Age limit for Uk-Ire transport. Advice please.

PurBee

PurBee

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I’m considering a few options for my horses. Those of you who’ve transported from Ireland to Uk, or are seasoned horse transporters, would you consider transporting a healthy 23yr old & 14yr old on the Ireland to UK route? There would be 2 travelling together - both haven’t travelled much at all in their lives, but the times they have they’ve been fine, likely due to travelling together with their mate.
But I’m acutely aware a short hours drive in a trailer is very different to hours/days of being shuffled about from Ireland to UK. They’d be together so there’s that…the younger horse is braver about life than the older one. Older one isn’t a nervous Nelly, just dragon breathing at changes, but doesn’t full-on freak-out generally. Observes from a distance type.

I overthink these things and I don’t have much transport experience, so a part of me thinks it would be a helluva journey for their lack of travel experience, especially for the older one, but then these horses especially have proven me wrong with what they handle with ease when I imagine the worst.
IF, a big IF…I did consider doing this journey I’d arrange it so they could have rest stops, due to their travel inexperience. But maybe the on/off at 2 yards might just stress them more? They’re used to a VERY quiet predictable rural life. A busy noisy yard might blow their brains , so I’d have to choose the ‘stop yards’ carefully.

I just need some experienced realistic views to help me know what my options are realistically. TIA for all advice.
 
rara007 said:
If you pay for an individual load it doesn’t need to be a multi day shunting effort. Assuming the older horse is in good health I wouldn’t think twice about it.
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By individual load, do you mean a smaller transporter travelling just them 2, doing the trip in 1, rather than the massive lorry with multiple horses on board? I’m not sure they’d handle a lorry full of horses tbh, as they’re not used to being surrounded by loads of other horses.
 
Depends where in the UK you are going to. I had a young horse brought from Ireland to Hull on a multihorse load and never ever again.
However I've also had one brought Ireland to Cheshire and that was absolutly fine
 
Parkers recently delivered an old RC friends 2 horses to Cheshire.
They (she and husband) had been in southern Spain the last 7 years, but she has had to move back to the UK.
1 was her 9 yr old Pre that's never travelled since she bought him 5 years ago, the other is her now retired horse aged 23 or 24.
Both arrived in good spirits and looking well. They were on a shared load.
(Pre isn't impressed with our weather apparently, but v happy with the turnout)
Hope you find the right transporter to suit 🤞
 
PurBee said:
By individual load, do you mean a smaller transporter travelling just them 2, doing the trip in 1, rather than the massive lorry with multiple horses on board? I’m not sure they’d handle a lorry full of horses tbh, as they’re not used to being surrounded by loads of other horses.
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Yes. The big transporters will offer it too but of course there’s a cost implication vs being 1 of a load.
 
Marshpiper said:
Speak to Mullins Equine Transport, they have two horse lorries, as well as the huge ones…
Top class care and attention to detail…
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Whereas my little yearling came off one of their multihorse loads looking like a hat-rack, which i would have understood due to his age and the stress, but there was no evidence of even a speck of hay on the truck, and no poo at all either in any slot, so I felt he had been without forage for a very long time. Very little communication from them, no photos or updates. As a pet horse rather than commercial I wouldn't be using them again.

A healthy 24yo should cope okay.
 
Thanks all for the vote of confidence that it’s a real possibility. I had for a while discounted it on the older horse’s age and their lack of travel experience, but then again started wondering if I was just being overly cautious. Especially as they’d be travelling together so that will soften the ‘alone and worried’ stress.

Regarding transporters and food on the journey - they’re normally on good haylage that has a moisture content helping hydrating them if water is limited during travel. If they were to suddenly to be on dry hay for the trip, and less water, I’d be concerned. Would transporters accept/ be okay with me providing their haylage nets for the journey at pick-up? It’s something I’d ask when ringing round anyway. If I can keep their guts stable and happy with same forage while travelling it’s 1 less stress thing their bodies would have to cope with. Whenever I’ve switched to hay in the past their drinking rations increase quite a lot. They’re already drinking @40L each per 24hrs on damp haylage.
 
I'd definitely look at requesting a private load for them especially if you want to provide your own forage. Then they will go straight from point a to b without dropping others off etc. It is more expensive but if you're concerned it is well worth it.
Coopers have a good reputation. Also Graham equine transport from NI - Danielle is a former top level groom and takes excellent care.
 
Mine came over as a 4yo, first long journey.

He had the big lorry for the ferry trip then was swapped for a small one for transport on. It wasn't that much more than a total shared load TBH, and well worth the extra expense.

Mine was picked up at 10pm and was on my lawn at 11am.

You could always pick them up yourself from the depot, and then make sure they have water and haylage. So, allowing the experts to do the ferry and imports, but have a more relaxed and personalised onwards journey. I think he was swapped at around 7am, from memory.

I refused a total shared load.

I don't think many allow hay on the wagons.
 
Red-1 said:
Mine came over as a 4yo, first long journey.

He had the big lorry for the ferry trip then was swapped for a small one for transport on. It wasn't that much more than a total shared load TBH, and well worth the extra expense.

Mine was picked up at 10pm and was on my lawn at 11am.

You could always pick them up yourself from the depot, and then make sure they have water and haylage. So, allowing the experts to do the ferry and imports, but have a more relaxed and personalised onwards journey. I think he was swapped at around 7am, from memory.

I refused a total shared load.

I don't think many allow hay on the wagons.
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Both Parkers and Gillie's have hay and/haylage on the wagon for travelling, have done for quite a time, whatever the length of journeys.

@PurBee I don't know about other transporters, but always best to check about fodder when getting a quote.
 
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