Shipping by air?
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
Shipping by air?
Anyone done this from CA to KY? I've never done this, what would it cost for a mare & baby? I've a dilema, I have a mare that will foal in CA but I just can't get too excited about breeding back to a CA stallion and would really like to ship her and baby to KY for breeding. But I am totally worried about shipping a new foal that far. I'm just exploring options right now.
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Laurierace
- Grade II Winner
- Posts: 1277
- Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2004 10:14 am
I personally think you need to act in the mare's/foal's best interest and stick close to home for the rebreed. If you don't like any of the Cal sires then that means foaling in KY and giving up the Cal bonus.
I guess flying the mare and foal is the second best option, but not one that I would choose unless the foal was due very early and I could wait a couple of months. I know weighing one evil over the other is a hard thing.
I guess flying the mare and foal is the second best option, but not one that I would choose unless the foal was due very early and I could wait a couple of months. I know weighing one evil over the other is a hard thing.
There are some California sires that you might want to check out: Marino Marini was only a head from being a Kentucky sire; Swiss Yodeler just sired a Breeders Cup winner; Benchmark is probably the best sire by Alydar; Bertrando sired one of the leading freshman sires in the nation and In Excess almost always has a nice horse running. Kentucky invaders Roar, Salt Lake and Deputy Commander are probably worth a look as well.
Most of these have 5 figure fees but OTOH flying to Kentucky isn't cheap.
Most of these have 5 figure fees but OTOH flying to Kentucky isn't cheap.
The nurse mare industry is pretty brutal from what I have seen, so I am not going to recommend it.
However, there is an outside chance that at some point after you mare foals, either immediately or sometime within the re-breed period, that you can find a mare to take on your foal. A very maternal mare that has lost a foal through natural causes will often be thrilled to receive a substitute.
There are some owners that kindly call into their vets, etc, when this happens so that their mare can serve as mom to another foal that is need due to rejection or death of its natual dam. However, since yours is somewhat of a contrived situation, I really can't guess how this might be received.
Mares begin to dry up within days of losing a foal, so their services are "limited-time only" deals, and I imagine that at least some owners would be receptive to your situation if there is not a truely ophaned foal during this period.
Obviously, this is something that you can't count on happening, but it might fall into place for you and your mare. Also, most young foals seem to readily adopt their new moms without too much distress, but seperating a mare from a foal very early can be considered unkind--many take it pretty hard but some no harder than any other weaning.
Just wanted to throw that out there. Again, let there be no confustion (or flaming!) over the fact that I DO NOT support the nurse mare industry and the callous disposal of the "by-product" foals! I do think, though, that there are some cases in which surrogate mares can be found responsibly in some situations via good timing, communication, and connections, and not true commericial interests.
However, there is an outside chance that at some point after you mare foals, either immediately or sometime within the re-breed period, that you can find a mare to take on your foal. A very maternal mare that has lost a foal through natural causes will often be thrilled to receive a substitute.
There are some owners that kindly call into their vets, etc, when this happens so that their mare can serve as mom to another foal that is need due to rejection or death of its natual dam. However, since yours is somewhat of a contrived situation, I really can't guess how this might be received.
Mares begin to dry up within days of losing a foal, so their services are "limited-time only" deals, and I imagine that at least some owners would be receptive to your situation if there is not a truely ophaned foal during this period.
Obviously, this is something that you can't count on happening, but it might fall into place for you and your mare. Also, most young foals seem to readily adopt their new moms without too much distress, but seperating a mare from a foal very early can be considered unkind--many take it pretty hard but some no harder than any other weaning.
Just wanted to throw that out there. Again, let there be no confustion (or flaming!) over the fact that I DO NOT support the nurse mare industry and the callous disposal of the "by-product" foals! I do think, though, that there are some cases in which surrogate mares can be found responsibly in some situations via good timing, communication, and connections, and not true commericial interests.
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KamiBrooks
- Starters Handicap
- Posts: 575
- Joined: Sat May 07, 2005 12:00 am
Another consideration, and I know it doesn't happen often, but when I flew my dog the last time from Germany to US, she became deaf most likely due to not adapting to the preasurization correctly.
Having had my ears pop and NOT pop due to a cold. The presurization can be hugely painful. I hate to think of what my poor dog went through.
Again, I'm sure it doesn't happen often, but it can happen. And, not even sure horse anatomy is the same as humans or dogs, but I'd ask my vet about it before flying them.
Having had my ears pop and NOT pop due to a cold. The presurization can be hugely painful. I hate to think of what my poor dog went through.
Again, I'm sure it doesn't happen often, but it can happen. And, not even sure horse anatomy is the same as humans or dogs, but I'd ask my vet about it before flying them.
I haven't shipped a mare and foal, but I have shipped a gelding from CA to NJ using AirEquine.net. They sent him through Fedex. He went from my trailer straight into a stall which was built on an aircraft pallet. There were three stalls built into the pallet. For this, the cost was $3500. No tax or other charges. If he had needed a bigger stall, which your mare and foal would, it would have cost more. But he got there in 12 hours. I'm scared to death to truck a mare and foal that far. I'd consider Cee's Tizzy at $7500.
"When I am on my deathbed, I imagine I will say, 'Thank God I did that'" - Arthur Hancock, on buying back Gato del Sol from Europe after Exceller was killed in a slaughterhouse in Sweden.