05/27/08 Long hauls and horses

Years ago I had a horse shipped by a commercial hauler to the West Coast. When my mare was unloaded she didn't look like much the horse I had bought. I'm Susan Allen with tips on how to make horse ownership a "cinch" on today's American Rancher and after the break I'll share a few idea ideas on shipping horses safely. About ten years ago I had a horse commercially shipped from California, (a relatively short haul) yet she still arrived in poor condition and I learned the hard way that there is more to picking a commercial hauler than the lowest price per mile. Today if I needed to ship a horse I would make sure I knew what kind of a rig would be used, how many layovers I could expect and the companies relationship with vets en route. Because a horse keeps it balance with it's head coupled with the fact that road vibrations can be hard on legs when shipping cross country I would pay extra for an air ride van with a box stall or even a stall and a half. I would also want to know how the firm deals with emergency breakdowns, if their drivers are trained to recognize colic and what insurance coverage the firm carries. With the internet there is no excuse not to check references and while many commercial haulers now request a deposit with payment upon delivery, boy I would be leery of any that want the full amount up front. This has been Susan Allen helping to make horse ownership a " cinch" on today's American Rancher.