I have transported the neighbor’s 18h warmblood in my Sundowner 2h straight load, ramp, no manger, trailer without a problem. There is plenty of room for big horses. When I bought my trailer, the sales person said they could add an extra foot in the front, and some extra height, if I wanted it. My Irish draughts fit well in the standard Sundowner, so I didn’t special order.
I’ve seen few problems if any with stock type trailers… No manger, no center board, Just space.
[QUOTE=clanter;8181505]
The weight of the horse on the bar put stress on the bar’s release pull pins… no way to pull the pins to release the breast bar
Have thought about that problem often over the years, and never really have come up with a solution on how to have the pins easily removable when jammed[/QUOTE]
The way the pins are in my Hawk, having a horse on top of the bars would not prevent the pins from being pulled out.
GEEZ! There really is a horror story for just about any trailer type. It seems that stock types have the least amount of issues for unruly haulers, but finding one that is 7’6" tall is nearly impossible (keep in mind that my budget is $8000). Of course bigger trailers are most common on the east coast, but I’m in North Dakota, and could easily spend an extra $2000 shipping a trailer from the east coast, or picking it up myself.
I have my eye on a true warmblood size straight load in Utah, but it has breast and butt STRAPS instead of bars, which I’ve never seen before. I could buy bars to put in it, but I’d likely try to move the location of the bar up higher, so that he’d be less likely to be able to get a leg over it. I’m lucky that I know a welder lol.
You guys are awesome! I really appreciate all of this input!
OP-- are you moving and taking your horse? Perhaps the easiest route would be to have him professionally shipped and then you could buy a trailer when you get somewhere where trailers are more available. Or am I thinking of someone else?
OP, what is your truck? Do you haul more than one horse?
Since you have a problem horse and are on a tighter budget, what about a Titain Avalanche 3 horse (extra tall–I think you can go 7’8") and then take out one or all dividers? You could either give your big guy two stalls at the end, or if it’s just him, use it like a box stall. Obviously no rear tack.
There are other steel brands too that you can get in your neck of the woods, but I mentioned the Titan as an example because of the galvanneal steel, but they are heavy.
I fear aluminum and European trailers will be out of budget.
[QUOTE=Manni01;8181140]
Ok… my recommendation… get a Boeckmann trailer… Its a german horse and the German trailers are made for this type of horse… Any seize horse will fit in, and the ramp converts to a step up in seconds…[/QUOTE]
The only Bockmann that would possibly fit an 18h horse is a portax which would be a $20k plus trailer.
The safety features is why I had an EquiBreeze built by EquiSpirit built for me. I needed XT/XW for my 17.3 Percheron & Clyde-X.
Watch the video, with special attention to the butt & chest bars…
http://www.equispirit.com/products/videos/horse-trailer-safety.html
Another vote for a stock type trailer. Nothing to get hung up on, load horse and let them figure out the best way they want to ride. No bars, no mangers, nothing.
the few folks I’ve known that’ve had mangers in their trailers complained that the horses had to self load & unload, and stand quietly on their own while their neighboring horse was being loaded or unloaded.
Problem with breastbars is a horse managing to get hung up going over them. I’ve heard about (and seen) that happen more then once. Most recently it happened to my little horse (the 75" blanket-wearing, 15hh “old pro”) when I had him in my extra tall, extra wide, extra long straight stall… He had enough room that when he pawed/hopped/whatever, he hooked his legs over the breast bar and proceeded to make it almost the rest of the way over. It was traumatizing for me (he honestly didn’t seem the least bit worried) but after hammering out the breastbar pin to let it drop, we just walked him forward out the side ramp. We ended up hauling him home just tied in the box stall, and now I’m planning on having work done so it can be used as 2 actual box stalls. Couldn’t have done that in a regular 2-horse with a breastbar & solid front wall or with a manger.
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8182573]
Another vote for a stock type trailer. Nothing to get hung up on, load horse and let them figure out the best way they want to ride. No bars, no mangers, nothing.[/QUOTE]
This is my recommendation also. I pull an old featherlite 6 horse slant that has been converted into 3 box stalls. Front and back stalls have ramps. With a box stall, whether or not you have a ramp is less of an issue, since they can turn around (though an 18 hand guy may have more problems with this than most), and walk out forwards.
Many trailers can have the roof raised by a welder. Have seen this done several times. not too expensive, if you can keep the old roof, and only add spacer bars to hold it at a higher elevation. This would allow you to look at a greater number of trailers, to find something you like, then alter the roof height to suit your horse.
I am moving and taking my horse. I moved to North Dakota from Colorado about 3 months ago, and my horse is still in CO. I’m going back in July for a friend’s wedding, and would like to pick up my horse then. There is pretty much no hope of finding the trailer that I need in ND, and I’ve had a surprisingly hard time finding it in CO as well. I’ve thought about having him shipped out here, but would rather use that money towards buying my own trailer, and I highly doubt he’d climb in a commercial horse trailer.
I’m in negotiations on a Twi-light 2h, straight load. The middle divider comes out completely to make an 11x6.5’ box stall, so that may be what I do. Once he’s more comfortable with hauling, I may put the divider back in so that we can eventually haul a 2nd horse. And, to be honest, I’ll likely have a couple doses of Ace with me for the initial 14-15 hour journey … just in case.
TrotTrotPumpkn - That is an option that we considered. But, we’re not sure what kind of hauling vehicle we’ll end up with, and will be borrowing a half ton pickup in the meantime. So, long story short, we’re interested in a lighter trailer in case we end up buying a half ton ourselves.
