Hauling Hell!
Mar 22 2011
It’s safe to say that one of the most stressful situations horse owners face is identifying a quality, professional hauler to move their horse(s). While everyone promises great service, it’s easy to make a mistake. As with everything, sometimes the worst people can be the most charming on the phone, and sometimes it is not as easy as it should be to find out that other people have had terrible experiences with them. This is one such story. You guys may recall the story of the 2 year old Dutch Warmblood/Arabian cross that my friend Chelsea saved from a Craigslist ad. It’s the second story on this blog entry. “Stretch” turned into a lovely horse and went out to be started under saddle as a late 3 year old. He progressed wonderfully, but it was obvious he wanted to be a dressage horse, and he just kept getting taller, and my friend had pretty much decided what she wanted was a medium-sized WP horse for the Arabian circuit. So she started to look for a home for Stretch, and eventually found the perfect home in Texas. Stretch was in Washington, so his new owner found him a ride, with Gail Murphy of Murphy’s Pets. And both buyer and seller did try to research the company, but could find nothing negative about Murphy’s Pets. So off Stretch went on March 10th from Yelm, Washington. The new owner was promised they’d just be stopping over one night to rest, and that she’d have him on March 12th. He did not show up on March 12th. Instead, the new owner was told that there had been a death in Gail’s family and the funeral was the 14th, so they had stopped over at their home farm and would be on the road again shortly. The 14th came and went, as did the 15th and 16th. The most the seller could get out of Gail is that they “hoped” to be on the road on the 18th. Gail sent some pictures dated the 16th with the horse standing right by the trainer, so now everybody was suspicious the horse was being left in the trailer. On the 17th, I was contacted to check things out. I went online and quickly found multiple rip-off reports and complaints about Gail. Then I found out her farm address, since she only uses a PO Box, so that we had a physical location on the horse. Then I contacted my local friends, one of whom was kind enough to ask around and was told, oh yeah, animal control is out there all the time because Gail keeps horses in the trailer. It seems Gail has a history of waiting to fill a load and keeping the lone horse in the trailer while he waits. In Southern California. Can you imagine? Fortunately it was only in the mid-70′s the week she did this to Stretch. Animal Control went out there the night of the 17th and yes, there was Stretch…living in the horse trailer. They cited Gail and left. In the meantime, Murphy’s Law Of Life being what it is, the new owner’s husband had to go into the hospital with chest pains and ended up having a triple bypass! Can you imagine a worse week? Your husband in surgery and your horse is who knows where. Meanwhile, Gail flipped her shit over the A.C. citation (what did you think happens when you leave a horse in a trailer for a WEEK, you stupid, shady bitch?) and started calling Chelsea, Stretch’s trainer, the buyer, anyone whose info she could find and leaving nasty messages and threats. I particularly enjoyed how the “funeral” had moved from the 14th to the 21st in the latest round of messages. That was slick, Gail. We worked together to find someone to pick up the horse and he was picked up the morning of the 18th from Gail’s farm. She hassled the hauler but he was all business and just got the horse out of there and to his farm where Stretch finally got to unwind his legs and relax in a pasture. So, how can you keep this from being you? 1. Google the business name, and then the phone number, in quotes. You will be amazed what that will find. You can also google the person’s name, but with another keyword that will sort them out of the multitude of results. For example, use the name in quotes and then add, outside of the quotes, the city name or the type of business. 2. Definitely check Rip-off Report – it is there for a reason, to help you, the consumer. There are also other sites that have information – look at this review at Transport Reviews, for example. I also found reviews on Yelp. 3. If civil court records are available online in the county the hauler resides, you may be shocked at what you find. I easily found multiple lawsuits against Gail and her company in San Diego County and it cost me nothing to look. Typically, the actual court websites are free (or cheap) – make sure you’re on the official court website and not paying for a third party provider to give you the information. 4. One complaint or one lawsuit can certainly be a sign of an unreasonable problem customer. Look for a pattern of offenses, and different stories, to determine which hauler (or other equine service provider) truly is bad news. 5. Use word of mouth! Ask people who they’ve used for hauling and been happy with. Ask on message boards. Most people are happy to give a rave review when they have had a good experience. 6. DO NOT TRUST A NICE WEBSITE. As I have frequently noted, Jason Meduna had a lovely web site.
7. DO NOT TRUST SOMEONE ON LOOKS. These folks look like Grandma & Grandpa. So did MeSue Babcock. You will find liars with gray hair and sweet faces and you will also find them with crosses around their neck and web sites full of scripture. You cannot judge on appearance.
So here you go folks…who is great, who is not great? I would personally give a RAVE to Beacon Hill Horse Transportation – they hauled horses cross country for a friend of mine and every horse arrived in perfect condition, including a horse with very touchy health. The drivers were nice to deal with and very accommodating.
Now let’s hear from you! Good, bad, and what have you learned?For those of you in Los Angeles, come on out this Saturday night for a great fundraiser for Angel Acres and the USC Equestrian Team at the Paddock Riding Club. All the information is available here: USC Equestrian Team and Angel Acres Horse Rescue Fundraiser.
154 comments to “Hauling Hell!”
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That story completely terrifies me, as I am possibly going to be shipping my horse from Delaware to Washington in the next few months, and I am already nervous about it. I checked out the hauler you just mentioned and I will get a quote from them, but it is still nerve wracking to think of putting your horse in a strangers hands for 3000 miles. I would appreciate lots and lots of recommendations!
I bought an 18 month old Clydesdale stud colt from a breeder in western Oregon. I live in Fort Lauderdale. The shipping costs I initially got through UShip were astronomical, but I ended up finding Wings Horse Transportation, who offered me the best price and I booked them myself. I actually had the horse shipped to Perry Georgia to the fairgrounds because I was going to be up there with a trailer anyway. That saved them about 16 additional hours of driving not having to go all the way down to south Florida, and lowered the cost considerably. We arranged for delivery at 9am on a Saturday morning and were waiting to get the horse and leave directly for home. The trailer arrived at 9:10am and my new horse stepped off looking like he had just come from Atlanta. He was as fresh and happy as mine are on local hauls. I had left a deposit and paid the rest with a cashier’s check. They were super friendly on the phone and kept me regularly updated where the trailer was at and where the layovers were.
A few days later they called me and said they had somehow lost the cashier’s check and asked if I would be able to stop payment and get a new one. The whole procedure to do that actually takes 90 days, which I happily did because their service had been so good. If they would have been less than satisfactory, I could have easily told them NO and they would have been out the whole amount. I have not needed a horse shipped from out West since then, but if I did, I would use them without hesitation.
I have heard good things about Wings and have tried twice to use them. The first time, I called & left a message to call me about a haul. No reply so I called again–no reply. Since I can be stubborn, I called two more times, left messages & never got a call back. So I took my business elsewhere. Some years after that, I had another horse to go & decided to try them again. I actually got a human that time. He said he would be happy to haul my horse & gave me a quote & we set up a time frame. Very shortly before haul time, I had not heard back from him to verify a more precise pick up time, and he told me he was not going to haul for me after all. Well, gee, thanks for letting me know in a timely manner! So I took my business elsewhere.
I have heard good things about them–if you can actually get your horse picked up by them.
I recently exported two horses to Italy- a country I am the first to admit does not have a good reputation for horse transport in Europe.
Once we had a few teething problems out of the way- I was trying to do too much for myself- I could not have had a better experience, I really could not. When the transporters finally turned up- they were a half day late but had let me know all the way- they spoke not one word of English between the two of them but managed to see immediately that the mare was in foal (they had not been told) and rearranged the lorry so she could travel loose!
They made sure they both had straw and hay, the lorry was spotlessly clean, obviously been washed and cleaned out since the previous journey (they had come over from Italy with a full load) stopped every two hours to offer water and generally fussed over both of them all the way to Milan, I was more than satisfied with them.
What I have learned, over the years:
Ask questions, leave nothing to guesswork.
If it is a new firm, get everything in writing (e-mail will do)
Get a personal cell number for the driver (it would have been useless in this case as he did not speak English, but, usually they do!)
Be ready to refuse to allow your horse to go.
That last one is mega important.
Hi Kirri,
I’m looking for someone to take my two OTTBs from AMS (Amsterdam airport) to Bern, Switzerland in early August. What is the name of the company you used? Do they only transport around Italy?
Thanks!
I had to sign up just to comment on this one. Tanya Balmes of Eastwind Stables and Horse Transport is someone I would reccomend to anyone! I had to get my horse out of a bad situation with a trainer. She was extremly professional and understanding. Her truck and trailer outfit was up to date and in excellent working condition. I was scared to use a professional hauler, having heard many horror stories. Tanya put me at ease and made sure my mare was well cared for. What impressed me even further about Tanya and her service was she was willing to take on a hard to load horse. My mare came from an abusive situation as a baby and her first experiance with a horse trailer involved her former owner chasing her on to the trailer with her large dog and a whip. I can’t even tell you how many people said they wouldn’t take her, or were going to charge me upwards of $ 1200 for a 4 hour haul. Not only was Tanya willing to take her, but she was understanding of my horses issues and did not rush my horse in trying to get her to load. My horse arrived happy and healthy and most importantly it was an extremly positive experiance for the both of us.
I very highly recommend Fairway Horse Transport based out of New England – I was referred to him by a friend of my trainer at the time. He shipped my mare from MA to FL back in 2003, and she couldn’t have arrived in better condition. She was calm, happy, didn’t have a scratch or ding on her, or even a speck of dirt or sweat — and I swear her ride down here was a million times nicer than mine!!
I narrowly missed having my horse hauled by a hauler like Gail. Her named happened to be Gail also, but as it happened five years ago I can’t remember her last name. This was a CA to NC haul so it could have been the same person. I put an ad up on a website that lets haulers submit bids. Gail was the first to offer a bid. She sounded nice and reliable so I accepted. The next few days I received several other bids. I politely told the other bidders I had hauling arrangements made with Gail. Several of these haulers told me very similar stories about delays, lack of water, poor treatment etc. One even said that Gail was tied up in court case over a missing stallion. I was having my 18month old paint filly hauled from the east coast to the west coast, and thankfully canceled with Gail and chose another hauler who delivered my girl safely and kept in good communication the entire way. I’m glad someone stepped up and alerted me. Since then I’m super picky over who hauls my babies.
