Shipping a Horse with uShip
When you need to transport your horse, you want the best horse transport company and uShip can help you find just that! We’ll help you figure out how to ship a horse, help you get rates from horse transporters, and give you some tips along the way. If at any point, things get out of hand, give us a callgive us a call and we’ll be happy to help you tame any problem.
uShip’s marketplace is a great place to find the best horse transporters and best rates. Create your shipment listing for your horse, including all the details and then carriers who specialize in transporting horses will send you quotes. They will be competing for your business with their rates, ensuring you get the best horse transportation rates possible.
How to Ship a Horse
uShip makes transporting a horse as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1 | Create Your Shipment Listing
First, you’ll want to consider your timeframe and the needs of your horse. Be prepared with your horse’s information, including weight, how many hands tall, breed, and name. Share any special care your horse may need while in transit. Enter the pickup and delivery locations and be as detailed as possible. The more detail you provide, the easier it will be for the horse transport companies to provide you with quotes.
How to Ship a Horse
uShip makes transporting a horse as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1 | Create Your Shipment Listing
First, you’ll want to consider your timeframe and the needs of your horse. Be prepared with your horse’s information, including weight, how many hands tall, breed, and name. Share any special care your horse may need while in transit. Enter the pickup and delivery locations and be as detailed as possible. The more detail you provide, the easier it will be for the horse transport companies to provide you with quotes.
2 | Choose the Best Horse Transport Service
Once you’ve completed your shipment listing, you’ll start getting quotes from professional horse transport companies as they compete for your business. As the quotes come in, you can ask questions and talk directly to the transporters. Here are some good ideas for questions:
- How many years have you been transporting horses?
- How often do you stop for food and water?
- What will you do if my horse has a medical emergency?
- How often will you contact me during the trip?
- What is your fee?
- What do you do for overnight trips?
- How can I best prepare my horse for transport?
- What supplies should I pack with my horse?
Each transporter also has their own carrier profile. You’ll find transportation history, safety records, and customer rated feedback for each horse transport company. Review the profiles to see what kinds of shipments they have done through uShip and see the experience their customers had with them. Most carriers also include a photo of their trailer on their profile so you can see what your horse will be transported in. Reviewing these profiles and talking to the carriers will help you feel confident in choosing the best horse transport company.
2 | Choose the Best Horse Transport Service
Once you’ve completed your shipment listing, you’ll start getting quotes from professional horse transport companies as they compete for your business. As the quotes come in, you can ask questions and talk directly to the transporters. Here are some good ideas for questions:
- How many years have you been transporting horses?
- How often do you stop for food and water?
- What will you do if my horse has a medical emergency?
- How often will you contact me during the trip?
- What is your fee?
- What do you do for overnight trips?
- How can I best prepare my horse for transport?
- What supplies should I pack with my horse?
Each transporter also has their own carrier profile. You’ll find transportation history, safety records, and customer rated feedback for each horse transport company. Review the profiles to see what kinds of shipments they have done through uShip and see the experience their customers had with them. Most carriers also include a photo of their trailer on their profile so you can see what your horse will be transported in. Reviewing these profiles and talking to the carriers will help you feel confident in choosing the best horse transport company.
3 | Horse Transport & Delivery
After you’ve selected your horse transportation company, contact them directly with any questions, concerns or additional details you may have. Let them know any third party contact information, if applicable. Share any special needs your horse may have and work together to nail down a good time and place for pick up and delivery. Have payment available and the agreed upon time and give us a callgive us a call if you need us for anything. uShip is here to help you before, during, and after your horse is delivered.
3 | Horse Transport & Delivery
After you’ve selected your horse transportation company, contact them directly with any questions, concerns or additional details you may have. Let them know any third party contact information, if applicable. Share any special needs your horse may have and work together to nail down a good time and place for pick up and delivery. Have payment available and the agreed upon time and give us a callgive us a call if you need us for anything. uShip is here to help you before, during, and after your horse is delivered.
How Much Does Horse Transportation Cost?
The cost of horse transport depends on the distance and any specific needs your horse has. On average, it costs $2.55 per mile for horse transport less than 100 miles but costs $1.10 per mile for horse transport less than 1,000 miles.
Whether you’re buying a horse from another state or shipping your horse to a show, choose your horse carrier carefully. We recommend taking a look at our cost to ship a horse page. There you’ll be able to view past real-world horse transport transactions as they happened. We know that getting familiar, and comfortable with our process is important.
How to Prepare Your Horse for Transport
The most important thing to do before shipping your horse is to make sure it is in good physical health. If your horse is injured or sick, then it should not be placed in a trailer or even shipped. You risk aggregating your horse’s condition or passing the illness to other animals.
Your horse transporter will likely require health certificates, so a visit with the veterinarian is necessary. Even if your horse carrier does not require certificates, it is a good idea to get a vet’s approval before shipping your horse.
How to Teach Your Horse to Load
Before practicing loading and unloading, let your horse become comfortable with the trailer. Lead your horse around the trailer and let it inspect the curious object. Remember to stay calm and act normal, as if the trailer is nothing special. Your attitude will help keep the horse stress-free. You want to avoid bribing or punishing your horse to make them trailer. When training your horse to load and unload, you should be helping the horse load without having to lead it or force it into the trailer.
Next, make sure your horse knows simple commands. The most important to know when learning to trailer are:
- Walk
- Stop
- Back up
- Turn around
Finally, teach your horse to trailer. Back the trailer up to an enclosed area, and calmly walk your horse to the ramp. Guide your horse’s nose into the entryway and command him or her to “walk.” This step takes a lot of patience, because your horse may want to stop or back out several times. If this is the case, let your horse readjust before trying again.
Practice this as much as necessary until your horse is comfortable and well versed in trailering. Your horse transportation carrier will thank you, and you can be sure that your horse will remain safe during the loading process.
Tips for Transporting Your Horse
- Teach your horse to load and unload well before the trip.
- Check your horse’s shoes and ask your transporter’s advice on bandaging.
- Avoid tranquilizers, unless specifically recommended by your vet.
- Plan your horse shipment so that your horse has plenty time to relax and rest when it arrives.
- Provide a list of specific instructions about how you would prefer your horse to be shipped.