How to Start a Horse Trailering Business
- 1). Prepare a business plan for your horse trailering business. Determine how many trucks, trailers and employees you will need, and include it in your business plan. This is based on the distance you plan to haul horses and how many clients you will service at one time.
- 2). Name your business. Determine how you want to incorporate your business, keeping in mind that horse trailering involves risk, and you should protect yourself as much as possible. Purchase the proper license though your local and state offices.
- 3). Apply for financing for equipment and start-up costs to start a large horse trailer business. The costs include employee salaries, travel expenses, such as fuel, food and lodging, license fees and insurance premiums.
- 4). Purchase the equipment required to trailer horses. This includes trucks large enough to pull the horse trailers; safe and well-equipped trailers; horse equipment, such as buckets, halters, lead ropes and trailer ties; tools, such as screw drivers and hammers for repairing broken trailer parts on the road; emergency gear for the vehicles, including flashlights and tire ramps for changing flat tires; first aid kits for the horses; and phone equipment for keeping in constant contact with your drivers. Video equipment that allow drivers to monitor the horses inside the trailer also would be a good investment, though it is not required.
- 5). Get the insurance required to haul a trailer and horses though your auto insurance company. An additional liability policy or bond is required for your business to cover damages or loss to any client's horse. Obtain health and vaccination requirements for horses for all 50 states.
- 6). Plan to have the proper amount of water, feed and hay required for a stop at least every four hours for the horses. Horses require five gallons of water per day and two pounds of feed each. Hay is generally fed at a rate of two flakes from a square bale per feeding. Exercise, which includes walking around on a lead line for about 20 minutes at a time, is important for horses since trailering requires them to stand for long periods in the same spot. Learn how to handle horses by loading and removing them from the trailer.
- 7). Plan out how often drivers will stop for breaks and check on the horses. If a co-driver is present, plan how often they will switch duties to drive safely. Staying overnight, either in the horse trailer if it is equipped with living quarters, or in a hotel is a good idea for resting. The horses can remain in the trailer overnight, but should be exercised first thing the next day. Another option would be to book them stalls overnight at facilities that accept overnight guests.
- 8). Advertise your new business. Since most horse transport businesses are found online, do a search for "horse transport." Add your company information to the available sites along with your contact information and rates. Use a cell phone number so you may be contacted even on the road and include the office number if you have one available.
- 9). Set-up a website for your horse transport business.
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