Conference noted::equitation

    
    
    Hauling horses for other people can get very complicated.  Especially
    if the horse you are hauling gets hurt in or around the trailer.  I
    have in the past hauled horses for very good friends and have had no
    problems.  The horses have not been hurt, of course, and my trailer is
    less than two years old.  
    
    I have accepted payments, when they have been offered, to cover the cost 
    of gas and nothing more. The reason for this is strictly legal.  I do not 
    have commercial insurance and run the risk of losing everything if a horse 
    gets hurt in my trailer and I get sued. 
    
    The courts tend to look at people who charge for more than just expenses
    as professionals and levy judgements accordingly.  I will never haul a 
    horse for someone I don't know.
    
    Finding someone who is going to a show and has room for one more is
    always a blessing.  It is always more fun to go to a show or trail ride 
    and have someone else to share the days experiences with. Unfortunatly,
    the legal consequences of being kind to one another is fast making
    these days a thing of the past.
    
    My 2� worth.
    
    Pat

    
    do you have a truck/car that can pull a trailer?  I ask becasue at
    Taylor rental in Sudbury Ma. The rent horse trailers and it is only
    25.00 for the day!  It's a bit of work..you would have to pick up
    the Trailer very early (they will let you pick it up before the stroe
    is open as long as you go down the night before and fill out the paper
    work and pay for it). then you show all day then you have to get the
    trailer back before they close...unless you want to pay for it for
    2days...i just thought 25.00 was a good price..
    
    Louisa

    I just bought my trailer and tow van last fall, until then I had
    rented as well. I usually paid 25$, I shared the ride with a fellow
    boarder...the trailer for the day was 50$. We had to schedule the
    trailer several weeks in advance, and even then it was hard to find
    one at times. Ocassionally if enough people wanted to go to a
    particular show, we would rent an 8 horse van, which would run us
    about 20$ each. When I bought my own, I was bombarded with requests
    for rides. Although there are about 60 boarders at our barn, I am
    oddly the only one who owns my own trailer. I looked into it and
    found that you are much better off legally only charging for gas.
    I have decided to try bringing one other horse along with my own
    if someone wants to go to the same show I am, and see how it works
    out. Several other boarders have asked if I would consider making
    multiple trips from the barn to the showgrounds, and I may in fact
    do this...seems that at 20 per horse for gas I could pay at least
    my own entry fees. But I would be leering hauling someone I do not
    know, as well. Although my trailer is perfectly safe (I would never
    consider hauling any horse in it unless I was sure of that) anything
    can happen. There are people willing to haul stangers, though, we
    used them several times last year and it seemed to work out okay,
    and they certainly do have a lot of business, and if you are interested
    I can get you their names.
    

    I have some friends who will selectively haul strangers horses, but I
    would never do it.  If your interested, I can give him your #.
    
    When my friend and I go to shows, we take turns (we both have trailers)
    taking each other....so it works out.  If some of our other friends
    want to come along, I usually just get gas money....I couldn't make $$
    off a friend.  ;^)  But I know these horses, I know how they trailer,
    and the horses know me.....
    
    I did haul my friends brother's horse (and his girlfriends) when they
    changed barns.....and it was a mild disaster.....so I'd never do it 
    again.  Fortunatly no one got injured....but my nerves were shot!
    (I really didn't know the brother never mind the girlfriend or the
    horses).

    
    I've hauled a couple of horses I didn't know.  Fortunately, the trips
    were uneventful.... but thinking it over, I inclined NOT to make
    hauling other peoples horses a habit.  What does seem to work is
    trading off "who hauls the critters" with others who have trucks and
    trailers and drives and cares for the critters and rig simularly.
    
    Regarding making many trips to a show -- remember -- you have to make
    at least as many trips back to the barn.  And who'll be hauling all
    the extraneous items needed at a show?  You?  And if you're showing
    too, who'll be watching your horse while you're dashing back and forth?
    
    Another thing to consider - not everybody cares for YOUR equipment
    (truck & trailer) the way YOU do.  Will you be upset if the person
    whose horse you're trailering throws their bridle onto your trailer
    fender?  Or they take YEARS to get their act together so you can 
    leave?
    
    Lots of things to consider...
    
    				Take care!
    
    

    One other thing to consider is not all horses get along. I have a
    trailer and have hauled a friends horse to a show I was going to.
    I have one horse that gets along great with her gelding, however
    my mare freaks out every time she sees him. If you want to hitch a
    ride it is important from a safety point of veiw, to trailer only
    with horses that know and like your horse. Sometime we will trade
    off playing groom for each other, one time we take her horse and I
    am the groom. Aother time she doesn't ride but acts as groom for me.
    It really is nice to have someone to hold your horse and tack up
    while you stay clean for your class.
    Sandy
    

    I had my own truck and trailer for a while, but came to the conclusion
    that I'd rather hire a professional to do it.  The cost was
    exhorbitant--especially when you factor in commuting to work in a truck. 
    I would never expect anyone else to trailer my horse for me for gas
    money alone.  I know too well the risks, the expense and the work
    involved, and won't even ask for the favor.
    
    Marguerite Shaw of North Light Farm (Lunenberg) will trailer your horse 
    for $1.75/loaded mile (minimum $30).  Her equipment looks new and in
    good condition, and she and her assistant handled my horse extremely
    well when she moved him for me.  (I was there assisting as well, of
    course.)
    
