I have to take my mare to a breeding approval in a couple of weeks. Her foal will be 2.5 months. The trip is 5 hours one way (we will stay overnight). It’s not an option not to go because if the mare doesn’t get approved for breeding her foal has no papers and this is the only breeding approval this year.
I have a straight load (I’m in France). Unfortunately it’s not possible to take the middle divider out because then there’s no front bar either. The only thing I can do is swing the middle partition to the side so it’s like a straight/angle spot. The middle partition goes to the ground so I can’t imagine the foal getting stuck under it (but with horses - who knows!!).
We are practicing loading and when they’re both inside it’s not massively cramped but it’s also not roomy (mare is 15.2h so not a big horse). I’m worried about the mare moving and squishing the foal since the foal has no way to get out of the way.
I’m wondering if anyone has hauled a mare/foal like this or has any other ideas.
I know what you’re saying about the interior format of your trailer (I have a St. Georges Imara). Do you have a friend with a trailer you can borrow or hire a commercial hauler instead of using your trailer? 5 hours is a pretty long trip. If you must use your trailer, I would install a camera so your can watch for signs of trouble and stop if you need to.
I’m not sure of the size of your foal nor the configuration of the trailer. I had to ship a mare a foal some years ago. I made a “nest” of straw in the front of the trailer for the foal, under the mare’s nose, and blocked off the “stall” areas of the trailer with hay bales tied snugly so they couldn’t shift. The nest was well banked. Mare and foal could see each other and touch noses, so all was peaceful.
Could you find/make a front chest bar to go across the trailer width, then swap out your original configuration for the bar and you then have the full trailer width for the 2 of them?
** ahem: baby pics?!
Thanks for all the ideas so far. I’m glad to hear some ideas rather than people scaring me by saying “DON’T DO IT!!”
I’m going to ask around if anyone has a trailer camera I can borrow for the trip.
Unfortunately in France basically the only thing that exists is 2-horse straight hauls. I could rent a horse truck but they’re two-horse too and I don’t know if it would be possible to take out the middle divider either. Plus then I’d only get to use it the day-of so I wouldn’t be able to practice with getting them into it. My mare isn’t the best hauler and my foal is very suspicious and not halter broke yet. I’m hoping if we practice every day we can make it happen.
I like the idea of making a nest for the foal at the front part but mine is too small for that – it’s just enough room to walk through because there’s a tack room that takes up the front space.
I just asked my husband about making a front bar and he said he’d see if he can weld one. That would probably be the best option. I don’t know if the foal would somehow get herself under the bar though?
Here’s a photo of the trailer.
And also some baby pics when foal was 1 month, as requested 
They are Lusitanos.
Is there a reason you need the front bar? If you remove everything and have one big box, there’s less chance of someone getting stuck somewhere.
I don’t think it would be safe to take the bar completely out. If we had to brake strongly there wouldn’t be anything to keep the mare from falling forward. It’s a fibreglass trailer so not really designed for her to be leaning on the front wall.
Understood about the fiberglass, but when left loose, most horses face backwards and don’t lean on the walls for support (they spread their legs to balance). You might try posting this in the sport horse breeding form, lots of people haul mares and foals in box stalls.
Many foals who shipped into the farm I worked at- that also held a keuring- tended to lay down. Which is troubling if there’s not enough room for Mom to stand away from where foal is laying.
Are there others shipping to this approval that may be can haul yours too?
I think, if you make a bar and the foal gets under it to the front, the mare would be happier to have the foal in front of her, and, the foal would definitely be out of the way of her feet were she to scramble.
Just my experience moving mares and foals, anyway.
I would just take out everything that you can and make it into a box stall. Make a little out of the way nest in there as someone else suggested , and the baby should lie down there once you start moving. Just stop every hour or so at least so he can nurse if he needs to
Didn’t manage to post a photo of the trailer because phone was dead. Here it is.
It’s not wide enough to let her loose because she can’t turn around in it. So my idea is to see if we can make a front bar that goes across the whole thing, and then I’ll tie her to the right side like usual. You can see the front part has very little room because there’s a tack room in the way. There is enough room for a person to access the horse’s head but not enough room for a foal to chill.
The divider looks a bit see-thru. Would it not work to have the foal on one side and the mare on the other? The mare can see over the divider and the foal can smell, hear, and somewhat see her.