I do not like mangers, at least with a breast bar you have something you can remove. I don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect trailer but I like the set up I have right now.
The breast bar on my trailer it too high for my mare and I have not had the money to get it fixed and I did not get the adjustable bar I needed when I bought the trailer. However I have a solid metal door that shuts under the breast bar and the two of them create the solid wall in front of the horse like a manger would but it is moveable.
I shut the solid door first, this keeps my mare from getting under the breast bar; she will drop her head under the bar every time I load her because the bar is too high. Then I put on the breast bar which will give her a padded place to lean into.
I figure if she tried to go over the breast bar her weight will be on the bar and hopefully I would be able to open the solid bottom door then release the breast bar. Because the bar is so tall I think it is a deterrent but it also hits her in the neck so I should probably get that fixed some day. I am concerned a little that I might not be able to swing open the solid door but I don’t think I could use my trailer without it. You can see pictures of the solid door here http://www.balancedridetrailers.com/Page.aspx?id=b-ride-rear-load-bp-tc
I like the ramp for the horse but it is very heavy and I have to strain to shut it. With my trailer the ramp is necessary.
I think refresher training periodically is a really good idea and I am going to start doing that so she stays at ease with trailering.
Make sure you can close the rear doors and latch them with the divider out if it’s your plan to haul him in a box. Some trailers have a removable divider but depend on that piece (or just the vertical the divider attaches to) to close up the trailer.
I would look at a mini=stock trailer. Gives him lots of room and nothing to get caught on.
I had a padded chain and two loops added to my trailer to act as a barrier should I want to use the trailer as a box stall (all dividers, bars come out). It spans the back of the trail so when I drop the ramp the horse can’t come out. You can probably have that added to any trailer.
[QUOTE=Quelah;8181766]
The way the pins are in my Hawk, having a horse on top of the bars would not prevent the pins from being pulled out.[/QUOTE]
Was just thinking the same thing with mine. I have however been known to, um, “politely decline” to trailer a barn mate with a horse that rears in the trailer. Not worth the risk.
[QUOTE=lbofenkamp;8185726]
I am moving and taking my horse. I moved to North Dakota from Colorado about 3 months ago, and my horse is still in CO. I’m going back in July for a friend’s wedding, and would like to pick up my horse then. There is pretty much no hope of finding the trailer that I need in ND, and I’ve had a surprisingly hard time finding it in CO as well. I’ve thought about having him shipped out here, but would rather use that money towards buying my own trailer, and I highly doubt he’d climb in a commercial horse trailer.
I’m in negotiations on a Twi-light 2h, straight load. The middle divider comes out completely to make an 11x6.5’ box stall, so that may be what I do. Once he’s more comfortable with hauling, I may put the divider back in so that we can eventually haul a 2nd horse. And, to be honest, I’ll likely have a couple doses of Ace with me for the initial 14-15 hour journey … just in case.
TrotTrotPumpkn - That is an option that we considered. But, we’re not sure what kind of hauling vehicle we’ll end up with, and will be borrowing a half ton pickup in the meantime. So, long story short, we’re interested in a lighter trailer in case we end up buying a half ton ourselves.[/QUOTE]
If you have any concerns about the shipping, don’t just TAKE the ace with you, give him the shot before you load. It will help, both him and you. Talk to a vet to help you with dosage, but with an 18 hand horse, unless he is very susceptible to the drug, 1 cc IM would be a small dose. 2cc IM might be more useful. Talk to a vet about this. The problem with just taking the drug, but not using it until/unless there is a problem is that once the horse is tense and stressed, it does not work as well, and can backfire entirely. Use it in advance of any tension starting.
Hauling a large horse, and potentially two horses, with a half ton truck, it will not be enough truck for you, especially if there are mountains involved. 3/4 ton is a better plan. The problem with using light trailers is that the trailer can be lighter than the load it carries, which means that unless the trailer has superb engineering (and most don’t), when the horses moves, the trailer shifts under them, sways. The better ride is achieved when the trailer is heavier than the load it carries. Which is why horses ship so well in large, commercial 12 to 15 horse tractor trailer vans… the fact that they are steady, and ride smooth, because they are so large.
NancyM, I don’t want to pick a fight with you, but then every two horse Featherlite, etc. sways? Or any Euro trailer? Because the trailer is lighter than the load often. What about tire placement? I always thought the tires had to be towards the rear to avoid sway.
OP, I have a 10’ steel two horse with no dress that weighs as much as a Featherlight with a dressing room. It has mangers, which I loathe, for all the reasons listed. I am shopping for a Silverado 1500, but I currently pull with a Expedition. As someone who is weight-challenged I will share I wish I had a small stock trailer with a 7’ ceiling instead. If it had a ramp I could use it for my mower or the 4 wheeler and it would work for a mare and foal. Very versatile.
I found a 2013 GMC Sierra that has the 6.2L V8 (instead of the 5.3) and the bigger gear ratios, etc.–more like a 3/4 ton, but I just worry about that gas mileage since it is my daily driver.
I wish there were better trailer options without spending 20k!!!
Sorry, NancyM, I should’ve clarified that I will dose him with Ace before loading him, and then continue to dose him throughout the trip if needed. Since I’ve owned him, he’s been sedated once or twice for teeth floating, etc. He’s somewhat of a “lightweight” despite his size, so I may try 1cc or 1.5cc so that he’s not so dopey that he can’t stabilize himself when the trailer moves.
I agree that sedating a horse with ace after they’re already tense and upset tends to be counterproductive.
