Moving Horses to France - Future Plan!

[Isi]

Hi Wendy, Marianne and all France based DGers,

Hope you don't mind but I would like to pick your brains about living in France with horses.

We are in the process of buying an old farmhouse with some land in the Gers area.

Initially, after some (well, substantial renervation!) we will use the house mainly as a holiday home. Long term, however, we intend to move there permanently (when hubby retires )

This will of course mean bringing my two horses with us.

I read on the other Moving to France thread about imported horses not being as immune to some deseases as their French counterparts, especially if they are older. My girls will be approx. 18 and 23 when we make the permanent move depending on exactly when we get to do it of course. This is assuming that they are fit and well enough to deal with such changes by then - but I am not thinking too much about that at the moment, I'll deal with that nearer the time - it seems too far away.

What are the best precautions against ticks, apart from being extremely vigilent and removing them at first sight? Are there any products or tonics to reduce tick infestation or to naturally strengthen the horses suseptability to the deseases that may be passed on to them?

Also, because we would like to spend as much time in our new investment as possible ;D I was wondering about the possibility of bringing my girls to spend the summers with us.

Do you think it is a good idea or feasable? I know I have to look into the logistics of this; paperwork, any extra vaccines, insurance, modification to passports (if any) and of course transportation options and costs! Or do you think it too big an upheaval for them to endure such a long jourmey for a relatively short time only to have to do it all agiain to return to the UK 8 weeks later??

I know I have lots of time to consider for the permanent move but there is sooo much to think about. Feed, forage, tack and equipment availability, hoof care, veterinary care and of course rules and regulations about hacking and use of bridle paths (or the french equivelant - if there is one)

Thank you for reading this long and rambling post, reading back it looks like I am just thinking aloud

Anyway I would like to say 'Hi' to all France based Dgers and look forward to reading your horsekeeping experiences in France and if anyone has any comments relating to my plans, that would be great too ;D

Bye for now
Isi
x

Modified to correct typos and spelling

[ted]

I think Wendy is the best placed person to deal with biting nasties in the Gers . It's her part of France .

The only thing I can think of is that you will need to do is have your horses microchipped before they enter France .

Ted .

[marianne]

woo hoo, Isi, great news, SW France is definitely the highest density of IH DGers so you've picked the right place! ;D

To be honest, I think a 24 hour journey x 2 is a lot, if only to spend 8 weeks in France. It's one thing for a permanent move, but in my - limited - experience, horses have their own bearings, and it's all very well 'us' knowing we're going home in 8 weeks, the horses have no knowing that, so depending on how well your horses cope with change it could be a relatively stressful experience for them.

In the long term, I think moving to an area where you can return them to an environment closer to what they are inherently used to is a wonderful thing.

Pls don't hesitate to PM any questions you have. Locating your closest good horsey vet and nearest horse hospital should be your most urgent priority!

[Isi]

Hi Ted and Marianne,

Thank you for your replys.

"Biting nasties in the Gers"? Gosh Ted, that sounds almost painful! lol Which part of France do you live in?
Both my girls are microchipped so that's one less thing to worry about but thanks for the advice.

Marianne, Great to hear I won't be totally alone in good old Gascony. Where abouts in the SW are you, how long have you been there and how many horses do you have and did you bring them from UK?

Thank you for your thoughts on transporting my horses long distance for short stays. What you say makes perfect sense.
I think that they would be more forgiving of me if I left them comfortably in their familiar surroundings munching grass and not see me for a few weeks than if I put them through the trauma of long haul road travel.

I'm quite excited about moving to France but it probably won't happen for a few years unless I can get OH to work remotely:-)) and my youngest son is just starting secondary school so will have to wait for him too.

In the mean time I will probably make a nuisance of myself asking you all totally silly questions!

Isi

[ted]

We are about as far South in the Charente (16) as you can get . Near to the town of Chalais which hosts an International jumping event at the beginning of August .

Marianne mentioned equine hospitals . Probably one of the best in Western Europe is at Branne near Bordeaux at the Chateau Conques . It's run by Serge Lenormand and treats some very expensive racehorses as well as ponies like our hairy Exmoor .

The real biting nasties are ticks , at least three varieties . In the UK we used to use Frontline Spot on , but here we use Butox which is about half the price and very good .

We've been here just over five years . We brought one pony and our two donkeys over with us , and have bought three horses here .

Don't worry about asking questions . Much better to do that now than have a problem later .

Ted .

[wendyihts]

Ooo, whereabouts in the Gers will you be? (Probably still miles away from me! LOL)

Yes, we have pyroplasmosis around here in the tick population. Our dog has had it twice but, touching wood furiously, not the horses so far. However, I think it's because our field is surrounded by arable land and used to be arable before we moved here so it basically didn't have any tick infestation. I also dry lot them (grassless turnout) for about 7 months a year so that reduces the chances of them getting ticks on them. My friends who recently moved over to the Gers bought an old farm with 15 acres that was surrounded by woodland and they've been inundated with ticks. They have to check their horses twice a day minimum - and I mean really check them thoroughly. The cost of treating a horse for pyro is around 600 euros and they can become very ill, very quickly.

