Balanced Ride Owners Option questions

[Paks]

My husband (the finance department) has given me permission to buy a new trailer and I would like a Balanced Ride. My daughter has one and loves it. Hers is a tag along. Since this will be my first new trailer in 20 years and possibly my last (I’ll be 68 when it is delivered) I want to make sure I do it right. So here goes

Which is better Full doors with short ramp or Ramp with top doors?

It the box stall option a nice to have or essential. (I’m envisioning keeping a much bucket and rake behind the horses after they load attached to one of those zig zag wall mount things they sell. Also I could see loading hay for horse vacations especially if there is rain or other weather.
fans of course and in the dressing room
Water is gravity feed enough or is the pump a good idea. I’m still dithering on gooseneck or tag)
What options do you have you can’t live without and what to you have that you felt really wasn’t worth it.

Also the goose neck vs tag. (my husband sometimes cuts corners too close with the tag I’m really worried about what he might wipe out with a gooseneck. Are there lessons he can take for this?)
Thanks

[Critter]

I can’t speak to the Balanced Ride…though I just got a new Hawk from Risa (she was fantastic to work with and very helpful with talking through features and add ons!).

I will say I’ve always had ramp with top doors…until this new trailer. We have full doors with a short ramp. I really like the full doors and short ramp. I was worried the short ramp would be too steep…it’s not (I think it is less steep that the 4 star I had). I also like not having someone have to bend over behind a horse to put a ramp up and potentially get flattened with a tougher horse.

I also used to have a 2+1 and the box was my favorite part, especially for safely storing hay and other messy equipment. I was worried when we went to the new trailer about loosing the space (I went slant)…but what I did was have the first stall with a full divider and it opens to a ramp…so I plan to store hay and shavings in that stall, as I usually will only trailer 1-2 horses. So that will still give me the nice space for dirtier equipment that I don’t want to put in the dressing room.

[Bluey]

I would say, 1-2 horses, either gn or tagalong are fine.
3 horses and up, gn is safer all around and horses seem to ride better, not as bouncy.

DH will have to learn by experience if a gn, we prefer gn all around, but happen to need a tag along now, so our vet can use it with his vet box rigged pickup.
Has come in handy already.

Tag along are more versatile, gn safer and smoother, but require designated pull vehicle.
You will have to compromise which is better for you and your use of trailer.

All our trailer are step up, no idea on ramps.

[asterix]

I just got a new hawk last year (also from Risa, highly recommend) - I chose the ramp with half window doors on top. My husband hunts and I event, so we both have lots of occasions where the horse is sitting in the trailer unattended (hunt breakfast for him, and sometimes course walking or watching how sj rides for me)… putting them on, doing up the ramp and leaving those top doors open and latched to the sides gives them the best airflow for warm days… so depends on how you will use the trailer.

[islgrl]

I prefer the top doors for the reason another poster mentioned. If I have to leave him in the trailer while I do something I can leave those doors open for ventilation.

[wsmoak]

@Paks

Which is better Full doors with short ramp

I prefer the ramp over full doors. That way you can have one horse fully secured while you unload the other. I’m also not a fan of having to raise and lower a ramp that close to any horse’s hind feet, though of course people do it every day with no issues.

Really my big thing now is being able to walk off forward. If you’re doing the balanced ride you’ve already got that sorted and the ramp is not as big of an issue.

[CLB15]

I recently got a Balanced Ride bumper pull after having loved my Balanced Ride gooseneck, but wanted more tow vehicles options. Before the BRs I had a 2+1 gooseneck, and a 2-horse straight load bumper pull. I found it significantly easier to learn to navigate a gooseneck after years of driving a bumper pull, than it was to familiarize myself with driving a bumper pull again after years of driving goosenecks.

Count me in with the group that feels goosenecks are safe & stable type for long trips. There’s also of course more interior space over the bulkhead (rather than chucking it in the truck bed & hoping for a rain-free drive ) AND on the box floor of a gooseneck, to stage out of or store more gear. 95% of my outings are local 1-day & along with tow vehicle options, the bumper pull benefits out weighted the gooseneck for me.

Until this latest trailer, I’ve always had rear ramps with Dutch doors. Even with rear straight loads I’ve always preferred (but rarely go to use) full doors behind each straight stall. I have never left top doors dutch doors open on any of my rear straight loads or my previous BR- you see a horse snap a halter & flipping backwards over the raised ramp- never want the opportunity for a repeat. With all the options for drop down and sliding window (including on the full height doors) on BRs, open top dutch doors makes would be a negligible difference in airflow IMO.

Another reason I opted for full height rear doors & bumpers (no ramp) on the new trailer, is because I occasionally trailer youngsters and want the step up/down when I convert it to a box trailer for them. My trailers also always serve double duty for moving hay & equipment, and I like being able to back it RIGHT up to a building without having to worry about room to drop a ramp.

Different strokes for different folks! Bumper pull or gooseneck, ramp w/Dutch doors or full height doors, lots of options exist because they work better or worse for lots of different people & scenarios. Plus I don’t think you can go wrong with a BR

[Paks]

Thank you everyone. You gave me a lot to think about. We’ve decided on the gooseneck. Local place will install hitch for $875. And a hydraulic jack. We are old 68 and 74. Incredibly for my husband the allure of the balance ride was not having the horse back off through manure. I like the better ride for the horse’s and with the XL being able to keep the manure bucket and rake safely in the horse part of the trailer not the take room. What I am really looking forward to is the water tank.

I’ve decided on full doors with ramp. With rear facing with ramp and top doors really seems weird to have the horses peering over the ramp and you can never trailer with the top doors open. There are however drop down doors by the horse’s head in the model i’m getting so there is air flow there. Since my husband and I take back to back lessons being able to open and get the first horse while other remains in the trailer with his door closed.

One thing I asked about it the height of the truck. 58.5 inches at the top of the bed side. I’ve seen a lot of people lifting their trailers to meet the height of the modern heavy duty truck or towing with an angle. Risa said she would take a few inches off the Jacksheet wall so I don’t have to do either one of those. I guess if I ever sleep over the goose neck I’ll have to watch my head.

Once our order is in it’s about 6 months before delivery. Which will give me some time to buy a gooseneck toy for my husband to see how they work differently from tag a long. (I’m an engineer modeling is a good way to learn.