The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), a new type of environmental pollutants, could have more adverse effects on the environment than the ARGs themselves, while the horizontal gene transfer (HGT) could be the most important propagation pathways of the ARGs, being one of the reasons for the growing pollution of ARGs in the environment. This paper systematically elaborated the molecular elements of the horizontal transfer of ARGs and the related affecting factors, which was of significance for investigating the molecular mechanisms of the horizontal transfer of the ARGs. In combining with the phylogenetic mechanisms of multiple antibiotic resistances, this paper also provided effective strategies to reduce the transfer and proliferation of ARGs in the environment. Based on the present contamination situations, the further researches on the horizontal transfer of ARGs in the environment were prospected.