I do want to give a shoutout to Equine Limousine. They operate on the east coast. They hauled my arthritic Shire in their climate controlled trailer from Maine to NC during the middle of winter. Despite the weather they got to their destination within 2 hours of the scheduled dropoff time and my girl looked great. My Shire was 18’1 hands and she had plenty of head clearance in their trailer.
Wow! That’s SUCH an unfortunate story!! I am possibly shipping my horse in Canada this summer (2000 miles), and I have been stressing about it for months!! I’d be afraid to do it myself (I haven’t hauled horses much, and only locally on back-roads – no highways yet) but feel like I should maybe just drive along behind them the whole way!!! I know that’s crazy (and I probably wouldn’t do it). I feel on the one hand they’re professionals and should know how to do it… but on the other hand no one will treat my horse as good as I do.
Tough decisions. And this story doesn’t help my decision making process in the LEAST.
Glad to hear the horse is safe.
Wow, could I have used more explanation marks? Seriously, just thinking about the possibility of the trip with him makes me stress. Sorry.
Oh man, this is my worst nightmare. And I’ve known people who’s horses have passed after being shipped a considerable distance due to horrible hauling conditions.
I’ve only had horses shipped across state and I wish, for the life of me, I could remember the name of the company that did it. I had 2 horses hauled from Portland, OR to Bend, OR and the horses arrived in awesome shape and were very happy with the huge stalls they got. But that was almost 15 years ago….
It’s hell getting old. Can’t remember anything
http://36andsingle.blogspot.com/
I’ve had good results hauling for other people but a website I recomment a lot is http://www.travelinghorse.com. The owner of the website actually travels with each of the haulers on at least one trip so she can see how they drive, how they handle & treat the horses. She won’t let any bad haulers use her bebsite because it would be bad for her too. If there are complaints she will thoroughly check them out.
I have used Cox Equine Transport multiple times over the last 15 years, with never a single problem. Multiple cross country trips, many different horses…all with zero issues.
Recently we used ABC Horse Transport to get a stallion from Tennessee/Kentucky to California, and he arrived in good condition, with about a 4-5 day travel time. The drivers were very conscientious about letting us know every detail, and even sent a digital photo of the horse mid-trip. Rig was very nice as well.
Both were professional in appearance and communication. I’m wary of people who spout overly “touchy-feely” crap in their advertisements, or show up in shorts and flip flops looking like they just stepped out of a trailer park to pick up/drop off horses, which I’ve unfortunately seen. (I don’t expect suits and ties by any means- I just don’t think that shorts and flip flops are really ideal horse handling gear and it doesn’t communicate “experienced handler”).
If you don’t care about your toes, why would I think you’d care about my horse?
I can see doing the actual driving in whatever is comfortable but for actually loading horses, pants and boots seem like pretty obvious essentials.
We had an aged Morgan stallion shipped from California to Ohio about a month ago and used COX transport and didn’t have a complaint. They were one of the most affordable haulers we found and before they left they made sure they had every possible phone number they might need so that if they needed to get a hold of someone they could. I’m sure if we need another cross-country hauler, we’ll use them again.
I’ll give my two thumbs up to Cox as well. They hauled my pregnant mare from Texas to Illinois, kept in touch with me at all times, office staff was very friendly and courteous, and the cost was quite reasonable. I’d use them again in a heartbeat.
I agree with you. The hauler that I always used for overflow horses to go to long distance shows (Nobody’s Business in PA) ALWAYS sent drivers who were horsemen and were attired in tan pants (occasionally jeans), the hauler’s logo polo shirt, and boots or sneakers… very clean and professional. I have also heard good things about COX Transport, Brookledge, and Billie Powell of Florida.
I initially contracted with Cox Transport to haul a weanling from Texas to Florida for $600 two years ago and they redirected me to Jorge Bello (Ole Cutter Farm) for the same price. Naturally I was extremely concerned with hauling a horse that young but I can say, from start to finish, I was extremely pleased with the entire transaction. I would recommend Jorge again as he has extensive experience hauling horses from and to overseas destinations with very strict requirements. Jorge called me back after the trip to make sure the colt was fine and that I was happy with his service.
Count another vote for Cox. Extremely professional, down to earth, good to the horses, and fast. I like that they have a schedule of regular runs to both coasts. I first met up with them during a friend’s herd dispersal; they loaded previously untouched stallions and heavily pregnant mares with patience and businesslike compassion in several different loads, got on the road, and delivered all the horses safely on time all over the country.
They’re headquartered in Texas, so they used a small hauler they know well to bring my two horses from Colorado to Texas, kept them a few nights at I think $10 per night, then put them on the regular trailer to Virginia. I had a delivery date/time window of a couple of hours, but they had to set it back due to truck trouble, kept me informed steadily, and delivered Pan and Lexie in excellent condition and perfectly calm – even for an Arabian and an Akhal Teke. I will be moving to Texas myself in a few months, and will call no one but Cox.
I’ve only shipped a horse once. I used Wings Horse Transport (http://wingshorsetransport.com/). They were great. I was given the driver’s cell phone number so I could be in constant contact with them to find out where they were. I highly recommend them.
I have also been very happy with the hauls Wings has done for me and some of my clients.
I just have to second your recommendation for Beacon Hill. My trainer won’t use anyone else to transport her horses long distances. They’re absolute professionals and are well-respected on this coast as one of the best there is. They’re also horsepeople, which is incredibly important.
YES. I was really thrilled with the drivers’ level of knowledge about horses. Sometimes you get companies that are just hiring truck drivers. Well, being a good truck driver is important but I want horses hauled by a horseman/woman (just as you have specially trained drivers to haul hazardous materials).
I love this topic! Next summer I will either be moving my horse to Arizona from Washington, or from Washington to Mass or New Hampshire. If I haul to AZ I’ll just use my own truck and trailer, as I have horse friends along the west coast to stay at to make the trip easy on my girl. But if I go to the NE I’ll want a professional so she’ll have a better experience than being hauled in my two-horse slant. I’ll just load my trailer up with my stuff and go East myself, without putting the stress on her of a cross country trip in a small trailer. I would love, love, love any names of reputable shippers who do coast-to-coast shipping. Even though it is over a year away, it would not hurt me to start looking early and often. She’s my precious girl, and I want the best experience for her possible.
You absolutely MUST have references for a hauling company — the more the merrier. Up the gazoo, out the wazoo, whatever. More than one.
I have a friend who lives in Banning, California, on the way to Palm Springs. She had a Fjord mare shipped from the breeder in Vermont. She knew the breeder, having purchased one of the woman’s geldings, a half brother to the mare. The breeder ships all the time, and she recommended a company — husband and wife — who handled everything start to finish. There were frequent reports and updates to my friend from the couple, via email and phone. The mare arrived in perfect condition on the day she was due. It was expensive, but there was not a single problem.
As my friend said, “I don’t know what I would have done without the breeder’s recommendations.” (The company that had transported the gelding years ago was no longer in business).
The wife said, as the mare was unloaded, “If you decide she isn’t going to work out for you, please let us know. Both my husband and I love her.”
I wonder if this may have been the company my daughter and I used to ship her gelding to California from Minnestota. They are out of Maine, a husband and wife team, named Ben and Sharon Charrier and the business is called Equine Haulers.
We were VERY happy with them. Sharon spent a good deal of time with the horse when he wasn’t drinking enough and she managed to cajole him into it. They were traveling in the winter and detoured to avoid storms in the Rockies but they turned all the horses out at a farm in Texas to stretch their legs. They had a very nice rig, put a blanket on my daughter’s horse when he seemed a little cold and by the time they got him to us, Sharon in particular had fallen in love with him (he’s half Arab and she loves Arabs).
We had their cell phone numbers and they called us multiple times daily to update us on where they were and how the horse was. He got to us in excellent spirits and condition. It was incredibly stressful to have him under someone else’s care for that length of time and mileage but we were really happy with the result. I would use them again.
http://equinehauler.com/index.html
I have lots of good things to say about Nation-Wide, based out of Colorado Springs. I used them to bring my horse to Denver from Kansas City in 2007, and was very pleased. They were on time (early, actually), and did very well at getting my half-wild rescued colt onto the trailer in Kansas City without me being there. My in-laws also used them to move their horses to Colorado a couple years later, and also had nothing but good experiences with them.
A very good friend of mine (trainer/breeder) in CO highly recommends them too!
I second (third?) the Nationwide recommendation. They did a great job with my gelding, sort of a sensitive soul with ulcers. He stepped off the trailer looking cheerful and healthy, despite nasty weather and a huge altitude change.
I used Equine Express and had a great experience. Would absolutely use them again.
I have used a very small transporting company and have found this is the best for me.
They are very professional but limited in when they can move horses due to owning a ranch themselves.
They were referred to me by a friend who had their horse shipped from the Midwest to Florida.
He said that when they shipped his horse, they pulled into the rest over ranch (she requires if a horse is on a trailer for 10 hrs it needs a 12 hr rest period with stretch out time in a paddock) and was appalled by the condition of the horses and the property. He said he got a phone call that she had found a different place just 30 miles away that could take the horse on short notice. When they got there, the horse was turned into a 200 yd by 200 ft paddock with shelter and automatic waterer. It delayed the trip by a few hours but my friend was way happy with the choice when he saw the pics of the place he had chosen versus the place the transporter found. The horse was delivered a few hours later than the ETA range provided. (they gave a ETA to my friend of 1-3 p.m. and actually did not make it until 5 p.m. but with the layover issue and traffic he felt that was reasonable. They also called to say they were running late and told him they would not be there before 4:45 p.m.) When the horse arrived, he was relaxed and happy. The trailer was very clean (you could tell they cleaned it out on the layover) and he was munching hay happily. Pics of him being loaded at pick up, unloaded and reloaded at the layover and of him stepping off the trailer at his destination were taken and immediately uploaded onto a computer and emailed to the owner. A check list was provided to the owner and he had to initial everything from making notes of nicks or bumps (there was none) to acknowledging the respiration of the horse. All documentation was in order ( a negative EIA test, health certificate, federal transport number and signed by ag weigh stations when they had to be checked). The final step was to sign a receipt for the horse and to make payment as they charge a non-refundable $100 booking fee plus 50% up front and receive the other 50% when the horse is delivered.
This was a while ago so I’m not quoting the price but it was extremely reasonable.