I wouldn't bring them for the summer or for just a short period of time. It's the most severe season here - usually we have no grass left and are feeding hay already plus the flying insects are a lot more in number and biting capacity. It's quite a stress for any horse between the journey and then the change in climate.

And sorry to tell you but horse vets and farriers in the Gers are absolutely pants. I ended up having to learn how to trim my own and there's now a group of us here who get a farrier down from almost 200km away to trim every 8 weeks.

But at least there's some decent horse food easily available here now ;D

I have to say though - I keep begging my hubby to let us move out of the Gers (we're stuck here a bit because he works on the west side of Toulouse). I'd much rather be in Tarn-et-Garonne or somewhere that's really more horse oriented and has far better hacking. I guess I'm a bit jaded now though

[marianne]

I'm in the Lot and Garonne (47), just over an hour from Bordeaux and 2 hours from Toulouse.
Came over with 2 horses 4 years ago, and have managed to pick another 4 while I'm out here ;D

[Isi]

Hi Wendy,

Thanks for you reply.

We are going to be about 3 miles south-ish of Marciac, anywhere near you?

The pyroplasmosis sounds a bit frightening, your poor dog, I hope he or she didn't suffer too badly. Luckily the land surrounding our soon to be house is full of corn so hopefully we won't have too many ticks either.

Thank you for your thoughts on bringing my horses to France for summer visits. I do agree with both you and Marianne that it is not really a very good idea - far too stressful.

Having read your other threads relating to veterinarian care, especially the one about Lutine's (I have got her name right, haven't I?) eye problem and finding suitable (and reliable) treatment; that bit I am worried about, especially as my girls will be that bit older once we make the final move.
However as far as footcare is concerned, I did smile when you said you were learning to trim your horses yourself. I mentioned to my EP that I would probably have to become an EP myself as I might not find anyone in France to do my horses' feet. So, by the time I come out there I may (possibly) be your new fully trained and qualified EP ;D Or you might be mine??

Oh, and is the hacking in the Gers that bad

Isi

[Isi]

Hi Ted,

Not too familiar with all the regions yet so not completely sure where you are - I need to consult my 'all things french' book.

Thanks for the informations about the veterinary hospitals. Everyhting in France seems so far away, it makes you realise how small the UK is!

The Butox is useful to know about, is it available over the counter?

Have to say after reading your's and marianne's posts, it appears easy to carry on collecting horses once in France ;D I bet your little Exmoor is still boss though?

Isi

[Isi]

Another observation I made when we were house hunting is that there isn't much in the way of conventional post and rail fencing, every field or paddock I saw with horses in was fenced with electric fencing.
Is this the norm or is it just coincidental that all the paddocks I saw just happened to have electric fencing?

[ted]

If you look at a maop of france , We are North East of Bordeaux , and level with where the Gironde meets the sea ;

Yes , dead right , the Exy is the boss .

Our vet supplies Butox and also Flymax which we have just started using . The manufacturers claim Flymax is effective for 2 weeks . Not here . We have to apply it weekly .

Post and rail fencing does exist , but the norm is post and electric fence tape .

Ted .

[marianne]

If you want post and rail, you have to do it yourself ...

here's MY current work-in-progress! ;D

[Isi]

lol Marianne,
That actually looks really impressive - I bet it's hard work though.

Oooh! And sunshine.............;-))

[wendyihts]

Yep as I thought, you're RIIIIIIGHT on the other side of the Gers, well over an hour from me by car. But you'll be close to loads of other horse owning Brits and other expats including my classical dressage friends here www.realizeriding.com . You'll also be a tad closer to Marianne than I am. Hopefully your hacking over that side of the Gers will be better than mine. The problem here is that the farmers that grow cereals just plough up the paths so you can have them marked on the OS-equivalent maps and when you try to find them, you find yourself in the middle of a field of corn or something.

Re: vets - my friends who live just outside Montreal, just outside the border with Aquitaine, work for an endurance yard and the lady who owns it uses a vet who comes from up towards Marianne's way. I can ask them who it is and whether they cover your area. Also, I know that my classical dressage friends and another friend who's near to them use M. Oberdorff at L'Isle Jourdain but they almost always have to box the horse over to him. Lutine's old owners, also on that side of the Gers, used M.Baup at Grenade - again, they took Lutine over to him. Would be better to find an emergency vet that would come out.... I will keep an ear to the ground (but I am also known as 'Jaded in the Gers' when it comes to vets, as you can tell! )


Just do be aware that you are supposed to be a qualified farrier to even do trimming over here if you're doing it on a professional basis. The law is not the same as it is in the UK. There are EPs and other types of trimmers about in France, mostly much further north, but officially you're supposed to be a farrier to trim professionally. They don't give a stuff about you trimming your own horses though.

[wendyihts]

Oo, re: fencing. Most of the people with horses that I know also have wooden posts with electric tape. My neighbour across the way (English lady) had post and rail put up though I think she imported it from the UK as it was cheaper than over here!

Nice work Marianne! You work so hard!