Horse Trailer Shipping

We at Ship A Car are committed to help you transport your horse trailers to and from auction, between farm sites and even coast to coast. We have professional drivers ready to deliver your horse trailer whether it’s across the state, or across the country.

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Professional Horse Trailer Transport: Move Your Trailer Across the Country Without Putting Miles on Your Tow Vehicle

Horse trailers are a significant investment. A well-equipped bumper pull trailer, a premium gooseneck, or a fully appointed living quarters trailer represents thousands to tens of thousands of dollars in value, and that is before accounting for the tack, equipment, and personal property often stored inside. Towing a horse trailer cross-country puts wear on your tow vehicle, fuel on your credit card, and hours behind the wheel that could be spent elsewhere. Ship A Car, Inc. provides professional horse trailer transport for horse owners, trainers, breeders, and equestrian facilities who need a trailer moved reliably and at a fair price without doing the driving themselves.

Please note: SAC transports horse trailers only. We do not transport horses or livestock. For horse transport, please contact a licensed equine transport company. SAC ships bumper pull trailers, straight-load and slant-load gooseneck trailers, and living quarters trailers of all sizes and configurations. Permit coordination is handled for any trailer that exceeds standard width or height limits. No up-front deposit required, transparent pricing from the first quote. Call (866) 452-3657 or request a quote online to get started.

Here's Why SAC is the Smart Choice for Horse Trailer Shipping Services

All Horse Trailer Types Covered

SAC ships every common horse trailer configuration. Bumper pull trailers in the 2-horse to 4-horse range are well-matched to a wide range of tow vehicles in SAC’s carrier network. Gooseneck trailers (including straight-load, slant-load, and stock trailer configurations) require a tow vehicle with a gooseneck ball in the bed and a higher tow rating than bumper pull trailers. SAC confirms the correct tow configuration for every gooseneck order before dispatching a carrier.

Living quarters horse trailers are the most complex category due to their size, weight, and the amenities they contain. Full living quarters trailers with slide-outs, hydraulic leveling jacks, and rooftop HVAC units frequently exceed standard transport height and width limits, requiring oversize permits in multiple states. SAC handles the permit coordination and route planning for living quarters trailers as standard practice on every order. Whatever horse trailer configuration you own, SAC can line up a carrier rated for it.

Permit Coordination for Oversized Trailers

Many horse trailers (particularly living quarters models with slide-outs and rooftop equipment) exceed standard legal width or height limits and require oversize permits in every state on the transport route. A living quarters trailer with a slide-out deployed for measurement can be 10 feet or wider, requiring permits on every state on the route. Even with the slide-out retracted, rooftop HVAC units and living quarters roof structures often push the transport height above 13.5 feet.

SAC handles permit acquisition for every state on the route as part of the transport arrangement. Permit costs are itemized in your quote upfront so there are no billing surprises after booking. Route planning accounts for low bridge clearances, weight-restricted roads, and any restricted travel windows that apply on the route. All of this is coordinated before the carrier is dispatched, so the trailer moves on the planned timeline without compliance interruptions.

Licensed Carriers with Trailer Towing Experience

Every carrier SAC dispatches for horse trailer transport is vetted for active licensing, proper insurance, and the specific towing capability required for the trailer being moved. A gooseneck horse trailer requires a tow vehicle with a gooseneck ball, a tow rating appropriate for the trailer’s loaded weight, and a driver with experience handling the specific dynamics of gooseneck towing at highway speeds. SAC confirms all of these specifications before a carrier is dispatched.

A Bill of Lading condition report is completed at pickup and at delivery for every trailer transport order, documenting the trailer’s condition at both points. For high-value living quarters trailers, SAC offers Othex Zero Deductible Protection for additional insurance coverage. The combination of vetted carriers, confirmed tow configurations, and complete condition documentation gives horse trailer owners confidence that their trailer will arrive the same way it left.

Horse Trailer Shipping: Frequently Asked Questions

Does SAC transport horses inside the trailer during shipping?

What horse trailer types does SAC ship?

Can SAC ship a living quarters horse trailer?

Does the horse trailer need to be empty to be shipped?

Are permits required to ship a horse trailer?

How long does horse trailer transport take?

Can SAC pick up a horse trailer from a farm, stable, or equestrian facility?

Horse Trailer Shipping Costs: What Affects Your Rate

Horse trailer transport pricing varies based on the trailer type, size, permit requirements, and transport distance. Here are the five key factors that determine your shipping cost:

1. Distance and Route

2. Trailer Type and Configuration

3. Trailer Size and Dimensions

4. Permit Requirements

5. Timing and Dispatch Flexibility

What Sets the Price of a Horse Trailer Move

Factor

What we need from you

Why it moves the price

Hitch type

Bumper pull ball size, or gooseneck

The carrier must send a tow vehicle with the matching hitch

Size and weight

Stall count, overall length and empty weight

Bigger trailers need a higher tow rating

Living quarters

Slide-outs, generator, rooftop AC and leveling jacks

Living quarters add weight, and often height or width that needs permits

Height and width

Measured with slides in and roof units included

Over legal limits means oversize permits in each state on the route

Roadworthiness

Tires, brakes, lights, floor and breakaway battery

The trailer is towed on its own wheels, so it has to be road safe

Dates

Pickup date and any show or sale deadline

A hard date tied to an event can call for prioritized dispatch

A specialist quotes each horse trailer once the hitch, size and any living quarters are known. Send those details with both ZIP codes through the specialized transport calculator and a specialist follows up with a quote, or call (866) 452-3657 if an event or sale date is fixed.