They sent me a document with their policies and procedures. They require addresses (not just towns) and they give you the option of what type of you want your horse moved in (2 horse bumper, 4 horse stock, or gooseneck multi-horse). I found this really nice since I was moving one horse and didn’t want to have to pay for the big rig which costs more since it has to be run by a bigger truck. I had to provide all documentation they asked for & pay the booking fee and the 50%. When my horse arrived, she was happily munching on hay in the manager and was really in great shape for an 8 hr trip. She backed off the trailer nicely and the transporter walked her for me since I was a little nervous about handling her (she was new to me and much bigger). The transporter obviously knew a lot about horses and was very gentle with my mare. The BO wanted to put her in a stall but the transporter talked him into letting her stretch her legs in the indoor arena. I was impressed by her insistence that my mare needed to stretch out and she was diplomatic but firm in the argument about this. I also had to sign for my horse and went over a check list with the transporter. When I went to pay my other 50% she told me to make it for about $50 less as the distance was not correct and she had misquoted me slightly. I was again impressed by this and made the check out actually for a bit more as a tip. I was really happy with their service and the manner in which my mare was treated. I have referred them to others who have reported just a great of service. Another friend used them recently and said she could not believe how great they were. I know they have gone from the midwest to Florida and they regularly run to TN, KY, AK, NE, IO, OH, KS, OK and IL but I am pretty sure they would go almost anywhere in the US as long as their schedules would allow it.
Big green light for J’S EQUINE TRANSPORT in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They hauled my rescued Standardbred from Nowhere’sville, Kentucky to my boarding stable in Oakville, Ontario (they don’t work only in Canada, that is to say). I’d already gotten nowhere with a big name transporter based in Lexington, KY – I booked with them, but had to keep calling to see when they would pick up, only to hear again and again, sorry, we don’t have a load yet. So I cancelled them and found J’s in our local phone book. They got on it right away, were very careful to check every detail about my horse’s needs, were in constant contact by phone all the way, took care of all the border crossing paper war, and delivered Timbit safe and sound only a few hours late (usual border delays). It was almost comical; a HUGE multi-horse van, lit up in the dark like an ocean liner , made its slow and stately way up our road and into the stable yard, and after the driver made everything as safe as could possibly be, out of this vast machine came my little fugly – the only passenger! And altho’ I’d booked a standing stall, J’s upgraded Timbit to a box stall in their own initiative when they saw how young and scared he was, but still only charged me for the standing stall!
So for responsible, caring horse transport in Canada and the eastern and mid-west US – call J’s Equine Transport, Burlington, Ontario.
As a fellow Canadian, I LOVE that you call your horse Timbit!
He’s the stunted (only 14 hh at 3 1/2) standardbred that I posted about a few days ago. I was thinking maybe Tiny Tim, but a friend said, how about something more Canadian – Timbit (after the doughnut hole treats you can get at Tim Horton’s coffee shops). So Timbit he is! ;o)
I don’t have any horror stories of my own to tell, thank goodness! One hauler up in the lower mainland of BC, Canada who hauls all over Western Canada,up into Alaska, and down in to the States would be Kevan Garecki of H-4 Services. He’s prompt, courteous, great with horses, reasonably priced, and just an all around amazing guy! Seriously, can not recommend this guy enough, he’s awesome! http://h-4.ca/
I second Kevan at H4 Services! He is awesome, for sure. Super knowledgeable guy, and knows horses, trailers, and trucking inside and out. He also rescues horses and helps transport horses for the SPCA. Can’t say enough good about the guy!
Check ripoff report for Zeigler Livestock Transport. I used that service twice with satisfactory results myself. However, it was brought to my attention by unhappy customers that there have been several complaints about them. I suppose it depends on the character and personality of whomever is doing the driving? The two different guys who delivered horses to me were both pleasant and professional and I tipped each one. If I ever need a horse hauled again, I will check the recommendations on this page.
I used Zeigler twice and was very pleased by their professionalism and reliability. They’re based in the MidWest, so I called them for two different shipments, one from Texas to Missouri, the second from Missouri to Colorado. The first shipment included two untrained Arabian mares and an untouched Akhal Teke stallion, who arrived on time and in excellent condition. Later they carried one of the mares, her three-month-old foal, and the stallion who by then had developed a serious attitude problem due to his handling at the place they’d been staying. The horses arrived on time, and in as good condition as could be expected considering their treatment in Missouri. The drivers were very good to the horses: extremely patient but firm. The second driver clearly was upset by how bad the horses had looked when he picked them up, but did his best to say very little except that he was personally very glad to be moving them. I would use them again if I were shipping horses in the MidWest.
BTW, Zeigler carried I think 100 llamas from Montana to New York during that huge rescue operation.
I’ve used Ziegler Transport 3 times and have always had an excellent experience with them. The last time I used them I had 6 horses hauled from NE Iowa to South Missouri and my old mare (26) stepped off the trailer calm and happy as did all the others. The drivers were all knowledgeable horsemen and took such good care of them that I would definitely use them again if having a horse hauled.
Elaine
I was a nervous wreck when I was searching for transport for KC when we moved from Southern California to Northeast Kansas. I probably spent a good week searching and interviewing companies until I found Bob from JTEquine Transport through uShip.com. (You can find his profile here: http://www.uship.com/profile/JTEquineTransport/) He’s a local boy from the Corona/Norco area, a damn good horseman, and honest about everything. After I accepted his bid through the site, I spoke with him on the phone several times, met him a few days before the transport (which was really convenient since he was 2 minutes away from where I boarded), and just got a really good vibe with him. KC even liked him, which was a big deal because she’s normally pretty iffy around strangers.
The day of the pickup, he arrived early to get to know KC a bit more and so we could finalize any last minute details. He even gave us a detailed route so we would know where all the rest stops were, and he promised to call every time they stopped to give me an update on her. KC was traveling alone in a well-bedded stock trailer that he let us inspect before loading (I wish I knew where he got it from because I’d kill to have one like it). He loaded up on her hay and water that she was used to, made sure she had a salt block, and let us see the fully stocked first aid kit he had prepared in case of emergencies.
Everyone left the following morning for Kansas, and true to his word, he called me every 3 hours to update me on her progress, which was a HUGE relief for me. When he arrived at our final destination, he stuck around for a little bit to make sure that KC was doing alright before heading off for his next pickup. KC arrived in perfect health without a single scratch on her. She lost a bit of weight from the stress of a two-day trip and the change from a SoCal climate to a Kansas one, but it wasn’t anything we didn’t expect. We did have to have the vet called out at 10pm that night thanks to an allergic reaction she had to ragweed, but she was just fine after that.
I -HIGHLY- recommend Bob for transport. He made the entire experience an easy one for both myself and my beloved mare, and I would use him again in a heartbeat!
Has anyone shipped a horse internationally? More specifically, from West Coast US to New Zealand?
Hubby and I might be making the move in the next couple years, and he’s already accepted the fact that one horse gets to make the journey with us!
Any information about this whole process would be appreciated…
I shipped from Japan to Ohio. Export from Japan was handled by NRT Corporation and import into the US was handled by Jet Pets (Australia based I believe). They took care of everything stable to stable : red-tape (endless paperwork), pre- and post-QT, as well as CEM QT, and all transitional travel (Bob Hubbard and Star transporters in the US). The handling was fine, the horses were TBs and even though not racing TBs, they were handled as such. You will need to confirm the import/export requirements and that your horse qualifies to travel. It was required that my mare was physically located in the same barn for at least six months prior to export from Japan. I flew as the groom for my mare and a TB stallion that was headed to Texas so I was completely hands on and got to monitor them in transit. The shipping agents only insure the horse for $2000, so you may want additional insurance on your horse, which you will need an outside agent for. My mare’s trip only took about 5 – 6 weeks (after the initial months of planning), and I was a mess the whole time. She did arrive home happy and healthy. Good luck!
Can I suggest you log-on to a New Zealand message board and ask the same question.
Try http://www.horsetalk.co.nz, a nice friendly knowledgeable board !
There are several members who have imported horses into NZ and will be able to help.
I am currently in New Zealand (originally from so cal) trying to get into the vet program at Massey. Which island and city are you moving to? its so beautiful out here its amazing. I wish I could afford a horse but as it is I’m just trying to stay housed myself with having to pay full tuition >.< but I go visit the horses on campus when I can ^_^ it helps to get my fix every so often.
i have shipped from seattle to luxemburg. i can recommend the firm Shorno-Agri Business as agents. they ship personal horses as well as horses to feed the japanese (that worried me at first). they answered my almost daily questions during the quarantine period, and i was able to fly with my horse (using cargolux – the airline decides if the owner can fly with the horses or not). information about shipping horses is not easy to find – i know how you feel.
Contact Longspring Sport Horses and see if they have a recommendation.
http://www.longspring.co.nz/page/15/stud-history
They had an appeal on their web-site to find out what had happened to Kiwi Logic, one of their first crop of horses shipped to the US, and I happened to be riding him as a lesson horse at the time. We emailed back and forth a little bit and it was so nice to hear from breeders who obviously cared so very much about their horses. I am sure they have extensive experience shipping horses between the US and New Zealand. Good luck!
Eek. I’m about to move 7 hours away with my mare and I’m really nervous. I’m planning on using McLemore’s Horse Transport. I found a lot of good reviews and one bad review… What do you think?
http://mclemores-horse-transport.pissedconsumer.com/mclemore-s-horse-transport-20100728191469.html
I can wholeheartedly recommend Tapps Horse Transport and C&W Horse Transport. They tag-teamed to bring my mare from Eastern PA to Southern MI, in the middle of winter with storms. She was on the trailers for about 24 hours (mind you, as I said, mountains, etc) and she came off looking like this:
Not at all tucked up, not tired, not colicky, very alert and happy. I’ve used C&W before to have a horse shipped to and from Vermont, same story. Great people, they take great care of the horses, and they really try to stay on schedule but they will call you if things happen, so it’s not as though you are waiting for hours not knowing that they’ll be late. They have air-ride trailers, box stalls, etc. I’ve always been pleased.
I shipped a mare once from Minnesota to North Carolina. Took 2 weeks longer than planned. Found out that the hauler left four horses in the trailer, standing in frozen urine, while they visited relatives in Colorado. Later they were found guilty of 5 felony animal abuse charges. I still can’t get that mare in a trailer.
I can recommend Worley’s hauling out of Corbin, KY. Fair prices, great attitudes, good communication.
This is a fantastic post. I soon will be moving overseas for a fantastic riding opportunity with my horse. I’m TERRIFIED of the transport part of it… does anyone have any warnings or recommendations for overseas transport companies?
