4,777 answers about horses & farm animals
Horses and farm animals run on routine — feeding schedules, hoof and health care, safe fencing and calm handling, in all weather. This page gathers the horse and farm animal library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from daily care to travel and senior animals. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
← All Horses & Farm Animals topics
372 answers in Young Pets — page 3 of 16
A young Standardbred that is failing to thrive stops adding height and frame at the steady rate expected of this fast-maturing harness breed, and begins to look ribby over the topline despite adequate feed. Watch for a dull coat, poor muscle development along the neck and hindquarters, loose droppings, repeated…
A young Shetland pony that is failing to thrive usually stops gaining weight even though Shetlands are famously easy keepers, and its ribs or hip bones start to show under a dull, staring coat. Other warning signs include a pot-bellied look, loose droppings, little interest in nursing or grazing, and a foal or…
A young Pygmy goat failing to thrive stops gaining while its pen mates chunk up: it feels bony over the back and ribs when handled, keeps a rough, dull coat, and loses the breed's boldness at the feeder. Look for a kid that stands hunched, rests apart from the group, eats a few mouthfuls and drifts away, or has…
A young Paint Horse failing to thrive loses condition against its markings — and the white patches make it easy to see: ribs show through, hip bones sharpen, and the coat lies dull and rough instead of glossy. Behaviour shifts alongside: the foal nurses or grazes without appetite, rests more than it plays, and stops…
A young Nigerian Dwarf goat failing to thrive is usually the kid that stops keeping up: it gains little or nothing while siblings grow, feels bony over the spine and hips when you pick it up, and loses interest in the noisy competition at the udder and the creep feeder. A rough, dull coat, recurring loose droppings, a…
A young Mustang failing to thrive typically stops growing with its band mates: ribs and hips show through a rough coat, it hangs back instead of sparring and racing with the other youngsters, and it spends long stretches resting or standing alone. Poor appetite, recurring loose droppings, and a tucked, hunched stance…
A young Haflinger failing to thrive stands out because the breed is famously hardy and easy-keeping: a foal that stays lean over the ribs, keeps a rough dull coat while others shine, and lacks the Haflinger bounce is waving a flag. Add poor appetite at the bucket, loose droppings that keep returning, long spells lying…
A young Andalusian that is failing to thrive loses the bloom a well-grown foal carries: its ribs and hip bones start to show under a dull, staring coat, it nurses or grazes without appetite, and it stops keeping up with its dam and the herd. Watch for a foal that lies down far more than it plays, stands with a tucked,…
A young Alpine goat that is failing to thrive stops gaining like its herd mates: it looks bony over the ribs and hips despite feed being available, nurses or eats without enthusiasm, and lags behind the group instead of bouncing, climbing, and pestering its dam. A dull coat, recurring loose droppings, a hunched…
A healthy Standardbred foal is typically standing within about an hour of birth, walking the stall in wobbly loops shortly afterward, and nursing within roughly two hours. Standardbreds are bred for athleticism, and their foals are usually long-legged and determined — expect plenty of tumbles on the way up, which are…
A healthy Shetland pony foal is usually standing within about an hour of birth, walking unsteadily around its mare soon after, and nursing within roughly two hours. Shetland foals are small but hardy, and a normal newborn works through the wobbles quickly once the mare has licked it dry and encouraged it up; that…
A healthy Pygmy goat kid is typically on its feet within about twenty to thirty minutes of birth, walking in short bursts soon afterward, and nursing within the first hour — and that early nursing matters most, because the first milk carries the antibodies a newborn kid cannot yet make. Pygmy kids are compact and…
A healthy Paint Horse foal follows the pattern equine vets sum up as stand, nurse, and settle within the first few hours: most foals are standing within about an hour of birth, walking in wobbly circuits of the stall soon after, and nursing within roughly two hours. That first nursing delivers colostrum, the…
A healthy Nigerian Dwarf kid is usually up on wobbly legs within about fifteen to thirty minutes of birth, takes its first tottering steps soon after standing, and finds the udder to nurse within the first hour or so. That first milk matters enormously, because the colostrum a kid drinks in its opening hours carries…
A healthy newborn Mustang foal usually stands within about an hour of birth — many are up in well under that — walks almost as soon as it is standing, and nurses within about two hours. Mustangs are shaped by country where a foal that cannot move with the herd does not survive, so newborns are typically vigorous,…
A healthy newborn Haflinger foal typically stands within about an hour of birth — sturdy Haflingers are often up faster — walks as soon as it is standing, and nurses within about two hours. The standard foal pattern applies: stand by one hour, feed by two, and the mare should cleanse by around three hours. A Haflinger…
A healthy newborn Andalusian foal usually stands within about an hour of birth, walks within minutes of standing, and nurses from the mare within about two hours. Foals follow a well-known pattern — stand by one hour, nurse by two, and the mare should pass the afterbirth by three — and most Andalusian newborns,…
A healthy newborn Alpine goat kid is usually on its feet within about fifteen to thirty minutes of birth, wobbling after the udder within the first hour, and nursing properly inside the first couple of hours. Kids are born ready to move — standing is how they reach the colostrum that protects them — so a strong kid…
A young Standardbred foal can cope safely with several short handling sessions a day — around ten to fifteen minutes each, totalling roughly half an hour to an hour — built around haltering, leading, grooming and foot care. Standardbreds are bred for a calm, trainable mind, and foals usually take to routines quickly,…
A young Shetland pony foal copes safely with a few short handling sessions a day — about ten minutes each, totalling roughly half an hour to an hour — and benefits from those sessions being calm and businesslike rather than endless cuddling. Shetlands are small, which tempts everyone to treat the foal like a toy, but…
A young Pygmy goat kid can safely be handled in several short bursts a day — five to ten minutes of holding, stroking and hoof-and-coat familiarisation at a time, totalling around half an hour to an hour — with long stretches back with the dam to nurse, warm up and sleep. Pygmy kids are sturdier and bouncier than they…
A young Paint Horse foal copes well with a handful of short handling sessions a day — roughly ten minutes at a time, totalling around half an hour to an hour — covering haltering, leading, grooming and foot handling. Paints are generally steady, willing youngsters, but a foal's day still needs to be mostly nursing,…
A young Nigerian Dwarf kid can enjoy handling several times a day, but each bout should be short — five to ten minutes of holding, stroking or lead practice at a time, totalling perhaps half an hour to an hour, with long breaks for nursing, nibbling hay and sleeping. Kids chill quickly out of the nest and tire faster…
A young Mustang usually copes with far less daily handling than a foal bred in hand — start with a handful of very short sessions, sometimes just a few minutes of quiet presence and touch, and build toward perhaps twenty to forty minutes total only as the foal relaxes. Many young Mustangs are still learning that…
Can't find your question? Ask it here. We answer reader questions in KinsLe Answers — and we'll email you when yours is published.
KinsLe is launching soon — and the waitlist hears the date first. Join for launch updates and first access when the app opens.
We email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime.