Quality horse transportation
A little about what we do and where we go
Horse Jitney llc is a woman-owned and operated horse shipping company providing high-quality horse transportation primarily on the east coast and throughout the mid-west, though we do offer private charters nationwide. We are horse people who focus on keep ing the horses in our care happy, healthy, and ready to work or play. Our clients are horse people who want their horses treated well and travel comfortably in the care of professional horse people. While we have bases in Maryland and Georgia, we are seldom local to our home base, so give us a call at 301-526-8273 to discuss your needs even if your horse isn't local to our base...chances are we aren't either!
We give all horses, regardless of breed, pedigree, and performance level, the same quality care and attention we would give our own, and make every effort to make them comfortable during the ride.
While we transport all types of horses from serious competitiors to backyard pets, we specialize in shipping horses with "special needs" such as older horses, neurologic, EPM, laminitis cases, blind, rehabiliting, and weanlings. Our trailers have been custom-configured for the comfort of large horses traveling long distances, stallions, miniatures, and mares with foals.
Our services are reasonably priced and our equipment second to none with oversized stalls, 7'8" tall interior heights, extra wide, gently sloping side ramps, rear ramps, stallion walls, extra windows and vents, and many more features desgined so your horse rides in comfort and style at a price you can afford.
Choose an over-sized straight stall that is extra long and wide or an 8x10 box stall where he rides loose.
Horse Jitney is the preferred shipper for the thoroughbred stallion Mission Approved, Winner of the 2011 Grade I Manhattan stakes and the only American horse to race in the invitation-only Japan World Cup in 2011, one of the world's richest turf races.
Tentative March 2012 schedule - call Athena at 301-526-8273 for most current trip information
- March 14 - Georgia - North Carolina
- March 15 - North Carolina - Virginia
- March 16 - Virginia - New York
- March 18 - New York - Florida
- March 20 - Florida - Georgia
- March 22 - Georgia - Maryland
- March 28 - Maryland - New Jersey
- March 29 - New Jersey - Michigan
- March 30 - Michigan - Kentucky
We are routinely adding trips, so if don't see one scheduled, call us at 301-526-8273 (Athena)
If we don't answer please leave a message - we may be loading a horse, in heavy traffic, in the mountains without cell service, or sleeping! We will call you back as soon as we are able to, which may be the next day.
How we work
Trips are limited to a maximum of five horses so travel time en route is limited, reducing stress and fatique for your horse. We operate two oversized straight load, head-to-head trailers instead of slant load trailers because the stalls are much roomier, and we can access each horse individually during routine stops, with no need to unload horses at each delivery or pickup point, thus reducing risks during travel. We're sure you'll love our rigs as much as we do!
Our trailers are spacious and inviting so even "problem-loaders" usually walk right in! The trailers have added windows and vents, extra-large straight stalls, grilled stallion walls from floor to ceiling, five foot side ramps and gently sloping rear ramps, plus interior ceiling heights of 7'8" allowing the largest of horses to ride comfortably.
We will likely not be your cheapest quote, but we are competitively priced for the personalized service and quality care each horse trusted to us receives. We have years of experience shipping everything from pet ponies to horses competing Internationally in show jumping, evenging, racing, and dressage.
Pre-trip preparation - help us make it a great experience for your horse
Prior to picking up your horse, we invite you to discuss any previous problems you've had loading or shipping your horse so we can work with you to make loading and unloading safe and unstressful for horses and humans. Anything you can tell us about his or her past experiences and the types of trailers used will help us mitigate potential problems and manage quirks for a good loading and shipping experience.
Did you know you can help us keep aches and pains to a minimum by letting us know if your horse has old injuries in the front or hind end? It's true! If a horse rides loose and has a history of bowed tendons, ankle injuries, or laminitis in the front, he will most likely put his body facing forward, while horses with stifle or hock discomfort will generally ride backwards, which tells us a great deal about how smart horses really are! To balance themselves in a trailer their weight shifts to the back as the trailer moves forward, so they put themselves in a position that allows them to take the extra weight on the part of their body with the least amount of aches and pains.