Thank you thank you thank you for this post! As a new Army wife, I am staring in the face of our first PCS move in a few months and I’m wildly exclaiming “Not without my horse!” So I’ve been compiling a list of companies to get shipping quotes from. I am glad to see a good comment for Equine Express, since they are recommended on militarystables.com. Now to just figure out how we can afford an overseas move if it comes to that…
Equine Express is who most people use at this AF Base. They will also give a 10% military discount. They just dropped off one horse a couple of weeks ago, came off happy (its actually a returning horse, it left here 3 years ago) and they are picking up another one to take to MD and are willing to blanket.
Last time I shipped my mare, I used A&L transport (based out of Gettysburg PA). We only shipped about an hour drive but they were very friendly, professional, had a NICE trailer, and were patient with my difficult loader. Here’s there FB page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/AL-Horse-Transport/113920321959989?sk=info
OK, now for something off-topic: I need help finding a layup barn! Any suggestions?
My mare just had a colic surgery (her second colic surgery in 5 months). Yes, I’m crazy for doing one surgery let alone two, but that’s neither here nor there… her prognosis is good and she’s getting released Friday. I’d like to find a lay-up barn before bringing her home. I live in southern York, PA and my mare is currently at New Bolton.
http://www.mauimeadowfarm.com/
I am looking at that place- anyone know anything at all? I read a good review on a forum and the owner seemed very accommodating, but I can’t even visit the place in person before sending her there which is worrying. If it’s a total disaster I can bring her home instead but a layup barn sounds like a better option.
I board at a place near New Bolton who might be able to layup your mare. I think there is still room available, I’ll check. What kind of care does your mare need? I’m not sure that they can do hand-walking every day… If you’re interested, let me know. I’ll even send you pictures of your mare while she’s there!
It would be awesome if you could get more info on that place! Thanks a ton.
She is supposed to get hand walked 3x a day for 20 minutes, then hand-grazed for 20 minutes… so if a place can’t offer that then I’m probably not interested in boarding there (since I might as well keep her at her normal barn and handwalk her myself- I can probably do it twice most days… but if the barn is farther away I couldn’t go out daily). Of course she needs total stall rest other than that so I would like a place with nice big stalls and hopefully a window she can stick her head out, as that makes stall rest more pleasant for her.
I doubt the place where I board can do so much hand walking and grazing, or they will, but it will cost you a lot. Did you call maui Meadows to see if they can do it?
I just searched for Maui Meadow. They’re down the street from where my guys are. I can check them out if you want.
OT but just to brighten everybody’s day:
Remember Miracle?
To the individuals who tried to argue with me that she should be PTS because, OMG, it was going to be SUCH an expensive rehab, blah blah blah, blow it out your ears, I told you she’d be fine and she is. No one put anything more expensive or complicated into this filly than HAY. Being emaciated is not a chronic condition!
I was just coming over here to post that. I love the little tail flipped up over her back!
It’s awesome that Paradigm Farms took her in. Any idea if she’s suffered permanent damage? Or will that only be apparent once she hits adulthood?
She looks like a million bucks! Literally! It’s great to see her so full of herself and running around in the kind of pasture every horse should have.
Horses that I have worked with have been shipped with Thompson Horse Van Lines out of Langley, BC. I am not the one who books, arranges or pays for their services; I just help load or unload the horses. I can say that their equipment is in good shape and is designed to be as comfortable as possible for the horses. The last time I helped load some horses, each horse had access to a full haynet, and the 2 year old colt who was reluctant to back into his single stall was given a double, since he was the last to load and they had the room. The drivers I have met have been good with the horses, and arriving horses have been in good shape when they got here. For one trip, they arrived very late, so kept the horses over night at their layover facilities, and brought them in the morning. Most of the trips have been between BC and Alberta. I believe the owner would get updates on where the truck was and what their ETA was, but I don’t really know any more about that side of it. Their web site is http://www.thompsonhorsevanlines.ca
I recently bought a 2 yr old in Texas and had her shipped to me in MD, and couldn’t have been more pleased with Millhouse Equine transport. They do coast to coast, have regular trips, and the driver I had stayed in contact and was very horse knowledgeable. He was also very patient with my barely halter broke silly filly, and she arrived in great shape, and a very positive attitude about being trailered.
Since I was very flexible on dates, I could wait until they had a run, and I thought the price I got was fantastic.
Not exactly cross-country, but I highly recommend Kelsey Epton of Junction West (http://junctionwestequinetransport.com/). I’ve used her probably 8 times now, for short trips around the lower mainland, and always been very happy. I believe she also does longer-distance trips such as to Alberta and down into the US, and I wouldn’t hesitate to send my horse with her.
This weekend I asked her to move a horse for me but she wasn’t able to so she arranged for another woman to haul for me. Now THAT is customer service
Creech Brothers, based in Troy, MO. They haul a lot of TBs around as well as horses for private owners, show horses, etc.
It took me about a month to find the right hauler when we moved out of state, and although it was frustrating and I talked to a lot of bozos, it was worth it because Patti Graper of Cornerstone Equine out of Wisconsin was fabulous. Her husband is a vet so when she’s not hauling horses, she assists him in his equine clinic. She was a few hours late picking up my horse due to traffic, but she called me every hour with updates on her location. When she got to our location, she asked me some questions about my horse, collected the documents, and laid out the rest of the plan. I led him up the ramp, stayed with him until she pulled out then followed them to our new barn. Even though I was behind her the whole time, she gave me updates. When she pulled off at a rest stop for a bathroom break I had a chance to visit with my boy. She even stayed for 20 minutes to watch him to make sure he was settling in and that thre weren’t any obvious issues. Unfortunately I couldn’t find her info. There is another Cornerstone Equine out of Texas which has some issues, so I don’t know if she changed the name of her business or if she isn’t hauling any more.
I know the way I handled the move sounds obsessive, but I had heard the horror stories. Whoever hauled my boy had to guarantee in advance that I could be there to load and unload, he would travel loose in a box, and not be on the trailer for more than 12 hours as it was only a 4 hour drive. I’m sure many of the people I talked to thought I was insane, but that’s too bad….I am the customer. I ruled out those guys who drive all over 6 states to put together a “load”. If somebody didn’t call me back in a timely manner, they were dropped from the list. If you want my business and promise to call me on Tuesday, waiting until Friday shows me that you have no respect for commitments. How much worse will it be once you have my money? I also ruled out anyone who gave a low ball estimate. When you quote me a flat rate fee that is so low it won’t even pay for your gas, you’re either a moron or have some other scam going. Either way my horse is in a bad situation.
DO THE MATH! The hauler has to cover fuel, salaries and make a reasonable profit. If the price is very low, they will HAVE to cut corners to make a profit. You may save a few hundred dollars, but the vet fees could be ten times that much if the hauler doesn’t take care of your horse.
This Gail lady need’s to be strung up in a tree and her poor victims should get to use her as a piñata.Those poor people and their horses…What a low life cow.Hey fugs,y’all think she’ll show her sorry face on here?I would love to hear what bullshit she would have to say to use after reading all the complaints and rip-off reports on her.
What a nightmare!
Just out of curiosity, why was she cited for keeping a horse in a trailer and not for THEFT? If you contract to move my furniture and then keep it, I guarantee you will be getting arrested for stealing my stuff, not for meanness to my furniture.
It was the easy citation. With the buyer/current owner in another state and actually in a hospital with her husband in critical condition, that just wasn’t going to be the time to ask her to file a police report. Poor woman, what a week!
That story is indeed very terrifying.
I would highly recommend Dan Borchardt from (I believe it’s called) Busy B Transportation. I’ve never used him for hauling, but he’s been my farrier for several years now and he’s exceptionally honest and trustworthy (I would also recommend him as a farrier if you’re in the southern WI or northern IL area, of course). He’s also very knowledgeable- he knows horse shoeing inside and out.
I’m fortunate enough to have a couple of very generous friends with trailers who help me out whenever I need it. But if I didn’t have them, Dan would be my go-to guy.
I havent any long haul transportation stories for I have never shipped over 30 miles and I was with the driver and such. ……just wanted to comment that I am glad to hear Miracle is doing so well. I was hoping the best for her.
Never overlook word of mouth. If you have never shipped before your first instinct is to go to Google or the Yellow Pages, but sometimes just asking around your barn will get you great results from people you know and trust who can personally vouch for someone, be it a shipper, farrier, vet, etc.
I just recently had a 10 month along pregnant mare up to Minnesota from Texas. She was being hauled by her owner’s driver, they are a very reputable and large breeding base for high quality reining horses who were dispersing part of their herd. I was meeting them at a large parking lot about 4 hours from home to make their trip easier since they had other horses to drop off before mine. When I arrived to pick up the mare the driver somewhat sheepishly told me that I “was not going to be happy with him”. Apparently the mare had gouged her head on a hinge meant to hold a slant divider. The trailer was a horse/stock cross where the mare was being held in a stock portion in a 8×8 box but tied above the manger. The hinge obviously stuck out dangerously and he mentioned that it had happened before and he also mentioned should do something about it. Uh…duh. Anyway he also goes on to tell me she has eaten 2 flakes of hay in the last 24 hours and hadnt been offered water once. Out of all of this I was most apprehensive to hear that this big-as-a-house 10 month along mare had not been offered water.
Eventually we got her in and settled, stopped at a gas station and offered water, which she guzzled down half of a bucket. I also noticed that she was extremely tired, as I would expect, but since she had nothing to rest against for the entire trip her front legs/shoulders were quivering and placed widely apart. At the gas station I opted to stop and let her rest for awhile and munch some hay and grain. 2 hours later I hit the road and made it safely home with a happy mare.
Later, I emailed the previous owner to let him know about the gash, no water, limited food, and that in my book, an extremely pregnant mare would have benefitted from being hauled in dividers rather than arriving exhausted, but I was very happy with my purchase. He replied to tell me that no horses recieve *special* treatment and that he never offers food and water during the trip and it was better for the horse to travel openly….which I normally agree with but since the mare was tied she was unable to move about and brace herself against the wall. Being free in a box has minimal benefits when tied with their head above the manger anyway…but a huge pregnant mare?? Come on now, she needs to have help bracing herself.
What do you guys think? I would have expected more from these people, but they are proving to have a very *Old Timer* approach to hauling…stuff em in and go. My own ideas on hauling, plus my career’s experience, as well as a bachelor’s degree in Equine Science says I have every right to be a bit outraged. Rediculous behavior from so called professionals!!!
