[Ozalynda]

Hi everyone. I am in a quandry and would welcome advice. I just bought a three month old foal, who of course is still with mom. He is about 5 hours away from me. When I pick him up after weaning I can either fetch him myself, in which case he will be alone in the trailer, or I can arrange to have a professional pick him up.

What would you do? What would be the safest and least stressful for him, given that both scenarios are bound to be tremendously stressful?

Here is the little fellow not very old.

[Pennywell Bay]

At 5-6 months, mine shipped from Pa to Tn in a box with no problem. I was the seller and practiced loading him. It went great. He had a companion in a the trailer (3+1). I'd take some ACE, just in case.

[Home Again Farm]

You are weighing risk of infection (higher with a commercial hauler) against risk of stress (shipping without a companion). If it was my choice, I would treat the foal for several days before and after with gasrtogard, tranquilize the foal, ship loose in your trailer with all partitions out and the floors bedded, and plan to make as few stops as possible (preferably none) on the way home. I assume that you have a companion for him at home?

[Ozalynda]

So you would have no partitions, bars, anything in the trailer? Just an empty moving boxstall with lots of bedding? I hadn't considered doing that but it might be a good choice. Nothing to get hung up on. However there is nothing to brace himself against either so he shouldn't be too tranquilized or else he might fall down...

I am a good and gentle trailer driver and I have a camera so I can watch him.

He will have plenty of companionship once he get home, including my own foal who is only a few weeks older.

He has, unfortunately, had little or no handling, and I don't anticipate that changing much is the next couple of months since the breeder is due to have a baby this week.

[Pennywell Bay]

So you would have no partitions, bars, anything in the trailer? Just an empty moving boxstall with lots of bedding? I hadn't considered doing that but it might be a good choice. Nothing to get hung up on. However there is nothing to brace himself against either so he shouldn't be too tranquilized or else he might fall down...

I am a good and gentle trailer driver and I have a camera so I can watch him.

He will have plenty of companionship once he get home, including my own foal who is only a few weeks older.

He has, unfortunately, had little or no handling, and I don't anticipate that changing much is the next couple of months since the breeder is due to have a baby this week.

I shipped a mare and foal like this. Make certain your escape doors are locked so little lips do not play w/ the latch.

[Home Again Farm]

I shipped a mare and foal like this. Make certain your escape doors are locked so little lips do not play w/ the latch.

This. A box that is fully enclosed and nothing to catch on, get caught in/under, etc. Tranquilizer may not be needed at all, or should be light. I would not skip the gastrogard. Even foals who do not show much stress will feel stressed by weaning and relocation. Good luck!

[runwayz]

Load him up, turn up the radio, and drive.

[Ozalynda]

There is no handle to the escape door on the inside, so no worries about that!

[RunningwaterWBs]

If it's a 2horse trailer, take out the divider and make a wall of hay bales just in front of the chest bars. I would not trust the average person-door latch on a 2h trailer.

If you can, borrow a stock trailer with a center divider (makes two box stalls) and bring a steady-eddie type along in the front stall.

I would prefer to ship a young one myself over having a shipper do it. Only you can guarantee the shortest ride possible and fewer germs. A friend of mine had a weanling shipped (albeit across country) and wound up paying for a long hospital stay for something she caught on the ride.

[Spike]

So you would have no partitions, bars, anything in the trailer? Just an empty moving boxstall with lots of bedding?

This.

And as already pointed out, no stops (or the less possible) between point A and point B.

I live in a remote area and usually, my foals are sold at 3hrs+ drive from my farm. Some are calmer than others, but so far they've all arrived safe, and sound and not that traumatized. Be sure to monitorize carefully his weight as usually, weaning+change of environnement = lost of weight. So you'll want to make sure his transition to his new life is as smooth as possible, and as easy as it gets.

[khall]

What I did with a filly I bought several years ago was take partition out of 3 horse slant in the back, put shavings down, have steady eddie in front slant and pile of hay on floor for filly. She had not really been handled much either, don't think she hardly lifted her nose from hay pile (that has not changed over the years!) no trouble. Did not use gg not available at that time. She did just fine.

[hluing]

I have shipped several like this. You always want to ship loose in a box stall whether you haul or pro. That is the only safe option in this age group. I prefer to take halter off if I haul as well to further minimize chance of getting caught on anything. I have never sedated and would be concerned this would cause more problems. Unless it was a particularly wild or reactive foal...I would not sedate. I always rec the gastroguard though...

[Foxtrot's]

I had to ship a six monthold weanling to WSU (8 hours). We went half way and met up with their shuttle who took her the rest of the way in their trailer. We were advised not to wrap as it caused more problems with slipping and treading on them.

[ise@ssl]

We prefer to have them shipped commercially if it's a very long trip - this might be o.k. for 5 hours if you can make up a box stall with bedding and hay.
NO HAY BAG - just put the hay in a corner.

Also ACE IS NOT A GOOD IDEA FOR COLTS - there are times when it causes them to drop their penis and then they cannot pull it up. We never use it on the boys. I'm surprised the person recommending this wasn't told about the issue by their Vet.

[clint]

What I did with a filly I bought several years ago was take partition out of 3 horse slant in the back, put shavings down, have steady eddie in front slant and pile of hay on floor for filly. She had not really been handled much either, don't think she hardly lifted her nose from hay pile (that has not changed over the years!) no trouble. Did not use gg not available at that time. She did just fine.

I had a weanling a few years ago who had to make monthly trips two hour trips to the vet and I hauled him like this, with the steady eddy in the front slant stall and the back bedded, with hay and water. He didn't turn a hair for any of those trips, didn't develop ulcers, wasn't tranquilized, and became a super traveler.

[Sugarbrook]

A few years ago we had a 4 month old ship in from Ohio to our farm in Florida. She, of course, was loose in a box stall. She arrived in fine condition without a problem in the world. I wouldnt worry. We have had mares and foals ship from us to Ohio also. No special stuff done for them, but it was a big rig, they were in the back, the shippers were friends of mine and i got updates about every 2 hrs. LOL. They arrived just great.

[jenbrin]

I know this isn't always possible but it worked out really good for me. When I bought a weanling three years ago & he was about a six hours drive away, I just paid the seller to trailer him with his mom. His dam hung out for about 20min while he got settled & got to know the other weanling than mom left. I assume it was more for my peace of mind than his but what ever works.

[Ozalynda]

Thanks for all the good advice. I went out and bought a 7 day course of Gastroguard. I know things are outrageously expensive in Denmark, but what do you all pay for Gastro guard. I just paid the equivalent of $210 dollars for 7 days.

[Laurierace]

Gastrogard is anywhere from$28 per tube to $40 per tube depending upon where you buy it. A week's worth for a foal is about two tubes.

[Ozalynda]

Thanks Laurierace,
How much are you dosing?