Anyone have a Calico brand horse trailer?

[Abbie.S]

I saw someone with one at a show this summer and really liked it. It was a bumper pull two horse, but slant load, w/ a tack room and designed similarly to a stock trailer with the slatting along the top of each side.

I love stock trailers for hauling but it isn’t always practical if you have more than one horse. This seemed to be the best of both worlds, and I’m considering trying to find one. I love my 1994 Kingston, but I’ve had a couple horses over the years who strongly prefer a more stock-type design and my Kingston is HOT in the summer.

Reviews? Yay or nay?

[PaperPony]

I have a 3H Gooseneck. They are extremely affordable (literally half the price of an aluminum) and have lots of custom options. I got mine extra tall and extra wide and it fits three TBs comfortably and still has a large tack/dressing room which I have camped out of on numerous occasions.

I got windows put on the horse head side and the regular open slats on the butt side, which works great for air flow while still having the option of closing the windows on the horse’s heads during rain/super cold weather.

It pulls great and has held up well --but definitely get the option of rubber mats on the walls (I didn’t and that was a mistake I’m having to get installed now).

[gypsymare]

I saw them at a dealer in MD. Moritz has an identical layout and mine is built like a tank.

[rainpants]

Had one, sounds similar to described. Seemed like a nice NEW trailer and the price was AWESOME.

Ended up with a pretty horrific puncture wound caused by the divider, which popped open when hauling two horses (legitimately, my mare did like to lean on it, can’t fault it for popping open… but DO fault it for being pointy and dangerous when open!) It was not the first time it had done that while hauling and while it might never be an issue with a horse who does not lean on dividers, it was 100% an issue with mine. The first time it happened she bent the divider, but I had it fixed.

Second time result…

A week or so into healing

It was deep enough I could get a whole syringe in it (and not a tiny one either)… to the left OR the right. Deep enough that if it’d been an inch over it would have hit her stifle joint and possibly been the kind of injury that could have been career ending instead of just losing us a month of training/showing.

Needless to say, trailer was sold (mangled divider and all) ASAP with the warning that the divider wasn’t safe. New owner planned to remove it and haul her one horse sans divider.

It was light, easy to haul and had a decent sized tack room. Good price… if you ignore the vet bills…

[Texarkana]

I considered them when I was trailer shopping, there was just none of them close enough to me to lay hands and eyes upon. I purchased another brand’s steel 2H stock combo.

I love stock combo trailers and I think the Calico model has a lot of great features standard (like the rubber torsion axles and escape door).

But do be aware a lot of these steel stock combos have a standard width of 6’ unless you special order. A 6’ wide slant is a tight squeeze for most horses. I can’t help but wonder if the small size is related to fallenupright’s divider problem posted above!

[californianinkansas]

We had a Calico three-horse slant that we sold last June. The main reason I sold it was because it turned into an oven when the outside temperature got anywhere near 90 degrees or if I hauled all three horses. Summers in Kansas can be brutal. As the other posters have said, the slant load was a bit narrow, even for my Arabians.
Other than that, it was a good trailer.

[farak]

We had a two horse straight load bumper pull Calico for 8 years (bought it new). It was fine - no maintenance or other problems - but we only used it lightly. We did notice a marked difference in our horses’ attitudes to trailering when we finally could afford our dream Sundowner. I imagine the ride in the Calico was not nearly as smooth as their ride in the Sundowner. They are much more willing to load these days and seem less anxious and more relaxed.

[MyDarkPassenger]

[QUOTE=fallenupright;8935670]
Had one, sounds similar to described. Seemed like a nice NEW trailer and the price was AWESOME.

Ended up with a pretty horrific puncture wound caused by the divider, which popped open when hauling two horses (legitimately, my mare did like to lean on it, can’t fault it for popping open… but DO fault it for being pointy and dangerous when open!) It was not the first time it had done that while hauling and while it might never be an issue with a horse who does not lean on dividers, it was 100% an issue with mine. The first time it happened she bent the divider, but I had it fixed.

Second time result…

A week or so into healing

It was deep enough I could get a whole syringe in it (and not a tiny one either)… to the left OR the right. Deep enough that if it’d been an inch over it would have hit her stifle joint and possibly been the kind of injury that could have been career ending instead of just losing us a month of training/showing.

Needless to say, trailer was sold (mangled divider and all) ASAP with the warning that the divider wasn’t safe. New owner planned to remove it and haul her one horse sans divider.

It was light, easy to haul and had a decent sized tack room. Good price… if you ignore the vet bills…[/QUOTE]

The exact thing happened to me with my 2011 2H slant. The divider was clipped to the side in a manner that the rep approved and my horse usually stand very quietly on the opposite side.

[Ready_To_Riot]

My aunt and I both have a calico. I’ve had mine for 13 years and my aunt has had hers for a little bit longer. This “slant popping open” thing has never happened. And it’s definitely not sharp any where. I’m really surprised by this happening. Maybe it was just a fault in that particular trailer.

I have the model you’re talking about OP. I love it. There are custom options also and for the price, it’s not bad. Brand new in early 2004 the trailer Cost $4000. Mine is a 2 horse. My aunt has the 3 horse taller version and only cost $1000 more. Only thing I’ve had to replace is the plug for the lights. Did that this year. As far as horses fitting in it, I’ve never had a problem. My friends 16.2hand draft cross fit in it as do my quarter horses and my saddlebred. I’m trying to remember what else I’ve hauled, but I’m drawing a blank. Oh. Arabians. They fit. My friend had two. One might have been an Anglo, but I’m not sure. I don’t feel like it’s a tight squeeze for any of the aforementioned horses.

[DesignerLabel]

I had one about 10 years ago, and I sold it after about 6 months. Rattled, shook, just cheaply made. Horses became reluctant to load because it would rattle and bounce every time they put a foot on it.

Maybe they’ve improved in the last few years, but I’d never own another one.