Shipping horses - horse owners?

I guess the most important thing would be safety for the horse.... We have had horses ship very well and some who ship badly. Thank goodness for the great shippers we have used as they took the time to notice when the horses were not doing well and took steps to fix those issues.

I would also say that you get what you pay for. Cheaper shipping is seldom the way to go.... I would much rather pay 500.00-1000.00 more for a shipper who will be conscientious and actually care for my horse then to pay less and have a horse show up emaciated, dehydrated, or dead....

I also suggest insuring the animal, if it is not already insured, before you ship just in case something were to happen.

edited to add

I would highly suggest never unloading a horse to "stretch their legs" in any place but a well fenced, meant for horses area. Too many times people, who think they are being kind, unload a scared, excited horse at a rest stop and have the horse get loose and killed on a highway.

I have just recently had to have my horse shipped from SC to AZ which is a 2000 mile trip. I was not doing this myself so I had to do loads of research into the companies doing the shipping. My basic concern was giving the horses a rest, and making sure they got the horses out of the trailer at night. Some of the hauling companies did not use a horse 'hotel' and utilized the horse trailer as a box stall. This is something I did not want, as I did not want the horse stuck, with no view for 3 to 4 days in the same place. I was also concerned about the horse being taken off the trailer as you think 'What happens if he gets away'. It was a very fine line for me. I eventually settled on a company, that traveled 3 to 4 hours before the horse was rested. They have designated, fenced in places, along the route in which the horse can be removed and walked around for a stretch. The horses have hay and water the entire trip and are provided electrolytes if requested. They have designated horse hotels, where the horses are removed, allowed in the field to run, stretch and roll, and then are put in a large stall for 8 hours. They have an oversized trailer (as the horse being shipped was 17'1 and 1500lbs) as I was also concerned about him being cramped. Overall, I was more concerned about shipping conditions than cost.

I've seen many horse injuries, trailer accidents, and things "you only read about" when it comes to trailering. And it makes me nervous when I trailer my horses - I always make a checklist and triple check everything is in order before we leave. Last sunday I had to trailer 2 of my horses and the horse my cousin was riding to a show (my instructor drove) and although I trust my instructor, I couldn't help but make sure everything was right.

The things I usually worry about the most: (Just a note, I'm only 16 and have never actually driven a truck/trailer, so when I say 'we' or 'I', I don't really mean I'm driving. lol)

-Gas! I've run out of gas before while hauling my horses. My cousin and I rode double to the gas station. I was thankful we had my instructor's bomb proof trail mare with us!

-Injuries! My horse's always wear shipping boots in the trailer, and anything else depending on the day. I also make sure there is nothing they can get caught on, and that their trailer ties will break if they fall. My friends horse fell in the trailer, they found him "knocked out" in the trailer when they arrived at the show - he was being 'hung' by his halter. Thankfully there was a vet on scene and the horse was fine.

-Trailer flaws! I'm glad I've never witnessed this, but I've heard about locals whose trailer hitch broke and they lost thier trailer on the road. Nowadays there are plenty of safety mechanisms in case this happens (on the trailer i use, there is a chain from truck to trailer that could come in handy if the hitch were to break) but it still scares me.

Overnight stays: I've only done this once, but I was a little nervous about how my horse would stand all night, and if he would be hyper the next day from not being able to run like he always does at night. The one time I overnighted, all the horses got loose at 2 in the morning... lol.

Handling: Both of my horses are trailered about once a month, sometimes more. If we have trouble loading, we practice at home when we have time. The only trouble I usually have is backing my barrel horse out of the trailer. He doesn't like the drop...

Relaxed and Ready: Well, I usually get wherever I am going very early, because my pleasure horse usually needs plenty of time to settle in. I usually lunge before I load them (because they are often stalled the night before) and then lunge and/or ride when we get there to warm them up.

Good luck with your article!

my ultimate goal with anything is to make sure my horse is comfortable. bottom line. ANY time when i go to rodeos, go out of town with my horses etc.. my main concern are my horses. No and, ifs, or buts.

I sold our pony mak - but when we took him to montana etc, he would only drink water from our place. I gladly filled up gallons of that water for him. eventually he would drink the water there but i made sure we had enough of that water for the ride there atleast. I also polo wrap all my horses legs, head bumpers if needed. and every four hours i pit stop. Humans can use restrooms and i walk them each for about 5 minutes, etc.

I dont care the hay prices - I will buy tons of extra hay just for the trip. I dont take extra precauctions as much when were just a hour from home etc. But i still make sure my horses are comfortable. they are my top priority.

I ship my horse myself. And the only thing I worry about is him putting his tail out the slats in the side and his tail getting attched to a car next to us. But what i do, is when we pull over for gas I take him out and lunge him in a isolated area. cool him down and suit him back up for the ride again. It keeps him calm and less tense.