The First Year's Importance
© Marta Towne
There are as many ways to raise horses as there are people who raise them. One place I know - as a matter of fact the people I got Reena from - weans their foals between three to four months old (depending entirely on the full moon), takes the mare away and simply leaves the foals in the pasture throughout the summer, fall, winter etc. until they sell. Without proper food or care except vaccinations and the occasional worming, these foals have virtually no chance of reaching their potential.
Take Reena, for example. Reena's dam was approximately 15 hands high, her sire is about sixteen hands. Another half sister of Reena's is a year younger and nearly 15.2 hands. Reena is 2.5 years old and is 14.1. With any luck, she will reach 14.2 hands when she reaches her full growth. According to the Vet, Reena had the potential of reaching 15.2-15.3 or perhaps a bit more. Why didn't she, you might ask? There are two main reasons: One, because her dam was bred and then put into a pasture and basically forgotten until she foaled and needed to be re-bred. The mare was given bales of hay occasionally and given just enough vet care to prevent her from miscarrying or re-absorbing her foal. Even after she foaled and was re-bred, she was given no extra grain or treats, no special care at all. And her milk content showed it. The second reason was because Reena was weaned at three months and put in a pasture with several other foals (all of whom are more dominant than she was) and thrown a bale of hay when the people thought of it. As a consequence, she was stunted. She is one of the sweetest horses I have ever met (although she has her moments!), and she is one of the least dominant. If she had been cared for properly, she would have been a near perfect example of an Arabian horse. As it is now, Reena can't yet be ridden because she is so small and has not achieved her balance.
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