Booking with EE is as simple as 1-2-3…

Step 1: Get a Quote. The first step in the process to get your horse shipped, is to “Get a Quote”. You can do this in one of two ways: through our website and receive your quote by email, or over the phone. To get a quote by email, click the Get Quote button and fill out the simple form. One of our dispatchers will reply to you the same business day if it is submitted by 4:00 pm, CST. You may also feel free to call us at 1-800-545-9098, during normal business hours, and speak to a dispatcher or assistant dispatcher to get a quote immediately by phone.

Step 2: Book a Trip. The second step in the process to get your horse shipped, is to “Book a Trip”. This is done online by filling out the Book Trip form. This form is lengthier than the Get Quote form, because here we need detailed information to communicate with all individuals involved, and take the best possible care of your horse(s) during their time with us. Please Note: We only reserve your stall(s) on a rig when we receive the “Book Trip” submission; requesting a quote does not initiate our reservation process.

Step 3: We call you to arrange pick-up. You will know the Book Trip form was submitted properly as soon as you receive our automated “Thank you for Booking” email. (If you do not receive it, please call us as soon as possible, during normal business hours.) You will receive a confirmation call from our dispatch team once the routes are planned for your trip. We always try our hardest to get as close to your preferred shipping timeframe as possible, but it is under no circumstances guaranteed, that we will arrive during the time you enter on the Book Trip form. If you have any questions, always feel free to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here you will find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that is not answered here, or you read anything you don’t fully understand, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions that you have.
What paperwork is required for my horse to travel?
Your horse will need two pieces of paperwork. #1) a negative Coggins test and #2) a Health Certificate clearing the horse for interstate travel. The Coggins must be dated within one year and the Health Certificate must be dated within 30 days of DELIVERY date. Both pieces of paper come from a veterinarian. We cannot accept Coggins or Health Certificates that will expire during the trip. If that does happen, we are required to obtain the proper paperwork for transport. In that case, the customer will be charged for any, and ALL, veterinary bills, which usually entail, but are not limited to: veterinary farm call, a rushed Coggins test, a new Health Certificate, and a $50 inconvenience fee. PLEASE check the date on all paperwork as we are calling to schedule the horse. Also, Brand Inspections are required for horses leaving Brand Inspection states only. Please see “Does my horse need a Brand Inspection” for more information.
Does my horse need a Brand Inspection? My horse doesn’t have a brand.
A horse only needs a Brand Inspection if it is LEAVING one of the brand inspection states. The states that require a Brand Inspection are Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Also, the Brand Inspection has nothing to do with whether your horse has an actual brand or not. It has to do with making sure that the animal has permission to leave and cross state lines. (Although, it does date back to older times when the only form of ownership a rancher had, was branding his horses and cattle.) Therefore, to obtain a Brand Inspection, you must search for the brand inspector in your region, call them to schedule a time to come out, and have the proper paperwork required for them. However, there is a limited window of time before the trip that this must happen, unless you purchase a “lifetime” Brand Inspection. For more information for horses leaving:
- Colorado: https://www.colorado.gov/agbrands
- Idaho: https://isp.idaho.gov/brands
- Montana: http://liv.mt.gov/Brands-Enforcement/Livestock-Brands
- Nevada: http://agri.nv.gov/Animals/Livestock/Brands/
- New Mexico: https://www.nmlbonline.com/brands
- Utah: https://ag.utah.gov/animal/animal-identification.html
- Washington: https://agr.wa.gov/services/inspections-and-investigations/inspections/livestock/livestock-fees
- Wyoming: https://wlsb.state.wy.us/public/brand-inspection
The barn manager has my horse’s shot record, is that what you need?
No, the paperwork we need comes from a veterinarian. The Coggins test is a blood test that could take as little as an hour, or as long as 14 days or more, to get the results. That timing depends on the veterinarian. Once the vet has the negative Coggins test, they can then write the Health Certificate and put the Coggins test number on it, matching the two together. The Health Certificate is an official document stating the animal appears healthy for interstate travel.
How much does shipping cost?
All quotes are made by our dispatchers. Prices are determined by the stall size selected by the customer, gender of the horse, geographic location, and number of horses being shipped. Please fill out our Get Quote form and we will send you a quote via email shortly thereafter. You may also call us in the office at 1-800-545-9098 for a quote immediately by phone. Please have the town and state for pick-up, the town and state for delivery, and the age, breed, and gender of the horse ready when you call.
Payment will be required by credit card, debit card, ACH, or Bank Wire Transfer prior to shipment. We do NOT accept personal checks and no longer accept cash at pickup or delivery. We use the TEXTPAY platform to send you a secure link by text message and email.
What is your cancellation policy?
Scheduled route shipments must be cancelled 24 hours prior to pick up, otherwise the customer shall be responsible for the full shipping charge.
Private charter and special shipments require a 10% deposit at the time of booking in order to reserve a rig(s) for a specific date. Any change dates or cancellation for shipments must be made 7 days prior to the scheduled ship date or the deposit will be forfeited. The customer can be charged the full price of the charter if the shipment is cancelled within 24 hrs prior to the ship date.
Is Equine Express Insured?
Yes, we are licensed with the Federal Highway Safety Authority and the Department of Transportation. Insurance for horse(s) shipped shall be provided by the owner or we can assist you with qualified insurers to cover your shipment.
What are the differences between the 1.5 stall-and-a-half and the Box stall?
