The Pre-Trip Checklist for Hauling Your Horse

Two weeks out: plan and book your stops

Lock in where your horse will sleep each night before anything else. Good layovers on busy show routes fill up, and you want time to hear back from hosts.

• Download the RideJoy app (iPhone or Android) and map out your route. Search horse-friendly stays, layovers and RV hookups along the way, and save a backup for each night.
• Message hosts before you book. Ask about stall or paddock size, turnout, bedding, hay, rig parking and late arrival right in the app, so nothing is a surprise when you pull in. Our layover guide has a full list of questions to ask.
• Send your booking requests early, and allow 24 hours for a host to respond. Hosts confirm each request themselves, often between barn chores, so do not leave booking to the night before.

One week out: paperwork and health

A week gives you time to fix anything you find. Paperwork and vet visits are the items most likely to need a few days.

• Check your paperwork against the route. If you are crossing state lines, you will usually need a current health certificate and a negative Coggins test. Our paperwork guide walks through each one.
• Book a vet visit if you need a new health certificate. Certificates are usually only good for about 30 days, so time it close to the trip.
• Check whether you need a brand inspection. Many western states, including Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming, use brand inspections to prove ownership when horses move. The state you are leaving usually decides whether you need one, and some offer yearly or lifetime travel permits. Call that state's brand or livestock board a week or more ahead to schedule.
• Check vaccinations. Ask your vet whether anything should be updated for where you are going and the horses you will be around.
• Book the rig in for service if anything is due: tires, brakes, bearings or the tow vehicle.
• Set up roadside help that covers your trailer. Not every roadside plan will tow a loaded horse trailer, so check yours before you need it. USRider is a roadside assistance plan built for horse owners. It covers your truck and horse trailer, and members also get emergency stabling and vet referrals on the road. RideJoy riders save 20% on a membership with code USRRJ26 at signup.

The rig check

Do this a few days ahead, then do a quick walk-around again on departure morning.

• Tires. Check pressure on the truck and trailer when the tires are cold, including the spare. Look for cracks, bulges and worn tread. Under-inflated tires are a leading cause of blowouts.
• Lights and brakes. Have someone stand behind the trailer while you test running lights, brake lights and turn signals. Test the trailer brakes and the breakaway battery.
• Hitch and safety chains. Make sure the coupler latches fully, the pin is in, and the chains are crossed and attached.
• Floor and mats. Lift the mats and look at the floor for soft spots, rust or rot. This is the check people skip and the one that matters most.
• Doors, latches and dividers. Everything should open, close and lock smoothly, with nothing sharp sticking out.
• Ventilation. Vents and windows should open freely. Plan to keep air moving even in cold weather.

Pack the trailer

For your horse

• Hay for the whole trip plus extra, ideally the same hay your horse eats at home
• Water from home, or flavoring your horse already likes, so new water tastes familiar
• Buckets, hay nets or bags, and feed for each day, pre-portioned in labeled bags
• Spare halter and lead rope, shipping boots or wraps, and blankets for the weather
• Equine first-aid kit, a thermometer and any medications, with dosing written down

For the road

• Spare tire and a jack rated for the loaded trailer, a lug wrench, wheel chocks and a trailer aid ramp
• Flashlight or headlamp, reflective triangles, gloves, a pocket knife and duct tape
• Manure fork, broom and trash bags so you can leave every stop clean
• Phone charger and printed copies of your paperwork and contacts in case of weak signal

The night before

• Check the RideJoy app to make sure every booking request is confirmed, and message each host your expected arrival time.
• Load everything except the horses and anything that cannot sit overnight.
• Check the forecast and road conditions for the whole route, not just home.
• Send your route, stops and timing to someone at home.
• Put the paperwork folder in the truck cab, not the trailer, where you can reach it at a checkpoint.

Departure morning

• Take your horse's temperature and note how they are eating, drinking and passing manure, so you have a baseline if something changes on the road.
• Do a final walk-around: tires, hitch, chains, lights, doors and latches.
• Load calmly and give yourself extra time. Running late is when mistakes happen.
• Plan your first check about four hours in. Many vets suggest stopping roughly every four hours to check on your horse and offer water.