We live in Sourthern Missouri near the Akansas border and we are putting our lovely farm up for sale. My horse, Princess, has been lame for months and not responded to the local vet treatment. I have questions about long hauling in general, since I have never hauled a horse more than an hour or two. First, I would hire a pro. Second, we are not sure where are ending up, maybe to a larger city with more equine support services and social life, northern missouri, or Southern IA perhaps, or back to my husband’s home state in Wisconsin, where his hunting land, friends and family live, and an instant support network, although I not so keen on the cold, and we would have to buy a place with an indoor arena. Having said all this, I am wondering about my horse. Let’s take the worse case: If we move back to Wisconsin and Princess is still lame, how does one do this? She can bear weight on leg. It seems horribly cruel to me to transport a horse so far. How does one do it for a healthy horse? That is a very long way. If it comes to that, I would need a vet to give the OK. I am also worried that Princess will freak out with the cold. I will blanket her of course, I do here in Missouri. Any tips would be appreciated. Should i break the trip up into two parts? Transport her to a farm, halfway, and let her rest for a week and then make the second leg? I am totally clueless, and I am a major worrier, but I would fancy myself as thinking thru all major possibilities. Does anyone know how a good transporter transports horses across long distances, normally? What is an air ride truck? Someone local who has a therapy stable they would take Princess if we moved to WI but I am very uneasy about that and I would always regret it.
Years ago, I had a friend who shipped her horse from Canada to Ohio. Years later, when he was 32, she shipped him from Ohio to Oregon. He was very arthritic. He did well. She shipped commercially.
I would definitely use a hauler with an air ride and I would pay for a box stall.
And give bute or other pain relief for the ride.
It sounds like there are a lot of moving parts here. When you say she’s lame, do you have a diagnosis? She’s weight bearing, but was the lameness given a rating on the 1-5 scale in terms of severity? Info like this would help us better understand what’s happening and how it might react to trailering.
First and foremost, I’d start with a conversation with the treating veterinarian (and maybe a consult with another vet if you have access to one). They’ve had hands and eyes on your horse and can help determine if she can ship safely and what measures might be necessary to keep her comfortable. You’ll need a health certificate to cross state lines and a current Coggins, so you’ll want to plan for that with your vet regardless. Depending on the length of the trip, I’d be inclined to do it all in one fell swoop and get it over with. Laying over in an unfamiliar place might be more stressful than it is restful for her.
Air ride refers to the trailer’s suspension system. They’re supposed to provide a smoother ride with fewer/lesser bumps, vibrations, etc. which would make the trip easier on the horse. A box stall is preferable because the horse is loose, has room to move around and position themselves however is most comfortable. A standard tie stall or stall and a half configuration does not allow for that.
Judge Manning, Brookledge, Pony Express are all reputable companies that ship nationwide. If they don’t ship the route you’d need, they could likely recommend someone who does. You’ll want to make sure that whoever you select is DOT compliant and insured for commercial hauling.
If it helps any, I purchased my gelding from FL in 2020 and had him shipped in a box stall, air ride commercial rig almost 1200 miles back home to NY. The company was great to work with. They had multiple drivers so no layover was required, and he arrived none the worse for wear.
I’ll be the one to dissent - I needed one horse shipped GA-WI and then WI-NC (so, half the route slightly more common than Missouri or Arkansas), and Brookledge and a couple other commercial lines basically said “sorry can’t help, bye”. They did say I could drop off at one hub and come pick the horse up from another, but that was it. If money was no object, I’m sure I could’ve hired an entire trailer on a custom route but I wasn’t prepared to do that.
A “smaller” shipper with DOT and MC and all that may be an option. But be careful, I had to wade through more scams than I thought possible when I shipped my last horse straight down the east coast 
We have made the move from MO to MN and back 2x and from MN back to MO 2x. It is a 14-16 hour trailer ride and my horses did better with just 1 long trip where we stopped for gas or food etc… and left them on the trailer just to rest from having to balance.
The first time we off loaded and stopped 1/2 way overnight and never again.
I had a mare and her 2 month old foal in one 1/2 of my stock trailer and my gelding in the back half ( one move) so they had plenty of space and airflow.
The other trips I had my mare and 2 yearlings-- then 2 young horses and lastly 2 older mares and a Jersey heifer.
I would definitely talk to my vet about pain management for the trip but I would advocate to just 1 trip straight through in a large box stall or stock trailer set up.
