Hauling Cross Country

[SummerShiner]

Hello all!

For the first time ever I’ll be moving my horses (2) for more than a couple hours… From Ohio to Colorado! We don’t have a set date but they definitely won’t be moving until mid spring next year so I have a bit of time to plan.

I’m very comfortable and well versed with my horses hauling for several hours at a time however I have never shipped anything across state lines much less across the country. I plan on hiring a hauler, I at least know I need a coggins/health cert, I probably will be giving a gastric aid for a week before and after, and then there’s the whole discussion of to wrap the legs or not to wrap the legs for long trips.

Anything you guys recommend in finding a hauler, what questions to ask them, other things to take into consideration? Do they require record of vaccinations (I would think so but I am really clueless here).

They will be moving to Durango, CO and I don’t know any horse people out there so I’m open to farrier and vet recommendations, and recommendations for vaccines that we might not use here (Normally they get EEE, WEE, Flu/rhino, Tetnus, WNV, rabies, and potomac horse fever)?

Thanks for answering my silly questions!

[Where_sMyWhite]

I’m from CO… I don’t recall needing to do Potomac Horse Fever.

Don’t be surprised if you get strange looks asking for rabies as for many years, it was not very common. I don’t know how common it is on the west slope but becoming more common on the east slope.

I love CO!!

Oh, and if you’re expecting lush green pastures… ummm, not so much

[2DogsFarm]

Some commercial shippers won’t let you send a horse with wraps - too much of a PITA for them to redo if one slips.
Ask if shipping boots are allowed - while an added expense at least you wouldn’t have to worry about bandage bows from inept rewrapping.
If wrapping or boots are a No Go, don’t worry too much - my WB traveled from FL to IN (in 36h) unwrapped & was fine.

[PrincessPonies]

I just moved from VA to CA a year ago. We ended up for multiple reason pay a lot more for my horse to fly instead of drive cross country, though we did look into a prep for both options.
All I needed was a coggins and health certificate, though I did have all my horses records on a flash drive for the new vet. My VA vet talked to the state vets of both states about what shots should be given before the move. For us it was nothing, which I was told is normal when going east to west. My vet did recommend and immune bust shot for travel. My horse would be in a confined space with a lot of other horses, most of them going from one race to another, and it was just a way to help her not pick up anything.
I was on my own for a vet once I got here but my old farrier was part of a Facebook group specifically for farriers to help connect clients that were moving. He found two, one of which he even knew. My horse is a mare who knows what she likes didn’t approve of either one but trying them gave me time to settle in and find other farriers.
As for trailering make sure you throughly research the company you travel with. Look at online reviews on Facebook or anywhere you can find them. Make sure to ask if their drivers have horse experience. There’s one company that I forget the name of who’s drivers don’t know a thing about horse. I knew someone who trailered with them and had a horrible time because of this.
Mad for wrapping my horse had a 20 hour trip and stayed wrapped the whole time. I’ve seen too many horse on clean trailers somehow slice their legs open and need stitches to ever let my horse travel bare. I did get new standing wraps for the trip to make sure nothing would give out on us. There are special air flow wraps you can get if you worry about their legs getting hot.
Sorry for the novel but I hope it helps at least a little. Good luck with your move.

[fledermaus]

Make sure your company is licensed, and get references. Lots of fly-by-night haulers with terrible things happening to horses. There is a good FB page devoted to horse hauler reviews. It’s called Horse Transporter Reviews and Recommendations.

My horses were hauled from California to Massachusetts this spring. No wraps. They did great. The haulers stopped every night at a horse motel, with a 2 day layover in Kansas. They were experienced friends of mine pulling my 2 horse slant. I was very fortunate.

[RMJacobs]

I shipped my elderly pony from Colorado to South Carolina last year, and had a very good experience with a major hauler (Brookline). They recommended not wrapping legs for a horse that isn’t regularly wrapped. My horse traveled fine with naked legs. What I liked the most, other than air ride and a nice box stall, is that he was only on the trailer about 36 hours. He came bopping off the trailer stress free and cheerful.

I can’t help with Durango recommendations as I always lived on the Front Range.

Best of luck.

Rebecca

[SummerShiner]

Thank you all so much for your advice!!!

I think I will inquire about BOT quick wraps maybe but I’m not opposed to trailering bare legged either and I will definitely be doing something like EqStim too for an immune boost.

I’ve been watching the fires and hay prices :eek: Luckily we’ll be able to bale for ourselves once we get out there so long as they don’t have another crazy drought! We will definitely be looking into mechanical irrigation!

Thanks again everyone!

[Tnevent]

I’m from Cortez. Keep in mind most hay bales out there are three string close to 100lbs.
For farrier/vet reccomindations. If on faecbook join four corners dressage and combined training association. Equine vets are not as good in that area as what you’ll be used to

[Simba27]

I recently shipped my horse from IN to FL and used Brooke Ledge. Was super happy with them! I got a box stall which wasn’t cheap but worth it. My horse actually beat me down here, he arrived in less than 22 hrs. They required a coggins and health cert. I sent him with vaccine records too just in case, but they weren’t required. I also left him unwrapped, I knew it was going to be hot and wanted him to be comfortable

[Cbonadeo]

I shipped Nation Wide last year (MI to Upstate NY) and had a good experience, but they have mixed reviews so I’m going with Brook Ledge this summer (Upstate NY to TX, so a much longer haul - they actually require a box stall because of the distance, which is fine since I wanted one for my old lady anyway :p). I had also been looking at Equine Express and JNS, but the price was only like $200 more for Brook Ledge so I figured why not? My vet also said that Lorraine is a good company.

I was told no wraps, and they advised against boots too (my old pony ships pretty quietly anyway). Same as with Simba27, they require a coggins and health cert (I’m sending her with 2x copies of those and her vaccination records, plus the copy of each that I’ll hand-carry just in case). The barn will need the vet records, so I figured I may as well send multiple copies). She’ll also ship with a trunk and a bale of hay (ufortunately can only send one bale with Brook Ledge; if you use someone else ask if you can send multiple bales. My vet recommended sending with 5-6 so you can ease the horse onto the new hay if needed - like me going from a good timothy mix to coastal).

The barn in TX required a vaccine that we don’t do up here, so I’d check with whatever barn you’re going to (or the vet you’re planning to use if you’ve got your own barn out there) and make sure there aren’t any weird ones you’ll need. My vet also looked up the TX laws for interstate equine transfers to make sure the state itself has no strange requirements: most of those were for show livestock/racehorses/etc so they didn’t apply, but I’m sure some states have extra requirements.

[joiedevie99]

Choose a reputable company with an air-ride semi and door-to-door service. Choose a box stall so your horse can put his/her head down to clear his/her lungs.

Don’t use bidding sites, or chose an option that is meaningfully cheaper than the other offers you get. This isn’t a place where you want to get the best price. Do tell the shipper if you are flexible on ship dates - you will get a better price if they can assemble a full load.

Understand up front how many stops the horse will make, and what their contingency plan is for bad weather.