HORSE TRANSPORT SERVICES

Marsh Haven Farm provides local, regional and interprovincial horse transport services at reasonable/competitive rates.

EXPERIENCE & EQUIPMENT

Our Keifer Built Genesis 2+1 trailer provides comfort for up to three horses and can be reconfigured into two box stalls. With 2 ramps, horses walk on and off the trailer without having to back up. Horses can be unloaded individually and the operator can get to the head of each horse if the need arises.

Donna has had 15 years experience hauling horses in western Canada, year round, for both long and short hauls. She has her Equine First Aid Certificate from Olds College and is on the list for taking the new Certified Livestock Transporter Certificate course as soon as it is offered.

In keeping with Marsh Haven's philosophy healthy horse keeping and biosecurity, we offer Equisaver™ head gear to protect your horse's head during loading and transport. Head gear and hay nets are disinfected with Pure Oxygen after each run, as is the trailer. Trailer has been insulated with Quantum Solutions "Nanosulate" to moderate the effects of wind chill and heat on aluminum trailers. On longer hauls, horses are offered water and hay nets are refilled every 5 hours. At this time a minimum half hour rest stop is given, to allow the horses a break from the forward motion. Ventilation and inside temperature are checked more frequently (Donna's pit stops).

SERVICES

We offer a Highway 2 Hot Shot service for horses traveling points within 20km either side of the Edmonton/Calgary corridor. Timing is flexible and there is no "haul back charge" for coming back empty.

For other destinations, if we can coordinate a trip with an Anivac sales/service call or trade show, there is no "haul back charge".

Please check our events page to see if our schedule can line up with yours. For trips outside the province, or to Northern/Southern Alberta, we also advertise space on Kijiji sites for all points enroute.

HAULING CONDITIONS

• Horse owners need to sign a contract agreeing to terms and stating value or insured value of horse.
• In the case of interprovincial trips, Horse Owner needs to have LIS horse travel permits with a copy to the shipper. We can provide guidance on how to do this, or arrange to have it done for an extra charge.
• Winter transport is weather and current road condition dependent.
• Horses should be "seasoned travelers", unless otherwise agreed upon.
• Have your horse ready to go at the agreed upon time.

HAULING TIPS

Most hauling difficulties, including shipping fever and colic, are a result of stress. To give your horse the best possible experience, we offer the following tips:

• Allow the shipper to load your horse. The shipper knows the trailer and has the experience and confidence to make loading a positive experience for your horse.
• Unless your horse is accustomed to wearing them, do not wrap your horse or use shipping boots.
• Layer your horse's clothes or provide shipper with options for maintaining your horse at a comfortable temperature.
• If your horse does not have probiotics as a part of his regular feed program, add them to his feed daily, 2 or 3 days before shipping. We have found Omega Alpha's, Biotic 8 to be exceptional for this purpose.
• On longer trips, give your horse a small amount of electrolytes before loading to encourage him to drink when offered water and avoid dehydration.
• On trips that will go over a regular feed time, provide an oral syringe dose of an ulcer medication. We use Omega Alpha's Gastro FX and have it on hand. We will provide another dose 8 hours into the trip. Although horses will pull and nibble at hay provided, they do not eat enough to cope with stomach acid accumulations they experience while traveling.
• On longer trips, upon arrival, your horse may take some time to reacquire his "land legs". If horses appear wobbly or shaky, they should be hand walked 5 minutes for every hour of travel. Make sure there is someone on the other end able to do this.
• Horses should be monitored for a least one hour after arrival for any side effects of travel and to check that they have settled into their new quarters

We look forward to meeting your shipping needs.