Due to decreasing use over the years, I have decided to disable the forum functionality of the site.

Forums will still be available to view but new posts are no longer allowed.

first foals

Sara May 04, 2009 February 22, 2011

Forums

Is it true (proven) that first foals tend to be smaller than subsequent foals or is that an old wives' tale?

swinghorse Mon, 05/04/2009 - 23:42

I haven't seen any trends in my foals to say.

I'd be interested to see what the others say.

PamelaTX Mon, 05/04/2009 - 23:50

[color=#8000BF][b]I don't believe this to be true. So many have proved different.
I would say on old wives tale.[/b][/color]

Heidi Mon, 05/04/2009 - 23:55

I think it is quite possible for this [i]Old Wives' Tale[/i] to have some basis in truth...only because when people began keeping livestock as part of their livlihood, I bet there were plenty of fillies and young mares bred before even *they* had finished growing...so their first foals would have been smaller, because the mare herself still hadn't finished growing, and a foal can only grow as big as the mare allows.
With today's horses being well fed and (usually/responsibly) allowed to fully mature before breeding, I think it would be rare for a mare's first foal to be small.

Heather Tue, 05/05/2009 - 06:20

I think they may be small at birth, but DNA and enviroment will catch up.

Daylene Alford Tue, 05/05/2009 - 07:22

It's possible. A maiden often doesn't give as much milk (true in cows as well) so if you have a foal that is say range raised and isn't given supplemental feeding then its very possible. Probably more so in the past than today.

Adell Tue, 05/05/2009 - 08:32

[quote="Heather"]I think they may be small at birth, but DNA and enviroment will catch up.[/quote]

I agree with Heather.

rabbitsfizz Tue, 05/05/2009 - 12:57

I have not noticed this at all......Amiras first foal was ENORMOUS, and we lost him, subsequent foals, by a taller but lighter boned animal were much smaller and finer, and then her last foal, which was by a 14.00hh purebred, was, again, HUGE, and I do mean [size=200]HUGE[/size] :laugh1
He made 15.2hh, by a 14.00hho/o a 14.2hh!!
The Mini mares, no, again, first foals tend to be around the size they are supposed to be, sometimes a bit bigger.
I will say it is always remarked upon if a mare has a big first foal, and it is always dangerous as she does not know what she is doing, and does not want to push because of the pain, this is what happened with Amira's first, with the second she had her out in two seconds flat as she knew what was going on.
But people always say "Oh that is big for a first foal...." if it is, so the myth must have started somewhere.