First of all, let me say how glad I am that Stretch is okay. What a nightmare for the new owner and your friend Chelsea! My mother is upset because some postcards she mailed us from South America are missing after several weeks; I told her yesterday, “That’s nothing, how about not knowing where your shipped HORSE is?!”
Regarding your poor fit-to-bust mare, I am truly appalled that she was offered no water. I don’t have a horse and have never shipped one, but for God’s sake even *I* know that you MUST water them or you’re just asking for colic! Not to mention, she was trying to support a baby on board! What a bunch of IDIOTS. If she had coliced or worse you could totally have sued them. Thank goodness the trip wasn’t any longer…
Glad to see the shitty haulers are in the minority.
References!
One more thing to add to your list. When you hire a hauler, find someone who not only doesn’t have negative feedback, but who has LOTS of positive feedback from real people with names, addresses, and real horses.
Just because you find nothing about someone doesn’t mean they are a good thing. It might just mean you have found a ‘new’ hauler. Yes, there might be some legitimate new haulers with talent and care for their horses, but do you really want to take the chance?
I used Nation Wide to bring my horse to college with me. She was shipped from Pennsylvania to Colorado. I would highly recommend them, they picked her up on time and dropped her off a day early. Very good service, and I would ship with them again!
Nobody’s Business Farm is one that I have used extensively. It is run by Kevin Henessy jr. This is the highest level of professional hauler that anyone could ask for. They have a fleet of big rigs, vans, and regular trailers so they can accommodate any size driveway or any horse’s peculiarities. The drivers are also horsemen and the type of people that you feel comfortable allowing grooms to ride with if need be. I would also say that you should ALWAYS go by word of mouth when seeking a hauler.
I had HORRIBLE experience with Nationwide- moved from CO to VA. Was promised air-ride, they showed up 5 days late with a 6 horse slant load. I recieved NO communication with them while they were late- I in fact ended up having to move myself and stay on schedule, so I did not see him leave, but I was there when he arrived. He had dropped a ton of weight and was stressed out. The driver drove straight through with no stops and was clearly exhausted, and had nobody with him. I later researched and found out (I THOUGHT I had researched well enough BEFORE I picked them) that if a trip is not entirely full you will get delays and crap like I experienced. If the trip is full you’re in luck and you’ll have a good experience. I picked them because they had decent reviews, mid-priced and my horse would have had a stall and a half straight load. He does not do well on slants. Awesome.
I’ve used Nation-Wide twice – once good, one not so good. First time they were nice on the phone, the second time it felt like I called them on a bad day, the man answering the phone was grumpy, didn’t know when they could ship, not very professional at all. The first time, my horse arrived with this shipping boots down around his ankles like a pair of old soxs. The driver got out of the truck and said, ” I heard alot of kicking when I first started, but he eventually stopped.” ( was that because his shipping boots slipped down or did he stop kicking when he broke his legs? I am guessing that he never stopped to check) The horse had lost weight, looked hot and feverish, and laid down and slept for a couple of days in his stall once he got here, but was fune in the end. the other time was with a mare and this time, all seemed to be fine. Both horses arrived in one of their big air-ride vans. I have used Grand Champion with great success, and Horsn Around was also good. Grand Champion is who I’d call first next time I need a hauler.
It would make me craaaazy if someone didn’t stop and check upon feeling/hearing kicking.
Geez, I could not imagine how stressful that must have been for both the buyer and the seller! For a while there it sounded like the horse was sold or died! I’m glad it’s safe now.
We actually went out a bought a horse trailer so that we didn’t have to trust anyone with our horses – plus 2 of ours are a bit funny about trailering and I plan on getting them quite good at trailering (once we get it back from the mechanic). I also rescue horses and I don’t feel comfortable with putting a possibly ill horse on a public transport trailer and infecting other horses – because we have our own we can QT the horse and give the trailer a good clean and make sure that no other horses are infected. However, I’m sure it will have a downside – I get anxious very easily with regards to our horses and I certainly don’t find trailering to be a relaxing time. We have only a few weeks until we move 1 and a half hours away – we don’t currently have the float and I would REALLY like to be practising loading and floating the horses daily so that they are nice and relaxed about it, but I don’t actually know when we will be getting the float back – it should be soon, but regardless, I’m a worrier and I’m sure I will be nervous about floating them, which is where it would come in handy to have a professional floating them.
http://www.operationhorserescue.blogspot.com
Practicing will make you more comfortable, certainly. But the main things to remember are: Don’t hit the brake, don’t hit the gas, and don’t drive like a bat out of hell. Give yourself extra stopping space in case the person in front of you is an idiot. But generally, if you drive carefully the trailer will take care of itself. Turn a bit wide and don’t be afraid to go under the speed limit if the road conditions warrant.
If you are able, before your actual move, take the trailer out empty following someone who is good at trailering and just watch and copy what they do. That can help a lot. I’d hauled a trailer a total of 3 miles, then hitched up and hauled 3.5 hours up the interstate! But I was following a very experienced friend, so I just did what she did and we all arrived there and back safely.
Good luck! It will get less nerve-wracking with practice.
One good rule of thumb is this: Every time a curve is marked at X speed, go at least 10 miles per hour UNDER that speed. For example, 45 MPH curves should be navigated at 35 MPH. This is obviously a loose guideline, meant to be applied on dry roads, adjust down for any inclement conditions.
Every stop, you want to drift to a stop. Let the weight of the trailer stop the vehicle so that you only touch the brakes at the end and there is absolutely no jarring.
NEVER worry that you are pissing the people behind you off. Pull over occasionally and let the line of cars pass you if you’re on a two-lane but other than that, they can deal with it or pass. Don’t get goaded into going too fast.
The most educational experience I ever had was riding in the trailer myself. Have someone else drive it while you stand in it. See how hard it is to not fall down. VERY educational.
Oh yeah; I’ve ridden in he trailer too (with a colicky horse, no less, so time was a bit more crucial than usual). This is how I knew that the friend I was following was a good driver, and that Merhow trailers ride well!
I agree with Fugs. I’ve ridden in the back of a 2-horse bumper pull and also in a big van (one of those ‘horsebox” jobs that are more popular in Europe, where three horses ride facing another three. I remember getting sneezed on a lot.) It definitely makes you appreciate how they handle trailering! I haven’t ever driven horses myself but I know I’d be a nervous wreck…
What I have always told and enouraged hauling newbie’s to do was to put a beer or pop cap (metal or plastic) on a level spot on the dashboard. Then drive accordingly so that that cap does not move. This helps a new person guage whether they are driving too normally and need to slow it down.
That is a good trick also!
I rode in the back of a tractor trailor sized horse van and let me say it was the worse experience. The dirver lurched, slammed on brakes, took turns to tight and one mare fell to her knees (pregnant ind you) and I about lose my footing a few times and you could hear the horses goan and make scrambling noises. I was Pissed beyond recognition and told the manager and what have you about the ride and how aweful the driver was. We were shipping mares to Keeneland for the sales and if my memory serves me well I beleive the transportation service was Sallee horse transport. Now usualy Sallee is a good transportation service (at least it used to be) but I was livid on how this driver drove this van. He was not the same driver that took mares back to the farm but I sure hope he got canned. I didnt ride in the back of that transport. (I was the farm’s groom and gofer….go for this and go for that.)
You will find that hauling is no big deal. Just take the turns as wide as possible and go easy on turns, breaks, and gas. As far as the horses are concerned, there is no need to go on trial hauls. An hour and a half for the first ride is not a problem AT ALL for the horses. The best way to ease your mind is to be sure that the rig is safe and ready to roll.
Great topic, we’ve been debating borrowing a trailer to ship my horse from missouri to ohio in June or just paying a shipper. I think I’m leaning towards doing it myself, I have a hard time leaving for a few days at a trusted boarding barn, I can’t imagine putting her on a trailer with a stranger and waiting for her to step off 600 miles later.
Also, just saw this ad http://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/2281013643.html
She’s selling her horse Lightning, and isn’t even sure if its a ‘gilding’ or not. Ummmm, bend over and look?
And while she’s looking at that end, swing round to the front and loosen that halter! Or take it off entirely. That’s an embedded halter waiting to happen.
*Sigh* The stupidity never ends, does it… Wonder what this fine owner will make of that baby she’s expecting?
“I THINK we had a girl!”
Oh gee wiz. Great selling point….the picture of part of a head shot. Yeah, I wouldnt want to see ALL of the horse just part of his head. Great selling pic. (Good grief) Think its a gilding. Well I dont think its a gilding either way you look at it but it might be a gelding. Cant they look under the horse and tell if its a gelding or not? DUH. Stupid is as stupid does. PPl realy wear me out any more.
lostmymarbles: Ha ha. “Think we had a girl” thats hilarious. They may have had a boy. lol
Slightly off topic, but I have two cats I need to transport. I moved recently from Arizona to northern Idaho. Along the way my two beloved cats had to be left at my father’s house in Denver, Co. The place I am staying at does not allow pets, but hopefully sometime during the summer I will be living somewhere else. One cat Rambo is more like a dog walks on a leash, loves water, likes going to new places. He travels very well in the car, very well behaved. Mr. Daisey on the other hand is very skittish of new people, and slightly shuts down when he travels. He travels in a kennel with a blanket inside and one covering his home. The nice thing about Mr. Daisey is he will use the puppy pads and that is very nice for long trips. I am new to driving so I do not want to make a long drive with my cats. I will be too stressed out about them to drive safely over that distance. I am looking for a reliable experienced company to bring my cats to there new home. I would ask my dad but he is not reliable enough either. As far as taking care of them and everything he can do just fine, and he loves my cats. But he is not very good at coming to visit when he says he will. I would prefer that they did not fly, but I just need them here safely and with people who know what they are doing.
Contact Best Friends, the big rescue organization out of Utah (?). They often ship rescued animals to their new adopters. Maybe they can put you in touch w/someone. Or contact some local rescues who do the same. Best of luck
I would totally understand if you don’t want to make the drive, but I just have to let you know — my kitties hate change. Trips are change, therefore they hate trips. But it does seem to help them to have something familiar (your voice, your car, your stuff smelling like you, that sort of thing). It might actually be easier on them to make the trip with you, as long as you secure them in kennels for safety. On my last move, the three cats flew from Mexico, through L.A., to Vancouver, then drove up another 25 hours or so to Whitehorse with my dad and myself, with just the occasional water and food break (though they just nibbled at the food). My biggest fear was them getting lost or running away if the door was opened, so we had super-secure kennels, with multiple zip-ties, ID tags all over the place, micro-chipped etc. We had Dry Fur pads and they did a great job of keeping them dry — only one poop that had to be cleaned up when my vengeance pooper wanted to comment on the process on the way to the airport in Mexico.
