The tolerant stallion led the foal back to the mare. Joan Higginson Dunning, breeder of the famous Farnley line of Welsh ponies, relates a similar experience. A mare approached the stallion, looking for her foal. She was depending on him as head of the herd. The foal was asleep, and he went off looking, found it, and brought it back.
Stallions vary in how they react to foaling mares.
The easygoing stallion will allow a mare to move away from the band to foal, then accept her when she returns with her new foal in a few days. He'll circle them, and if someone tries to leave, he'll put her back in there. Some stallions will let the mare go off, and when she comes back in season, she'll come back to the band, and he'll breed her. Mare Owner Expectations Breeders do accept outside mares for pasture breeding, with a clear understanding from both parties. The stallion owner might choose to screen mares for their adaptation to a herd environment.