How we work

Administrative details

We accept cash, certified bank checks, or money orders at pickup or delivery. We do not accept personal checks or credit cards. We will accept business checks once we have an established relationship with you. We are sorry if this causes you any inconvenience. We are happy to provide you with a receipt for your records.

Your quote is for shipping a horse, halter, and lead shank only, any other equipment must be discussed ahead of time, and we will provide a quote accordingly, but space is very limited as we live in the trailer too, so please don't assume we have space.

You are responsible for any veterinary bills, injury or death that may occur en route - we encourage you to insure your horse for travel. We do carry commercial insurance for the truck and trailer.

Paperwork requirements

All horses must have a current coggins (even babies unless traveling with the mare), and, if shipping across state lines, a health certificate. These are USDA regulations, and we are required to show paperwork upon request by authorities. The name of the horse on the coggins must match the name of the horse on the health certificate (be sure to be consistent if one lists the barn name, and the other only the show name, this is unacceptable).

Shipping with professionals

Choosing to ship your horse with a professional has many benefits, especially for long-distance hauls with changing climates, terrain, regulations, and opportunities for mishaps. Your horse will travel in a trailer which is carefully and routinely cleaned, disinfected, and maintained - not used once a month and put away - and a truck which is thoroughly inspected and maintained before, during, and after a trip because your horse and our lives depend on it.

While it might seem that shipping a horse from point A to point B is a simple process that anyone with a truck and trailer can do, that's just not the case. There are times when things don't go as planned, either because a horse gets ill, there's a bad loader, or worse, an accident or mishap to contend with. Professionals like ourselves carry redundant equipment, are experienced with dealing with mechanical failures while keeping our passengers healthy and happy, and have the necessary contacts to get ourselves and your horse back on the road as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Horses traveling in large gooseneck or 18-wheeler type trailers experience a completely different ride than when in a bumper pull trailer, and many of the of the stresses associated with shipping are alleviated just because the ride is much smoother, and the trailer better ventilated, brighter, and more open than is possible with a two horse bumper pull. When considering whether to transport your horse yourself or choose a professional, we encourage you to be consider how prepared you are for the unexpected, and if your equipment is appropriate for the job so you can make the best decision for your budget and your horse.

Shipping routine

When you ship with Fred's Pony Express or our partner company, Horse Jitney LLC, you benefit from our combined forty years of equine experience which helps us quickly assess how we can best put your horse at ease during his or her trip. We recognize that putting a horse in a trailer is a stressful experience, so we've taken the approach that we will work with the horse to create a new "normal" for that horse while in our care.

All horses shipping across state lines must have a current coggins test dated within one year of shipping, and a thirty day interstate health certificate - no horse will be shipped without proper paperwork!

Of course the first step is to configure the trailer to best suit the individual horse's needs, and of course your budget. Horses travel either in individual straight stalls, tied or untied, depending on their personalities and size, or loose in an 8x10 box stall. Loading can occur from the back of the trailer, or the side. We find that many horses load better from the side ramp as it is more like walking into a barn, rather thank looking down a long "tube".

We do provide hay for the journey, but we will provide you with a hay net to fill (if hay is available at your farm) so we can mix it with ours. Fresh water is available to your horse at all times during the trip. Depending on how your horse acts when first loaded, we may wait an hour or so before putting the water bucket in, but your horse will have water available the rest of the trip.

Many horses paw and carry on when first loaded, but most horses settle down within the first twenty minutes as they get mesmerized by the motion. Once we are comfortable that the horses are riding well, we stop about every three hours. During these stops we are careful to give the horses a consistent experience which includes taking an overall look at each horse and observe their manure and urine output, water intake, and of course, petting and scratching them if the horse appears to like it, and providing treats.

They very quickly figure out we are their "people" and generally respond well. We then refill hay and water as needed and give the horses at least twenty minutes of down-time. Many horses won't drink or urinate while the trailer is in motion, so this "quiet" time is very important. Before departing, repeat the process, and observe each horse closely for indications of stress.

We carefully monitor each horse, and pay close attention to our special needs passengers who may not be able to handle 12-15 hours of vibration. Often these are babies, older horses, weight compromised, EPM, or rehabilitating horses. If we have a horse that needs extra time before moving, we will stop the truck accordingly. We attempt to juggle all horse's needs, while attempting to stay on schedule.

Managing rest time

We operate with one or two drivers, depending on the length of the trip and horse's needs, but regardless, we firmly believe the horses and humans need 4-6 hours of non-vibration down-time in each 24 hour period. Horses use muscles over their back and hindquarters to hold themselves steady and it can be very tiring for them if they don't get this break. It's one of our secrets to success! Instead of running our truck 24 hours straight and delivering a horse who is weak at the knees and losing weight, we are able to deliver a happy, healthy horse who is ready to work or play!

If it is not too hot, we will avoid rush hours by using this time for rests, otherwise, we try to stop the truck by midnight for a few hours. Most horses enjoy this time, eating their hay and sleeping. When they are ready to go, they let us know! We sleep in the trailer with the horses, and have a window so we can observe and react quickly to any silliness.

Managing the schedule

When shipping horses long-distance there is the challenge of dealing with changing weather and traffic conditions, the general unpredictability of horses, and keeping our drivers and passengers appropriately rested. We will do everything in our power to provide you with an accurate pickup and delivery time, but ask that you recognize we are traveling many thousands of miles long before we reach you, and there are many variables affecting our timeliness. We will do our best to keep you informed of our status, and attempt to work with each barn's time constraints.

While we do everything in our power to deliver or pickup during the daylight, we cannot necessarily promise specific times. When you schedule with us, we attempt to provide you with a target day, but ask for the flexibility to pickup a day earlier or later, depending on how the truck is running. When we get close to pickup dates, we stay in contact with you to best determine how much notice you need before we arrive. If you, or someone from your team cannot meet us at the barn, we are happy to load the horse ourselves, provided the paperwork is provided and the horse is clearly labeled.

You are always welcome to call Fred or Athena for an update on where the truck is and how your horse is handling the trip. Of course, we will cal you immediately if we notice any problems with your horse's health or temperament.

Contact us at 941-650-1377 (Fred) or 301-526-8273 (Athena) to schedule a ride. Feel free to email us at fast50freddie@netzero.com or info@horsejitney.com.