Thanks for visiting our website in regards to the transportation of your horses. I am a mature Texan who has worked with, cared for, and hauled horses all my life. We never haul more than four horses at a time so they can receive the care they need, and we usually haul less than four; other carriers sometimes pack them in like cattle and weave across the country to make more money. We spend a lot of time planning a direct route for the horses we transport to minimize the time they are in the trailer. We never zigzag just to make an extra buck. While on the road the horses have the best hay available and plenty of fresh water. We stop often and let the horses rest. Remember they are continually trying to keep their balance while the trailer is moving and they do get tired. We will walk the horses where it’s safe to do so, and put in at horse hotels every night. The horses are treated well because we actually care about them, not just the paycheck when they arrive.
We're also aware that they are your horses - we will handle your horses the way you ask us to. You know them best and we will accommodate any special requests you have.
During transit the horses are closely monitored. If a horse happens to go down in the trailer, it's usually a minor event. However the horse will beat itself to death trying to get back up. The sooner we can stop and help, the less the chances are the horse will hurt itself. And if the horse went down for some reason like Colic, the sooner we can get them to a vet.
The horses have thick rubber mats to stand on that are replaced often. This not only offers them a cushion but more importantly gives them a surface that is not slippery. We have a well ventilated trailer to prevent “Shipping Fever”, and when it’s cold we use horse blankets. For more information on the proper methods of transporting horses, go to www.wiwfarm.com/hauling.htm by Dr. Jim Hamilton, DVM.
We always insist on current Coggins and Health Certificates, no exceptions. Carrying a horse without these papers is not only a major violation of the law, it's also a risk to the other horses we transport. Each horse is assigned buckets and after that horse arrives home those buckets are sanitized. After each trip we sanitize the whole trailer as soon as possible. For all you folks transporting within the same state, we still require a health certificate to keep the other horses safe. Hey ya'll, this is not minor stuff - there are a lot of very contagious diseases out there.
Yes, we will be a slight bit more expensive than the truck driver who happens to haul horses, but if you're still interested you can find how to contact us on the "Straight Talk" page.