Cross Breeds - Bringing new horses home.. collic? PLEASE ANSWER!?

Bringing new horses home.. collic? PLEASE ANSWER!?

So, after reading the question about the girls horse dying after she brought it to her boarding stable.. it got me thinking. My sister and I are bringing our horses(4yr old TN walker/Standardbred and 7mo old Arab colt) to our boarding stable on Saturday. They are only coming from about 45min-1hour away. The 4yr trailers fine, so the trip shouldn't be to bad on him.. but the 7mo old has never been in a trailer or even handled (other than a TINY bit to get a halter on him). I'm really worried that it'll be too much on him and he will collic! I saw on the other question that people said the girls horse may have died from stress related collic. I know that when they come to put them in their stalls and give them water. But how long do we wait until we turn them out and feed them? The pasture isn't lush or rich. Do we wait a few hours, a day, more?!!! PLEASE READ ON!!! The baby won't be put into the pasture until he is used to being handled. But how long do I wait until I turn my horse out (the 4yr old)? And how long do we wait until we feed them? The will roughly be there at about 1-2pm so I want them to be able to eat hay and grain that night, is that too soon? Also, we are changing their hay to alfalfa (they are both a bit underweight and that is the ONLY hay available in my area). But I thought it would be a good idea to wait 2-3 days to let them settle in the new place before starting the switch, is that a pretty good idea? P.S.- We are having a very experienced horseman to help out with the trailering of the foal and do it right instead of trying to rush him in there. Any help and suggestions are appreciated! The thing about the hay is the ONLY hay I have or can get is alfalfa. The old owners have agreed to sell enough hay to us to make the switch but that's all they can spare. Hay is very scarce in Ohio right now. So the change will need to start a few days after we get them there, or we'll be in trouble and not be able to do it properly. No problem with putting some hay in the trailer, and in the stalls when we get there! =] Also, there are no other horses at the boarding place. It is a small farm that the lady doesn't usually board but she sold her horses. The two horses are coming from different farms and do not know each other though. We are bringing them in the same trailer. What can we do it prevent shipping fever? We can't wrap the colts legs.. he has only been handled once. We can try the calming paste, but I don't know how much luck we will have getting it in him! *cutie*girl*- We just bought the colt. It wasn't up to us how much handling he got. Was there even a point to your answer? Thank you SO much to everyone who has answered!

