What happens
on hauling day.

First-time clients often don’t know what to expect. That’s fine — here’s the full picture. Knowing the routine makes the day easier for you and for your horse.

Arrival and document check.

We arrive at the agreed time. If anything changes on our end — traffic, a delay from the previous pickup — we call ahead. We don’t just show up late without notice.

Before we touch the horse, Diego checks documents:

• Current Coggins, verifying name, description, and expiration
• Health certificate if it’s an interstate haul
• Any additional docs required by the destination venue

If documents aren’t in order, we can’t load. See the document requirements guide for what to have ready.

Loading.

Loading is usually Diego’s call, since he has the most horse experience — but either of us might do it. Either way, we don’t rush this. A horse that loads calmly settles faster on the trailer and travels better — fighting a horse onto the trailer to save five minutes costs more time later.

What loading looks like:

• Diego approaches calmly, reads the horse’s body language before asking for anything
• If the horse is hesitant, we give it time to investigate the trailer before asking it to step on
• We don’t force or rush. If a horse genuinely can’t be safely loaded, we’ll have that conversation honestly
• Once loaded, Diego checks the tie, adjusts hay, and makes sure the horse is settled before we close up

If you’re hauling a horse that loads reluctantly, tell us when you book. It’s not a dealbreaker — but we plan our time differently for it.

The trip.

One of us is behind the wheel for every haul — usually Rinor, whose box-truck driving experience means he thinks about the load constantly. Smooth starts, gradual braking, deliberate turns. A horse on a trailer is shifting its weight constantly to balance. Every unnecessary jolt is work the horse has to do.

On the road:

• Route planning: We plan routes that avoid rough roads and unnecessary stop-and-go where possible. We check weather before departure and adjust if conditions warrant it.
• Rest stops: On any trip over two hours, we stop to check on the horse. Diego opens up, checks for signs of stress or overheating, offers water, and assesses whether anything needs attention.
• Communication: If something comes up — weather, a delay, anything involving the horse — we call you. You won’t be left wondering.
• No rushing: We build realistic time buffers. The trip takes as long as it takes. We’d rather arrive 20 minutes late with a calm horse than on time with a stressed one.

Arrival and handoff.

When we reach the destination, we call ahead so the receiving party is ready. No surprise arrivals if we can help it.

Unloading and handoff:

• Diego checks the horse over before unloading — looking for any signs of stress, sweat, injury, or unusual behavior
• We unload calmly. No rushing the horse off the trailer.
• We hand off documents with the horse and note anything worth flagging to the receiving party
• If anything unusual happened during the trip — a stumble, excessive sweating, off behavior — we tell you directly. You deserve to know.

How we handle problems.

Most hauls are uneventful. But horses can injure themselves on trailers, get stressed, go off feed, or react badly to a new environment. Here’s our approach when something isn’t right:

• We pull over and assess. If Diego has any concern about the horse during the trip, we stop. We don’t push through a problem hoping it resolves.
• We call you immediately. You hear about it from us directly, not secondhand.
• We don’t make decisions that aren’t ours to make. Veterinary decisions belong to you and your vet. We provide information; we don’t act unilaterally on medical matters.
• We document and are honest. If something happened that you need to know about for insurance or veterinary purposes, you get the full picture — not a minimized version.

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