Anuario Raza Polo Argentino Anuario2018 | Page 257

Animal Welfare: Weaning Foals
Maria de la Paz Salinas, Veterinary Surgeon;
DU Psychiatrie Vétérinaire – Université Claude Bernard Lyon1
Member of Zoopsy – International Association of Zoopsychiatry
- France
Introduction
The issue of separating a foal from its mother is
controversial. In its natural state, the mother actively
weans its foal close to the date of its new foal’s birth
(9-10 months approximately) and this is exclusively
nutritional (as opposed to actual detachment from
the foal), maintaining a tie with its mother which is
a priority for the following two years. On the other
hand, in breeding circumstances, detachment
tends to be brutal and precocious in certain
breeds or production; in turn, it may be gradual or
not; as also the stress evaluation it implies and if
there is any difference in their coping mechanism,
adaptation and resolution according to the age of
the foal. Clearly the debate is open with few doubts
and even less certainties if we take custom and
habits into account.
The aim of this article is to contribute a different view
regarding this moment of physiological stress in
the horse’s life, such as minimizing its impact in a
context in which the possible pressure of breeding
prevents natural time-spans and methods being
followed, which does not mean it is impossible to
find alternatives that are more adaptable than the
conventional way.
Definitions and Basic Concepts
In the case of social animals (i.e. those that
need to live and relate to their fellow animals) we
define attachment as the link that exists among
individuals. There are basically two types of
attachment: primary attachment, which is the
link between mother/offspring, and secondary
attachment which is that which exists between
different members of a stable group. In the case
of horses specifically, they show a secondary
priority attachment for one member in particular
of the group which is, in fact, the one with which
they carry out all their activities, maintaining
greater proximity with it than with other horses.
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