The 1.5 stall is a roughly 4’x9′ stall, where your horse is backed in and cross tied next to another horse. There is a full partition between the horses, and only a breast bar in front of them. We stop every 4-5 hours to refill the EE provided hay bag and offer water while we are stopped. Before we get going again, the bucket will be taken down. In this stall, your horse can not put his head lower than the cross ties or the breast bar will allow. This stall is best for very broke, well traveled, experienced, middle aged mares and geldings. You can also choose a Box stall. We consider this the BEST option for long-hauls. This is a roughly 8’x9′ stall, where your horse is turned loose, like in a normal stable stall. This allows them to ride in the position that they choose, move around to get comfortable, stretch their neck down to let their sinuses drain, and have access to free choice hay on the ground and water that we can safely hang, the whole trip, 24/7. Stallions, weanlings, yearlings, mares with a foal at side, pregnant mares fairly close to their due date, and ponies under 12.5 hands MUST be shipped in the box stall. We also recommend that elderly, injured, nervous, very green, or not well broke horses are shipped in box stalls. We can also accommodate special feeding circumstances in the box stall. The stall size you purchase is the stall size your horse will have for the duration of the trip, including if your horse will be on one of our gooseneck shuttles at any point in time in the trip.
Do you feed my horse grain/pellets/concentrate on the truck?
No. We prefer to not feed any concentrate on the truck. The reason for this is, if your horse is not drinking enough water while on the truck (which is a fairly common occurrence) and we feed it concentrate, we are asking for an impaction colic. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and if your horse REQUIRES nourishment or medication with food, special accommodations can be made. Please note, those special accommodations typically require the purchase of a box stall.
My horse is going to the Pilot Point layover, how will my horse be cared for?
Your horse will be kept in a private stall in our barn. We will feed it any hay, grain/pellets, supplements, or medication that you have sent with it. Please include feeding instructions. If no hay, feed, or instructions are sent, we feed 10% Purina pellets twice daily, grass hay in the morning and alfalfa hay at night. If you prefer no pellets, no grass hay, or no alfalfa fed to your horse, it is your responsibility to tell us that. We also have 2 private turnouts, that we can turn your horse out in, at your request ONLY! (Weather permitting!) We can also hand walk your horse for 15 minutes, should you prefer that to free turnout. (Also weather permitting!) We feed and clean the stalls twice daily, do frequent water checks, and also do a late night barn check.
Do my horse’s legs need to be wrapped?
That is completely up to the customer and shipper. We do not mind if a horse is shipped with leg wraps or boots, but we do have some procedures in place to care for horses that are. First, if the wraps/boots start to come off, we will take ALL the wraps/boots off that horse, and deliver them as tack with the horse. (The customer will not be charged for tack in this instance.) Also, if the horse comes though our Pilot Point layover facility and stays with us longer than a couple of hours, we will take the wraps/boots off the horse when it comes off the truck. We will not let a horse stand in a stall wrapped for an extended period of time. (Unless it is for a medical reason and we’re given instructions.) The horse will then continue the second leg of it’s trip, unwrapped/booted. We will not re-wrap/boot the horse ourselves. If you would like for your horse to be re-wrapped/booted, we can totally make that happen, but we will have to call our veterinarian to do it and the customer will incur a $100 wrapping fee.
In our experience, horses that are NOT used to being wrapped/booted, do better NOT being wrapped/booted. It only causes them more stress and could cause them more harm, which is the opposite of what wraps/boots are trying to achieve. For most of the horses we ship, they are on the AIR-RIDE semi-trucks. This means that their ride is much smoother, more comfortable, and less stressful, than that on a regular horse trailer. Therefore, in most cases, the need to wrap/boot their legs is much reduced.
Can I send tack with my horse?
No, due to the safety of all horses and drivers, we cannot ship tack at this time.
Equine Transportation Tips
Beware of unlicensed horse haulers.
[Cheryl Erpelding CEO Riding’s Publications Inc.]
Within the last year or so, with the economy continuing to spiral downward, we have received a large increase in e-mails and phone calls from horse owners regarding “unlicensed carriers” operating within the industry. And with every horror story we hear, it is getting harder to let this go unnoticed.
When you are shopping around for a carrier, you should always make sure they are licensed and insured. Not just in the state of origin, but also in the states in transit. Carriers who are licensed and insured are federally regulated and have to meet set standards on how they operate and maintain their equipment. Also their drivers are held to very strict regulations, such as hours a driver can drive on one shift. That is why most commercial carriers run team drivers. Regulated carriers must qualify drivers for experience and training. This also includes mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
Always ask about the carrier’s equipment. You don’t want to be promised an air ride tractor-trailer and not get it, especially for long distances. There is a big difference between air ride and spring ride and your horse will feel the difference. Many people will use goosenecks and will say there is no difference, but that is not true. Yes, we do use goosenecks, but only for short hauls, which minimizes the effects.
People interested in shipping their horse should also ask for references and be sure to check them. At the very least it will give you reassurance that somebody else has had a good experience. You never know, that reference could help you out with something else in the future.
Beware of carriers who ask for a deposit before they even pick up the horse. Most legal carriers ask for a prepayment or a C.O.D. and this is usually only when the customer does not have an established account with the company. The difference between the two is simple. A prepayment is when you pay the carrier while the horse is on the van while a deposit is just to reserve the spot before the truck even leaves. We have all heard the story of someone paying a deposit and the truck never shows up.
With the economy like it is, you can’t take that chance