I have an 8 month old philly. I have never had a foal before. When do they come into heat? Whats a good grain?

Question

I have an 8 month old philly. I have never had a foal before. When do they come into heat? Whats a good grain?

Answer 1

well. the first thing is that you spelled FILLY wrong. second they start going into heat around 2 years old. i wouldn't breed until at least 5 or 6 years old. talk to your barn manager or the local feed store to find what would be best for her but they make special kinds for young horses. also with that, in a lot of cases even though the feed may be a little pricey, it's most likely a better quality

Answer 2

I fed my young horse Strategy pellets and Horseman's Edge sweet 10.  He is 6 years old now and still loves it.  You will want to feed your little girl a quality horse feed to help her build good bones and muscle.  Your feed store should know of good feeds for young horses and be able to recommend something.  Also you want to make sure that she has access to clean water and plenty of good quality hay.  You cannot over feed hay unless you are feeding straight alfalfa.  I would feed a good quality grass hay supplemented with little bit of alfalfa.  If you have quality pasture available, even better.

She will probably come into heat before she is 2 years old but shouldn't be bred until she is at least 4 or 5.  Mares often don't come noticeably into heat unless they meet a strange horse, then look out!

I had never had a foal either and believe me, they are not like puppies!  You will want to get a handle on her as early as possible.  Halter, lead, tie, trailer and bathe, everything you can think of that will help with later training.  Just daily handling is soooo important to teach manners.  Then, if you are not qualified to start a young horse make sure you have professional trainer start her under saddle.  It makes a HUGE difference.

Answer 3

...Did someone drop your "philly" off on your doorstep, or what?  I don't understand why someone who doesn't know anything about taking care of foals would suddenly find themselves in possession of one.

If you don't know when a filly will go into her first heat or what to feed her, for heaven's sakes find a person who knows what they're doing and have them assist you (heavily) in keeping the filly.  I shudder to think what kind of training she will receive (if any)!

Answer 4

well first off it's Filly second she can come into heat as early as 7 or 8 months....( I hope you are not asking that question because you have a stud on your farm) don't breed her either. she is not a performance horse she does not need 80 gallons of oats a day.....most horses do not need any grain at all as long as the grass/hay is good quality. i don't know what it is with people when they think horse they think OATS AND LOTS!!!!!!   if you do feed her grains feed her a pellet it is the most digestible but go to your feed store and ask a nutritionist because people that do not know much about horses tend to over feed grain which is NOT GOOD. with a young horse if it eats too much grain it can get all sorts of growing complications

Answer 5

well around a year it varies I have seen them come in as early as 7 mon. and as late as 1+ yrs. and rolled oats are awesome! they are a little high but they are the best type of feed or a strategy based pellet that is good for performance.

Answer 6

First, the word you want is "filly", not "Philly", which is the nickname for the city of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Second, depending your filly's breeding ( this means who her parents were, and what breed they belonged to when they were bred) she will come into her first esterus cycle between 12 and 15 months of age.

Now, I have to ask, if you have never owned or cared for a foal before, why do you have this one? Raising a foal is an enormous responsibility, and it is NOT A JOB for a novice, which you clearly are. You need to talk to a vet and ask him or her what an appropriate diet is for this filly, and I would strongly recommend that you find a trainer in your area and get some help with training this baby. Baby horses are NOT pets, and they are NOT CHILDREN. They are LIVESTOCK- and as such, need to be treated that way. At her age, this filly needs to be getting daily handling, and she needs to be taught manners and discipline. She also needs to be halter trained and taught to lead, stand, and tie. You need to have her seen by both a vet and a farrier, because she needs to have her shots and her feet trimmed so her bones will develop correctly . By the time she's a year old, your filly should be introduced to and learn to wear a bridle- it will make her easy to handle if this is done, and it's a good prelude to the ground training which will follow.

As far as feeds go, the ones I like are things like Omelene 300, or the Manna Pro products, if you can get them, and high quality hay or pasture. These products are formulated specifically for young, growing foals, and will help your filly develop to her full potential. Avoid feeding the filly too much bran, because it can really weaken her bones and joints.

Good luck to you.