# Weaning / mare care / preventing mastitis



## mynutmeg (3 November 2013)

So Saturday is weaning time for poor Milo. Roo still has a lot of milk so am a little concerned about getting her dried up and not developing mastatis - I understand about reducing her feed intake but she doesn't get much as it is, just a regular balancer and haylage. I'll drop her haylage back and half her balancer for a week or so and she's going to be coming into work. My yo has said to give her a couple of mash's with epsom salts on when we do wean and that this will dry her right up - is this right? Anythign else I can do to help, I know not to milk her off at all unless she gets very swollen and uncomfortable. 

Thanks


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## hayinamanger (3 November 2013)

Out of sight and earshot of the foal in a field with very little/no grass, feed a bit of hay if necessary, keep her moving, don't withhold water (some people may suggest this) monitor and let nature take it's course.  Her udder will be huge and look uncomfortable, but don't milk her out to reduce pressure as milk comes on a supply and demand basis, so it will be immediately replenished.  If she looks off colour and stops eating, get the vet as an emergency.


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## mynutmeg (3 November 2013)

Thanks, she's going to a different yard as our yard isn't big enough for her to be out of earshot but she can't have any turnout there  - She'll be on restricted haylage there and exercised everyday (lots of walking out / low speed lunging - she's not exactly fit at the moment) I can't feed hay as she has a bit of scaring on her lungs from pneumonia so doesn't cope with any dust, the haylage isn't particularly rich and she'll be going from ad lib (think 2 big bale slices per night for her and foal). Would never withhold water from her - she drinks about 80l a night


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## hayinamanger (3 November 2013)

Weaning is often about compromise.  She's a lovely mare and I hope it goes well for you.  Have you sold the foal?


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## Spring Feather (3 November 2013)

I take my broodmares off all hard feed but still leave them on ad-lib hay.  Ours are never worked until their foals have been off them for at least a month once their bags are almost gone.  You don't normally have to express any milk from their bag as if it is too full then when they walk around the excess will just squirt out of them.  Some people will put cold flannels on their mares bags and give salted feed etc, not my thing though, I just stop feed.  I've had a number of broodmares for years and have never had any of them develop mastitis.


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## Alexart (4 November 2013)

You need to find somewhere with 24/7 turnout, being kept stabled isn't going to be good for her at all and may increase the risk of mastitis, the action of walking round 24/7 will help her dry up and any excess milk will express itself.  If she's on hard feed you need to start to wean her off it about 2 weeks before weaning and then give her none at all for at least 4 weeks.  I usually put mine on very poor grazing for about 4 weeks and I've never had a mare with mastitis, feed hay - soak it if needs be, if there is really no grass, then after a month she should be starting to dry up totally.  They can take 6-8 weeks for the bag to go right down, if you're stabling, which I really would not recommend at all, then longer.  I would also not work her for at least a month, can you imagine being asked to trot around with a full painful udder!!


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## hayinamanger (4 November 2013)

Good luck with selling the foal, OP, he's lovely, someone should snap him up, especially as he has been loaded and shown, then your mare can stay where she is.


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## Rollin (4 November 2013)

I wean slowly, separating them at night to begin with and gradually reducing mare's feed.  Then put baby with a companion and stop mare's hard feed.


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## mynutmeg (4 November 2013)

Alexart said:



			You need to find somewhere with 24/7 turnout, being kept stabled isn't going to be good for her at all and may increase the risk of mastitis, the action of walking round 24/7 will help her dry up and any excess milk will express itself.  If she's on hard feed you need to start to wean her off it about 2 weeks before weaning and then give her none at all for at least 4 weeks.  I usually put mine on very poor grazing for about 4 weeks and I've never had a mare with mastitis, feed hay - soak it if needs be, if there is really no grass, then after a month she should be starting to dry up totally.  They can take 6-8 weeks for the bag to go right down, if you're stabling, which I really would not recommend at all, then longer.  I would also not work her for at least a month, can you imagine being asked to trot around with a full painful udder!!
		
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She certainly won't be being asked to trot! She's coming back into work after 2 years out so has very little muscle - 'work' will consist of at least 6 weeks of walk only, without a rider to start with but being asked to use herself properly. Unfortunately I'm very limited in whats available for me locally to have turnout. I would much prefere for her to go somewhere on grass livery for a couple of weeks but have been unable to find anywhere I can take her for a couple of weeks and there is no-where else I would trust with a newly weaned foal. He's pretty independant and is used to being left (with other horses about) for up to 10 minutes or so as I've gradually taken her away for short periods to help him get used to not having his mom as gently as possible. I don't have the facilities to 'side by side' with a grill as the stables are solid stone. 
Once he's settled he's going down into the grass livery field on my current yard with yo's brood mares and a couple of youngsters so a good mix for him for the moment.
I'm planning for Roo to be away for about 2 weeks then she'll come home and will be back to her normal routine of out everyday - she'll be within sight and sound of foally so I need milo well settled before she comes back. Quite frankly Roo is sick of him.

Thanks Hayinamanger - I think he's a little cracker, he can't half move well (I know I'm biased but would happily say he was a fugly if that was the case) - this is him at about 5 1/2 months http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFBv3WS72g4&feature=share&list=UUyrJPlcZGNNTFVfnzxKqqmQ


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