How long after a foal is born is it safe to move him? ?

Question

I would like to know after how many days/weeks is it safe to move a foal? I'm talking about a two hour trip with his mom in a horse trailer or a vehicle.

Answer 1

A good two weeks at least.  This gives the foal time to strengthen his legs and balance.  Also for the mom and foal to have a good bond...so the stress of moving doesn't disrupt that.

I wouldn't suggest a straight load...unless that's all you have.  If you do...take out the partition and make it a box like stall...fill the box/trailer with a deep bedding.  The foal will most likely lay down and you want plenty of room for him to do so...without being under mom.

Answer 2

At least 1 week old but it depends on the foal and mare but if all is normal then a week later you can move them i just hope the mare is a good floater.

Answer 3

You have to judge it by the foal. How calm is he around cars, and people, and how strong is he. If he seems calm and kind of inquisitive, then you could probably take him at 2 weeks, but if he's very nervous, then leave it to about a month, because he might get stressed out on the journey. Leave it as long as you can. You might want to put someone in the trailer with them to make sure nothing goes wrong, and if not, make plenty of stops to check, because the mum could accidentally hurt the foal if she doesn't like travelling.

Answer 4

Unless it's an emergency, we try not to transport our babies around until they are two months old.  If you can wait, I would recommend it.

Answer 5

I had a horse  in a trailer by 4 months old im sure you could go younger  if he is with his mom.

Answer 6

Generally a stall type trailer is used, which has a petition with no small gaps for the foal to get a leg stuck in (this is critical).  The mare and foal are hauled together in the stall.

Two weeks should be fine but make sure it has a shipping fever vaccination.  This too is critical as many foals are lost to stress, which lowers their immune system, during such hauls.

EDIT

One more thing I almost forgot.  Load the foal first so that the noise of the trailer moving under the mares weight does not completely freak it out.  They can be a devil to get in (or even caught) if you make the mistake of putting the mare in first.  (Been there done and won't make that mistake again)

Answer 7

You can transport a foal with its mother as soon as its legs are strong enough and it has a good sense of balance when standing, this may be as long as 2 weeks, it may be only 1.5, it depends on the foal.

Answer 8

Agree with others about 2 wks or more:)  My youngest was brought home 5 yrs ago at 4 months old.  

Answer 9

I have transported a foal at 2 weeks old with mom and it was from NC too Ohio, but we also made two pit stops.and made sure we had water buckets.