Gooseneck vs bumper and Air Ride

[kaya842]

I know, I know another trailer thread. I am typically very self sufficient but I am at my wits end with this trailer thing. I have a Brenderup Baron that one of my horses has started scrambling/ excessive leaning/ near falling in (thread in Horse Care “Horse Scrambling in Trailer”) after 3 years ~ without issue. In fact the horse seems to even LIKE the trailer despite the balance issues (jumps on happily time after time and seems relatively at ease despite not balancing well). I have tried as much as is possible with the B’up without removing the divider without any improvement so it’s gone up for sale which means I’ll need something different.

I’ve read time after time that GN pull better/ smoother than BPs, but have never towed one consistently (towed a friends a few times) and haven’t ridden in one to see if there is a difference for the horse. Is it smoother for the horse (vs just smoother for the tow vehicle)? I would think there is (probably marginally) less excess side to side movement due to the position of the hitch. I don’t want a GN but if it would give her a better ride would consider getting a small 2H.

Besides GN, the other huge “makes the ride smooth” feature is Air Ride. Does it make a big difference for the horses? I have no experience with it.

From what I’ve seen it’s mostly reserved for ginormous trailers, and I am looking for a 2H either BP or GN (looking at options with small dressing rooms NO LQs and maybe a side ramp). Is Air Ride overkill on a smaller trailer? Like how a 1 ton truck bounces/ rides rough empty because there isn’t enough weight on the beefy suspension?

If not, is it possible to add aftermarket? That would open up my possibilities vs needing to buy something with it on it. If I have to buy one with it on it, it looks like only Cimarron and 4Star have the option right?

Is there anything else I should be looking for to increase comfort for her? Her issue is side to side not front to back (no issue with bumps on the road or starting/ stopping, but left turns have her leaning HEAVILY on the wall). Things I already have in mind are: air ride/ cushion hitch like the Shocker Hitch, Mayo Mats or WERM type flooring for extra cushioning, and air ride or suspension upgrades on the truck.

I am also investigating things from the vet view point as well. At the least I need something sturdier that she can lean on without me worrying about her breaking it, or potentially remove everything to give her a box stall. We are planning to move several states away and are trying to figure out a way for her to make the trip comfortably (as well as be able to trailer to the vet in an emergency).

[LCDR]

I assume your Brenderup has a stall width of 32 inches. That is a common stall width in lots of trailers. Maybe your mare would do better with a wider stall, so she can gain side to side stability by being able to spread her legs more apart.

That is the opposite approach to gaining lateral stability as opposed to her using the divider or the wall to lean on for support, and she may be much happier.

Could you borrow a trailer with a wider stall just to see how she does before you drop the money for a new trailer also with 32 inch wide stalls and find she has the same balance issue in it?

[steelerino]

I think you should start with putting her in other trailers to see if she has the same problem. Do you have access to friends who have different set ups?

[kaya842]

Unfortunately, I don’t have very many horsey friends to begin with since I have had the horses at home for several years now and I am not in any sort of program with a trainer. I have two that have a trailer: one is a three horse slant gooseneck with a weekender (read that as BIG and requires using her truck) and the other is a two horse straight load bumper pull by Kieffer Built (not sure on the stall size on those). The Kieffer owner lives over 2.5 hours away. The friend with GN has offered but 1. There is no way for her to pick the horse up (she would never make it up our driveway as it is now and we live in a very residential area, we’re the only ones with horses by a long shot, which makes no good place to walk horsey to to meet her) and 2. I am not convinced a slant is a good option for any horse much less one with a balance issue.

None of the dealers within a few hour radius do rentals. I was thinking about hiring someone to drive her literally around the block but again, not sure how they would pick the horse up.

Trust me, I LOVE my B’up. I want(Ed) to keep this thing forever and do not want to buying a trailer right now when prices are insane and picking are slim (and I’m trying to have a competitive show season with my other horse for once). But I cannot have no way to transport this horse, especially with our vet clinics turning to in clinic visits only. I am so open to ideas, I just don’t have any good ones!

[LCDR]

As you said re: the divider and with lack of other trailers to try, I would make the effort to remove the divider briefly or swing it to one side temporarily and give the mare another ride.

Does your divider extend all the way to the floor?