They arrived cranky, but they were safe and my UTI-prone neutered male didn’t even get a stress infection! I think we underestimate the resilience of cats. Either way, though, they are such individuals that I’m not sure I’d be happy with anyone who doesn’t know them well trying to travel with them. You’re the one that knows their language best. So yes, I hope you find someone awesome to haul them, but if you’re like me, you might find that even more stressful than doing it yourself (or maybe I’m the only control freak).
I have used 2 haulers and they are both excellent. One is called 4 Rail Transport out of Iowa. He only travels 8 hours a day and finds places to stay overnight such as fairgrounds, etc. My horses arrived in excellent shape and it was apparent that the horses were comfortable with him and came in great shape even though he came with my horse from WA and then picked up 4 more in CA. It took almost a week to get here but he was always available to visit by phone. The other great hauler is Carrie Duff out of MT. She also does a great job. Neither are cheap. I hired according to recommendations rather than trying to save $$$.
we have only shipped twice,but had very good results with “equine express” out of pilot point, texas. they are a national company, and as of 6 years ago, were very competitive in price. we shipped 6 horses (5 morgans and a mini, 3 of the morgans over 20 years old, and 1 pregnant) and all arrived in wonderful condition.(we did rent the whole truck that time,which helped lower the price) the trip was from northern cali to texas, and later we also used them to bring a mare and month old foal from california. they were clean, concerned and kept in touch, with 2 drivers taking turns driving. the website is http://www.equineexpress.com
I talked to my mom about this tonight and she also recommends Equine Express. She had a horse that she needed shipped from Maine, and they don’t usually go there, but rather than jack up the price, they told her if she wasn’t in a hurry they could call her with 24 hours warning if they got a full load. Much much more sensible than taking the horse and letting it live in the trailer until they got a full load like the lady in the blog post!
I shipped my giant (17.3!) 4 yo TB colt from Southern CA to northeastern WA last summer. Choosing a hauler is difficult, especially when you’re giving someone a horse and footing the bill for shipping! I ended up going with Ramirez Equine Transport. Pete Ramirez was friendly and professional and got my horse to his new home in the time promised and in good condition. I was also very happy with his demeanor with the horses – it was clear he had a lot of experience with all different temperament types and my big “looky” colt was no big deal to him. He communicated well throughout the whole process. My horse’s new owners really liked him too!
I’ve heard great things about Hubbard but have not used them personally; their prices were out of my budget at the time. Equine Express gave me a very reasonable quote but could only get my horse to Seattle, not Spokane area. I followed one of their vans through town two weeks ago though and it was maintained in lovely condition… for whatever that’s worth….
Wish this post had been around last August, but I’m bookmarking it for next time. Thanks!
On a sad note, Bob Hubbard passed away a few years back
He shipped horses for a lot of my friends the Indio and Thermal, and they always had good things to say. When I was sending my mare to Pullman, I tried to use them, but he had just died and the company wasn’t back up and running yet.
I HIGHLY recommend McLemore’s Horse Transport. I have used them for many, many years — both hauling sold animals, and doing hauling for me — and they always take the BEST care of everything. Their beautiful air ride rig is always immaculate, they are always super to deal with, excellent about keeping in touch on the road, and I NEVER have to worry when I send one of my babies off with them. They are the best!
I always used to use Clay Rawls when I was breeding apps. He was great with the foals, yearlings, hard to load, hard to handle, honest and dependable. If he was going to be 5 minutes late he would call you long before hand to let you know. On the other side, I beleive it was Horses Of Course who moved a horse for me from the west coast to Illinois. It took 4 extra days to get the horse to me. They did call and tell me they had to stop at thier place because the horse was “so emaciated she could not stand” but then would not repeat that to the seller who sent pictures of a healthy horse. They gave me receipts for electrolytes and vet work with no description or horse name on it, I paid the hauling fees but stopped payment on the vet fees because upon calling the veterinary on the ticket, he did not recall seeing any appaloosa horses that week from the haulers. Would NEVER use them again because I think they were severely dishonest.
Miracle looks awesome! Kudos to those who believed in her!!
I’ve had enough bad experiences with trailering that my poor mare may never load again. Long-haul #1: what should have been an 18 hr trip got turned into 36! Worst of all, the hauler, although she did make sure there was tonnes of hay and water for the horses, refused to answer her phone despite the onslaught of messages from 2 of us as to the location of the horses. Poor horse wore her shipping boots for the entire trip to boot
Long haul #2 – showed up early (not complaining) but did not listen to me when I warned him my mare tended to jump rather than calmly walk down a side ramp (but would happily walk slowly backwards down a ramp or a low step-up)…so off she goes – jumps and lands in the middle of his home-made ramp, breaking it in two…mare was scraped to hell and needed stitches.
Shortish haul (5 hrs) after required tranq but she did get there in 1 piece.
Long haul #3 – trucker called ME, assured me that he was used to hauling warmbloods (17.1hh, 1400lbs!) and that his trailer was plenty big enough. I warned him ahead of time that she had issues (no worries – I’ll take care of it) – well, long story short – my horse turned up a day early (apparently he lost a pick up and opted to drive straight through) with no water, no hay and a massive pressure sore on her rump because instead of giving her the box, he shoved her in a slant stall that was too small and left her there for almost 24hrs because he was scared of her (actually refused to open the trailer door….I walked in, unlatched the divider, and my “dangerous” horse followed me out sans lead to a new barn she’d never laid eyes on before. Yup….really dangerous.
I’m now in the market for my own rig
I have, and will maintain, that there should be a Better Business Bureau strictly for horses. So much shadiness that non-horsey people simply will not catch onto, despite the obvious issues we see. Just the thought that these people invest in bending and breaking the laws makes me shake my head. Being honest ends up costing you a hell of a lot less when you don’t have a multitude of lawsuits being filed against you.
Well, I think that is what Rate My Horse Pro is trying to become.
I think that’s a good start, but how credible is it? I mean, it sounds like just about anyone can go on their and say what they will without actually having to have proof. Of course I suppose the info would be pulled if it WERE libellous. I think a bureau may be able to offer a better chance of truthful, researched information about a person or organization being provided to the public. Just being critical right now, not that everyone on that site is being untruthful or spiteful. I think if the site does prove to be effective (which I’m sure it already has for some people), maybe they should expand it to include horse transporters.
If someone actually libels you (which means publishes something UNTRUE about you or your business), then the correct course of action is to get a lawyer and sue them. If you win, most people will believe you were the truthful party.
People tend to think that publishing anything negative about them/their business constitutes libel. Nope. The burden is on you to prove that it is not true, and often it is simply not worth it. If 1 person has negative comments and 99 have positive, then you may not care.
For sure, it just seems like it would be a headache to deal with if there was a falling out between you and a client (who was wrong) and they start lipping off about you over the net. You bring up a good point though that against 99 good reviews, one bad one (that could very well be a lie) may be moot. I can definitely see the gain from this project though. It sends the message that you can no longer hide underneath the towel anymore and shady behaviour WILL be known and distributed for the protection of others.
And of course by “you” I mean everyone in general.
The thing I dont like about “Rate my horse pro” is that you have to pay to do anything on it. You cant look up anything and you cannot comment on anything with out paying for it. At least with the BBB you can call and get information without having to pay anything to get it.
Actually it’s free right now.
Good! Because I’m too cheap to pay for anything else after dropping close to $300 on school applications :p I’ll definitely be checking it out. Is it just strictly for N.A. right now?
Glad you had a good experience with ABC Horse Transport, I just booked them today to get my mare from AZ to CA.
Three years ago when we bought a horse for our daughter, we used Montana Horse Express. They were wonderful!!!!
Never wrote a testimonial on their website to praise them and the wonderful hauler we had, Doug, so I guess I’m praising them here and now. Doug would call and give us updates all along the route from Montana to Minnesota. When he got to MN, he was just the nicest guy. Would use them again if I needed to and they haul anywhere, I believe. They had a beautiful rig and I remember when Doug got to MN, he had three other horses and ours and he off-loaded all the horses, so he could clean the trailer out and set it up for the next leg of his trip, and it was a well-below-zero day that day. Doug was very kind and gentle and capable with each and every horse.
My only regret when we had our horse hauled was that on the day of his arrival, it was a school day and I didn’t yank my daughter our of school for this huge event in her 10 year old life. Heck, I was excited when I saw the trailer come down the road. That was the dumbest decision we made about having our horse hauled!
My friend sold her anglo arab mare to someone in the next state (in Australia, NSW to Victoria, like 13hr drive?). The buyer flew over, test rode the horse, vet check etc (was being sold for $15,000 lol). A reputable transport company was organised (I cannot for the life of me remember the name but I had extensively googled and found nothing). Horse was picked up and it was organised that there would be one overnight stop before delivering the next day. 2 days later the buyer called up asking where the horse was. Called the transport company, the mare was meant to have been delivered. They had essentially ‘lost’ this mare, they found her 2 weeks later at one of there overnight stops, the driver had forgotten her at he stop and no one thought to check it until 2 weeks later (they did the ‘oh well she could be here’). She was nearly dead, skin and bone, she’d been in the paddock but it was in the middle of a drought, no grass and no water source, she’d resorted to eating the left over weeds in the paddock which had also nearly poisoned her to death. It took 6months to get her healthy again and another year to get her back into condition.
I was musing this morning on all the comments to this post, in particular as it relates to a recent post about bitching on the internet. This blog is often trashed for trashing others, (who IMHO bloody well deserve it), blah, blah, blah, blah. But just look at all the positive references here! I was waiting for horror stories, etc., but instead there’s a whack of great information for folks all over the planet. How cool is that! Horse folks networking for good – you gotta love it.
Oh you bet. But you know, it’s hard to trash the blog unless you selectively ferret out only the negative posts, ignore the positive, and ignore the fact that I get like, TONS of emails from people that say “thank you so much, I listened to you and now my senior horse is fat again,” or “thanks to your blog, I rescued X and now he’s my daughter’s 4-H horse.”
But hey…controversy equals traffic, traffic equals ad money to support old rescued mares with…as Charlie says, WINNING.
