Horse Transportation Services
Unlike moving a dog, cat, or smaller animal, moving a horse (or horses) can often seem like a daunting task. They are much larger and require a lot more space to be comfortable during their journey. Normally this would mean that finding a horse transportation service is quite a struggle, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
Using Shiply you can compare quotes from rated horse transport companies within minutes, often at 75% cheaper rates than usual.
How Much Does Horse Transportation Cost?
Numerous factors can affect the cost of transporting a horse, but on average you can expect transporting your horse to cost roughly $2.55 per mile for trips less than 100 miles and $1.10 per mile for journeys over 100 miles. Aside from distance, some other factors to consider are:
Timings - If your horse needs to be transported somewhere by a certain time or date then this may raise costs for a horse transportation company as a tight schedule may be harder to work around.
Size - Horses are big animals, but they still vary in size, as well as how many of them you need to move. This is something that should be discussed with horse transport companies before agreeing to use them, but ensure they know exactly what to expect in terms of horse size and number. Having a suitable trailer is very important, and you should discuss whether this will be provided by a transport provider.
Time Of Year - Unfortunately the wintertime can often lead to higher rates when looking for horse transportation services. This is because certain roads and highways will be blocked off due to ice, wind, and snow and so longer routes may be required.
How Can Shiply Help Find Horse Transportation Services?
It would usually be the case that you would need to spend a fair bit of time conducting independent research into horse transportation, what the best company/service for you is, and how much it should cost. On Shiply, the horse shipping companies come to you.
Just fill out some details on our site regarding the size and number of horses you need to move, where they are currently, and where they need to get to. Within minutes you will start to receive quotes to ship your horse and you will be able to compare all of your options in one simple place. Further, our platform displays reviews and feedback from previous users for any of the companies who have quoted you, as well as providing you with the ability to message them to ask any questions or inform them of any special requirements.
Shiply is also often up to 75% cheaper than standard horse transportation services because our drivers are often already making similar journeys. The other bonus of this is that it reduces unnecessary CO2 emissions in the environment.
Preparing For Your Horse To Be Transported
If you looked through some horse shipping companies and decided on a service to go ahead with, you now need to prepare for your horse to be picked up. Some things we advise you to look at are:
Physical Health - If your horse is sick, elderly or just generally in poor physical condition then it is often recommended that they do not travel. It may be worth taking your horse to a vet to confirm they are fit for travel (and this confirmation from a vet may even be required by your transporter). One specific thing to look out for is ensuring your horse has fresh shoes.
Documents - If you are selling your horse or they are traveling abroad then you may require some documentation. We always recommend sorting any documents as soon as possible as they can delay or even completely halt your horse transportation should something go wrong.
Wash - Both your horse and the person transporting them will thank you if you clean the horse before pick up. It helps to ensure that your horse is as comfortable as possible.
Food And Water - You should always ensure that your horse is going to have enough food and water for the journey, although this is often provided by horse transportation companies.
Teaching Your Horse How To Load - One thing you may want to practice with your equine before they are transported is loading and unloading. We recommend that your horse knows how to ‘walk’, ‘stop’, ‘back up’, and ‘turn around’ and that you try and get your horse as used to trailers as possible - horse transport companies will be very grateful (as will your horse).
What To Do After Delivery
The only thing to really check for once the delivery has been completed is the health of your horse. We also ask that you leave a review and a feedback score for your chosen horse shipping company so that Shiply users in the future will know what level of service to expect from them.
