Long Distance Trailering -- WWYD?

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

So it’s looking good that a move is in my future. I’d like to bring my current horse, as he’s not really ready to be sold. I’m contemplating purchasing a trailer (I have a truck) and hauling him myself vs having a commercial hauler do it. I want a trailer anyway (:yes:) but I also feel like he would weather a long distance trailer ride better in an air ride trailer. My other thought was limiting the time each day he’s in the trailer to 5 or so hours, and spreading out the trip over 4-5 days with layover farms vs going hard core 12 hours a day and being there in two days. He’s a good hauler, but I would of course do all the prep work – 3 days of ulcerguard pre and post, soaking feed, even cold hosing/icing his legs and feet each night if hauling myself. He’d be traveling from CT to TX, if that makes a difference.

Thoughts?

[tabula_rashah]

4-5 days with layovers at other farms is going to be far more stressful for your horse than going two 12 hour days or even better a straight shot. I’d say have a pro-haul esp since you’d be new to it.

[js]

If you don’t own a trailer and haven’t done any hauling, save yourself, your SO and your horse the stress and hire a professional to haul your horse for you. It will cost less then what a trailer will cost you.

[supershorty628]

If you’re new to it, having a pro do it is going to be less stressful for both of you.

I trailered my mare all over the place a few years ago - we’d go NY --> MN (22 hours) or vice versa twice a year, and we also went MN --> CA once. I agree with @tabula rashah - when we did a layover, my mare found it MUCH more stressful than just going straight through. What we did instead of a layover was we’d stop every 2 hours of so and offer her water and do some stretches with her. She had free choice hay, but I’d also offer her some dengie and treats when we stopped. We’d taken the divider out of the trailer so she had a box stall, and she always came off the truck bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. If you’re going to do it yourself, honestly, just have an extra driver or 2 and rotate who is driving so you can rest. My mom and I did driving shifts and would always drive through the night on the NY/MN trips.

[Zu_Zu]

Please send him with a professional company •

[fizzyfuzzybuzzy]

I guess I should have mentioned that I’m not new to trailering – I’m very experienced, having hauled my last horse to Canada from NY several times. But that was a 10-12 hour trip, never anything over that. I was sort of leaning toward the thought that the length of the trip if we limited the time each day would be more stressful than just getting it done. I would be getting a 2 horse straight load, but would only be hauling him, so I could make it a box stall. I get that having a pro trailer him would cost less than a horse trailer, but if I haul him, then I have a horse trailer! We may be able to work it out that we use a horse trailer instead of getting a u-haul to move our stuff, and still have him hauled in an air-ride. I may be able to convince my dad (who was a tractor trailer driver before he retired) to come and help me and just drive straight through. My SO is not comfortable hauling, so he couldn’t be my second.

[clanter]

2,000 miles appears to be distance of this haul…

When would this occur? The weather here has heated up by mid June then gets HOT … which then we would haul distances at night only.

So my answer is always the just depends as I write this my daughter and wife are about six hours out from a ranch in northern North Dakota to pickup a ten month old before the next blizzard arrives on Saturday morning… they will load up upon arriving then trailer south to get out before the snow falls again …this is a 1400 mile deal.

Our concern at this time is the nearly 100 degree temperature change the horse will be subjected to as it has been as low as neg 40 there with current temps just under zero… well it will be in the low 80s here today

[2DogsFarm]

@fizzyfuzzybuzzy I prefer your Plan B - get the trailer & use it to haul “stuff”, not your horse.
Pro hauler will get him there in a shorter time, less stress on you & horse.
Bonus Points if you can get your Dad to do some of the hauling & the 2 of you can make the 12H drive w/o having to accomodate the horse’s needs.

[Dressagelvr]

For that kind of distance, you need to use a pro for the air ride. A regular horse trailer is not good for a horse over that distance.

Buy yourself a trailer after the move.

[Amber_M]

Go with a pro and air ride.

What was supposed to be an 8 hour ride for my girl turned into a 20 hour freeway closure and weather disaster. She was in a regular trailer instead of an air ride (kicked myself for not springing for the big guys but it was supposed to be a short route) and she never really recovered from it. Vet thinks it stressed her SI joint bc it had bad footing from the unexpected rain (and the shipper not putting shavings down… but I digress). She went from sassy high stepping half arab lady that never showed her age to preferring life on the slow side / easy street.

Also - get references. Lots.

[Guilherme]

Hauling a horse is NOT “rocket science.” A professional hauler will give you peace of mind but also cost you a significant portion of the cost of a trailer, which you want anyway. If your pockets are deep then “hire it done.” But remember that the archives of this group of littered with “bad experiences” with even big name, well respected haulers. If you are going from one major area to another professional transport usually goes fine. If you are “off the beaten path” on either end then the risk of problem areas increase. If both ends are off that path it’s worse.

With a young, healthy horse a couple of 12 hour days are a great “ho-hum.” Ensure the truck and trailer are in good shape, plan your route with one stop and go. If you have two drivers you can do a couple of extra hours on day one and get there a bit early on day 2. On the other hand, I good friend of mine who is a VERY experienced hauler bias’ his trips to a couple of hours less on day one and shifts them to day 2. Go figure!

Of course each trip is unique and you have to consider route, weather, road conditions, horse health, season, your health, one driver or two, etc. But it’s not that hard. Make a checklist with what you think you need to do and then work the list. Better, run the list past an experienced friend and be guided by their advice.

