Terms of Service

Payments and Fees:

Price: The regular rate is $1/loaded mile.Discounts for multiple horse loads.
Tolls/Permits: Any tolls and individual State permits shall be charged back to the Shipper/Payee unless otherwise specified.
Deposit: A 25% deposit is due upon booking.
Balance: The balance of the transport fee is due upon delivery in cash or can be paid via Credit/Debit Card or PayPal on the day of the transport.
Payment methods:
- Personal checks, certified checks, and money orders are only accepted as payment of deposit and only if there is adequate time before the transport (14+ days before tentative transport date).
- Payments are to be made to the order of: Z. A. Keith Horse Transport, LLC

*ADD 3.0% FOR PROCESSING FEES TO ALL PAYMENTS MADE VIA CREDIT/DEBIT CARD OR PAYPAL
*THERE IS A $35 FEE FOR RETURNED CHECKS

Send all checks & paperwork to:
Z.A.Keith Horse Transport
P.O.Box 115
Portersville, PA 16051

Loading and Unloading: must be completed within 45 minutes from time of our arrival. Someone must be present to assist with loading at the pick-up location unless otherwise specified. Any loading/unloading not completed within 45 minutes will require an additional $50.00 per hour pro- rated on a half hour basis.
Unsafe/Dangerous Horses: If you have a horse that has never loaded/shipped, or is a danger to other horses/people, please let us know in advance. We can make special arrangements to transport these horses without other horses on the trailer. We reserve the right to refuse any horse that we feel is dangerous, unsafe or unfit for transport.

Booking Requirements:

A four week advance booking is preferred. Shorter notice trips will be taken if scheduling allows.
Your horse’s spot on the haul is considered booked once the Bill of Lading is completed and your deposit has been received.
The deposit is non-refundable should a cancellation by the Shipper/Payee occur. Any refunds of moneys paid over and above the deposit amount will be sent back to the Payee within 30 days of cancellation.
We reserve the right to refuse/cancel any trip with a full refund to the Shipper/Payee.
Absolutely no refunds after the horse is loaded and/or delivered. All deliveries and sales are final.
Z.A.Keith Horse Transport reserves the right to reschedule the transport within a reasonable amount of time due to unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather, mechanical issues, etc.

Mileage Estimates:

Mileage estimates are based on “Practical Truck Route Mileage.” This gives us the best and safest routing for your horse, the driver and equipment. Correct Zip Codes are required. Incorrect pick up and drop off addresses will be subjected to a surcharge after review. Please let us know prior to the trip if you have a difficult access or unpaved road. Unpaved roads are hard on the horses and equipment.

Contact Information:

Specific directions to origin and destination are necessary. Complete name, address, and phone contact numbers of shipper and receiver are a must. We will supply mobile phone numbers to both the shipper and receiver for each trip.

There must be a designated contact person at the pick-up and delivery locations. A surcharge will apply for extensive waiting time while waiting for pick-up or delivery contact person.

We expect/assume that the pick-up and delivery contacts know what is needed upon our arrival and delivery.

Paperwork Requirements:

All horses to be transported from one state to another MUST have proof of a Current Negative Coggins and a Health Certificate (aka CVI). Some states also require a Brand Inspection. We will confirm whether or not your horse will need a Brand Inspection. We require copies of the Coggins, Health Certificate, and Brand Inspection (if applicable) prior to pick-up. Copies of registration papers (if applicable) should accompany your horses during transport.

*If your horse is being transported in or out of the State of Florida, horses MUST be accompanied with original Health Certificate and original negative Coggins papers. The FL Dept. of Agriculture accepts copies of these documents; however, they must be pristine and 100% legible otherwise they could be rejected.

We reserve the right to deny transport of your hose(s) if your horse’s paperwork is not completed by the time the truck arrives to pick up your horse. If such event should occur, the Shipper/Payee is responsible to pay Z.A.Keith Horse Transport, LLC the full balance owed for the transport. Payment must be received within 7 days of the pickup date.

Feeding, Breaks, & Layovers:

Water and bedding will be included in the trip price. We prefer transporting horses with hay they are accustomed to, to avoid stomach upset. Please send enough hay for the duration of your horse’s trip. Hay bags will be provided.

While en route, breaks of 30 minutes will be taken approximately every 3 to 4 hours to physically inspect, feed, and water horses. The USDOT/FMCSA has strict regulations on the amount of “drive time,” “on duty time,” and “off duty time” a Driver can have each day. It is necessary that we adhere to the regulated times and absolutely no exceptions will be made.

Z.A.Keith Horse Transport , LLC reserves the right to layover at anytime during the transport. The cost of the layover will be added to the Shipper/Payee’s bill after verbal discussion prior to or during the transport. Layover Facilities normally charge between $20-35/horse per night. Your horse(s) may be in the care of other Individuals (i.e. barn owners & barn employees) while they are staying at the Layover Facility. We will not be responsible for any unforeseen circumstances while your horse is at the Layover Facility.

