



## JanetGeorge (22 February 2016)

Rollin said:



			I always wean slowly.  For the first two weeks the mare and foal are separated at night and turned out together in the day.  I can gradually reduce mare's feed and get baby eating for herself (all but one have been fillies!!).  I find them both less stressed too.
		
Click to expand...

I'm FAR meaner!  I do two at a time, have mares either side of a big box which holds two foals.  Mares are back to haylage immediately, and if they are fat greedy pigs - like most of mine - haylage is limited and straw fed for bulk.

They're turned out together in the manege twice a  day - for  a maximum of  15 minutes  a time (not TOO much suckling after the first mad 5 minutes!)  After 5 days  they're reduced to one outing a day - for half an hour - and after another 5 days, the mares go to the barest, furthest away field available - with haylage  restricted  for another 1-2 weeks.  Foals stay in - it's a good time to teach them most of what they need to know.  BIG boxes (two to a 15'x24') and 30 minutes out a day until the weather is good enough to put them out (in a far-away field.)


----------



## Mariposa (24 February 2016)

Rollin said:



			I always wean slowly.  For the first two weeks the mare and foal are separated at night and turned out together in the day.  I can gradually reduce mare's feed and get baby eating for herself (all but one have been fillies!!).  I find them both less stressed too.
		
Click to expand...

That's exactly what we're doing. They are separated at night ( much to the mums relief!) and back together in the day. Already noticed less milk, especially on Prima. So far, so good....


----------

