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Last modified: July 18, 1999
How do I reserve a stall and payments?
· For 3 or more horses or special requests it is sometimes necessary to send a Letter of Authorization with at least a 10% deposit for the trip at least 10 to 15 days in advance. We will reserve stalls based on a first confirmed bases, others will be rescheduled on a future trip. Personal checks can be accepted only if pre-approved. Payments are usually made at delivery (As a good faith gesture) with money orders, certified checks or cash. Sorry we do not take credit cards.
· A current health certificate (Only valid for 30 days) and negative Coggins test (Within 12 months.) must accompany your horse and a copy of each should be made.
Note: The health certificate must indicate the horses temperature, reference the Coggins and have the Vet's signature. The Coggins must indicate the testing facility, be an original or a stamped/Notarized copy from the Veterinarian, Photo copy's are not longer acceptable in the state of Florida as of Jan. 1, 1999.· All the appropriate immunizations, especially for young horses who might be more susceptible to viruses.
· At least half to a bale of hay or grain in pre-measured containers, with detailed instructions on amounts of feed for each horse you are shipping.
· Straw , sawdust or other bedding materials are only required if you are requesting a box stall, they are not necessary for a standard stall unless you request. We prefer that the horse owner supply the materials that their horse is accustom to, to avoid any chances of allergic reaction either respiratory or skin.
· Contact numbers (primary and secondary) from yourself, pick-up and drop off points, with as detailed a directions as possible. We will call the pickup and delivery contact numbers (backup numbers are needed if the first number can't be reached) a few days before and give a projected time/day for the pick-up or delivery time/day. We will need to talk to someone in person to determine when they will be ready to pickup or delivery. Someone needs to be at the pick-up and drop off point to help prepare for the trip or accept delivery of the horse. We will call when were 3 to 6 hours from the pick-up or destination.
· Do not over feed your horse the day before or the day of a trip, Do not feed the horse anything it is not used to eating. (High protein or high fat feeds, bran, oil, etc.) It is better to keep the horse(s) on the same feeding routine, because even in the horses own environment these changes in feed can cause digestive problems. He/she will be just fine with the hay and feed given during transport. During the summer months it is advisable to give the horse electrolytes added for a couple of days prior to a trip and continue a couple days after the trip, we carry our own supply of electrolytes to give during transport.
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· We are happy to provide special care for your horse such as special feed, flavoring the water with apple juice, sugar or soda/pop, (Carmen's horse loves soda.) shipping boots or blankets etc. that are provided by you.
· It is imperative that you provide specific written instructions of exactly what to watch for or what is to be done for your horse. (Like stocking up, respiratory problems or singing a special lullaby before bed.) We are not responsible for leg wraps that might be too tight or for tail wraps that tend to come loose, we try to do the best we can.
· We do have the authority to see that your horse is taken to a vet at your expense should an emergency arise. You will be contacted if a situation should arise.
· Every three to four hours we stop for 30 to 60 minutes to check on the horses to make sure they are traveling well and that there water containers are full. The horses have free access to water at all times and their intake is closely monitored. We never take the horses off the trailer unless pre-arranged by you ahead of time.
· We try to give each horse as direct of a trip as possible. Do not expect your horse to be delivered in the same time it would take you to drive that distance, we drive slower and there are many factors involved in a trip like stops for feeding and watering, stops for other horses, hard loading horses, customers who are unavailable or not prepared for the pickup or delivery, also weather and road construction.
· Your horse will never be unattended at any time, we eat, rest and basically live in the trailer for the entire trip. We take our own food so we don't stop at restaurants and our truck is also equipped with an auxiliary fuel tank which will take the truck about 1500 miles between fuel stops, which means that your horses rest stops every 3 to 4 hours are not in a gas station or truck stop but in a more secluded and peaceful area.
· In the event of an equipment breakdown or severe weather that last over a few hours, where possible, the horses are taken off the trailer and stabled locally or placed in the portable pens nearby. Carmen or Myself will be totally responsible for the horse(s) while the other tends to the equipment or situation.
· The rate quoted is for door to door delivery/pick-up and for the care of your horse while in transit, however, additional charges may apply for the following:
· We allot 1 hour for loading the horse(s) and tack at pickup and 1 hour for unloading if these times are exceeded there could be additional charges.
· Box stalls, if not in the original quote, the amount depends on the shipment availability or location. Box stalls are recommended for miniatures, small ponies, mares with foals and foals who need to lie down or are to small to be in a standard sized stall.
· Tack charges range from $25 to $50 if not pre-scheduled, the decision to take tack is based on the availability of storage space.
· A change of pickup or delivery location more than 25 miles is subject for an additional mileage charge.
· Waiting time for the pick up or delivery person is $25 per hour after the first hour of waiting, we always will give at least 3 days notice of arrival times and a phone call will be made when we are about 4 to 8 hours from your horse.
