The part of the journey that tests you—and your decisions
Traveling with horses across multiple states is challenging enough. Add unpredictable spring weather in Colorado and the plains, and things can change quickly.
What started as a carefully planned trip turned into one of the most stressful travel experiences I’ve had with horses. Looking back now, there are several decisions I would make differently—but like many horse experiences, some lessons are learned the hard way.
The next morning, we planned to make it to a ranch near Laramie, Wyoming.
The weather had turned cold, and we were already running later than expected. After stopping at a Love’s truck stop to fuel up and rest, Wendy and I tried to get some sleep—but we were both too cold to really settle in.
I was tired, but I made a decision I would later question.
Rather than stopping for the night, I decided to push on to Peyton.
It was threatening to snow, and I didn’t want to wake up to snow-covered roads. So we watered the horses, grabbed some caffeine, and hit the road again.
So much for beating the snow.
As soon as we crossed into Colorado, it turned into a complete whiteout. It was around 1:00 AM, and we literally couldn’t see the road in the dark. The only way I could stay on track was by hitting the rumble strips along the side.
I slowed down to about 15 miles per hour with my flashers on, worried about getting run over by a snowplow.
It was frightening, to say the least.
Driving tired in a blinding snowstorm isn’t something I’d recommend.
We kept going—slow and careful—but I couldn’t stop thinking about the horses. They had already been in the trailer too long, and now we were pushing them even further.
I was mad at myself for making the decision to keep going.
When we finally got past the worst of the snow near Monument, I thought we were in the clear. But then we hit construction—concrete barriers, rough roads, and a ride that felt like it was beating up both the truck and the trailer.
Those poor horses had to be miserable.
At one point, I remember saying out loud, “What have I done?”
Poor Wendy had to listen to all of it.
We finally pulled into Wendy’s place in the early morning hours.
No snow there. That alone felt like a miracle.
We got the horses unloaded and into their stalls, and I crawled into the living quarters for a few hours of sleep. Enya had traveled with us too, and I think she was just as relieved to be on solid ground.
Later that morning, Wendy and I turned the horses out. Her two boys were pretty excited to have a couple of mares arrive as houseguests.
The next morning, we noticed Chloe wasn’t doing well.
She had discharge coming from her nose, her head was hanging low, and she was wheezing. Our first thought was shipping fever—something you never want to deal with, especially after a long haul.
Wendy immediately went into safety protocol mode. We separated Chloe, and she called the vet.
Of course, it started snowing again… and harder this time.
I’ll never forget that moment.
The vet came out in a blizzard to see Chloe.
As it turned out, it wasn’t shipping fever—it was choke. She tubed her, and we kept a close eye on her through the day and night.
It was a rough start to her time in Colorado.
But thankfully, she pulled through.
Looking back, that stretch of the trip taught me more than anything else.
You can plan.
You can prepare.
You can do everything you think is right.
And still find yourself in situations you didn’t anticipate.
If I had it to do over again, I would have stopped.
I would have rested.
And I would have made a different decision for the horses.
Traveling with horses isn’t just about getting from point A to point B.
It’s about the decisions you make along the way.
And sometimes, those decisions are the hardest part.
Part 3 of a 4-part series: Moving with Horses
Next: Getting Everything—and Everyone—Settled in Colorado
Note: All images are provided by ©NW Horse Source
Follow the series
Part 1: Before You Hit the Road
Part 2: Hitting the Road
Part 3: When Things Don’t Go as Planned
Part 4: Arrival, Reality & Starting Over
Planning your own trip with horses?
Be sure to download the travel checklists included throughout the series and explore horse travel resources at HorseSource.org.
Owner / Publisher | Canfield Certified Trainer
Karen Pickering is a lifelong horsewoman and the founder of The Northwest Horse Source, which began in 1995 as a small equine newsletter and grew into a respected industry publication. With more than 30 years of experience serving the horse community, Karen now focuses on helping equine businesses and organizations build visibility, credibility, and lasting relationships through online marketing, digital promotion, and educational platforms.
As a Canfield Certified Trainer, she blends proven success principles with real-world industry experience, supporting both businesses and individuals navigating change in today’s digital landscape. Karen remains deeply connected to the horse industry and is passionate about serving the community she has helped build for over three decades.
Today, Karen remains involved with every aspect of Horse Source and treasures the community of thousands who share a common passion.