Long-Distance Horse Hauling
Moving? Relocating for the winter? Selling or buying a horse? Whatever the scenario, hiring a professional hauling company might be the best way to go if you or a friend aren’t able to move your horse yourself.
Far too often, we hear horror stories of horses being kidnapped, neglected, abused, sustaining serious injuries or even resulting death commonly due to negligence.
I recommend you start by searching for members in the National Horse Carriers Association.
Equine Transportation Companies:
There are larger companies out there that have been around for several decades and have beautiful trailers or even air ride trucks, but that doesn’t mean they will be more expensive, so reach out and get a quote! They will definitely be DOT & MC registered, insured, and have plenty of experience hauling horses, especially for long distance moves. They usually have box stalls and other options and those air ride trailers provide a very smooth ride! This is great for long hauls and ones with multiple pickups/drop-offs, as your horse might be on the trailer for a lot longer than the “drive” time it would typically take. Especially if you happen to be the first pickup and last drop-off.
Most of the time these transportation companies run standard routes frequently. However, this could mean that the pickup/drop-off days might not be on the exact day or week that you want. If you need a specific pickup or drop-off day and time, you would need a private charter and those are more expensive.
Downside…One company that I used in the past would build their routes just one week before estimated pickup. On my quote request and booking submission, I specified my desired shipping week. But because of their process, this unfortunately resulted in my mare being delayed nearly three weeks, when we moved across the country. I didn’t think that she would be delayed that much, but, it happened and it was annoying. I didn’t have enough grain at that facility for that amount of time, because I didn’t think I needed to! So, long story short, be sure to read through the entirety of your quote, or agreement, and call them with questions.
Another thing that ended up happening with that trip, because my mare was traveling so far, she had a layover at their facility, and the next route that was going to her new area, wasn’t for a few days, so she had to stay at a random facility for several days and only one time she was able to be turned out. I was pretty disappointed with that.
However, during her first leg of transportation, after a few hours, she started acting nervous and showing obvious signs of anxiety and I will say that this company was amazing at communicating, administering a mild sedative and caring for my mare. They have experience and emergency plans of action for nearly every scenario you could imagine.
Here are some ideas for verifying the legitimacy of a potential hauler…
Start by searching on Google and Facebook for Horse or Equine Transportation in your area or state. There is also a FB group called Horse Haul Connect, or something of the sorts, you will mostly find independent haulers on there.
Hiring Independent Haulers:
If you find an “independent hauler” or smaller company, here are a few things to look into and ask them about before booking or sending a deposit.
Do they have a website? Official Facebook page?
Be sure to read through all the reviews you can find and don’t be afraid to reach out to their references.
Do they have a DOT number listed anywhere? If you can’t find anything, ask if they are they registered with the DOT and get the number from them. Google the DOT Number and confirm that their name or company name matches up. They might also have an MC Number but that one is more for traveling across state lines.
Are they fully insured? This is another question to ask if you can’t find anything.
If they don’t have a DOT number and insurance, legally they can’t haul horses for profit.
Do they run this general route often?
Do they have a partner?
How would they handle an emergency - whether it be something with the horses, or something with their truck/trailer?
Can you book a box stall? Having a box stall is a great option for horses that need to travel 8+ hours. It allows them to move around, and put their head down so they can properly drain their sinuses. Your horse will thank you for booking a box stall.
Deposit? Contract? Cancellation policy?
As your transportation gets closer, can they tell you how many pickups and drop-offs are there likely going to be on your scheduled route? Though it is hard to determine an exact pickup/drop off time, if they have filled their trailer, they should have their route figured out pretty well and should feel confident enough to share the details.
Very important - do they communicate well from the start?
Recently, I hired a hauler who was pretty slow to respond to my messages from the beginning. I just figured they were busy and because everything else sounded great and worked out well for both parties, I went ahead and booked them. It was a few weeks in advance, and luckily, I did not have to pay a deposit…
In the days leading up to transportation, I hadn’t really heard anything and thought it was kind of odd, so I reached out, didn’t get a message back all day, finally called them and got verbal confirmation that we were still on for that Saturday around 7am. On Friday, I reached out first thing in the morning to confirm. I also called multiple times throughout the day and did not get a single call back or even a text message. Finally at 7:30pm, they replied and said it would likely be around 10am now. Ok, no problem, I understand that delays happen often when transporting horses.
At 8am the next day, I reached out again, and got a reply soon after saying that they were waiting on the pickup before ours because there was an issue with their health certificates but that they would reach out when they were one hour away from us. I asked if they had any idea of what time it might be, so I could let my pickup facility know. I had no idea where this first pickup was or how far away from us it was. I got no reply. Several hours later, they told me they would have an update by 6pm, but also that they were planning on getting a hotel for the night. They mentioned that the first pickup made up the bulk of their trip, so they didn’t want to leave them behind to just pick up one horse (my horse). I was actually incredibly patient and understanding, told both of my facilities that it would be the next day now and kindly asked the hauler to just call me sometime, so we could chat about things. They said absolutely! And then, crickets, again.The next morning, I struggled to get a response, yet again. Finally around mid-day, they told me that since it was now Sunday and the vet was off, they would probably have to wait another day or two, and that they were keeping their eye out for other haulers running the same route…. Things started to seem really weird and didn’t really add up. Especially since they refused to call me back but would occasionally send me a text. Eventually they told me I could look into someone else. Luckily I had a fantastic hauler in mind, I reached out and instantly got booked for the next weekend. It was unfortunate that we had to wait another week but honestly I felt much more comfortable. The new hauler even sent me an app to download with a code so that I could check their location at anytime.
I guess moral of that story, if it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. I should have booked the other hauler to begin with, but she was having issues with her truck and didn’t know when she would be able to make it up. Now I realize that it is worth it to hire the right person, even if you have to wait a little while.
So, there you have it! Some tips and ideas for booking a hauling company.
Do you have any stories to share?
