Traveling mare for weaning

[Fryt]

My friends mare and foal have to be weaned slightly early ( on vets recommendations) vets has also recommended taking mare away to a yard where they can't hear or see each other. I can pick the mare up and bring her to my place but there is just less than an hour's travel. What is the best way to go about this please? Mare is very calm and quite happy to let her foal graze with the other mares and foals there. She will also come to the gate to be brought in and not be too concerned if the foal is still at the back of the field with his friends, but she has never been taken from the field without him.

As I say this is all vets recommendations for the sake of the foal. If anyone has any advice or suggestions on making this the easiest and safest way to do this, that would be brilliant.

Many thanks

 

[TheMule]

Be as no nonsense as you can- everything totally ready, mare out the field and straight on trailer before she can realise what’s going on, shut up and get going ASAP. Distract the foal with food/ scratches etc. It's not ideal but it will be fine

 

[Fryt]

Thankyou ?

 

[Equi]

As said have it regimented to the point as soon as the doors closed the cars moving. Don’t give her time to think about it. Ideally someone would be over the other side of the field with the foal distracting it. I assume the foal will remain with the rest of the herd, not put into a stable as that would be distressing for it.

 

[Fryt]

Yes, foal is to remain in field with other mare an. d foal friends that they have been with for several weeks now. Owner will be staying with foal, I will be sorting mare with a couple of extra pairs of hands for each of us, should we need it ?. In my head I thought, getting her loaded and set off immediately so this sounds the best way forwards. I just didn't want to be missing anything obvious ?. Again, many thanks

 

[Shilasdair]

I'm just curious as to why the vet recommends early weaning?

 

[Fryt]

Foal has had a lot of treatment and due to this is now growing much faster than should be and there is concern for wobblers. It's only a month earlier than originally planned. ?

 

[Shilasdair]

Foal has had a lot of treatment and due to this is now growing much faster than should be and there is concern for wobblers. It's only a month earlier than originally planned. ?

Ah, I see.
I suggest just loading the mare and making a quick getaway before they have time to shout to each other, and then maybe making sure she has company where she is going. The foal should be fine in his herd.

 

[Fryt]

Yeah, we're pretty sure that foal and mum will be fine at each end, both with company, but I was just hoping to make it all as least stressful as possible for the traveling part ?. Thankyou again everybody ?