Recommendations:

We recommend that you give your horse(s) electrolytes for 3+ days prior to the trip. We ask that paste electrolytes are sent along with your horse. Please provide enough electrolytes for the duration of your horse’s trip. We carry a small supply of paste electrolytes. If we have administer our paste electrolytes, a $8/ea. charge will be added to the total balance due.

We highly recommend that you start your horse on UlcerGuard/GastroGuard the day before transport. Please send enough UlcerGuard/GastroGuard for the duration of your horse’s trip. We carry a small supply of paste UlcerGuard/GastroGuard. If we have administer our UlcerGuard/GastroGuard, a $40/ea. charge will be added to the total balance due.

During colder months, it is recommended that you send a blanket along with your hose, especially if they have a thin coat and/or are being transported from a warm climate to a colder climate. Weather conditions can change very quickly while the truck is en route and your horse’s health is our utmost concern. There will not be any additional fees for sending a blanket with the horse.

Leg wraps/shipping boots are not recommended, especially for horses that have never been exposed to them. If you wish to have your horse transported with leg wraps/shipping boots, please have them in place before we arrive for pick-up. We will not reapply legs wraps/shipping boots that fall off during transport as it is too dangerous for the Driver.

Special Needs:

Should your horse require any prescription medications, such as Bute or Banamine, a Medication Release Form will need to be completed. We prefer all medication is in a pill, feed, powder, or paste form. Special needs that require extended time during our scheduled 30 minute break time shall be at a rate of $50.00 per hour, pro-rated on a quarter hour basis.

US DOT Authority

Z. A. Keith Horse Transport, LLC is fully compliant and registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. USDOT # 1854062 MC # 830677

Insurance:

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that all commercial motor carriers maintain a minimum of $750,000.00 liability insurance. This part of the insurance policy does not cover your horse during transportation.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania requires that all commercial motor carriers maintain a minimum of $5,000 cargo liability insurance. Cargo liability insurance, as stated from the policy, ONLY covers the loss of the livestock or horses if the horse or livestock dies or must be euthanized, as a direct result of the perils listed in the outline below, within 3 days of the occurrence:

Fire, lightning, explosion
Explosion
Smoke. But this is cause of loss does not include smoke from exhaust fumed or gases of the transporting vehicles, agricultural smudging or industrial operations.
Windstorm or Hail. But this cause of loss does not include loss caused by or resulting from:
- Heat, cold or change in or extremes of temperature
- Ice (other than hail), snow or sleet, whether driven by wind or not
Collapse of bridges, trestles, roadways, docks, piers, wharves or bulkheads
Stranding, sinking or collision or a waterborne vessel operated by others while transporting a vehicle containing Covered Livestock
Upset or overturn of the transporting vehicle
Collision of the transporting vehicle
- This cause of loss does not include loss caused by or resulting from the transporting vehicle coming in contact with: The roadbed, curbing, rails or ties of railways, or a stationary object while backing for loading or unloading purposes
Riot or civil commotion, including acts of striking employees, and looting occurring at the time and place of a riot or civil commotion
Vandalism, meaning willful and malicious damage to, or destruction, of the Covered Livestock
Earth movement
Flood, meaning a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land area from
- The overflow of inland or tidal waters or
- The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface water from any source

*If you feel it is necessary, we highly recommend you purchase your own travel policy for your horse. We recommend C.Jarvis Insurance Agency, Inc. based in Solon OH. Their telephone number is 440-248-5330 and their web site is: www.jarvisinsurance.com

Additional Stipulations:

The Shipper/Payee is responsible for all damage their horse causes to any of our equipment while being transported.

We are not responsible for any damage or injury to your horse, caused by your horse during transport, loading or unloading (See Release on Page 2 of Bill of Lading & Authorization Form).

In the unlikely event of the need of a vet, the shipper will be contacted first unless in an emergency situation (See Veterinarian Authorization on Pg. 2 of Bill of Lading & Authorization Form).

All horses must have their own halter and lead rope. Breakaway and leather halters are preferred. Please ensure the halter fits your horse properly. Loose halters are a safety concern. No rope halters!

Horses will be provided with an 8’x6’ box stall, and they will travel untied, unless specified otherwise.

There is room for tack. Additional Fees may apply depending on amount of tack to be shipped. All tack, tack boxes, and other items (with the exception of hay) sent with your horse must be labeled. We do not carry insurance for additional items and will not be responsible for these items.

Lastly, it would be greatly appreciated if you would allow us to clean out our trailer upon arrival/after unloading. It is difficult to find places where we are able to properly dispose the manure while en route.

Thank you,

Zachary A. Keith
Owner

Emilie M. Keith
Co-Owner, Office Administrator