Seldom to do we see horses stand at an angle as in a slant load trailer or use a wall for support as is often the case in a smaller trailer or bumper pull. When we have a horse with a known condition, we will attempt to give him a standing stall facing forward or backwards based on availability. Some horses are very body sore, like those who are coming right from the race track and they turn in a box about every half hour to try to get comfortable. The trailers have terrific independent suspension and give the horse a very smooth ride, but the very motion of any moving vehicle is something they will feel and we do our best to make them comfortable!
Please tell us about any special dietary needs your horse may have, provide any special hay or feed, and give us written instructions. We are happy to administer medications en route. We do not recommend graining your horse en route, but we keep them happy with generous amounts of hay and water is kept within reach at all times. Most horses will drink while in motion once they are comfortable, usually starting about three hours into the trip.
We do not recommend pre-trip tranquilizers because they can actually make loading more difficult as the horse is more likely to "shut down". If you are interested in tranquilizing, please discuss with us prior to travel as it affects how we regulate the temperature in the trailer, as well as hay and water access until tranquilizer has worn off. In general, we much prefer to ship without.
We pride ourselves on delivering relaxed, healthy horses. Click here for more information about our local and long distance horse transport services.
Loading - how we work
Generally speaking, we ask that you trust us to load your horse as we are familiar with the equipment and the other horses already on-board. We will take time to let him or her sniff around the ramp, and decide this is a good idea before we ask him to take a step onto the ramp, which sometimes means we stand and talk to you for a few minutes, ignoring loading to take the pressure off, so it may not look like we are doing anything, but in reality your horse is making his own internal decision that "this is ok" and usually will amble right on up the ramp of his own accord. Obviously, not all horses are so easy, but we are really good at gently convincing a horse this is a great idea, but if we need to escalate, we do so slowing and work with you to determine the best options. We know we can get just about any horse into our trailer, but we want your horse to be interested in getting into any trailer post shipping with us, so we do everything in our power to make it a good experience.
During the ride, we take the time to monitor each horse's water and food intake, general attitude, and stop every three hours to rest their legs and top off hay and water, and adjust ventilation for changing climates. We always spend quality time with them at stops so we can recognize each individual's normal, healthy behavior and potentially catch early signs of stress or illness before serious problems arise. Don't be surprised if you get a call from us asking if it's normal for your horse to grind teeth, wrinkle his eyebrows, or drink more or less water than expected - sometimes it's those subtle signs that help us catch a problem before it's a big problem.
A little about us
- We are horse people first and foremost
- Trailers are custom built for the care and comfort of horses traveling long distances
- DOT compliant and commercially insured
- Trailers are routinely cleaned and disinfected with same products used in equine hospitals
- We treat horses the way we would our own - with the utmost respect and kindness
So what's a jitney, anyway? The definition of jitney is "a small, often informal bus that carries passengers over a regular route on a flexible schedule."
The Horse Jitney llc is owned and operated by me, Athena Haresign, a horsewoman with over twenty five years of professional equine experience, including breeding, training, and trailering competitive show horses. I'm a former veterinary technician, capable of noticing subtle signs of illness and administering oral, IV, or IM medications per your veterinarian's orders. Our primary concern is keeping horses safe and healthy while traveling with us. I also happen to be a pretty good driver!
Preventive maintenance
Since we put about 10,000 miles a month on each truck, we spend a fair amount of time doing preventive maintenance on the trucks and trailers and are lucky to have great shops in Maryland and Georgia for just such services. On the road, a trailer can be changed usually with only a 20 minute delay, and a truck tire a bit more depending on if it is a dually or front tire that's gone flat. While we do everything in our power to maintain proper tire pressures, tires are probably the most routine problem we face during a trip as nails are abundant at the farms we visit. In the heat of the summer trailers will often randomely "blow" a tire, even a new tire, when road heat is over 100 degrees, so we typically carry two spares for the trailers.
Shipping Details
Contact us by phone or email so we can understand your shipping needs and provide a customized quote for shipping your horse and one bale of hay. Additional fees are assessed for box stalls, equipment, direct or private transport, and client-requested overnight layovers. We have limited space available for shipping tack, plastic totes, saddles, bridles, feed, etc, so please be sure to ask if space is available, and understand we must charge accordingly.