Here is a recent picture of Highfalutin Fox, rescued from last August’s Enumclaw auction thin, with a tumor on her eyelid that was causing her eye to weep constantly. Fixed all of that…thank you advertisers!
I had a HORRIBLE experience with ALL-STATE HORSE EXPRESS. ( http://www.allstatehorseexpress.com/index.html ) Their moto :”All-State Horse Express, a trusted name in large animal transportation for over a quarter of a century.” I bought my horse in Colorado ( their home state ) and wanted to ship him home to Ohio. Sent half the required money to All-State, as required up front. Made all the arrangements with the seller and all was set to go. As the date to ship got close, the horse got sick and we had to change the shipping date a little. That was fine, I didn’t want him shipped while he was sick of course. Horse was ready to go shortly after that and I got a called from ALL-STATE, they told me that I should not do business with the seller, she was a crook, she must be hiding something by saying the horse was sick, it was unreal. I didn’t even know what they were talking about. I said go ahead and haul the horse, I still want him. No problem, everything was a go with them, except they never picked up the horse for me. In the end, I had to hire Nation-Wide to haul the horse for me. ALL-STATE TOOK MY MONEY and NEVER PICKED UP MY HORSE. I called them several times asking for a refund, since they never hauled for me. All I got from ALL-STATE was excuses, but no refund (which was NOT a non-refundable deposit), it was 1/2 the hauling fee. Later, I found a web site where you could leave complaints about haulers, so I did. Would you believe that ALL-STATE actually called me on the phone and asked me to remove my complaint? I told them I would be happy to, just as soon as they refunded my money. Now, they say that someone new has purchased the company, and of course, they know nothing about them stealing my money and refusing a refund, or so they say.
So, ALL-STATE HORSE EXPRESS, if you read this, I am STILL waiting for that refund. I told you then and I will telll you again, I will tell anyone and everyone about your company and what you did to me. Oh, and by the way….that terrible seller you warned me not to buy from, and that sick horse I should be afraid to buy, what ever happened to him once I got him home? He went on to win 22 world & reserve world titles for me. Best horse I ever bought in 46 years of horse ownership, thank you very much! ALL-State, I’ll quit complaining when you refund my money! Need my address again? Just ask!
My advice: You’re not going to get your money unless you sue. It’s time to sue. Hopefully you’re not past the statute of limitations to do so. Please call a lawyer today.
All-State Horse Express hauled my gelding from CA to WI when I moved here in 2001. I had a great experience with them. They were courteous and helpful on the phone and when there was a mix-up with the rate I was quoted (quoted the stand-by rate instead of the reserved rate I had requested) they honored the original rate quote as a reservation. They arrived on time, the drivers were polite, professional and appeared comfortable handling horses. My horse hopped right on and arrived in WI on time and in great shape.
One advantage I had was that my parents’ neighbor was a DOT employee at the time. She’s since retired, but once I had settled on a company, she insisted on pulling the hauling company’s DOT records. All-State had an exemplary record at the time – no accidents, no violations of any sort, really. However, another company I was considering was found to not even be registered with DOT!
I wanted to add that I went to the All-State Horse Express website and they have been bought out by Nation-Wide since I used them. They mention using semi-trailers and head-to-head vans rather than the reverse slant-loads they used when they hauled my gelding. That was going to be my only caution – larger horses may not have wanted to get on the reverse slant trailer. My gelding is 16 hands, but he’s very clever about tight spaces and loading. He takes his time and makes sure he doesn’t hit his hips on anything. A friend used All-State to haul to upstate NY for her taller TB and he had some trouble with the high step-up and the narrow doorway into the trailer, although the drivers handled him patiently and got him on fairly quickly and with minimal fuss from a horse who loves to overreact to everything.
HOWEVER, since All-State’s assets have been bought out, things have apparently changed and the reverse slants aren’t a problem anymore!
OT: What’s going on at Sunkissed Acres??? First they had this pregnant blind mare that they sent somewhere else where it would be safe for her to foal… TO FOAL?! Why? Why not abort?
Now, via Facebook, “Eve” is in foal (“again”!). Another why?!?!
I had my filly aborted last year, it was too late for lute. We waited till 7 mo. and slipped the foal. I was lead to believe that it wasn’t a dangerous procedure. She came out with no complications. So why aren’t they using it? It cost me all of $75 at my vet here in AR, with her staying at the vets for at least 3 nights for observation! That’s hell of a lot cheaper than feeding a pregnant/lactating mare and all the vet/ferrier/and so on care that comes with having a foal.
And it makes me wonder if those mares aren’t getting pregnant while in their care…
I have never heard of anything getting pg at Sunkissed (I don’t believe they have a stallion on site, they’re not also running a breeding farm to my knowledge, so no reason they would). Why don’t you ask on their FB about Eve and see what they have to say?
All I know about Sunkissed is (a) everybody on COTH loves them, and that is a hard to please bunch and (b) they did a helluva job with Miracle.
What perfect timing for this post! I’ll be moving my gelding this summer from NY to the IL/WI border area and my lovely, wonderful, perfect shipper has retired! Needless to say, I’ve been in a bit of a panic looking for other shippers, after having 1 nightmare experience with Worley’s out of KY.
Has anyone used or heard anything about Pure Pleasure Horse Transport? I haven’t found any negative stuff and I like their setup.
Worley’s has a child with no helmet standing on a horse on their main page. Talk about a red flag about what kind of horsepeople they are!
That picture wasn’t there when I used them (back in ’06)!
Where are you hauling to and from? We’ve done the trip from Ontario to Cape Breton a few times with horses and never had an issue. I’ve done it myself in a 2H and our new GN3H slant. I’ve also done it with a pro shipper, and my Dad – never an issue.
The Pro shipper brought my mare, then a yearlying, in a stock trailer – stright through, onlystopping for short rest and she stepped on the trailer in a strange place and hopped right on our smaller trailer. No problem at all.
C & E Horse Transport in Northern IL is amazing. Craig is the best and takes the best care of the horses. =)
I used International Horse Transport to get my (very, very bitchy) mare from Seattle to Pullman during undergrad. I was upfront with them about the fact that she is an ex-racehorse TB mare to the core: very defensive about her personal space, not impressed by your thinly veiled treat attempts to win her over, and strongly dislikes men. They reassured me that they only use experienced handlers. When she got to me she was cool and comfortable even though it was over 100 degrees outside, and she didn’t appear to have lost any weight even though the trip took 6 days as they zig-zagged through Oregon picking up other horses first. The woman who unloaded her was perfectly calm even as Ellie gave an ear shattering whinny announcing to every other horse that SHE was now in fact the owner of this place, then threw a few bucks just to illustrate the point further. That’s my girl!!!! The drivers were friendly and polite, joked with me about a few of Ellie’s little habits (she can hyperextend both of her elbows, it’s pretty funny- plus it really reassured me that they had paid attention to her on the drive over), and didn’t charge me an arm and a leg. I would recommend them!
I hope Chelsea and new owner sue the pants off of this hauler.
I do too. It’s up to the new owner since Chelsea no longer had any legal interest in the horse, and since she’s had such a stressful time here with her husband’s health, I know she probably won’t take any action quickly but I hope that she does before the statute runs on it…Gail DESERVES a lawsuit. Everybody was horrified, I nearly cut out of work and went to get the horse myself.
I second recommendations for Equine Express. I used them 8 years ago to transport a 2 month old Chincoteague Pony foal from Virginia to Oklahoma. Keep in mind this was an unhandled, barely weaned foal being transported cross country. My pony was stabled for several weeks at a Virginia facility prior to pickup and I could not be there for loading.
I ordered a box stall for him and because we waited for a full load to be ready for pickup, we were able to get a discount on shipping. The transport took 3 days, cost $1,300, and I got regular phone calls from the haulers updating me on their progress.
Slider arrived at 4:00 a.m. right to my door in extremely narrow roaded, rural Oklahoma. Well, not to my door exactly…to the top of my driveway. Because Slider was not halter broke and did not know how to lead, the haulers picked him up and carried him down the ramp, down the drive, and into my barn…at 4:00 a.m.!
It was an impressive site to see that giant air-ride hauler driving down our narrow road. It was lit up like a carnival ride.
They even named my pony for me
The said they had started calling him Slider because every time they would stop to rearrange a load, he would sit down and they would slide him across the floor to his new location. The name stuck.
I was very impressed with the upates, the on time arrival, and the careful handling of my tiny precious cargo. I’ve not had an opportunity to need a cross-country haul since then, but if I did, I would call them again in a heartbeat.
Cornerstone Equine Transport used to be a top-notch hauker out of Rhinelander, WI but I read on CoTH that someone is now using her good name and reputation to try to scam people. I have also had good luck with Nationwide Horse Transportation out of Colorado. I haven’t had a really bad experience yet because I thoroughly researched each person who hauled for me…the worst thing I had happen was to have someone out of Canada try to rip me for more money than he quoted me for (several hundred dollars worth) when he got here with a horse I imported, but I threatened to pull up his email quote and have the county sheriff over to look over all his paperwork, and that got him going in a hurry! But all horses I have had shipped arrived within reasonable timetables and in good condition.
Oh yeah, and if they quote scriptures on a website, I usually click out of it in a hurry and never come back…WHAT THE HELL does God have to do with hauling a horse?! The best people I know don’t try and drag religion into daily transactions, and some of the worst I have met often do. If they have to use religion as their billboard, steer clear, in my opinion.
Here is a website that you can check out a shipper: http://www.safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Scroll down the page to company profile. you can put in a dot number or a name of a company. This will give you how many accidents, what kind of insurance, etc.
Always make sure that the shipper you are using is DOT registered. If they have an MC number it means that they are insured to carry race and show horses.
I don’t know why people use non dot registered drivers, they wouldn’t put their children on a bus with an uncertified bus driver.
Here are some questions to ask:
1) What is your DOT number
2) do you have an MC number
3) What size stall am I paying for.
4) How long will the trip take total
5) how many drivers are there
6) if there is an overnight stop, where is the facility that they will be over nighted, or are they staying in the trailer
7) how offen do you stop
6) how many horses will be on the trailer
DOT number insures that your drivers are drug and alochol tested, and can not drive more that eleven hours in a twenty-four hour period. and that the equipment is up to its highest standard.
Hope this helps clear some of the air.
