Transporting horses in Canada is a common necessity — animals often need to be moved for competitions, between ranches, to veterinary clinics, new owners, summer camps, or exhibitions. Large farms usually own their own livestock trailers, but not everyone needs to purchase such specialized equipment — in many cases, it’s more practical to rent one for a short period. However, it’s important to understand what exactly you need and what transportation requirements apply. Canadian law regulates everything — from the design and ventilation of the trailer to driving practices and animal documentation. If you’re planning transportation, choose a reliable provider — a professional
Horse Trailer Rentals service in Calgary guarantees full compliance with all safety and welfare standards.
Key Animal Transport Regulations in Canada
Canada has laws, which are contained in the Health of Animals Regulations and also in the animal protection part of the Criminal Code of Canada, that regulate the transportation of horses.
Transportation duration and rest:
- Continuous horse transport is limited (typically ≤24 hours).
- Regular stops are required for feeding, watering, and rest at approved control points.
Documentation and Health Records:
- A horse passport, veterinary certificate, vaccination history, and, if needed, a Coggins test result are required.
- All documents must be accessible for inspection by the appropriate authorities.
Requirements for the towing vehicle and driver:
- The total weight of the tow vehicle and the trailer must comply with certain statutory limitations.
- A special driver’s license may be required for larger trailers.
Safety and comfort:
- The trailer ought to be in a good working condition with proper ventilation and lighting.
- Using specialized trailers like a 2 horse trailer, a gooseneck horse trailer will provide stability as well as avoid stress for these animals.
The regulations apply to both private owners and companies that provide horse trailers service in Calgary. These rules are enforced in a rigorous manner by both federal and provincial governments.
Horse Trailer Safety Standards and Equipment Requirements
The technical condition of a horse trailer determines the level of animal protection and must fully comply with current Canadian transportation standards.
Lighting and signaling devices:
- At least two red brake and tail lights must be mounted symmetrically at the rear, positioned as far apart as possible.
- At least two red or amber turn signals must also be installed at the rear.
- There must be two red reflectors on the back of a trailer.
- On a longer trailer, clearance lights are also required, which are amber in the front and red in the back, with three lights in the back.
Ventilation and Air Circulation:
- A trailer used for hauling horses, either rented or personally owned, needs to have an adequate number of adjustable vent holes.
- Good air circulation is necessary in order to avoid heat stress and toxic gases like ammonia.
- Vents should be located so that direct air currents are not blowing on the animals.
Size and interior layout:
- Horses in a livestock horse trailer should be able to stand with their heads not rubbing against the top of the trailer.
- The floor needs to provide safety and hygiene, with a non-slip, weight-resistant, and completely sealed surface that prevents leakage of waste.
- Partitions in the front and back of the bus should be fitted with emergency locks that can be released quickly when needed.
Fines for transporting animals in inadequate conditions are rather severe, which is why it’s necessary to select a reliable horse trailer rental Calgary supplier that offers equipment meeting all up-to-date requirements.
Factors to Ensure Animal Comfort During Transportation
Therefore, you’ve chosen to rent a high-quality, present-day horse trailer for rent, but now you still have to get it ready for travel.
Preparing the trailer:
- There is also a layer of non-slip flooring, such as wood shavings on top of a rubber floor.
- Side and additional padding on the stall dividers (Multi Safe System) protect the horse from impact while it maintains balance.
- A hay net should be hung at head height, so the horse can eat comfortably during transport. This keeps it calm and promotes effective digestion.
- Use lead ropes which are equipped with panic snaps that are of a sufficient length for the horse to lower and/or turn their head, but long enough that it would not immediately get entangled and step over.
While on journey, it ought to be checked periodically, every now and then, to ascertain that the horse remains calm and that there is good ventilation. During long journeys, access to water ought to be ensured.
Cleaning, Maintenance, and Biosecurity Rules
Before heading out, it’s important that your trailer be cleaned, dried, and in working order. This, as important as it is to maintain a clean environment, plays a vital role in how safely you travel, how you avoid infections, and how long your equipment will last.
- Every trip, a horse trailer needs to be cleaned of all bedding, feces, and remaining feed.
- Routine cleaning with disinfectants is needed in order to avoid the spread of diseases.
- The braking mechanism, lights, tires along with their condition as regards their age and tread, and coupling device are supposed to be inspected periodically.
- The floor, particularly wood flooring, has to be checked for any sign of decay in order to avoid any danger of collapse that may pose a threat to the life of the animal.
- Emergency locks and release mechanisms on the ramp and doors must always be in proper working condition.
If you choose horse trailer rental from Hetman Rental, we take care of all these details for you. Otherwise, it is your responsibility to monitor and maintain them yourself.
Importance of Choosing a Licensed Horse Trailer Rental in Calgary
Partnering with a reputable horse trailer supplier in Calgary means that, along with guaranteed transport, you also get professional services that consider the welfare of the animals in question as well as that suggested by the prevailing laws.
- HetmanRental provides all horse trailers with up-to-date Canada road and safety standards. These include light, brakes, tires, and components.
- We document all our practices correctly and also maintain biosecurity through professional cleaning and disinfection.
- There are always experts available for advice on how to use a trailer of the correct size and how to hook it up to your towing vehicle, increasing your transport safety.
To safely and properly move your horses, as well as other farm animals, to where you want to go, contact a
trailer rental in Calgary, HetmanRental.
