2+1 Gooseneck horse trailers - 4 star vs Cimarron vs Hawk

[CanteringCarrot]

I don’t know much about Cimarron at all, and I can’t recall seeing one in person. I have a 2H gooseneck EquiSpirit (made by Hawk). I prefer Hawk over 4-Star generally, but if I were equally open to both, I’d just go for the best bang for my buck. Both build nice trailers and have been around for quite awhile. The folks at EquiSpirit are great to deal with, IME.

I have heard a few things about newer 4-Star trailers not being as well made as some of the older models, but I am not sure if that’s model or year dependant. The only consistent thing I’ve seen with EquiSpirit and Hawk is peeling paint on the fiberglass roof. Some of the issues with a fiberglass roof comes from people just not caring for or not knowing how to care for fiberglass. I like the fiberglass roof because it does keep the trailer cooler in warm temps, in my experience.

I love the 2+1 design, but this time around I didn’t need the extra.

[ReReRider]

I will be hauling 2 most of the time, but envision transitioning to 2 box stalls once I arrive to any particular location (lessons/shows), where the horse could hang out for hrs at a time without feeling as cramped as in a trailer stall.

[ReReRider]

what type of care goes into fiberglass roof maintenance?

[Horsehusband]

Just bought a Cimarron 2+2 and thrilled with it. Looked heavily at both 4 Star and Cimarron and ended up going with the Cimarron as the dealer was easier to work with and both felt high quality.

Will say all dealers I talked to advised against WERM flooring.

[ReReRider]

Oh interesting. What reasons were given not to use WERM?

[kaya842]

I have a Brenderup not Hawk but they both have the fiberglass roof. For cleaning the inside, I use a mold and mildew spray made for boats and for the outside (shiny part) I use the same and follow it up with a wash on wax. Probably could do with a true wax n buff but I’m not very tall and not trying to do that from a ladder. My trailer is a 2008. I love the fiberglass roof and believe it makes a huge difference in the heat.

[NaturallyHappy]

@ReReRider

Oh interesting. What reasons were given not to use WERM?

I’ve not heard that from a dealer. I don’t like it, though. The 4 Star I had before the one I have now had WERM flooring. My horse scrambled on that turning into my driveway. He never scrambled before and he doesn’t scramble now with regular rubber mats in my new 4 Star. I think it’s hard and slippery, personally. I use fat gorilla tape over the seams in the regular rubber mats.

[Phean]

I know you want a comparison, but here is where I asked about the 2+1. I got great responses and people shared some nice photos which might help.

[Cowgirl]

I recently bought a Balanced Ride 2+1 (horses face backwards, but mine is reversible), made by Hawk. I looked at 4-Star and Cimmaron, but prefer Hawk as I had my last Hawk trailer for 20 years and sold it for what I paid for it. The company is fantastic to work with and their delivery guy went out of the way for me (made some repairs to my old Hawk before I sold it). My horses love this trailer SO MUCH that the first ride I took them on, they both peed! They have never peed in a trailer before. When I peeled back the mats to clean it, I found my wood floor was enamel paint coated! The dealer convinced me to go with wood over WERM.

[brooklyn1]

4 Star, Cimarron, and Hawk’s Balanced Ride are all excellent choices for horse comfort and longevity.

Have you considered a SafeTack 3-Horse Reverse design, like from Double D Trailers? Here’s why I’m asking…

• The 2+1 layout is popular but it can present challenges with length/maneuverability and box stall safety

• The patented SafeTack design prioritizes horse safety and uses the space in a more efficient way

• Reverse loading on the SafeTack design allows the horse to load and unload facing forward which is safer and less stressful for horses

Here’s an article with more information on the comparison between 2+1 trailers vs. the Double D Trailers SafeTack 3 Horse Gooseneck design.

Here is some additional information on WERM as well if you are interested.

I’d definitely recommend contacting each manufacturer directly with your specific questions. If possible, try to view similar models from each brand at local shows or events to get a feel for their quality/layout.

[Annie10]

You didn’t pull
The bars back to look at the floor before you bought it ?

[ReReRider]

Which dealer did you go through?

[Critter]

Happy Trails (Risa is the owner) does the balanced ride. She is super helpful and knows her trailers.

That said, we finally got in our new 4 Star (ordered in August!!)…and traded in the Hawk (it did hold it’s value really well). All I can say is that the 2 trailers are not in the same category. The 4 Star is so much more solid and better made. I was worried my old horse was going to snap the trailer ramp on the Hawk when he was being a butt head about loading…I would not worry about it with the way the 4 star is made. It’s also way quieter with the changes they made than the original 4 star we had many years ago. Having now owned both trailers recently…4 star hands down for the quality.

[ReReRider]

Thanks, super helpful. I would not have expected aluminum to feel more solid/quiet! Which 4 star dealer did you go with? Was there something specific w the Hawk that prompted you to switch?

[Cowgirl]

I ordered it from a dealer out of state and it was delivered to me. I was expecting plain wood like my last trailer. This was a pleasant surprise.

[endlessclimb]

Fingers crossed for you that that holds true. It was not the case with my custom ordered 2019 4 Star.

Show us pictures of your new rig!

[Annie10]

Ah I see.

[NaturallyHappy]

I’m really disappointed for you that you had problems. I’ve had four of them over the years…when I traded, each time I got something a bit smaller/less footprint. All were wonderful w no problems.

[Critter]

We used Frank DiBella…we got our first Hawk and then first 4 Star through them. They also were willing to give us the most trade in value for the current Hawk. They also were reasonable for the final price (I priced it out with a few dealers…2 were very similar, and 2 were crazy high for the same specs).

So…we got the Hawk during Covid as I decided I wanted to downsize (had a 2+1 4 star that had extra space in the box and a few extra feet in the tack room and was extra tall).

The Hawk had maybe 10 trips on it (all to the vet clinic of course)…and it was rusting out in spots it should not have been rusting out. Paint was chipping. Spots on the ramp, hinges, and under the gooseneck were rusting and pitting. Again, this trailer did not have high use and had no reason to show that amount of wear and tear for very little miles. It just felt a bit flimsy when you loaded horses into it. Not sure how else to describe it…but the rusting out in certain spots was concerning (ie if those spots are breaking down, what else is also breaking down that is less visible?).

@endlessclimb our first 4 star had major issues…flooding in the box stall. It was a mess…they ended up taking it back and replacing it because the dealer (and 4 star as it got sent back) couldn’t fix it. The replacement was fine and had no issues. Happy to say that we’ve had a few heavy rain storms and this one is dry!

[NaturallyHappy]

That trailer is gorgeous! And, now I have big trailer envy.