Horses ride in extra large straight stalls or 8x10 box stalls in the head-to-head trailers. Box stalls are required for mares with foals, miniatures, and any horse that cannot fit comfortably in a stall and a half.
Don't wait to book your trip with us, especially if you'd like your horse to ride in a box stall! We routinely travel between New York, Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio, but these popular runs fill up fast, so contact us to make your reservation at 301-526-8273 or email us at info@horsejitney.com
Horses for Sale
Coming four Oldenburg mare for sale: Radiant by Royal Appearance (by Hilltop Farm's Riverman) out of Fuerst Gotthard mare - Contact Athena at 301-526-8273 - See Videos below
Coming five year old Oldenburg filly by a son of Hilltop Farm’s Riverman out of Fuerst Gotthard mare. Radiant currently sticks a hair under 16.2. Her dam is 16.3 hands tall, and her sire 16.1. We expect that this filly will reach or exceed 17 hands when she finishes growing. She is March foal.
Radiant shows natural athleticism and three fluid gaits. She’s been lightly started under saddle and offers her new owner a fantastic work ethic and a kind and inquisitive personality. She forms a bond with those who care for her, and is known to come when called and to make herself available when she thinks there is work to be done. She has been ridden in the ring and on the trail, and has made a few passes over ground poles and cross rails. She shows an affinity for working and a natural aptitude for jumping. This filly should excel in any discipline.
Picture at right is Royal Appearance jumping at the Hampton Classic
Radiant is out of the Oldenburg mare Fifth Element, a quality mare who has been top ten at Dressage at Devon, and is by the former Hilltop Farm stallion Royal Appearance by Riverman. Her lineage traces back to Landgraf, Redfort, Calypso II, Lord (Ladykiller xx and Cottage Son xx), Calando, Othello, Furioso II, Gotthard, and Inschalla. Radiant reflects her quality breeding in her freedom of movement, work ethic, and attitude towards people and work.
The pictures above fail to accurately capture the athletic scope that this filly shows while in work. Please visit the aforementioned sites to see her in motion. Contact Athena at 301-526-8273 for more information or to schedule an appoint to meet Radiant in person. Please note also that her owner is a professional horse transporter. Shipping will happily be provided at a reasonable rate should Radiant’s new home be out of the local area.
Contact Athena at 301-526-8273 for more information.
Excellent Thoroughbred geldings and mares for sale!
If you're looking for a talented Thoroughbred horse for you sport, look no further than A Pinch of Luck located in Atlanta, GA, and owned by Heather Buras. Heather specializes in matching ex-racing and non-racing Thoroughbreds with the right owners and disciplines for a happy new career. She always has a nice selection of horses for a wide variety of disciplines including polo, hunters, trail riding, eventing, and dressage. Many of her horses come from the Finger Lakes Race Track in New York, and are hand selected by Heather for their conformation, athletic abilities, bloodlines, and especially their attitudes. Contact Heather at 404-267-3398.
Some notes about 2011
2011 had some very great moments and some very sad moments for our circle of friends in the Horse Jitney community. We parted ways with Fred Massie, who no longer took joy in shipping horses or being part of the Horse Jitney group, we traveled with the great stallion Mission Approved to race in Chicago's Million dollar Arlington Million stakes race where I had the great honor and privilege of being his personal groom and hot walker, and we sadly said good-bye to dear friend and client Skip Haughway and his wonderful son of the famouse racer Holy Bull, "Bully", who were both killed in a tragic riding accident. We shared tears of joy as clients shipped in new babies, and tears of sadness as some went to greener pastures, including my own ex-racer No Delay, my talented 21 year old thoroughbred who spent most of his 16 years with me devising interesting ways to send me flying, yet only succeeding once! We made many, many new friends, both horse and human, and are very excited to see what 2012 brings to all we care about.
Contact us by phone at 301-526-8273 or email us at info@horsejitney.comto discuss your horse's travel schedule.
