Shipping Mares and foals question...

Karie · Postby **Karie** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 9:34 am

This will be the first year that I booked my mares to out of state stallions.
I am from Michigan and have 2 mares foaling in Michigan that are booked to Out of state stallions (KY- possibly NY for the other)
Both mares are maidens and the first is due the 2nd week of March the 2nd mare is due Derby Day (May 7th)

What age can I ship the foals.. (I can do it myself or hire a company)
I Shipped a foal at 4 days 2 years ago for a 2 hour trip (from MSU Vet hospital) and he shipped fine... but is this too early?

Should I even try to get the mares to stallions on foal heats? Is this a normal practice in KY? What is your opinions??

yukidragon · Postby **yukidragon** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:12 am

We bred ours last year to a Stallion in Florida about 12 hour ride.
We had the vet get the mare ready an we bred her back on the 30 day heat.
Got back an the foal was sick for a week.
Good question, I dont know.lol

Ruffian · Postby **Ruffian** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:50 am

We ship out to Ireland some farms send out at 7 days we usually wait until about 14 days old as it is a 12 hour ++ journey, but have never had any problems with the 7 day old either.

madelyn · Postby **madelyn** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 10:58 am

Michigan to Kentucky is what, eight hours? I have also shipped a mare with 4-day old foal a relatively short distance and when we got to where we were going the filly was nursing away like nothing had happened. I think a lot depends on the trailer and the mare. The other thing, though, I would check with the vet, but I believe if I vaccinated the mare and foal completely before shipping to a farm I would feel better (ie: 6-way, WNV, etc.)

Trailer: If it was a valuable mare/foal I would hire someone like IHT who have phenomenal, air-ride tractor-trailer rigs with big box stalls. I would NOT try this with an ordinary trailer.

Mare: If this is a calm, competent, loving mom type of mare, by all means. If this is a flighty, not so loving mom, well she could get upset, move around, accidentally step on/break one of the foal's legs. It has happened.

I think you have far more latitude with the March due date than the May one. Of course, it will also depend on how strong the foal is.

Intrinsic Worth · Postby **Intrinsic Worth** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 11:32 am

I'm not a fan of shipping foals too early. The foal at less than a week would definitely have a hard time trying to nurse from the mare while travelling. I wouldn't even bother breeding the mares on their foal heats. Their second heats usually come around the 24th day after foaling, so I would wait at least two weeks or so until you ship them.

Bogataj · Postby **Bogataj** » Sat Jan 15, 2005 1:18 pm

I think it all depends on the road, on the weather, customs...

Last year I shipped my mare abroad (650 km) and I crossed 2 borders with 2 differnet customs' protocol. It was March and it was freezing the first week after the foaling. So I decided to wait for the 2. heat (3 weeks after the foaling). Both, the foal and the mare, were OK at the end of the trip, but the foal was quite tired even though we made frequent stops (every 1,5 - 2 hours) - to check and to water the mare.