    The way I figure it, if I shipped him locally 10 times a year, the 
    average would probably come to around $500.  Pretty cheap compared to 
    owning!
    
    Mary

    	I am intending to show my horse at some of the local	
    area shows and would like to know if there is anyone in 
    the Haverhill area that could trailer me.  Of course I
    would cover the gas plus some.  My horse hadn't been 
    trailered in many years before I bought him and he only
    took 15 quiet minutes to figure out where the food was 
    and climb aboard.  I do hope to practice on a friend's 
    trailer a few times this summer (just loading/unloading)
    when she comes over to trail ride with me.
    
    	She won't always be available to trailer me to shows, so
    that is why I'd like to locate someone in the Haverhill area 
    who would/could.	
    
    	Please call me at DTN: 275-3570 or send mail to 
      	PENUTS::MADAVIS			Thanks, Marti

    Re. making multiple trips from barn to showgrounds...I have not
        done it yet, but what I was planning was two trips (total
        3 friends plus my own horse). I don't anticipate many problems,
        as my husband will be doing the driving while my brother and
        myself will stay at the show and prepare my horse, and hubby
        likes the idea of the money coming in part so he is perfectly
        willing. It may or may not work out, but the horses I am
        tentatively planning on all trailer well and the owners are
        adults who will be bring their own equipment in their own
        separate cars, all I am bringing is their horse....
    
        I had thought of the problem of horses not getting along, but
         the way my trailer is set up it should be no trouble...it has
         a removable head divider between the heads, and a stallion
        guard, I believe it is called ?...a grid that extends from
        the neck to mid-back covering from the top of the stall divider
         to the roof. There a dual escape doors, so there is no need
        for contact between traveling companions....
    
        To the person looking for a ride i nthe Haverill area, try
        calling the Village Tack Shop in Amesbury. We used her a few
        times last year...she was always prompt and pleasant, and
        we had no problems with her. Sorry, I don't know the number...
        (she travels reasonable distances, we went from Andover to
         Topsfield for 50$...25$ per horse)...
    

	I too have been approached by friends to trailer
	their horses over hill and dale.   Just recently,
	I explained I would charge a dollar a loaded or
	unloaded mile, and after doing the job, my "friend"
	argued with me how that amount far exceeded the gas
	costs.  Strange, how I'm the one with the expense of
	a 20-25K rig, taking a foolish risk since I'm not
	a commercial shipper carrying insurance, when 4 hours
	of my time and equipment brought me a whopping $70.00 
	(after arguing for it).

	I asked Chip what he charges, and he said 35.00 an
	hour (clock starts from his driveway).  He said even
	that doesn't make it worthwhile for local transport
	jobs but that he does it to establish good relations
	with people locally.

	My new answer to friends is 'that's not my line of work --
	why don't you call 1-800-VAN-INFO.'

    I remember back in my would-be ponyclubber days I asked my "best"
    friend if she could haul my horse to our 1st event, along with her
    horse (for gas money, whatever).  She agreed and the day before the
    event we confirmed the time for pickup.  She never showed up.
    
    Turns out she had agreed to take someone else's horse too.  She
    deliberately left me behind in order to eliminate her only serious 
    competition!

    If you do decide to rent (U-Haul or whomever), be sure to check the
    equipment out well.  One of my friends had a horse fall through the
    floor boards on a rented rig.  By rights it goes for all trailers but
    especially ones that you don't know the maintenance on.
    
    Good luck...
    
    We do trailer for friends or in emergencies, but as a general rule we
    try to avoid.
    

    Thanks gang........lots of good advice here.  Now I know
    what to offer (gas $ seems appropriate) as it would only
    be a short distance (10 mile radius, tops, I think).
    
    The future definitely holds a trailer, though.  Some of the
    points brought up about renting, (might be bad equipment)
    liability of someone doing me a favor, etc.  Makes me want
    to depend upon only myself.  
    
    Re .11, Did she/he finish last?  (I hope so, its what she deserved!!!)
    
    The area I am in doesn't have rentals, either.
    
    Thanks again,
    
    L-                                                          
    

Just another thought regarding hauling more than 1 trailer load to a show - who
gets to be under cover if/when it rains?

    Just for gas money, is it worth the wear and tear on your truck going
    back and forth.  The mileage adds up quick.
    

    
    Hmmm....I hadn't thought of the "what if it rains?" question before..
    :-)....I guess I would have to say my horse and whoever else grabs
    the other side first! :-) It'd have to be a flash storm, I don't
    do rainy day shows knowingly...as for the mileage on the truck,
    it is only about 20 mins between the two sites, so I don't imagine
    it'll add any signifigant mileage. I doubt I'll be doing it regularly,
    most of the shows are too far from the barn for me to consider it,
    but there are  two scheduled within easy distance so I thought I'd
    see how it goes....

Suppose you've already committed to take others to the show, and then it rains, 
and you decide not to go...what do those folks do for a ride, or do you go 
anyway and hang out at a rainy show all day, or do the other folks share the 
'i don't do rain' opinions (and what if they don't (less competition = easier 
ribbons?))

    Gee, another good point....I will defineatly tell them that if it
    rains the trailer don't go! No one I am bringing is the type to
    just go for easy ribbons, and I doubt any of them would be any more
    interested in rainy day shows than I am. If I were doing it
    professionally I would have to do it regardless, but as these are
    just friends. People have brought a lot of interesting points to
    consider here, thanks for all the input! :-)