ReviewAnimals : an open access journal from MDPI2020
Domestic Foal Weaning: Need for Re-Thinking Breeding Practices?
Review in Animals : an open access journal from MDPI, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- Born to run? Associations between gestational and early-life exposures and later-life performance outcomes in Thoroughbreds.Equine veterinary journal · 2026Article
- Effects of Dietary Zinc Cysteamine Supplementation on Growth Performance, Physiological Responses, and Fecal Microbiota in Weaned Foals.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Affiliative behaviours regulate allostasis development and shape biobehavioural trajectories in horses.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Determining optimal practices for foal weaning - A protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.PloS one · 2026Article
- Opportunities for agency in domestic horses: Applying the behavioural domain to increase equine welfare.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2026Review
- Monitoring Weaning Stress in Fillies and Colts on a Thoroughbred Breeding Farm by Cortisol and Blood Inflammatory Markers: The Benefits of Gradual Separation and Social Support.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Effects of different grain types on nutrient apparent digestibility, glycemic responses, and fecal VFA content in weaned foals.BMC veterinary research · 2025Article
- Recognition of Foal Nursing Behavior Based on an Improved RT-DETR Model.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Article
- Effect of the intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the growth and development of young foals under subtropical conditions of Pakistan.PloS one · 2025Article
- Drug Use and Human Milk: Legal and Child Welfare Considerations.Maternal and child health journal · 2023Article
- Implications of placentation type on species-specific colostrum properties in mammals.Journal of animal science · 2022Review
- Champing at the Bit for Improvements: A Review of Equine Welfare in Equestrian Sports in the United Kingdom.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2022Review
- Kinetics of the Equid Herpesvirus 2 and 5 Infections among Mares and Foals from Three Polish National Studs.Viruses · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Artificial weaning is a standard practice known to be one of the most stressful events in a domestic foal's life. Research has mainly focused on ways to alleviate weaning stress. However, there is still a need for more detailed research on what should constitute best practices with respect to animal welfare. The aim of this review is to address this issue by examining the natural weaning process. We first provide an overview of the scientific literature on the natural temporal dynamics of the dam-offspring bond in horses: it is to be noted that the natural process of weaning is little documented, individual variations have been poorly investigated and immediate effects of weaning on the mare-foal relationship remain unexplored. To partly address these gaps, we performed a study around the weaning period on 16 mare-foal pairs kept with minimal human interference. Most foals were weaned spontaneously when 9-10 months old, with individual variations mainly due to the conception rate of mares. Natural weaning induced no stress response in either partner and was performed without clear signs of rejection by the dams either just before or after. We lastly open up the discussion on the need for rethinking weaning practices under domestic conditions.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.