PORTER HORSE TRANSPORTATION
COMFORT AND SAFETY FIRST
Frequently Asked Questions
As a horse owner, we understand that you may have several questions about transporting your horse. The following items will help address the most commonly asked questions. If you have additional concerns, please feel free to contact us.
01. What is your primary region of transport?
Most of our trips are scheduled locally in Southern California. We will gladly accept chartered trips anywhere in the United States and to Canada. Please see our Quote page for more information on scheduling your trip.
02. Do you make regular transport runs?
We do not have any regularly scheduled routes at this time.
03. What documentation does my horse need prior to transport?
Although requirements may vary from state to state, we recommend that all equine passengers have the following documentation:
Current Negative Coggins Test (Dated less than 12 months from the arrival date, or 6 months if transporting a horse into California)
Interstate Health Certificate (Dated less than 30 days from the arrival date)
Signed Bill of Lading between Transporter and Owner
In some cases, lab results and inspection schedules may take a week or more to obtain. Please plan accordingly.
04. What can I expect on a trip?
Day of Pick-Up
On your pick-up day, a driver will be in communication with the pick-up contact person if the pick-up time needs to be adjusted. Horses that are difficult to load, traffic conditions, and weather can have an effect on our schedule.
During Transport
We assign two drivers for every long distance haul, both of whom are experienced horsemen. All Porter Horse Transportation drivers are equipped with mobile phones. Drivers stop to rest and check the horses every four to five hours.
Layovers
The necessity of a layover is greatly dependent on the length of your trip. If your trip requires extensive travel time, we will gladly make layover arrangements for you. An additional charge will apply. Please contact us for more information.
Drop off Location / Delivery
The drop off person, as stated on the bill of lading, must be at the delivery destination to accept the horse. If there is a balance owed on shipment, balance must be paid to the driver.
05. What stall sizes are available for transport?
Single Stall – Spaced at 30" wide, single stalls are most often used to transport small horses or ponies, or for local vanning.
Stall and a Half – Spaced at 46" wide, this is the most common figuration used for transport.
Box Stall – Spaced at a generous 92", this is the only stall configuration that allows your horse full mobility while en route. We strongly encourage the use of box stalls for pregnant mares, mares with nursing foals, unhandled weanlings, stallions, and horses who may become fractious or high strung during transport.
06. Are you able to accomodate special requests for my horse?
If you have any special requests for your horse, please inform our office so that we can add the information to your bill of lading. We will inform our drivers of the special requests. If the request is dietary, please also let the driver know at the point of pick-up.
07. Am I able to ship tack or other equipment with my horse?
We will gladly ship a reasonable amount of tack and equipment - one or two tack trunks per horse, for example - at no additional charge. Please let us know in advance so that we can make necessary arrangements. Passengers requiring the transport of an excessive amount of tack will incur additional charges.
08. Will my horse be insured?
In adherance to federal regulations, each horse shipped with Porter Horse Transportation is provided with $2,000 limited accidental mortality insurance. This insurance provides coverage only in the event of collision mortality.
If you desire, you can obtain additional insurance for your horse prior to transport. Many equine insurance agencies offer inexpensive options for 30 day transport policies. If you choose not to obtain additional insurance, you assume all risks for transportation that are not covered under the provided $2,000 policy.
If you are shipping a horse that has just been purchased, we strongly recommend that the buyer and seller come to an agreement on who is responsible for providing insurance for the horse during transport or who is assuming the risk before arranging transport.
11. Should I wrap or bandage my horse's legs during transport?
If your horse is used to shipping boots or bandages, you may elect to apply them prior to transport. Keep in mind that boots and bandages may slip, twist, or loosen during long trips. In that event, our drivers will remove the boots or bandages and they will not be reapplied.
01 . Do your drivers know anything about horses?
Porter Horse Transportation is unique among our competitors in that all of our drivers are experienced horsemen. Owner Dan Porter and his wife, Carol Dean-Porter, both have extensive experience in the jumper ring and are very active with the USEF, USHJA, and many other equestrian organizations. For more information, please see our About Us page.
14. Do your drivers feed and water the horses during travel?
Once your horse is loaded, he or she will receive a hay net filled with hay you provide. Horses are offered water every time our drivers stop and hay nets are refilled as necessary. Horses that are shipped in box stalls will have water buckets available throughout the trip.
15. If there isn't anyone at the drop-off location, will your driver put my horse in a stall?
No. A contact person MUST be at the drop off location to accept the horse, sign paperwork, and pay any final balance that is owed.