I shipped my horse from Ontario to Edmonton and then back again 2 years later. Did both trips in a stall and a half with a layover part way. He arrived in great shape both times. I recommended the shippers to a friends of mine to do the same trip with her gelding and he too arrived in great shape using a stall and a half.
If money was no object then I’d say it’s a no brainer to go with the box. But realistically they’re totally fine in a stall and a half.
Get a quote from Run Amok and First Class. Both are based in CO but make trips to FL and back. I used First Class to get my guy here from FL and she took a couple of layovers where they could spend some time in a stall. I paid for a stall and a half because that’s all that was available on the truck, but after some drop offs, she moved him to a box, which is how he arrived.
Both of these are also a bit easier to schedule with than Brookledge in terms of having a better idea in advance when the horse will be able to ship.
First, bob hubbard is great. Just shipped my 9yo holsteiner with them this week and was extremely happy. I shipped him in stall and a half, however, if the rig isn’t full they’ll put the horse in the largest available. In my horse’s case, he was in a box the whole way, however the stall and half would’ve been fine. Couldn’t recommend them more! Direct message me if you have any questions 
I’ve never shipped not on a budget, and as a result I’ve only ever shipped in stall-and-a-half set-ups. Mostly East Coast to Seattle and back and forth to LA area to/from Seattle. I’ve used Brookledge and Bob Hubbard pretty extensively and found them both to be absolutely awesome companies with extremely good folks working for them.
As others have mentioned, my horses have often ended up in box stalls. But a stall and a half is plenty of room for a couple of days worth of hauling. I might feel differently if I was shipping in for a short period of time to ride in a GP (or something requiring tip top shape). But given a healthy horse with a few days after shipping to chill out and relax, I’m not worried about the amount of space they have (given a good shipper, of course). And considering my horses are stuck on my trailer in 1-stall set-ups (ha ha…normal slant load trailer) for 12-24 hour trips, I figure it’s better than anything they get with me for the rest of the time that I have them!
I had this happen to me as well (the driver saw that the pony was missing an eye, and said since the box was available she could have it “just in case”).
Re: shipping quotes, I used Brook Ledge from Upstate NY to TX; their prices were similar to everyone else’s so I figured I’d go with the big name. I wasn’t super thrilled with the communication, but the shipping was good. They did require a box stall because of the distance (even though there was a layover), but I would have paid the extra anyway I think (the pony is old, she does only have one eye - prob doesn’t affect her shipping but eh - and it was a long drive).
We’re about to move again to Kansas, so I got quotes from Brook Ledge and Equine Express (who I’ve also been told is fantastic). The BL quote was $1700, EE was $1000 (both for a box stall), so I’m planning on EE this time shrug
I didn’t know BL did a military discount though, so I may ask about it before making the final decision! @OakleyOaks Do you just ask about the discount when you submit the quote?
I used first class to get my mare from NY to CO and they were wonderful. I got a box stall for the trip and my horse arrived looking the same as when she left. She laid over 3 nights I think, and I got lots of pictures and videos of her at each stop, both at night and along the way. Price was by the far best I got, even beating out some of the prices for a stall and a half.
I think it just depends on the horse. When I shipped my gelding from SC to CO I went with the box stall because he’s big (16.3) and was 20 at the time.
In your case I’d probably go with a stall and a half if she’s a good hauler
The word the rings a warning bell is “little”. Compared to the WB’s the height of the side link on her halter will be much lower. Plus, the hay nets might be hung higher than is comfortable for her. (Especially if horses are sharing a hay net, but probably not with 2x 1.5 horses next to each other.) .
Before committing to the 1.5 stall, I might discuss your concerns with that shipper. He could easily ameliorate your worries by explaining how they ship the $1,000,000 yearlings from the Keeneland sales to their new owners. I always say, “If it’s good enough for a 7 figure baby, it’s good enough for me”.
Seriously, both companies are superb. If only we had such wonderful choices of companies to use wherever we were.
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