Moving Horses Coast to Coast

[Stroupy]

Hi
I’m moving in late June/early July from Maryland to Washington. I have a 22 and 18 year old whom I’ve moved many times with overnight stabling. The longest was from Texas to Maryland and involved two overnights, and they did ok but it exhausted my older horse. They both are very easy travelers but not good drinkers on the trailer. I have a two horse Brenderup.

I’m really debating the merits of having them professionally hauled since it’s so far, and I think they might be more comfortable in an air-ride trailer, but I worry about the distance and whether they will be off loaded at all. What may take us 5 days would take a professional hauler much longer.
I’m looking for experiences and opinions.

Thanks so much!

[MissAriel]

I used Equine Express for a NC to CA move. The air ride will be an easier ride, as will a stall-and a half or box stall option (which most recommend for a longer haul). Their routes go through their facility in TX with a day or two layover for the horses, then on for the remainder of the trip. Going from MD to WA, TX is a bit more out of the way, but may still be worth it over all. I would definitely call them and ask how long your trip would be and what their recommendations would be. I found them very professional and competent horsemen.

Most professionals won’t off-load unless they have a facility they can layover at for safety reasons.

Before he shipped the seller got him used to drinking water spiked with gatorade in case he didn’t drink on the trip. He ended up drinking fine, but have you tried that? I have heard others use soda or apple juice to make the water more palatable for the horses on trips as well.

[candyappy]

Personally I think they would do better with you hauling them. It is going to be stressful anyway you do it. You also have no guarantee they will drink being hauled by a professional and it will take longer.

My horses both refuse water when on the trailer. As long as they do o.k. once you reach the overnight stabling I think they would be better off with you. Especially since they are older.

[Calvincrowe]

I don’t think I’d haul cross country in a Brederup-- that’s a small, bouncy rig. What vehicle would you be hauling with? When a semi blows past you on the freeway, I’d be worried. Professional hauling would provide you with an air ride suspension, box stall, overnight stops, and such. Pay for the best hauler and peace of mind.

[onthebit]

We board retirees and routinely have horses, both older and younger horses, shipped to us from long distances including the west coast and some Canadian provinces. I can’t agree more with what Calvincrowe said, no way would I haul two horses coast to coast in a Brenderup. I love Brenderups, but I wouldn’t do a long distance move in them. Pay for two box stalls in an air ride semi with a good shipper. Typically when we have horses come to us from the West Coast they are on the trailer for about 18ish hours and are then offloaded at a layover facility for 1 or 2 days before getting back on and finishing the trip. They arrive looking good. They are sometimes a little tired for the first day (who wouldn’t be), but by day 2 they are completely fine.

[SharonA]

My Brenderup doesn’t particularly bounce, and just hums right along in its tracks when a semi passes us (the hay net doesn’t really sway, and there is no shear forceagainst the trailer hitch, no being pushed around by the wind that I can perceive,etc.).

I might consider having them shipped in an air-ride and box stall just for the extra room, though.

[x-halt-salute]

I was worried about the off-loading the first time I shipped my horse coast-to-coast, but the big long-distance shippers with dedicated layover facilities seem to have nice, safe loading areas (fenced chutes or pads at the right height for the big semis) and with the companies I’ve used that’s the only place the horses are unloaded en route. All other stops the horses are checked on/offered water/etc. while on the trailer.

It took about 3.5 days for my horse to go from CA to New England (the big haulers have multiple drivers and cover ground fast). Including one layover at a facility owned by the shipping company. I’ve never done the equivalent with a standard trailer, but I can only imagine how arduous that journey would have been for my horse if she’d been on the road longer, with more layovers in strange places and no air ride. My horse isn’t the greatest in the trailer, but she’s done well on her multiple long hauls with pro shippers. I have never regretted spending money on using companies with good reputations and well-maintained equipment.

Between the horses faring well on the journey and the human not having to take on a very stressful 5-day adventure in the midst of a relocation, it seems like professional shipping is a very reasonable thing to consider.

[walkinthewalk]

I moved my three horse from PA to SoCal then back to TN five years later.

My 4-horse open stock is double-floored with mats.

I ditto not hauling that far in a Brenderup.

Also, this all assuming both horses are as healthy as they can possibly be, therefore could safely tolerate the trip, even if they lost some weight.

One of my horses was a really picky water drinker. I bought purified water in gallon jugs to offer him when I stopped for gas. he was a horse that did not like anybody’s well water but would drink bottled water, city water, or the Old Cowboy’s water with bluing in it, in Arizona:)

Wishing you a very safe and uneventful move:)

[PNWjumper]

I just shipped a horse from MD to WA (Seattle area) with Brookledge. It took them 4 1/2 days. I don’t actually know where/when they offloaded, but do know they stopped at least a couple of times. The horse walked off of the (massive) trailer as comfy and relaxed as a horse can be. We were joking that it looked like he picked up a few pounds from eating his way across the country.

If I needed to get my trailer cross country anyway and was planning to drive either way, I might consider shipping them myself and just taking my time with the trip, but I do think that the big air ride rigs are easier on the horses than little trailers. Seems like it would be a lot less stressful on you and the horses to ship them with a shipper rather than to drive them yourself.

[Simkie]

No way would I do that haul in anything but an air ride semi, in a box. I just did MN to CT with Holly Hill and was blown away with the incredible care…would certainly ask them if they did that route. Otherwise check with Brookledge, Equine Express and Bob Hubbard.

[Absolut_Equestrian]

[QUOTE=Stroupy;9022955]
What may take us 5 days would take a professional hauler much longer.[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily. Many (all?) major transport companies will send more than one driver on long haul trips so that they can rotate without stopping to rest. There are also cameras on the horses that the driver can monitor from the cabin, so they don’t even need to stop that often to check on the horses. Timing also depends on the company and how far on/off of their typical routes you are - it’s probably worth it to shop around.

I shipped a horse on Brook Ledge from PA to CA this summer. He went directly from PA to KY, had an overnight layover at their lovely facility in Lexington KY, and then they drove straight to CA (something like 48h), only stopping for short breaks and fuel. He was picked up in PA on a Thursday morning, and arrived early Sunday morning in CA.

Brook Ledge was not the cheapest, but they were the only ones that would promise such a direct route. They also required that horses shipping that distance go in a box stall, which I agree with 100%. Benderups are awesome, but I’ll bet your horses would rather be in box stalls on an air ride than bumping around in a Benderup next to the big rigs.

[mountainhorse]

Having done a coast to coast ship, both ways (I hauled it once, had it professionally done once), go with a professional hauler in box stalls. No question.
Worth. every. penny.