There’s not a cloud in the sky as the sun brightens the horizon, and it appears to be a fine day for a drive. Your truck and trailer stand gleaming in the driveway, hitched and waiting. At your command, your horse clomps into the trailer and busies himself in the hay while you close the doors and secure the latches. You’re loaded and ready to hit the road. This scenario occurs countless times throughout the riding season as you venture near and far to places to ride or compete. You have attended to all the recommended maintenance and servicing of both truck and trailer to ensure safety and reliability, but what about the legal aspects of hauling a horse? What must you do to comply with regulations and laws?

Horse Regulations

When traveling between states, there are specific legal documents that should accompany your horse. The first of these is a negative Coggins test, which is a blood test for the presence of equine infectious anemia (EIA). This virus is similar to the human HIV virus and is transmitted mostly by large biting flies, like horse or deerflies. A horse testing positive for EIA might be actively infected or a carrier; in either case, the horse must be quarantined for life away from other horses or euthanized. In attempts to eradicate this disease in the horse population, regulations are enforced for horses crossing state lines