separating filly and mother

Question
I recently bought a pair at a local sales ring-  since the horses were not papered,  I am not aware of the specific birthdate of the filly.   I have been working with her mother who is a very gentle 4 year old- ("broke to ride" as stated at the sale.)    She has been doing very well with the fundamentals and neck reining, etc-- so I have started to ride her outside of the round pen.   There is not a mean bone in her body,  and I would like to take her on a trail ride this weekend,  to use her in some rougher country.   I think the little one is approximately 4-5 months old.  I have also been playing with her a little so that she is familiar with humans and lead her around with a halter, etc.   What would be your advice on taking the little filly along with her mother this weekend?   There will be about 6-8 other horses on the ride,  and it is about a 2 hours drive from home,  and we will be gone for 2 days.   I don't feel right about leaving the little one behind;   I am sure the mother may act up a bit.   
This may be a silly question,  but I have always ridden geldings most of my life!   
Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Teresa, If you feel that the foal is 4-5 months, and someone will be home to make sure she is okay, you could begin the weaning process. Be sure to have some milk replacer on hand, even though she should be eating small amounts of solid feed by now, grasses, hays, and grains. If you are uncomfortable with that, you could take the foal along with her dam. If they are traveling alone in the same trailer, you could let the foal stay untied. She will probably follow her mother, but bringing a halter and lead will help her learn how to pony up beside other horses as well.  If your mare is not in season, she should not act up any more than any gelding.  Mares are quite stable, and only act "mareish" when in season (heat), and even that varies quite a bit. So do not worry.  Please leave me some feedback, nominations if you wish, and keep me posted. The only way we can tell we are doing a good job as volunteers is by your feedback or reposting us. It is much easier to see results in our classes, and we can correct problems so much easier. So let me know how it goes with thmm and you as soon as you can. Thank you for writing. Regards, Susan