Progressive habituation to separation alleviates the negative effects of weaning in the mother and foal

Most farm animals undergo early weaning. In domestic horses, foals are often separated from their mothers suddenly and definitively between 4 and 6  months of age (Waran et al., 2008). This weaning differs greatly from that observed under feral conditions, in both the age at which the foal is separated and its suddenness. Under natural conditions, foals progressively stop suckling between 11 and 12 months of age, when the mother is about to give birth again, but the bond with the mother remains intact.

Source: Psychoneuroendocrinology - July 5, 2018 Category: Psychiatry Authors: L éa Lansade, Aline Foury, Fabrice Reigner, Marianne Vidament, Elodie Guettier, Gwenaelle Bouvet, Delphine Soulet, Céline Parias, Alice Ruet, Nuria Mach, Frédéric Lévy, Marie-Pierre Moisan Source Type: research