# Buying my first weanling :D



## ammanvalleyluka (13 July 2018)

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Hi there, I'm new to the forum but have been reading entries for years to gain knowledge & advice from other people's experiences. 


Now, I'm asking for advice regarding my first weanling colt, a Cob x Appaloosa to make 15.2hh. He is currently about 7 weeks old & will be with me in October! I am absolutely ecstatic but completely overwhelmed with the right things to do. The handling & teaching doesn't worry me but I want to make sure that he gets the right type of forage, feed, worming plan etc. 

So, you lovely people, what would you advise regarding feeding etc?

I have decided to use the big, almost tyre rubber, buckets for his forage & hard feed. I have a tubtrug for water which I've had for my others, they have one each - the 30L ones. 

He will be stabled with small amounts of turnout in a paddock until he's been gelded (yard rules), so the majority of the winter depending when he's ready to be gelded. I am thinking a mixture of good quality hay & haylage for forage. 

What would you do about rugging? I am hoping for him to be natural as he gets older but we are right on the coast, the stables are indoors but it can still get very cold. I am thinking a couple of outdoor & maybe a couple of indoor, he's going to have to get used to having a rug on anyway.

Anyway, any advice would be great. I have been speaking with a Bailey's feed advisor about a stud balancer etc. 

Thank you in advance.


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## ycbm (13 July 2018)

He will be stabled with small amounts of turnout in a paddock until he's been gelded (yard rules), so the majority of the winter depending when he's ready to be gelded. I am thinking a mixture of good quality hay & haylage for forage.
		
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 I'm sorry but I don't think it is acceptable to stable a weanling all winter with small amounts of turnout. 

Can you get him livery at a stud to run with other weaned young stock ?


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## ammanvalleyluka (13 July 2018)

ycbm said:



			I'm sorry but I don't think it is acceptable to stable a weanling all winter with small amounts of turnout. 

Can you get him livery at a stud to run with other weaned young stock ?
		
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I'm hoping it won't be all winter but my other two are likely to be stabled the majority too. Its the yard rules & I can't do anything about it. He will have frequent turn out with my other two but not long periods until he's cut. Sadly, it's the only option. Luckily, there's a couple of other youngsters at the yard where I'm at that started the same way & they are perfectly fine. They socialise well & don't have any form of separation issues. 

I'm hoping to gain advice regarding feeding, worming etc. Not so much his living arrangements as I cannot change this. 

Thanks anyway.


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## SpringArising (13 July 2018)

What are you defining as 'not a long period'? How much turnout will he get a day?


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## ammanvalleyluka (13 July 2018)

SpringArising said:



			What are you defining as 'not a long period'? How much turnout will he get a day?
		
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At this current time, I cannot say 100% due to circumstances weather extra. He will more than likely get an hour to an hour & a half 2 to 3 times a day, more on days that I don't have to work to pay for them. He won't ever be entirely on his own, ever. 

Again though, I'm hoping to get advice on feeding, forage etc, not his living arrangements. I'll alter the post to get the advice I'm after. Thanks anyway


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## ammanvalleyluka (13 July 2018)

I have contacted the administrator requesting to thread to be removed and I will post again asking only what I want to know without the potential slanging match. 

I cannot do anything regarding my living situation or my horses, they are all spoilt rotten, get the best care & are looked after to the best that I can. I sadly cannot do anything about his turnout situation until he is gelded. Once that has happened, he will have turnout with the other horses, he will be introduced gradually and safely. Thank you for your opinions but I will ask for advice on what I want to know again. Thanks.


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## Auslander (13 July 2018)

ammanvalleyluka said:



			I have contacted the administrator requesting to thread to be removed and I will post again asking only what I want to know without the potential slanging match. 

I cannot do anything regarding my living situation or my horses, they are all spoilt rotten, get the best care & are looked after to the best that I can. I sadly cannot do anything about his turnout situation until he is gelded. Once that has happened, he will have turnout with the other horses, he will be introduced gradually and safely. Thank you for your opinions but I will ask for advice on what I want to know again. Thanks.
		
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Just because it's not what you want to hear isn't a reason for admin to delete your post.You haven't had answers to the question you asked, because people immediately spotted a part of your plan that is so fundamentally flawed. I understand that you're excited about him arriving, and looking forward to getting to know him, and I am sure your horses are looked after beautifully - but raising a foal is completely different to having adult horses, and your little chap needs to be out, socialising and growing up. Keeping him in a stable 21 hours a day will cause problems - he's at a vital stage of his development where he needs to be moving about, so that he grows strong and straight. He needs to socialise, so that he learns how to be a horse,and he needs to be able to run and play and keep himself physically and mentally occupied, so that he doesn't turn into a raving lunatic. The setup at your current yard simply isn't suitable for a baby - please listen to people on here, and find him a herd of other babies to live with.


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## ycbm (13 July 2018)

ammanvalleyluka said:



			I cannot do anything regarding my living situation or my horses, they are all spoilt rotten, get the best care & are looked after to the best that I can. I sadly cannot do anything about his turnout situation until he is gelded.
		
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I understand that this is not what you want to hear, but other people use this forum as a resource, and it needs saying, sorry. 

Of course you can do something about his turnout. There are plenty of studs that offer livery for young stock in a herd. The fact that you might not be able to visit him because they are not near you is no reason not to use them. 

Nobody forced you to buy a weanling colt without having anywhere suitable to keep him. But you have, and it's now your duty to provide him with adequate  care. The situation you describe is simply not adequate for a foal less than a year old. 

Please find him a place where he can get the movement and socialisation that he needs.


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## MotherOfChickens (13 July 2018)

ammanvalleyluka said:



			Not so much his living arrangements as I cannot change this. 

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yes you can-you either send him somewhere else (young stock livery is a thing) or you don't have him if you can't move yards to better turnout.


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## ammanvalleyluka (13 July 2018)

Well, thank you all for your very insightful replies. I will look into my situation and see what we can do to keep him healthy and safe. Other than that, I will carry on doing my research & I won't be logging back on here.
There are many on here that come across very aggressive & as if only their thoughts and opinions matter. I came here for advice and have been attacked. 
Thank you again.


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## ycbm (13 July 2018)

You haven't been attacked, you have been disagreed with. If you can't cope with that then this certainly isn't the forum for you. That would be a shame, because there are a lot of people who are very knowledgeable about young stock and they'll be happy to help you if you have questions as your youngster grows up.


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