can a weanling horse restart a mare's milk after she has dried up?

Question

i separated my foal 6mos old from his mother for 5 weeks and i put them back together again and he still tries to suckle from her, but she has dried up, can the foal restart the mares' milk again?

Answer 1

The power of the mind and instinct is a great thing, you never know if she is dropping milk or not. Why don't you test her. Further, why do people take their foals at 6 months? This I am trying to understand. You can still start training and association with humans, beginning at birth, if you do it right. I think a colt/filly needs a full year with mom. Nine months at the earliest. I have worked in these situations and I don't care what people think. I think in the long run it makes for a sounder horse.

Maybe she is dried up and maybe her hormones tell her she can still nurse. Either way, she wasn't ready to give up the foal and the foal wasn't ready to be given up. A good mare will wean her foal naturally.

Good Luck

Answer 2

It is normal for the foal to try to suckle as it is instinct.

My colt tried to until he was 11 months old, then he was too big to reach under to access her utters.

However, the mare herself will naturally wean the foal.

Just try to intercept, but allow the mare to also push away the foal, as eventually she will lay her ears back and kick out.

I had the same question with mine and all the information I got was what im telling you. Foal will grow out of it as mine did as well.

My mare was producing milk 2 years later. It decreased supply over the years. But it was still there due to stimulation as I had to clean her often due to wax build up. Also, my colt was stimulating the time he was trying to do so.

Mare's can re start their milk, however it is depended on the mare.

Don't worry if her supply starts again as it can dry up as futher weaning takes place.

Answer 3

Unless you have a good reason showing selling ect , you have seperated them too early , This baby has not fullfilled his sucking needs , if not on his mum , it would of been somthing else which could stay with him up untill his teens .
It has been proven horses need to fullfill their sucking needs to develope properly , if you are not showing or doing too much with the mare an foal leave them together , she may eventually wean him herself or u can wean him again at 12 months old ,

if you are insistent on weaning him now , seperate them and do not put them back together until the foal is about 2 yr old , '
I think they should be kept in seperate paddocks any way .

regards Alana

Answer 4

Any mammal's milk can theoretically be restarted, but probably not by a weanling. It takes time and persistence. It can be done with a milking machine but I doubt the mare would let you do it.There have been quite a few cases of human women who have adopted and have never been pregnant who were able to nurse after weeks, even months, of daily stimulation. Lamaze has cases of this.

Answer 5

No the only thing that can "restart" the mares milk is having another foal.

Answer 6

Stripping the bag does not lead to producing more milk. I always squirt each teat to be sure there is no chunks. Just cause the bag is soft does not mean theres no chunks inside. Look for chunks please. Trust me, you will feel them pass thru. Keep squirting till you get no chunks. I always check there bags twice a day after foaling. As long as they show no signs of chunks or hard bags I will then just check them once a day and if during the first week if I have no problems and they are drying up right, I don't check them again. Exercise is the key! The more exercise the better, it allows the milk to release itself. Ride away! No harm!

Answer 7

It's highly unlikely. However, the suckling could be a passifier kind of thing for the colt. Sort of like a child sucking a thumb.

Answer 8

no once she dried up she cant get milk till sh has a nother foal!

Answer 9

never heard of that happening, what does your Equine Vet say about it?

Answer 10

never heard of this before