Horse Trailer Transport Preparation Checklist

Preparing your horse trailer correctly before transport protects the unit, speeds up loading, and ensures the carrier can complete the pickup on schedule. Follow this checklist before your transport pickup date.

1. Provide Accurate Dimensions: Especially Total Transport Height

Before booking, measure your horse trailer’s total transport height from the ground to the highest point, including any rooftop HVAC units, exhaust vents, or raised roof sections on living quarters models. Also confirm the overall width (including any external protrusions), and total length including the hitch or gooseneck coupler. These measurements determine permit requirements and route planning for the entire transport.

Height is the most critical measurement for horse trailer transport because it determines bridge clearance requirements on every road in the route. Living quarters trailers with rooftop HVAC units and raised roof sections commonly reach 13.5 to 14.5 feet in transport height, and some exceed this. A trailer quoted at 13 feet that actually measures 13 feet 8 inches requires different permits and possibly a different route. Measure carefully and provide the actual transport height to your SAC coordinator.

2. Retract All Slide-Outs and Confirm They Are Locked

If your living quarters trailer has slide-outs, retract them fully and confirm each slide is locked in the travel position before the carrier arrives. A slide-out that is not fully retracted and locked is not road-legal and creates a structural risk if it shifts during towing. After retracting each slide, engage the travel lock mechanism and give the slide a firm test to confirm it will not move during transit.

For living quarters trailers with electric or hydraulic slide systems, retract and lock the slide using the manual travel lock rather than relying on the motor or hydraulic pressure alone. Highway vibration and wind load during towing at 55 to 65 mph is more than most slide systems are designed to hold against without the mechanical travel lock engaged. Manual locks are the only reliable way to ensure a slide stays fully retracted throughout a multi-day transport.

3. Remove All Personal Property, Tack, and Loose Items

Remove all personal property, tack, saddles, blankets, feed, hay, supplements, and loose equipment from the trailer before the carrier arrives. Carriers are not responsible for personal property inside the trailer during transport, and loose items will shift during towing and can cause interior damage to cabinetry, tack room fixtures, and the trailer’s floor and walls.

For living quarters trailers with kitchen and bathroom amenities, secure all cabinet contents and remove anything breakable from countertops and open shelves. Dishes, glassware, and appliances that are not secured will not survive a cross-country tow in good condition. Bungee cords or cabinet latches for travel are the minimum; removing breakables entirely is better. Treat the living quarters interior the same way you would prepare an RV for travel.

4. Secure All Exterior Accessories and Compartment Doors

Walk around the entire trailer before pickup and confirm that every exterior compartment door, tack room door, hay door, and storage hatch is closed and latched. Doors and hatches that are not properly latched will open at highway speed during towing, which can cause structural damage and create road hazards. Test each latch by pulling on the closed door before the carrier arrives.

Remove or secure any exterior accessories that are not permanently attached: extra tow balls stored in exterior compartments, loose saddle pads on exterior racks, or anything hanging on the outside of the trailer that could detach at highway speed. For trailers with side ramps, confirm the ramp is fully closed and latched. A horse trailer ramp that opens during transit is one of the most serious road hazard scenarios in trailer transport and is entirely preventable by verifying the latch before the carrier leaves.

5. Turn Off All LP Gas and Disconnect Utilities

Before transport pickup, turn off all LP gas at the tank valve and confirm it is off. For living quarters trailers with propane appliances, turn off each appliance individually and then turn off the tank. For trailers with water tanks, decide whether to travel with a full, partial, or empty water tank based on your destination needs, and remember that water adds significant weight (8.3 pounds per gallon) to the transport load.

Disconnect shore power connections, cap all water inlets, and confirm all utility access panels are closed and latched. For trailers with generator systems, confirm the generator is off and the fuel shutoff is in the closed position if applicable. A propane system with a valve left open during multi-day transport is a serious fire risk. Turn off at the tank, verify it is off, and confirm with a second check before the carrier takes the trailer.

6. Confirm the Hitch Configuration Matches the Carrier's Tow Vehicle

At booking, confirm whether your horse trailer uses a bumper pull ball hitch or a gooseneck ball hitch so SAC can dispatch a carrier with the correct tow vehicle configuration. Bumper pull trailers use a standard ball coupler (typically 2-5/16 inch for heavier trailers) and safety chains. Gooseneck trailers use a gooseneck ball in the tow vehicle’s bed and do not use safety chains in the traditional sense.

