Long distance horse transport - coast-to-coast and regional service

Horse Jitney llc and its partner company, Fred's Pony Express, offers regional and coast-to-coast horse transport, specializing in smaller loads with more direct, door-to-door service. Horses travel in oversized four-horse head-to-head trailers which have been custom designed to our specifications. They have extra-large straight stalls, 10x8 box stalls with full floor to ceiling stallion dividers, added vents and windows, and interior heights of 7'6" and 7'8" making them comfortable and inviting for the largest of horses.

Quick facts

• Drivers are experienced horse people
• Water and hay are kept fresh and available at all times and consumption is monitored
• Trailers have rubber-ride suspension and excellent ventilation
• Experienced with special needs horses
• Proven methods for stress-free travel including rest stops every three hours

What you should know about long-distance shipping

Shipping a horse long distance is very different than shipping a horse a few hundred miles, and it's the quality of the horse care, trailer configuration, and driving that makes the difference on whether or not your horse loses weight, experiences great stress, and arrives ready to work. We pride ourselves on delivering horses that are ready to work and play from the moment they get off the trailer, regardless of whether they've traveled across town or across the country - our clients will attest to it!

Loads are limited to five horses in a "head-to-head" configuration which means your horse rides in an extra-large straight stall, accessed from the side or rear ramp or in a box stall. Each trailer has two 10x8 box stalls and one 9x8 box which have full floor to ceiling divider walls, grilled at the top for excellent ventilation. Horses ship loose in the box stalls, which is our preferred method for trips over three days, weanlings, and neurologic horses which may need to lay down during the trip.

In the head-to-head configuration, two horses face forwards, and two face backwards, with an occasional horse riding in a completely enclosed box stall between the horses. If you have a horse with hock issues, we prefer to put that horse facing backwards to keep the pressure off the hocks, and if your horse has a front leg injury, we prefer to ship it facing forwards. Please let us know if your horse has any special needs or health issues.

It's hard work for a horse to balance in a moving trailer, and even though these trailers have the smoothest of rides, horses get fatiqued if they don't have enough breaks, so we stop every three hours for at last twenty minutes, with longer breaks to avoid rush hour traffic whenever possible. Even with two drivers, we prefer not to run the trucks 24/7 because it's too hard on the horses without a significant break, so we generally stop the trucks from midnight to 7 or 8 am to give everyone a break. Most horses are thankful for the break and quietly eat their hay, drink water, and snooze. When they are ready to go, they'll let us know, as we sleep in the trailer with them so we are right there in case there's an unhappy or sick camper on board.

Between trips the trucks and trailers are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, examined for wear and tear, and mechanically serviced.

Requirements for interstate travel

• Current coggins - know your state laws and check with your vet at least two weeks prior to travel
• 30-day health certificate - do not call your vet the day ahead of travel - it can take up to a week to get a health certificate
• Vaccination proof - some states such as Connecticut and Rhode Island require Rabies vaccinations - know your state laws

Request a quote info@horsejitney.com or just give us a call at 301-526-8273 or 941-650-1377

Our system

When your horse is traveling over 300 miles, travel time can be considerably longer than driving a car the same distance because we must stop to rest the horse, refill hay nets, and top off water buckets for each horse in our care at least every three hours, sometimes sooner if it is exceptionally hot, or we have a difficult traveler on the trailer. Our system works very well for getting horses to drink along the route, even if they "typically don't drink on the trailer".

We have found that horses travel best when given at least a twenty minute break every three to four hours. During each break we systematically and efficiently interact with each horse, refill hay and water, plus observe their demeanor for signs of stress. The horses learn the routine very quickly, and by the third stop they settle into it as if it were their live-long daily routine at home. Many horses won't urinate or drink while in motion, so the repeatable process makes it easy for them to adapt.

Depending on the length of the trip, horses' individual needs, and owner requests, we may lay over one or more nights at a horse hotel, but in general we try to keep the horses moving towards their destinations as quickly as possible.

How we work

We believe safety of the horses and humans comes first and foremost, though we do try to stay on schedule. What this means to you is that if we miss a turn, we DO NOT slam on the brakes to miss the turn, but find the nearest safe place to turn the rig around. We drive at a safe speed, moving with the flow of traffic on highways, depending on traffic, weather, and road conditions. The care and health of the horses must come first, and we will do our best to communicate with you throughout the trip.

