So a girl posted a pic on Facebook of her three year old colt nursing on its mom with the caption "My horse still nursing her three year old!" with a heart emoji. To make it even worse, the mare is 30 years old. 

Aside from the physical effects it has on the mare, is there a negative impact on the colt, such as bad/spoiled behavior? I'm curious what the negative effects are of extended nursing.

I've never even heard of a horse that aged still nursing.... Oldest ive ever seen my self was a yearling or long yearling. no answers on the colt as far as personality or temperment

but most mares milk stops being as nutrious at 4-5 months old post foaling.

I'm sure its taking some extra energy from the mare and potentially keeping her thin( if shes not an easy keeper at 30)

I told her the colt should have been weaned two and a half years ago and she said  "she can breastfeed as long as she and her foal wants. She will wean when she is ready!!!"

Ok then.

There really aren't enough dumb emoji's for this one.   The mare probably doesn't have the energy to kick that colt's behind for still nursing.    It's probably a comfort thing for the colt and he's not getting much out of it, but the poor things need an owner that has a couple brain cells to rub together.    Nothing you can do, since they aren't yours and they aren't unhealthy enough to call animal control.      The negative effects would be that it's had no education at all....might as well be a wild horse.  Maybe it'll kick the owner and knock some sense into them...

oiy..... a friend of mine got a rescue - Paint pony mare (13hish) with a ArabX baby like 14.3h and the baby was 3 and still nursing (the size difference was a site to see).

The mom surprisingly was in good condition and the baby seems fine as far as overall condition but she was a spoiled brat and they had a heck of a time separating them later. But they were also minimally handled so hard to know if it was the lack of weaning or poor manners/lack of handling.

I've had to work hard these past months to get my weaner weaned. She was determined to stay with her momma. Finally, at 9 mos, I got the separated and it has held. Some mares will NOT force the young one off. There is no nutritional value to a foal staying on the mare for over 8 months or so ('milk' is almost water at 6-7 mos) - my filly only nursed a couple times a day and was wholly self sufficient on her feed. The mare she is in with now is teaching her many good manner lessons. I always feel that those foals allowed on the mare too long will end up pushy or needy, or both. No science behind that, jmo.

I feel the same way, that the babies allowed to stay with mom for too long become brats. My sister had a few mini foals that she allowed to stay with the moms way too long and they became huge brats. I finally convinced her to separate them and it made a world of difference! She just thought it was mean to take the babies away, but now that she's seen what can happen, it doesn't bother her as much

Since that's the only experience I've had with babies weaned really late, I was curious if anyone else had the same experience.

Doesnt make any sense 30 years old!!



it is not possible for a colt to continue nursing with a mare of 30 years, the first year of the colt is the only and last one that suckles

then i wouldnt be touching it with a 10ft pole. Sometimes you just cant help people

How can a 3 yo still even reach up under there to nurse? I would think the 3 yo would be too tall by now to even do it.

Is this even for real?? LOL. I'd just shake my head and move on to the next.. LOL. wow. 

She even admits that the nursing isn't for nutritional value, it's more of a comfort thing. She doesn't want to separate them because it will cause stress and anxiety because they are so bonded.

Sounds like laziness on the owner's part. I'd be willing to bet if this person has children, they act like wild heathens in public because disciplining them would "cause too much emotional stress." Smh.

At 30 years old. Mother nature is going to seperate them any time now. YCFS...

Just checking my math here.  Mare is 30, "foal" is now 3 so the mare had the foal when she was 27?? 

Let me recommend the movie BUCK.

There's a really good chance she's still nursing herself?!?