A carrier that arrives with a bumper pull tow vehicle for a gooseneck trailer cannot complete the pickup. This is an entirely preventable cause of horse trailer pickup failures. Confirm the hitch type at booking, and if you are uncertain, describe the trailer’s coupler mechanism to your SAC coordinator. They will confirm the right tow vehicle is dispatched before anyone drives to your location.

7. Confirm Farm or Property Access for the Tow Vehicle

Before the pickup date, assess whether the tow vehicle and your trailer can be safely connected and maneuvered out of your property. For trailers stored in barns, sheds, or along narrow farm lanes, confirm that the tow vehicle has enough room to back up to the trailer and hitch it without obstacles. For gooseneck trailers parked in tight spaces, the tow vehicle needs clear access to position over the gooseneck ball.

For trailers stored on properties with weight-restricted private lanes, low clearance at barn doors or gate openings, or roads that are too narrow for the tow vehicle, discuss staging the trailer at a more accessible location (such as a farm entrance, a road pullout, or a nearby parking area), with your SAC coordinator before dispatch. Arranging a staging location in advance takes five minutes and prevents a pickup day scenario where the carrier arrives and cannot reach the trailer.

Nationwide Horse Trailer Transport Coverage: Every Equestrian Market, Every Route

Ship A Car, Inc. provides horse trailer transport in all 50 states, covering every major equestrian market and horse country corridor in the US. The Kentucky Thoroughbred and Saddlebred region, the Florida winter equestrian circuit centered on Ocala and Wellington, the Texas cutting and reining markets, the California Western and English disciplines, the Virginia and Maryland hunt country, the Arizona winter show market, and the Pacific Northwest horse communities are all well-served routes in SAC’s carrier network.

SAC also services horse trailer transport to rural farm and ranch properties, equestrian facilities on private roads, and destinations well outside the major equestrian market corridors. Our carrier network depth means we can source a qualified tow vehicle for virtually any domestic pickup or delivery location, including properties accessed by country roads and private lanes that require advance access coordination. Wherever your horse trailer needs to go, SAC will find the right carrier to get it there.

Secure, Transparent Payment for Every Horse Trailer Shipment

Ship A Car, Inc. makes payment simple, secure, and fully transparent on every horse trailer transport order. We accept all major credit cards, ACH bank transfers, and select online payment platforms. Our payment system uses industry-standard encryption to protect your financial data at every step. No up-front deposit is required. Payment is only processed after a carrier has been confirmed and you have reviewed and approved all transport details including the tow vehicle configuration, the pickup window, and the final quoted rate.

The rate in your SAC quote is the rate you pay. No fuel surcharges are added on pickup day. Any oversize permit costs for states on the route are itemized in your quote before you confirm, so there are no billing surprises after booking. No processing fees or unexpected charges appear at delivery. For horse trailer owners where transport cost is part of a sale, purchase, or relocation budget, SAC’s fixed and transparent pricing means your numbers are accurate from the moment you confirm the order. A full written cost breakdown is provided before you commit to anything.

The Right Tow Vehicle and Hitch Configuration for Every Horse Trailer

SAC matches every horse trailer transport order to a carrier with the correct tow vehicle, hitch type, and towing capacity for the specific trailer. Bumper pull horse trailers are matched to tow vehicles with the correct ball size (typically 2-5/16 inch for larger trailers), adequate tow rating for the trailer’s loaded weight, and proper trailer brake controller compatibility. Gooseneck horse trailers are matched to heavy-duty pickup trucks with factory or aftermarket gooseneck balls in the bed and tow ratings appropriate for the trailer’s GVWR.

For large living quarters trailers approaching or exceeding 20,000 pounds GVWR, SAC sources tow vehicles with the higher tow capacity these units require. All carriers are confirmed to have the appropriate trailer brake controller compatibility and operating experience with the specific trailer hitch type before dispatch. The condition report process at pickup and delivery documents the trailer’s state before and after transport, and your SAC coordinator communicates any specific handling requirements for your trailer’s configuration to the driver before loading.

Dedicated Coordinator for Every Horse Trailer Transport Order

Every SAC horse trailer transport order is managed by a dedicated coordinator who handles tow vehicle matching, permit acquisition, dispatch, transit tracking, and delivery confirmation from start to finish. Your coordinator is your single point of contact throughout the move, directly reachable by phone or email. For trailer moves tied to equestrian events, sales, or show schedules with specific delivery dates, your coordinator manages the timeline proactively so your trailer is where it needs to be when it needs to be there.

For equestrian facilities, trainers, and breeders who ship trailers regularly, SAC offers dedicated account setup with a consistent coordinator familiar with your standard trailer types, preferred routes, and operational requirements. Over time, this relationship means faster quotes, fewer back-and-forth calls, and a transport partner who understands the equestrian world and what your operation requires. Call (866) 452-3657 to get a quote and get started with SAC today.

Please note: Ship A Car, Inc. transports empty horse trailers only. We cannot move horses or any live animals. Each empty horse trailer is quoted on its own length, height and hitch type. Living quarters trailers may require permits; final cost depends on your trailer’s configuration and route.

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