I absolutely recommend Tony Lepore of PDQ Horse Transport out of Auburn, Maine. He has hauled my horses …adults and youngsters…from Canada to Florida and they have always arrived safe and sane. He is a horseman and has their well being in mind at all times. He keeps in contact with the owners while enroute, either by cell or email, which is reassuring. His prices are fair and reasonable. I won’t ship with anyone else and will wait until he is available and plan around that. He handles all the cross border paperwork and there have been no last minute surprises. Great guy to work with!
Fugly hits a memory nerve again. Twelve years ago I bought my now deceased stallion from an estate. I live in CT and he was living in TX so I hired a horse hauler to bring him home for me. Mind you, there were no web pages to search on and I hired a hauler out of Indiana via their ad in a magazine. The woman was sweet as pie (don’t remember her name) and assured me that they had hauled many stallions over the years and that he’d have his own compartment in the trailer where he couldn’t sniff other horses and get rattled. We arranged for him to be picked up mid-week and delivered to me on the weekend so I’d be home to spend time with him. It was around memorial day. Then the fun started. I don’t remember all the excuses but every day there was a new one. Mini mare foaled so they had to stop for a day and wasn’t my horse cute watching the foal, flat tire, ooops had to drop one off or pick another up here, there…blah blah bullshit. After 10 days (agreed upon 3 mind you) he had gone as far as Missouri I believe. By then I was fuming, not sleeping, couldn’t concentrate at work, and driving my now ex-hubby crazy. This woman even blamed me because they had to stop because my horse colicked, supposedly, and held everyone up. This is at day 6 or so of being on a trailer. Duh, asshole – he’s stressed if he colicked at all. Ex hubby got pissed and hooked our 200,000 mile diesel pickup to our dinosaur Kingston gooseneck and headed out. He drove to Indiana in one shot and went up a mountain so steep he wasn’t sure if he’d make it to get to lady-liar’s farm where my stud was. She refused to let him take the horse until he paid her CASH IN FULL ($800) for the hauling. She only got him half way! Her place was a dump, she was (sorry) a big, fat pig who waddled instead of walking. But the police said we either had to pay in full or argue in court which would take time that we didn’t want to spend. Long story short, he got home about 14 hours later, he had lost 200 lbs and he had ringworm. I wish I could remember her name / company but it’s been too long. Shortly after, all ads ceased for her. People so suck sometimes.
I’ve heard Cox Transportation is reliable. I believe they’re out of TX and had a good reputation the last I knew. Wish I’d used them.
Please see my comments about Cox Transport…..it’s been a terrible experience for us!
My husband had to drive up with our horse trailer in the middle of the night last night to pick up our new Kentucky Mountain Horse and bring him home in the cooler part of the day today since they lied to us about how many days it would take to deliver him to our ranch. They picked him up this Monday and he should have been delivered in two or three days. When my husband called the dispatcher yesterday to see where our horse was he was told it would be ANOTHER WEEK…next Thursday the 26th before he would be transported to us!!! Mike Cox even had the nerve to call me this AM and scream at me before hanging up in my ear that he’d NOT made those arrangements at all. LIAR!! Wish I could report him!!
First post on here! I had to chime in about Maxton Eckstein Horse Transport for the Eastern Canadians out there. He’s a really fantastic shipper. Super nice guy who really cares about the horses, keeps in touch, sends email newsletters, and is great about keeping you UTD on his schedule/whereabouts. There was one instance in particular a couple years ago where I had a 3 m/o foal who needed surgery, and he shipped momma and baby 3 hours to the clinic with me following behind in my car. We had to travel a major busy highway, and the whole way there he drove very carefully, and stayed clear out of the way of any congested traffic. He made me feel really comfortable (I was beyond stressed about the whole thing) and pulled over a number of times on the way there to peek in, check hay, and make sure everyone was happy.
Once we got to the clinic, we scheduled the pick up for the following day, and he left to finish the rest of his rounds. After my fillies examination and ultrasound upon delivery, the vets were thrilled with her progress and decided that surgery wasn’t necessary after all. I called Max, told him what was up, and he drove 2.5 hours all the way back to me just to drive my horses home. He was genuinely happy for my fillies report, loaded them up, and we were home before dark. I’ve used him a couple times since then, and he’s given me the same service consistently. Great guy.
Add another vote for Cox Equine Transport, heqdquartered in Texas. I used them 7 yrs ago to haul a 3 yr old Arab gelding frm the Los Angeles area to E. Texas. The horse was not trained to load, but they handled him well and he arrived on schedule, in good weight, and without a mark on him. I used them a couple of months ago to haul two 23 yr old Arab mares from Southern California to E. Texas, and both arrived in similarly great shape and on time. They make regularly scheduled trips to both the east and west coast, and their rates are very compeititive. They also give discounts for multiple horses hauled from the same origination point to the same destination.
I have used Azevedo Transportation for long cross country trips twice now and have several friends who have as well. On my first and second hauls I had a geriatric gelding with special needs. They did an AWESOME job with him. I cannot say enough good things about Todd and Tony Azevedo and the rest of the crew.
Beeline Teeples Horse Hauling out of Salt Lake City, Utah, transported my 8 months pregnant mare from Utah to northern California. She had one overnight at their facility and arrived the next day in great shape, delivered to my doorstep on narrow country roads. Service was affordable and horse was in great shape.
I think I am more leary about a website selling a serivce that quotes a ton of scripture. It makes me wonder why they would do such and what they are realy hiding.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend Equine Express.
I purchased a 4 month old filly (at the time of shipping) from College Station, TX and needed to get her to NY. Obviously at this extreme young age I HAD to have her in a box stall. Equine Express laid over for 2 nights with her and she arrived looking fantastic!
The driver was very friendly even though he was getting in to our town at about 6am. We had to meet him at a grocery store parking lot and he was very kind to the filly as she was a little overwhelmed and scared of the huge ramp coming off an 18-wheeler. He took his time handling her and even stayed around to help us get her on to our trailer. He certainly didn’t have to do this as he already had my signature and could easily have done a duck-and-run. His patience, helpfullness and the fantastic condition this young weanling arrived in will have me being a repeat customer for a long, long time.
Have used Blew By U horse transport for the past 7 years, maybe more. I trust them with the most expensive horses and know they will come off the trailer unhurt and calm. Nice big box stalls and affordable. Mostly west coast hauls. Great people!!
I had a horse shipped about 360 miles across Texas from a company called CritterShip… He was coming to college with me
It was great, he got loaded at home, got here about seven hours later in fine condition. Luckily he’s a good hauler, and gave her no trouble on the ride up, although he definitely wasn’t used to being cooped up for so long! He was very antsy and ready for a good run around the paddock when he got here.
http://dynamite-springs-stable.com/Surprise-wins.htm
is it just me but does this horse look extremely uncomfortable? i wouldn’t even stretch my cat this far. I cannot even see what the rear hooves are doing on this guy.
If you have Minis or ponies I highly recommend Sharrway Transport. They hotshotted two loads for us when we moved from PA to Texas, including a load of llamas. All critters arrived perfectly safe and healthy! Took one load down, turned around, took a day off to rest, picked up Load #2 and away they went! They raise American Shetland Ponies so know how to handle the hot ones…
AC4H and VFH or (the $hady and Murky show) unfolding. *Sigh* when can people stop supporting them??? Brenda Lewis Ace rescue pulled a horse from auction that fell off Shady & Murky’s merry-go-round.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=alexbrown&nav=messages&msg=54633.138&prettyurl=%2Falexbrown%2Fmessages%3Fmsg%3D54633%2E138
Finally I found you again! Would it be possible to put a notice somewhere to help others?
I searched on Google…nothing
Looked on Facebook…nothing
Asked on ‘Ask Yahoo’…nothing
The blog??? What were you searching as that you didn’t find it? It has like a zillion Google hits.
I unfortunately hired this woman to haul a horse from Florida to Arizona back in 2004. I actually hired her twice. The first time, everything went off without a problem, what I didn’t know is that she had subcontracted to a wonderful hauler and the poor man never got paid to bring my first horse out. The second time I hired her, I got the same kinds of run around that it seems many people have had. She didn’t show up on the date to pick up my second horse (truck or trailer problems I can’t remember which). She wouldn’t answer my phone calls after the pick up date. I had my husband call her from his phone, just after trying to reach her. She answered right away, I imagine because she didn’t recognize the phone number. I was trying to get this horse to Arizona in time for my daughter’s birthday. Two weeks later, I was out $500 and had to hire another hauler. I am somewhat greatful that she didn’t wind up picking up my horse after reading the horror stories of people having their horses hauled to her place for MONTHS. I just wish I had done a search on her before hiring her that second time. I actually had a third horse that I needed hauled in 2008 and Gail actually contacted me with a quote. I couldn’t resist emailing her back to let her know that I wouldn’t let her haul a dead horse for me let alone an expensive pregnant mare. I was so lucky to find a wonderful hauler to move that mare and I have used him ever since. When we moved from Arizona to Utah, I used him to haul all five horses together. He and his wife are wonderful people. Constant contact with them if needed and he is wonderfully cautious. We had terribly icy roads at the time and at my request, he stayed an extra day outside LasVegas to wait for warmer temperatures.
I have read all of these comments about COX TRANSPORT and need to add our experience today for the rest of you to read!
We hired Cox Transport to pick up our new 4 year old gelding from a trainer in Kentucky.
Mike Cox agreed to pick him up and deliver to us in Dripping Springs TX either immediately or two or three days later. He was picked up in the middle of the night from trainer on Monday April 16th so we expected him to be delivered yesterday evening at the latest. My husband called dispatcher and was told he was in Gainsville and would not be delivered until NEXT THURSDAY….the 26th of April!!!
I tried calling many times both of their numbers…left messages….no answer.
My husband got up in the middle of the night to haul him home during the cool of the morning, early part of the day.
He sat with our rig for almost two hours this morning outside a locked gate, no one around until 9:30 AM, no one answered the phone calls again this AM.
He’s on his way now once the horse was picked up, but I finally got a phone call from Mike Cox and when I told him how frustrated we were of his change of plan to 10 days instead of two/three he started screaming at me that this had not been the plan at all and hung up on me.
I will never use them again!! I used to own a thoroughbred broodmare farm and had horses hauled for many years by professional haulers. Never once did this happen to me in 18 years of shipping horses from Louisiana to Kentucky!!
Please get the hauler to sent you a contract with expected shipping and delivery time on it…my husband failed to do this and is paying the price for his oversight right now and I’m sure our new young horse is terribly shaken up with all the new changes he’s going through.