09/02/2024
From the Archives, contact info has changed, please contact page. Thank you.
Normally we prefer our drivers to stay in hotels or sometimes layovers.
Sometimes there are exceptions, and last night our Owner/Driver made the executive decision to camp out with a 5 year old mare being shipped from Oregon to Canada.
The mare had never been off the farm, let alone on a trailer, or by herself. Will took it upon himself to make sure she was not only comfortable, but also not stressed more than she had to be.
This act was partially inspired by a story which was told to Will by legendary horseman Ken Brown and crew, shipping a hitch of Percherons from Manitoba to The Royal in Toronto, in a box car during the early 1970’s. Ken said “we put the horses at each end and the hay in the middle, then slept on the hay. We had to look after the horses, so there wasn’t a choice. It took a week...it was a good time, you kids don’t get that now”.
While we don’t encourage this practice, we feel Will did the best he could with what he had to work with, and know there are very few carriers who deliver this level of care, kindness and heart.
Although possibly strange to some, there is living proof, it’s not about the money and always about the horses.
Will reports the sleep was better than most hotels and that “if it was good enough for Ken Brown, it’s more than good enough for me”.