Yes it’s see-through. I thought that seemed like it could be dangerous because I don’t know what the foal will try to do over there. I could block off the front with straw bales but could she try to climb over or do something otherwise dangerous ?
My husband and I just looked again at it and he thinks it’s not possible to make a bar go all the way across as it won’t be strong enough without a middle piece to keep it stable. It also would need a back bar to go across too since normally the middle divider is there to stabilise everything.
Sorry, I know you don’t want to hear it, but I would not haul a mare and foal five hours in that trailer. Especially with a mare that isn’t a great hauler and a “suspicious” foal. The foal will need to lay down and I don’t think he can do it safely in that space.
I would second the divider removal and making a new chest bar, so horses have the whole width of the trailer. I would add a heavy rubber mat to hang (a couple chain links on corners and center will work) from the new chest bar to visually close the space under the bar. Prevent foal from getting up front or getting up from a nap to be caught under the bar. It looks solid, probably won’t push on it or jump into it.
Baby horse will want to lay down during the trip, so accept that in your planning, as something to deal with. He would be so leg-weary he would be staggering if forced to stand for five hours in a moving trailer.
You REALLY need to work with mare and foal on loading so they go in easily and quickly. A daily practice into hitched trailer with grain dinner for mare, brushing for baby. He needs to be accepting, lead easily to make his time away from home successful for YOU and him.
Does trailer have a ramp? When our colts got a bit obnoxious about being led, I put the colt lead rope around mare’s chest, held the end and led her forward so SHE pulled him along. Once mare loads well she could load and pull him along up the ramp, into trailer.
Does trailer have full coverage doors in back? You DO NOT want colt jumping out over a back tailgate door with any opening above it. Foals have NO sense of self-preservation, will do VERY stupid things when frightened or pressured! You need to remove ALL options they can hurt themselves with or on. You can’t tie him for the trip, so make it a safe-as-possible space to get him there and back undamaged.
Best of luck with the kuering!
I know you don’t want to hear it, but that set up is not conducive to hauling a mare and foal - especially for five hours.
Where is the middle bar in all of this? Since your husband welds, is it possible to simply have a middle bar installed that doesn’t have the divider attached but could still be hooked to the chest bars? If I could figure out a way to make that T shape from the chest bars and middle post, I’d remove the divider, stuff some hay bales in the front to ensure the tack doors stay closed, and haul both of them loose. You may risk a foal trying to get under it, but I think with all things considered - that’s your least risky option. If there’s a way to zip-tie or otherwise secure a piece of plywood to the front T to fully prevent risk, I’d be doing my best to figure out a way to make it work.
The two things you have to consider are the mare stepping on the foal and that over the course of five hours, that foal will likely try to nurse. The bigger the space you can provide them to prevent mishaps - the better.
Any chance of getting a professional horse transport for this kind of trip? It adds to the expense, but it’s probably less risky/costly than a foal being squished.
Caveat: I have no personal experience hauling a mare and foal. However, I have hauled minis and fractious horses in things that aren’t huge commercial rigs.
I do not think you can do this trip safely, or without really high risks, in this trailer. I think you either hire this out, borrow an appropriate trailer, or accept that this foal will be grade.
If you can hire or borrow, start practicing ASAP loading mom and baby into your trailer. Take everything out and block the front with hay bales if you need to in order to make space, but get them both loading calmly. You don’t want to get stuck somewhere with horses that won’t load.
Good point about the back curtain doors too - babies are even more suicidal than adults. Anything that they could get hung up on/under/over, they absolutely will.
Some people have mentioned putting the baby in front in its own space. I wonder if I can put the mare on one side and the baby on the other, closing off the front with straw bales, so it has its own little stall to lie down and not be stepped on by mom.
The back door is high. Not full height but well above the horse’s back.
I’ve been looking for something to rent but this is France: everyone has straight loads like this. The only other option is a 2-horse truck that they load from the side and travel backwards, but I’d still have to find one that it’s possible to remove the interior divider. This is what the local haulers use too. Angle hauls don’t exist here.
I don’t think that trailer is wide enough to safely let the foal travel untied in its own stall. If it tries to lie down, it will probably get cast, and then you will have a wreck on your hands.
How do other people haul mares and foals near you? There has to be someone with a safer rig for transporting mares and foals, surely.
Edited to add: And a “high” back door is still an absolute no-go with loose horses. Fully enclosed is the only way to go. Horses can and will try to go over doors or out windows if the opportunity presents itself.