Best of luck as you make your decision.

G.

[tabula_rashah]

OP seeing your post with more info (aka that you’re definitely not a hauling newbie) I would change my answer to yes, buy the trailer and haul your own horse.

[beau159]

@fizzyfuzzybuzzy

So it’s looking good that a move is in my future. I’d like to bring my current horse, as he’s not really ready to be sold. I’m contemplating purchasing a trailer (I have a truck) and hauling him myself vs having a commercial hauler do it. I want a trailer anyway (:yes:) but I also feel like he would weather a long distance trailer ride better in an air ride trailer. My other thought was limiting the time each day he’s in the trailer to 5 or so hours, and spreading out the trip over 4-5 days with layover farms vs going hard core 12 hours a day and being there in two days. He’s a good hauler, but I would of course do all the prep work – 3 days of ulcerguard pre and post, soaking feed, even cold hosing/icing his legs and feet each night if hauling myself. He’d be traveling from CT to TX, if that makes a difference.

Thoughts?

I’d buy a trailer and do it yourself, in two days. Get it over with and get your horse to their destination. So long as you stop every 3-4 hours for about 20 minutes, it gives your horse brief breaks during the trip.

That’s what I would do, anyway.

@Dressagelvr

For that kind of distance, you need to use a pro for the air ride. A regular horse trailer is not good for a horse over that distance.

How did people haul horses before air ride was invented?

Sure, air ride is nice and easier on the horse, but it is not a necessity.

[clanter]

this trip of OP’s is not a 24 hour trip it more like 36 hours plus… the first 600 miles if they can average 50mph will be questionable, the next 1400 miles pretty easy but still 1400 miles

[joiedevie99]

I personally wouldn’t ship a horse that distance on anything smaller thanan air-ride semi. People do it all the time, and their horses survive. I don’t think lots of stopovers make it easier on the horse, and I don’t think it’s good for them to do long days in normal trailers.

I’m also not a fan of hauling in a two-horse converted to a box stall unless you tie the horse so it can’t go under the chest bar, and at that point the extra space isn’t really doing much since the horse can’t adjust how he’s standing more than a little bit each way.

[onthebit]

In the past when I’ve done really long distance moves I had my horses shipped by a pro on an air-ride trailer. My stuff went with a moving company. All of my “horse stuff” such as jumps, tack trunks, buckets, etc. were moved in my horse trailer that was empty because the horses were with a pro hauler.

[candyappy]

If you are at all experienced in pulling a trailer I would opt for buying one and doing it yourself. My husband had never pulled horses before( i had) and he did an excellent job when we moved from CA to MO. We did it in 4-5 days and looking back now 28 years later I would advise doing it in 2 long days.

My horses did fine but they do better if you can get them someplace permanent quicker. I think it was more stressful for my husband and I :lol:

We have since moved multiple times back and forth from MO to MN and do the 14+ hour haul in one shot, just stopping for gas and to offer water and refill hay nets. I leave mine on the trailer , but I have 2 horses in a 4 horse 16 foot stock trailer so they have plenty of room.

[Pennywell_Bay]

I’ve done both and I’d do it in the shortest time possible. I recommend paying a vetted shipper, they will make layover arrangements.

I also yearly trailer myself the same distance “home” for Devon. But moving everything, plus relocating your horse?

By by the time you factor in gas, time, layover etc you aren’t saving that much doing it yourself. You are going to have a lot going on.

When I relocated, I moved half of mine myself and said “screw this”, paid a shipper for the rest. The farm and stalls were waiting for them, I was refreshed.

There are enough stresses with relocating. Let a pro move him.

[Guilherme]

Our longest trip to date was from home in East TN to Ft. Robinson State Park in NE. It was 1375+ miles and 2.5 days. Two overnights (Lenexa, KS and Scotts Bluff, NE). Did a similar run from home to Cheyenne, WY. Almost the same distance. Stayed in Lenexa and North Platte (IIRC). We go for an early morning departure and drive in two hour shifts with a stop to rest the horses and make a head call. Usually 5 shifts/day, I get three and my wife gets two. These are usually in September and it can be warm. We offer water at the stops but have never had a horse drink. We do not unload until we get to our overnight. We hang a full haybag and it usually lasts all day. The third day is usually two shifts. We try and get turn out paddocks vice stalls at overnights. On arrival we turn out and let the horses rest. The next day we’ll do some ground work and maybe ride for 45 min. or so. After that it’s normal schedule.

It’s pretty much been non-events from the standpoint of equine stress or other issues. The two hour shifts are easily do-able by the humans. If there was just one driver I’d do 4 two hour runs with a generous lunch break and longer “P” breaks.

Note that this is with a trailer with a small, spartan LQ. If I had to stay in a motel I could probably follow the same program just would be a bit longer getting started in the a.m. and settling down in the p.m. A significant number of places have rooms to let if you’re keeping a horse there. Some are full B&Bs. Just depends on how much money you want to spend.

It’s really neither hard nor arduous on either human or horse if the equipment is in good shape and trip planning is properly done.

G.

[Dressagelvr]

There are studies out of the big vet schools showing how stressful trailering is for horses, so if you aren’t aware of those you may want to educate yourself. Start with UC Davis.

OP asked what people did before the big air ride vans. That really isn’t a useful question. When we know better, we do better. That is our responsibility as horse owners.