Transporting foal?

[Crugeran Celt]

I am picking up my miniature foal next Friday and was wondering if anyone can recommend wether I should leave her untied or not in the trailer and if I should remove the central partition. The trailer I am borrowing does not have a solid central partition it has rubber flaps on the bottom half and when I collected the miniature foal last year she stumbled and fell through this rubber and struggled to get back up as she was tied. I was in the box with her I have to admit but was only travelling about 2 miles, this time it is 60 miles so don't fancy travelling in the box with her. I am looking forward to having her but will be so glad when she is here in one piece!

 

[Jools1234]

mmmm its a lot of space for a min foal to be flung about in if anything went wrong, i think i would be inclined to try and come up with ideas to reduce the space to make the foal safer. maybe large bales one on each side and one in front, to create a smaller space then she can lean on them the same as larger horses do with the sides and partitions in the trailer?

but travel loose

 

[simplyhunting]

We never ever travel foals tied up, way too dangerous. Can u not get a bit of wood to create a solid front partition? If not maybe a bale of straw or something to stop her falling out the jockey door and take out the partitions?

 

[Sparkles]

Take the partition out, loose and make it solid for her somehow, even like suggested, with straw bales etc

 

[Enfys]

My suggestion?

If you are not happy with giving her the entire trailer, then perhaps board off the space infront of the breast bar, bed down with shavings and travel the foal loose in that small front space. Or, fashion a small space at the rear of the trailer.

The foal will balance herself, bum to the front I would expect, and will travel perfectly well. She may even lie down, several of mine do.

Enjoy her.

 

[Spyda]

Ditto definitely not tying a foal for travelling. I'd not want to leave the partition in either (incase foal slipped and got stuck) and normally travel my larger foals loose with a nice thick straw bed inside the trailer. I don't use any boots or bandages either. Some people like to use shavings but I do find straw provides a nicer padded base.

I agree that an average sized trailer with the partition out does give a very small foal an awful lot of space to travel in, but I'd personally be worried at using straw bales to confine the space for travelling incase they moved about in transit. I'd rather pad the trailer out in soft straw and drive very carefully to give the foalie a safe and comfortable trip.

Any photos of the little one?

 

[Carlosmum]

Bed the trailer up well with straw including banking the sides, take out all partions/posts & anything else hanging on the sides bale twine etc, travel the baby loose without a headcollar, once you are moving its unlikey to move around much & if it does slip over it can get up w/o any danger of getting caught up. Leave some hay at each end on the floor. Don't forget to shut all the top doors, make sure someone is with you to unload so you can anchor baby before opening the doors/ramp.

good luck

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Thankyou all for some very helpful advice. I think I had already decided to travel her untied and my OH has said he is able to create a solid partition that he can fix to reduce the space she has. Should have just mentioned my worries to him first! As soon as I have her I will try to put some photos up. She is not for me but a present for my MIL who knows nothing about her arrival. I already own her grandmother and half sister and hope they like their new companion as although she is not mine she will live with me. She has been bought as my mare had a still birth earlier this year and that foal was to be my MIL's so have bought this one as a surprise as she was so upset when we lost the foal. Lets hope MIL likes her too!

 

[MrsMozart]

If you have the partition out and lots of straw down, do you use a breast and a/or a breach bar?

I'll be travelling a six month old cob foal soon

 

[Spyda]

If you have the partition out and lots of straw down, do you use a breast and a/or a breach bar?

I'll be travelling a six month old cob foal soon

I must admit, I dont. Too concerned a youngster could get itself caught under or over a breast bar in transit.

 

[MrsMozart]

I must admit, I dont. Too concerned a youngster could get itself caught under or over a breast bar in transit.

I wondered about that. Would you put straw bales in front of the jockey door?

Thank you

Sorry OP! Don't want to hi-jack your thread m'duck.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

Thats ok, when I first read your post I laughed as I read it wrong and thought you said I should use a breast plate, being a miniature foal who isn't any bigger than a dog I don't think a breast plate would help.

 

[Spyda]

I wondered about that. Would you put straw bales in front of the jockey door?

Thank you

Sorry OP! Don't want to hi-jack your thread m'duck.

I'm paranoid so my DH fixed a couple of pairs of small metal rings (very small) to the inside of my trailer either side of the jockey door which lets me secure a small bale of straw in place with twine. I probably needn't have bothered, as we've never experienced any problems travelling our youngsters, but then again we've only ever travelled our own homebred stock which are very well handled from birth and are fairly chilled out characters when faced with new experiences. Still, just in case, I like to cover all bases. Sod's Law, it'd be the one time I didn't take precautions that something untoward would happen. I don't wish to tempt fate

 

[MrsMozart]

Thats ok, when I first read your post I laughed as I read it wrong and thought you said I should use a breast plate, being a miniature foal who isn't any bigger than a dog I don't think a breast plate would help.

Lol, nah, that wouldn't help so much

I'm paranoid so my DH fixed a couple of pairs of small metal rings (very small) to the inside of my trailer either side of the jockey door which lets me secure a small bale of straw in place with twine. I probably needn't have bothered, as we've never experienced any problems travelling our youngsters, but then again we've only ever travelled our own homebred stock which are very well handled from birth and are fairly chilled out characters when faced with new experiences. Still, just in case, I like to cover all bases. Sod's Law, it'd be the one time I didn't take precautions that something untoward would happen. I don't wish to tempt fate

Aye, I can see how easy it would be to be paranoid! Think I'll stack the nose of the trailer with straw bales. He's been pretty well handled since birth, but not travelled.

 

[Spyda]

Lol, nah, that wouldn't help so much



Aye, I can see how easy it would be to be paranoid! Think I'll stack the nose of the trailer with straw bales. He's been pretty well handled since birth, but not travelled.

I'm sure he'll be fine. I've always worried myself sick but TBH it never fails to amaze me how well my youngsters have travelled in a big open trailer (I mean without the partition and bars in) providing they've a comfy straw bed and the driver takes it easy. It's me who's frazzled by the end of it, chewing my nails at the thought of every possible accident scenario occuring!!

 

[RutlandH2O]

I just travelled an almost 7 months old Poitou donkey foal. I had been agonising about travelling her from Cambridgeshire to Rutland for almost 2 months. I had actually thought about placing a very heavy garden chair in our trailer and tying it down somehow so that I could be with the baby (I know, completely illegal). I have an Ifor Williams 510 for my Shires and couldn't get my head around transporting this little baby by herself in it. As it was, I removed everything from inside the trailer...partition, breast and breeching bars, haynet, baler twine. I filled the trailer with a massive amount of loose straw. Foal was loose without any form of foal slip or head collar. As Carlosmum said, I left some hay at both ends, shut the top doors, and locked the jockey door. My OH came with me, but I drove, seeing as I've had much more experience travelling horses. I'll freely admit I was a nervous wreck. It took us about an hour. When we arrived home and opened the jockey door, there she was, a bit bewildered, but none the worse for wear.

You'll be fine and so will your foalie. Good luck!

 

[Auslander]

I travelled two Dartmoor foals 200 miles in my 5 horse lorry a fair few years ago. Took out all the partitions and bedded the whole horse area down with a LOT of straw. The babies got in, had a snuffle round, and within 10 minutes of setting off, they lay down together at the back, and kipped most of the way.