While it may take us a little longer at each stop, we find the horses arrive in stellar condition, regardless of age or attitude. We promise to take good care of your horse and keep you apprised of our location, but we cannot promise a specific pickup or delivery time well in advance as we are usually traveling many thousands of miles before arrive. We will generally provide a 3-5 day pickup window up until about a week ahead, when it will narrow to a couple of a days, and as it gets close we will communicate with you so the horse is ready to go. Please remember, the weather and traffic conditions in your location may be radically different than where we were 10 hours before we are due to arrive at your farm.

When traveling off the highway, we typically travel with the traffic flow, but off the highway it is sometimes signficantly below, depending on the width of the road, height of the road crown, windy turns, and weather conditions. We ask that you tell us about any one lane bridges, low overpasses, one lane roads, steep hills, or tight turns ahead of time. When planning our route, you can help us get to you safely by identifying any obstacles that might cause and 18 wheeler tractor trailer to have trouble... we are affected by many of the same conditions.

What you should know about loading and unloading your horse

We reserve the right to unload and load your horse on the road if we do not feel we can maneuver our expensive trailers in your location. We require 100 feet of turning radius on relatively flat, stable ground which is free and clear of any trees, bushes, jumps, pot holes, ruts, or mud. No winding driveways or steep driveways. We have a side ramp and will drop the ramp on your driveway, making it inviting for your horse.

Our job is to ship your horse - which means your job is to make sure you provide a horse that will readily load into a trailer. If your horse does not load within thirty minutes of arrival, we reserve the right to assess loading fees which start at $50. We cannot risk injury to ourselves or our equipment, but will work with you to determine if loading is possible. Please advise us ahead of time of any issues you expect with your horse.

Special needs horses

We are the preferred shipper for special needs horses, which are those horses who may have neurologic problems, injuries, inexperience, aged horses, or are babies requiring box stalls. We take our time to understand each horse's condition, and work with you to establish reasonable expectations.

Request a quote info@horsejitney.com or just give us a call at 301-526-8273 or 941-650-1377

Rates and Fees

Long distance rates

Rates depend on several factors, including the price of Diesel, but also the loaded miles, unloaded travel time to pickup locations, number of horses on the rig, number of drivers, tolls, and travel conditions such as mountains or heavy traffic. We quote fair and reasonable prices for the services we offer, taking into account our overhead for maintaining safe trailers, and actually paying the driver a salary. You wouldn't want us to ship your horse if we were working for minimum wage!

We will call you when we are within thirty minutes of your pickup location, provided cell service is available, and request you have your horse (and any equipment traveling) ready to load. We allow up to two hours of actual loading time with no additional fees.

While we are happy to wait for you to pay your board bill, hose or brush your horse, bring him in from the field, pack his "carry on", bring the horse from another barn, or any other non-loading induced pauses in loading, there will be a $50 fee per hour assessed should we need to wait more than 10 minutes.

Request a quote info@horsejitney.com or just give us a call at 301-526-8273 or 941-650-1377

Requirements for travel

Your must provide us with a copy of a current negative coggins AND, if shipping over state lines, a copy of a current health certificate dated within 30 days of travel. The horse's name on the contract must match the name on the coggins and health certificate!!!

It is your responsibility to have accurate paperwork or else we will not transport your horse and you WILL be responsible for the full fare

As a commercial horse transport company, we abide by the transport laws created by the department of agriculture - it is for the safety and benefit of all those who ship with us.

Payment policies

We do not require a deposit, however we only accept cash, certified checks, and bank checks at pickup or delivery in full. We do not accept personal or business checks as we cannot cash them on the road. We are often away from our banks for weeks to months on end, so we must be able to verify your payment. A receipt will be provided.

Payment in full required before loading your horse! We accept:

• Cash, bank check, or certified checks at the pickup or drop off location
• We DO NOT accept PERSONAL OR BUSINESS CHECKS!!!!
• We charge $200 for a bounced check!

Recommendations for healthy travel

• Reduce grain rations 48 hours prior to traveling
• Accustom horse to any tack they will wear during travel prior to the trip
• Practice loading before the big day
• Do not feed grain within 2 hours of travel
• Supply at least one bale of hay and treats
• Don't over dress your horse - remember trailers generate quite bit of road heat, and horses are furnaces in a confined area!
• Tell us about any odd behaviors, likes, and dislikes
• Mention any and all medical conditions your horse has had recently or during travel such as colic, ulcers, fractures, infections, etc.

Request a quote info@horsejitney.com or just give us a call at 301-526-8273 or 941-650-1377