transporting a weaned foal

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Becka-gott

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Hi
i have recently purchased a foal, she will be weaned and ready for picking up in november. I have never owned or dealt with a foal before so this is a very big step for me. Id just like some advice on how to transport my baby safely. Its a long way to travel, from the top of scotland to west yorkshire (around 4 and half hr journey). i will be transporting her in an ifor williams trailer. Any and all advice is appriciated, thankyou x
 
Should you decide upon a trailer, then I'd put in a deep-ish bed, shut ALL top doors, and leave her loose. After a few minutes, she'll have found her feet and she should be fine. Mostly, foals travel very well!

Alec.
 
Alec Swan said:
Should you decide upon a trailer, then I'd put in a deep-ish bed, shut ALL top doors, and leave her loose. After a few minutes, she'll have found her feet and she should be fine. Mostly, foals travel very well!

Alec.
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I travelled one, as above with no problems. The only thing I would add is to cover the front window. A frightened animal of any species will go for daylight as an escape route and they do not consider whether or not they fit through the hole !
 
I've travelled mine back in the lorry as I don't have a trailer but similar. Remove all partitions, deep straw bed, shut all doors and windows and travel them loose.

It is helpful if you can have a foal slip on them (make sure there is nothing in the trailer for it to catch on) to help with unloading.

I back by lorry up to the school entrance (nice soft landing in case the foal takes a flyer) and have a sensible horse held in the school near the bottom of the ramp. Lunge line on the foal slip, one hand on their chest and another on their bum to guide them down.
 
I would have the pros do it, they are much safer, speak to them anyway, I am not sure how they ensure they are safe. It has to be loose.
If they stop in transit, which is likely that means the foal will be trained to load already!
If you take your own trailer have it serviced and do qute a few miles on a motorway with it first. This will cost a fair bit anyway. You must have special breakdown, more cost.
I did get a yearling transported by someone up North, it was very good price, but it took six weeks before he uplifted her, and he was four hours late, he was good, lorry was good, but there was no groom.
 
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I'm just wondering where at "the top of" Scotland you're travelling the foal from for the journey to only take 4 1/2 hours? We travelled from Inverness down to Bradford a couple of months back and that was an 8 hour jounry in a car. With a trailer you're going to want to stick to 50mph maximum so that will obviously take longer.
Also, please bare in mind that travelling is extremely tiring for a young foal so take into consideration somewhere you can stop for breaks.
If it was me, I'd be getting Gillie's to transport the foal for you for the foal's benefit as they will be experienced in travelling youngsters and have various places that they can stop overnight at.
 
I agree, its too long to do in an ordinary trailer. The lorries are designed for any temperature, you need a groom and emergency back up. I can't see any reason to trailer.
 
I don't know what make of trailer you are intending to use if you do but, unless it is a stock trailer, they are not designed to be used without any bars in (half or full width). They form an integral part of the structure of the box in case of an accident or impact. Ifor Williams have a specific notice in their trailers saying that horses should not be allowed to travel adjacent to the groom's door. It can have an effect on the balance of the trailer and hitch.
 
Becka-gott said:
Hi
i have recently purchased a foal, she will be weaned and ready for picking up in november. I have never owned or dealt with a foal before so this is a very big step for me. Id just like some advice on how to transport my baby safely. Its a long way to travel, from the top of scotland to west yorkshire (around 4 and half hr journey). i will be transporting her in an ifor williams trailer. Any and all advice is appriciated, thankyou x
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erm, Edinburgh is 4 hours from Leeds? And Inverness (not even the top of Scotland) is 3 hours to Edinburgh on a good day in a car that is not towing.

I travelled a 6 month weanling in a trailer from Cumbria to Fife (about 3 hours) and he was fine-it was a mare and foal trailer with all exits blocked out and loads of bedding. I'd not want to do more than that personally (and it was nearly all dual carriageway and we chose a day and time that was going to be quiet)-if you were to hit traffic for example, and foal got fractious etc it might just be better to get a pro transporter for this one.
 
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Have done it from the very north of Scotland (Wick) - i'd advise not to underestimate how long it will take. It took me two stints of 10 hours with an overnight break in the middle. I travelled in a 3.5t with him loose and a deep bed.
 
Alec Swan said:
Should you decide upon a trailer, then I'd put in a deep-ish bed, shut ALL top doors, and leave her loose. After a few minutes, she'll have found her feet and she should be fine. Mostly, foals travel very well!

Alec.
Click to expand...

I travelled my foal exactly as above. She was sleeping on the floor when I opened the jockey door at home facing the back ramp.

Just make sure nothing is loose or sharp inside, don't leave tie-up loops remove all string, chains etc.

This is how the breeder advised me to travel foals.
 
I've always travelled youngstock loose in a trailer with all doors shut and something wedged inside the jockey door (bale of hay/straw usually works) to prevent attempted escapes. They usually travel really well this way. Let them rest in a stable with a nice deep bed until they have recovered.

Echo others though, I think you need to recalculate your journey time!
 
I collected an unhandled weanling from Somerset and travelled it (loose in an Ifor as detailed above) to Galway on the west coast of Ireland, total journey of 14 hours - but 5 hours of that was on the ferry and so really a rest period. Foal was 100% at the other end and walked off fresh as a daisy. We watered and re-hayed twice en route.
 
SeekingSense said:
I've always travelled youngstock loose in a trailer with all doors shut and something wedged inside the jockey door (bale of hay/straw usually works) to prevent attempted escapes. They usually travel really well this way. Let them rest in a stable with a nice deep bed until they have recovered.

Echo others though, I think you need to recalculate your journey time!
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Whatever the journey time.. it doesn't really matter!!!

As long as it's done safely and well. Some horses and foals have to travel halfway across the world... just think how many european imports get shifted back and forth week in week out.

This is a little foaly, who will be quite happy in the back of a decent trailer, with loads of room and soft bedding. It'll be like travelling a toddler!!! be asleep in five mins! lol! :D
 
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