Horse transporters

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Peachespony

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Hi all,
Can anyone advise whether it’s normal practice for a professional horse transporter to actually load your horse onto the box please?
 
I think it depends completely on the transporter and agreement. I’d imagine most would be happy too.
When I worked on a big yard we would generally load them ourselves and someone would travel with the driver.
I had a guy here who just look the horse off me and popped him in with out either of us mentioning it.
I’ve also booked transport to collect a horse from a long way away and I just met him this end, he apparently loaded up himself.
 
Peachespony said:
Hi all,
Can anyone advise whether it’s normal practice for a professional horse transporter to actually load your horse onto the box please?
Click to expand...
Usually, yes it is. Worth asking if you are able to if there is nothing else on the box.
They will still need to go in to secure the horse/pony as they are responsible for their load.
 
It entirely depends on the company ime. Locally, we have one that advertises loading support and also organises loading training visits using least aversive training methods. The owner is extremely competent and very good eyes for a horse's emotional state/etc.

Another local company specifically say "owner/seller must load" on their website and Facbeook. I used them one and the lady seemed competent enough but explained she'd been unexpectedly reared on once, resulting in a longish period of loss of earnings. After, she decided she simply didn't feel like loading anyone else's horse any more and since then she has had more than enough business just driving without doing loading as well.
 
I think most assume they are more competent than the owner and tend to want to do the loading in the interests of expediency.

That said a true problem loader you’d have to flag to them in advance.
 
Eric Ghillie's would not load my 2yo when I bought him but this may have been due to not ever having been loaded before. The breeder did get him on without any drama with a mild sedative given in advance.
 
When I used a transporter to pick up my youngster a few years ago they assisted with loading (his first time travelling) and unloaded for me at the other end. Quite a lot of people don’t go with the transporters to collect/drop off so I would imagine it’s pretty common practice for them to be involved in the loading and unloading process unless stated otherwise
 
Thanks all ☺️ I used a local transporter for the first time recently, and was told it was ‘not usually part of their service’ to load the horse. In hindsight, I hadn’t specifically asked if they would do this when booking, but I had mentioned that I previously had difficulty loading this horse into my trailer, which they thanked me for telling them and said it helps to know which driver to use. Nothing was mentioned about whether they would or wouldn’t load the horse, I just presumed they would. As it turns out, the driver was lovely and despite it not being part of their usual service, she loaded her and the mare was very well behaved! Sighs of relief all round!! I just wanted to check out what the usual process was and whether my expectations were way off!
 
going against the grain here and saying no, i’ve never known a transporter load my horse! the ones i know of are more than happy to step in if you get in a pickle, but personally id feel dead rude handing the horse over and expecting them to do it😂

in my experience i’ve loaded the horse, they’ve shut them in and fastened everything etc
 
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