Public Comments

My horse used to colic a lot from stress, he's a worry wart. In order to prevent that from happening, we start him on Gastroguard before a stressful event to help him. I know that helps a lot as a preventative tool and also while he's in a new place. I don't know if it is foal friendly, since my horse is older, but you should look into it. Ask the horse person about all those other questions, if she's experienced she'll know.
I keep hay in front of my horses during travel and whenever they are somewhere unfamilure. They usually relax more when hay is around to chomp on. I doubt that they will stress to the point of colic. I've moved so many times, and shown coast to coast, and most horses settle in with no problem. So travel with your hay, put it in the stalls and withhold grain for a day or two. Do not change feeds at this point. Wait for a couple of weeks and then slowly make the switch. As far as turnouts, I'd get them into their old routines asap. Walk the new fence line and turn them out alone for a few days then start to introduce any pasture mates. I bet all will be fine.
Hay the first night. I recommend no grain if they are new to the place. A nervous horse pushes food through its intestines rapidly. Stress induced colic can be triggered when relatively undigested grain hits the large intestine. I recommend waiting a day or two before the grain. However, I really suspect pneumonia in the case of the girls horse. Well specifically shipping fever, which is a type of pneumonia. When it hits it hits very hard and very fast. Faster than regular pneumonia. And can kill in less than 24 hours. Also wait a day or two to turn out. Then restrict their grazing to a couple hours a day until they settle in. Then release them for a little longer each day until they are used to it. About a week or two from initial turn out to full time. More horses founder on rich grass than grain! The limited forage time will give their bodies time to adjust.
Typically, horses colic from dietary changes. You can turn your 4 yr old out the same day you get him there but just let him nibble for about an hour. That's what you want to be careful about, how much they get of different food than what they're what they're accustomed to. You should always make food changes gradually. If you're worried that the colt will stress too much you can get some calming paste at the feed store. Be sure to wrap his legs so he doesn't nick himself up as he learns to keep his balance in the trailer.
THIS is horriable don't let them lie it cofortsd them but DO NOT let them roll and no hay of grian 4 a while
You are being a good horse owner, but I think you are being overly worry-wartish in this area! A short ride like this (being under 1 hour) will mean you have almost no chance of shipping fever. The chance of your horses colicing from the stress of moving is also very, very low. I would recommend you changing over their hay as slowly as possible, but it sounds like you have the right idea and will go about it okay. Don't forget that many horses do manage with a total change and don't colic, so if you're careful and go half and half for the first few days you are not likely to have any problems. Most importantly - make sure the horses have access of warm, fresh water 24/7. Many people don't provide enough warm water in the winter, and most horses don't drink quite enough cold water, which can give them a bit of dehydration which certainly can increase the risk of colic. I add a few teaspoons of loose salt to my horse's daily grain each day, and I'm especially careful to do so in the winter. The salt helps keep up their urge to drink, and block salt doesn't help nearly as much as the loose. I think your baby will be okay. My recent weanling traveled 4 hours across Alberta with me and unloaded like a gentleman and didn't have a moments problem. I just kept the water in front of him, and followed his previous diet as much as possible. I also got a free pony last year, she hadn't been handled for 1 second until I round penned her a day or two before bringing her home, she handled the short trip totally fine. If you have further questions, phone and talk to your vet. He can give you better than advice than us on Yahoo answers. But I think you have reasonable questions, and I like to see someone plan ahead for problems. That way you'll avoid most of them! Good luck.
Don't stress to much, because that will only add to the horses stress. The more you anticipate problems the more likely they are to happen. I have trailered lots of young horses. It will defiantly be tough on your young colt but having the older experienced horse there will help him. Try giving the young horse a mild sedative or a calmer for the trailer ride. You have the right idea switching the hay slowly. And as for your colic question, its not very likely that it will happen, its not as common as you think. But if it does happen the only thing you can do is treat it like any other time that you would have to. If the pasture isn't lush or too green than your older horse should be fine to go outside when you think he can. Let him settle in the barn for a day or so and then let him out. The baby is staying inside and probably isn't used to lots of grain or the hay that you have to feed so like you said, do it slow. I am sure your horses will be fine. Try not to worry too much. The baby might surprise you with the way he trailers. make sure he is not tied to long in the trailer so he doesn't get tangled if he freaks. If he is in a two horse side by side than make it (if you can) so him bum can push against the bar, that way he is less likely to pull back when he is tied. And if its a stick trailer than your laughing cause chancing are he will be just fine. Good luck!
i regularly haul horses 150 miles one way to the farrier and take new horses every once in a while, sometimes a mare and colt, never had a sick horse from the trip. I buy horses at auction at least four a year from up to a bit over 100 miles from here, they get a total complete change of diet when they get here, often a bite of grain and a slice of hay as soon as they get out of the trailer. a few times when i got in late i leave em in the trailer till daylight. I've never had a sick horse here other than a slight runny nose for a week or so once in a while. I've hauled horses coast to coast and only had one that i had to wait for it to pee for a few hours once cause for only his reason he didn't till his bladder was noticeably full. you're worrying too much, you'll do fine. That's a tiny short easy trip. i've never drugged an animal to transport it or put leg wraps on but i do drive a lot slower/more careful with horses aboard. i keep new horses apart one night, then let them share an electric fence. If they don't act too serious then they get together and work out their own agreements. i let them yell at each other till they get bored if they act too aggressive over the wire before they get in the common pasture. the alpha mare (Sugar) will put a welt on one rarely and they will put a scratch or two on each other sometimes nipping but I've never had a even near serious injury from that. I put two together their first time today and they barely snorted a few times before acting like buddies sharing hay. sometimes one will stay back away from the others a day and have to be fed separate once or twice but they join up real quick here. I have had em go thru electric tape a few times running around chasing each other but nothing but put the fence back up to that. http://www.hayexchange.com/oh.htm
I don't know but i think you should have started handling your colt alot earlier, My mare just had a baby colt like 3 months ago and he is really use to people and is almost halter broke.
I think it is fine you are concerned, however don't get yourself so worked up. Nothing is more stressing on a horse then a stressed handler. Most people travel that long or longer every weekend to go to horse shows. As long as your horses are healthy, put your older horse on first and the young one on last. Make a pleasant experience and let them munch hay on the trip. I don't think the pasture will be an issue. I would only turn them out one at a time for a few hours until they become familiar with the fence. Once they have been in the pasture by themselves a few times, put them out together. This is important if the fence is electric. Mixing the hay to make the switch is a good idea. I think you will find this will go smoother then you think. Good luck & stay calm
If you give them access to hay - dampen it and put it in a hay net with very small holes. I've known horses to choke eating dry hay when travelling. Let the horses get to know each other before loading them together. Stop occasionally to check on them and reassure them. Drive very carefully - braking and cornering slowly. Walk them round in hand when you arrive to let them settle. I'd turn them out immediately - in my experience locking up a stressed horse is about the worst thing you can do to it. If they sweat up, give them some electrolytes - or at least put some salt in their feed. Sad you can't get meadow hay - if you have to feed lucerne put it out in small piles so they don't scoff it all at once.
The other girl's horse may have died anyway, but I really believe lack of vet attention sure didn't help the situation. Anyway, that said, if things go as you have planned, if you're going to be at the place when they arrive,I'd hand walk the 4 year old around the turn out to familiarize him with the boundaries, then I'd turn him out for an hour or two, provided you're going to be there to watch. If he's not used to being by himself, expect him to run and scream some. They are herd animals, and being isolated can be stressful. Thing is, if you keep him stalled for 2-3 days when you do turn him out she's gonna be loaded for bear. Another thing, since these two horses aren't familiar with each other, you aren't going to just throw them into a trailer loose, are you? I hope you have a way of keeping them separated. You've got the right idea with switching the hay gradually, and I wouldn't give them any grain until the next day, ideally feed that they're used to, so there's no sudden switch. As for turning out the baby, if you keep him in the stall for more than a couple of days while you halter break, expect him to get very worked up and possibly even hard to deal with. I just had a round with my 7 month filly. She injured her leg and had to be stalled for 5 days. By the 5th day she was going bonkers, bouncing off the walls, and was in desperate need of turn out. If you have direct access from the stall to a small lot, it might be good to let him out into a small lot. Even if you have to herd him back into the stall to work with him, it might make things easier. Good luck to you.