· Difficult access roads to locations if not disclosed originally. The charge will depend on the difficulty of the road and the additional time it takes to get to the location.
· A hard loader fee applies of $25 per half hour after the first hour of attempted loading. We have had a lot of experience in loading difficult/inexperienced horses, but we are not there to train a horse to load or lead.
· Our cellular phone number will be given to you when we pick up your horse(s) just in case you are lonesome for your horse and need to talk to someone close to him/her. You can call us as much as you want on the cell phone but over 1 call per day will be billed at $5 per call unless it is an emergency.
· We are insured only for collision mortality, this only covers fatality. If you wish to have full coverage including injury or sickness, you should check with an equine insurer prior to shipping your horse.
· Although it is not our policy to recommend wraps, you may apply them if you feel it necessary if the horse meets any of the following - The horse has been transported before with wraps or shipping boots, if the horse has a history of stocking up or if the horse has had any type of lower leg injury. If a horse is not accustomed to the wraps or shipping boots the horse can find them irritating and try to remove them by kicking or rubbing there legs against the partitions. We have transported our horses thousands of miles without wraps or shipping boots with no problem, the rubber mats in the trailer are extra thick and soft to absorb vibrations. We will remove the wraps, if they become loose. We will not re-wrap, but Velcro boots will be re-applied if deemed necessary.
· On trips where there will be more than 16 to 18 hours of driving time there will be a scheduled layover (Unless the horse is within an hour or so from it's destination.). This layover is at a place or facility that is usually used on a regular basis.
· 1st. The horses are checked to see how they are handling the traveling. (Pulse, Respiratory Rate, a pinch test for dehydration and attitude/expressions. (For signs of colic.)
· 2nd. The horses are fed their grain or hay and then the water bags are re-filled with fresh water.
· 3rd. The ventilation is adjusted according to the current weather conditions. (Hot = all vents and windows open with a possibility of the fans running. Cold = Roof vents open and some of the windows open with one or two fans running to keep the air circulating.)
· 4th. We settle in to our living quarters in the trailer. We check on the horses every couple hours, we try to rest as much a possible. (This of course is regulated by the amount of time the horses allow us to rest before they get bored and start talking to each other.) If the horses don't allow themselves or us to rest, we will pack up and drive for an hour or two and try it all over again usually the second time works better than the first.
Can and will I be kept updated during a trip?
· YES, we will contact you at least twice a day with updates of location and the condition of your horse, you will also be given our cellular phone number just in case you are lonesome for your horse and need to talk to someone close to him/her. You can call us as much as you want on the cell phone but over 1 call per day will be billed at $5 per call unless it is an emergency.
· We always try to give at least 4 to 8 hours notice of our arrival time.
Can I send any tack or equipment with my horse?
· YES, we will take a reasonable amount of equipment and feed according to availability of storage space, we try to give a certain amount of space for each horse free of charge, but a tack/equipment charge may range from $25 to $50 if not pre-scheduled or takes a long time to load, the decision to take tack is based on the availability of storage space.
· We will feed the horse from the feed and hay that is supplied by you, the horse will not be fed anything different from their current diet, because this can increase the chances of colic. Your horse will be fed according to it's water intake. The horses have free access to water at all times and there intake is closely monitored, as long as the horse drinks close to a normal intake, (8 to 12 gallons in a 24 hour period.) he/she will be fed hay with grain, but if it's water intake is low he/she will only be fed about half of it's normal scheduled feeding and the hay or grain will be soaked in water so the horse will at least get some water in there system.
· We carry 55 gallons of fresh water for the horses. The horses have free access to water at all times and their intake is closely monitored.
· Rescheduling is not a problem you will be booked on the next trip going in that direction and there is a possibility of a re-quote.
· Cancellation prior to 72 hours of a trip that required a deposit will have a charge of a $25 processing fee.
· Cancellation of less than 72 hours of the trip (that required a deposit) but prior to 24 hours of the trip will have a $50 cancellation fee that will apply. Less than 24 hours prior to the trip the 10% deposit fee for the shipment will be charged.
What should I do after the trip?
· After the trip you should mildly exercise the horse(s) (A brisk walk around the pasture). The horse is usually a little stiff after a trip. (I'm sure you would be if you were standing up for a long period of time.) Please don't just place them in a stall after just leaving one.
· The horse is and has gone though allot of changes (Trailering, New pasture or barn, different water and New herd mates.) and that alone (for some horses) can cause colic. The horse should not be over fed for any reason, you should divide their feeding into two or three feedings for the first day or two, with electrolytes added for a couple of days and given as much water as possible. (Flavor or warm the water if you have to.)
· The horse should be monitored closely for a couple of days for colic, soreness in the legs and signs of sickness.
