...the retail prices of horse transportation...

..are always baffling to the horsey public as a whole...one or two hundred percent difference between hauler's prices for the same ride seem bazaar and causes owners to wonder at the basis for the difference. Can one of these guys be three time better at hauling a horse? Is his mortgage choking him or alimony getting him down and he's got to pass it on to the customer? Is it the insurance or the cost of his equipment or his lack of tolerance for long hours and hard work? It's pretty much all those things factored in and weighed in against the market...and will the market support the hauler's prices over time...and "over time" is the real question. When you haul horses professionally you have to decide what formula will replace your equipment when it has to be repaired or replaced...like subtract the fuel and split your gross income in half: half for you and half for your equipment fund which includes your commercial insurance, tires, maintenance, etc. Your personal nut really impacts your pricing because, remember, you have only half of that gross income to use...the rest is untouchable...if you mismanage your personal life, it'll show in your prices...and you have to keep your plastic paid off in case you break down on the road. We rescue a lot of horses coast to coast that are the passengers of hobby haulers who have broken down and don't have the "where with all" to repair their rig and continue on in a timely manner...dicey at best, but the horses aren't at fault and get the Wings "hook 'em up" rescue if there's room in our trailer. You can under-price the market to attract business but sooner or later the equipment will fail...and if you've been unable to stash cash in your replacement fund your horse hauling days are over. It's a good idea to check your hauler's feedback profile at http://www.uship.com/profile/WingsHorseTransport/ to keep current on your haulers feedback and pics of their equipment...haulers stranded on a desolate highway for weeks usually are struggling with someone's horses aboard...