With the show season fast approaching, many of us will be starting to make shipping plans for our horses.  For those of us without the luxury of our own trailer, it is especially important to start planning early, as the longer we wait, the fewer options we will have for trailering when the time comes.

At TrailerTrips.com, an online marketplace for horse owners to connect with horse haulers to find trailering ride-share opportunities and get competitive quotes, we put the question out to our network of horse haulers to get their tips on making your shipping experience as painless as possible.  Here is what they said.

Loading

For those of us who have dealt with a ‘hard loader’ at some point in our lives, we all know how frustrating loading can be.  Niki Melnyk of Twilight Hauling in Edmonton, Alberta urges horse owners to practice loading in advance of the trip.  She said, “Too many horses never see a trailer until the hauler arrives, which can lead to delays and a very frustrated owner if the horse is hesitant to load.”  Mitch Hampstead of Erin, Ontario-based ‘The Horse Limo’ added, “Treat loading like you have all day…the more your horse can sense your frustration, the more they often resist!”  Tracy Fuchs of Dunrovin Equine Transport in Mt. Pleasant, Ontario echoed these comments, and also recommends that owners allow the hauler to take over with loading if they are unsure or nervous about it.

Help your hauler

Preparing your horse appropriately for its trip goes without saying, but small details can make life a lot easier for both you and your hauler come shipping day.  “Have your horse in a small area when the hauler arrives,” Said Miles Snider of Foothills Ranch in Roseisle, Manitoba, “this way they will be easy to catch and it will avoid delays”.  Miles also noted that if your farm is difficult to find (which many are!), be sure to provide detailed directions to your hauler or perhaps offer to meet them in the nearest town and have them follow you to the location.  Lastly, in the case of cross-border trips, ensure your paperwork is accurate, paying special attention to dates.

Ready your horse

The importance of preparing your horse for the trip, should not be underestimated.  A few haulers recommended that, if possible, horse owners should cut out high-energy feed 2-3 days prior to a long trip and feed grass or grassy hay in order to bring their energy level down.  All of our haulers agreed that shipping a sick horse is never a good idea.  Viruses can spread on a trailer and affect other horses and the travel itself could also worsen your horse’s condition.

Plan early and ask questions

Although last minute shipping needs often arise, it is recommended that you always try to plan your trips and book your haulers as early as possible.  “Not only can shipping last minute be very expensive,” said Dave Hanley, Founder of TrailerTrips.com, “having more options in terms of haulers to choose from allows you to select the right option for your horse and your budget.” 

“It is very important for horse owners to know that not all haulers are created equal, so it is important to ask questions,” advised Jeff Ercul of Jeff’s Horse Transport of Loretto, Ontario.  He added, “what may seem like a great deal might not be the best option for your horse due to factors such as age/condition of equipment, trailer height or experience of the driver”.

Consider ride-sharing

With the rising cost of fuel and the ever-increasing focus on reducing our collective ‘carbon hoofprint’, ride-sharing is a great way to save some money on shipping while helping the environment.  Whether through word-of-mouth or an online service like TrailerTrips.com, you can often find half-empty trailers traveling the route you need to go in order to inquire about a ride-share opportunity.