How to Move to Ft. Drum, New York, With a Horse

Horse owners who are making long distance moves may feel intimidated by the idea of transporting their horse and all his equipment to another location. However, with a bit of careful planning you can successfully move your horse from anywhere in the United States to Fort Drum, New York. Fort Drum contains an army base that occupies more than 100,000 acres in northern New York near the Canadian border.

Things You'll Need

  • Health certificate
  • Vaccination record
  • Horse trailer
  • Brand inspection
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Instructions

    • 1

      Determine that your horse is healthy enough to withstand the move to Fort Drum. Call your veterinarian and have him come thoroughly evaluate your horse's condition. Discuss the move, how many hours it is going to take to drive the horse from your current location and get recommendations from your veterinarian regarding the best way to transport your horse. Schedule an appointment to get a health certificate and renew your horse's vaccinations within 30 days of your intended arrival in Fort Drum. Your horse is required to have current vaccination paperwork and health certificates prior to the move and most states require the health certificates to have been prepared within 30 days of transport to travel across state lines.

    • 2

      Schedule an appointment with a brand inspector. While New York does not require you to have a brand inspection for your horse, it may be necessary if you travel through a state that does require one. A brand inspection also creates a record of ownership for your horse, which can help you recover him if he is stolen. Your horse does not need to have a brand; instead, the inspector records his size, color and other distinguishing features. You will need to provide proof of ownership.

    • 3

      Determine where your horse will stay once you reach New York. If your horse is going to stay at your personal new home, you need to make sure that the residence has a sturdy barn and good fences prior to your arrival. You do not want to arrive and discover you have nowhere to put your horse. If you are going to board your horse at a barn, there are a number of barns within easy driving distance of Fort Drum. Arrange for a stall to be ready and waiting for your horse when he arrives at the new facility. You may have to make payment ahead of your arrival time to reserve his place. Make sure your new boarding barn meets your needs, for example, by offering lessons or places to trail ride.

    • 4

      Determine how you plan on transporting your horse. If you have your own horse trailer and the weather is good, you may simply opt to haul your horse to Fort Drum yourself. Otherwise you can hire a company specializing in horse transport to transport your horse to Fort Drum for you. If you are not comfortable pulling a horse trailer in snowy, mountainous conditions, you should hire a transport service to haul your horse for safety. Remember that if you will have to travel more than eight hours, you will need to plan your trip carefully and locate horse-friendly camping grounds or barns where your horse can stay each night and stretch his legs.

    • 5

      Prepare for cold weather. You will want to pick up heavy-duty, warm horse blankets prior to your horse's arrival in the mountains, especially if you are traveling from warmer climates. Discuss the possible cold weather affects on your horse with your veterinarian, as you may need to start your horse on joint supplements in preparation for the temperatures if your horse has arthritis or other special needs.

    • 6

      Make the trip. Gather up your belongings and your horses belongings. Load your horse into your own trailer or the shippers and head for Fort Drum. Make sure to bring plenty of food, water and supplies along for everyone involved. Offer your horse water every four hours, at least.