• A foaling wreck on the ranch: one foal, two mares, and a lot of commotion
• How a mare ends up stealing another mare’s foal
• Why this shows up more with maiden mares and older mares
• The early signs that something isn’t right
• What’s happening with the foal when it follows the wrong mare
• How fast things can go south if it’s missed
• Practical ways to sort it out when it happens

• Check mares often during foaling — don’t assume everything’s fine
• Know which mare had which foal
• Watch for extra movement — the ones that won’t settle are your clue
• Separate maiden mares ahead of time when possible
• Bonding in the first few hours matters more than anything
• Time matters — the longer it goes, the harder it is to fix
• When it happens, get them separated and get that foal nursing

Everything looked ok that morning with the mares on the ranch — a healthy foal on the ground and a mare mothered up like she should be.

By the afternoon, something had changed.

Now there’s one foal… two mares… and neither one of them is settled. One’s running, the other’s watching, and that colt is following the wrong one.

The real mama can’t quite get back in there, and the mare that took him won’t let him nurse.

That’s how quick it can happen — and if you don’t catch it in time, that foal may never get what it needs.

If you run into a situation like this and need some support: 👉 Head over to ranchhorseresource.com and reach out...