Are there any hoof scramble marks on the bottom of the outside trailer wall like she is trying to widen her stance for stability.

If you haven’t tried already you might also get in the trailer yourself and have someone haul you around in a safe location just to see if anything about the ride strikes you.

[NaturallyHappy]

So……this is probably a stupid question…my guess is you would have thought of this, but have you changed her shoeing situation at all? Is there any chance your floor mats are worn smooth?? Do you bed the trailer? Would changing that help anything? I understand your limitations and was trying to think of simple things that may have changed somehow. For example, I bed my trailer but use bulk sawdust. Bagged shavings make it slippery.

[fivestrideline]

I believe OP has a whole thread addressing these issues and has hit a wall of changing the trailer.

I’m sympathetic because if my NQR gelding was, well, not NQR I’d be changing rigs too.

IME horses really do ride better in a gooseneck. The bigger the better. It’s all about lateral stability. I’ve seen scramblers ride better in a slant and/or entirely loose in a box. Backwards beats forwards and straight any day (even with good haulers).

As to air-ride, my understanding is that if you have a failure, you can’t haul the trailer at all. And a blowout of a tire is cause for a failure of the system quite regularly? I could be misinformed. I was told that “regular” suspension is better for the average owner not running a huge rig because a flat tire can cripple the rig entirely (and not just anyone could patch the thing together to get you home like a regular suspension).

[LCDR]

If she’d linked her thread from last year, I would not have repeated advice or been asking my questions. Why do people do this?

I do realize this post asks a more focused question, but prior info would have been a nice thing to offer.

Horse Scrambling in Trailer

I also second switching sides. My mare used to trailer on the “correct” side, she slipped once and after that started scrambling. We tried a number of things, including giving her the full stall (which I wanted to avoid if possible because it would be a real nuisance to never be able to take two horses!). What worked immediately was putting her on the other side. No idea why, but she’s happy there and hasn’t scrambled since…which I think is about 8 years! She’s slightly neuro these days but is s…

[fivestrideline]

@kaya842

I have a Brenderup Baron that one of my horses has started scrambling/ excessive leaning/ near falling in (thread in Horse Care “Horse Scrambling in Trailer”) after 3 years ~ without issue.

So, no link, but I think we can forgive that . Easy to miss, but that’s why I pointed it out.

[kaya842]

I rode around in it for a short trip after she fell last year. The only things I noticed was how smooth it was and some rattling noises I took care of with vet wrap. It was such a smooth ride I could stand without holding anything/ bracing for support.
The divider is solid half way with a plastic flap at the bottom which is always pulled away from the horse.
She does stand wide behind but not up front. She has a bigger issue balancing up front vs behind.
I’m not sure if I can swing it over, even temporarily. The divider gives the trailer structural support and with how heavily she is leaning on the wall to begin with, I’m worried she will seriously damage the trailer if she leans and the divider isn’t attached to properly support the walls.
Sorry, I don’t know how to link other threads within a thread! I’m here often but don’t post a ton and don’t know how to use all the features.

[kaya842]

Thank you! Bigger being longer? Or wider?
The backwards thing is definitely on the list. If our driveway/ location wasn’t such a logistical nightmare I’d love to hire out a head to head to try her front facing in a GN and rear facing (just in general) all in one trailer.

Ah good points about the air ride and blow outs. I forgot I had read about that as well. I wonder if there is a supplemental add on air ride like the air ride helper bags for trucks?

[fivestrideline]

@kaya842

Bigger being longer? Or wider?

Both. Probably more to do with feeling as if they have more space in general, but also the larger the rig the less the trailer reacts to little corrections by the driver (properly matched to a tow vehicle, of course). Are your horses generally quite large? I ask because it would be much cheaper to find a used XL 3-4H stock combo slant and take the dividers out for your scrambler than to order a straight that can be converted to a box safely. She may even ride better in a regular slant stall as well - I’ve seen it.

[kaya842]

They are not large! I am not large so no plans to have a big beasty. Both of my current are 16H.
She’s ridden in slants before - no real notes because no cameras (I wouldn’t have know about the leaning/ scrambling without a camera because it’s more of a lean then knees buckle and down she goes vs a full on scrambling that shakes the trailer).
I may have to try to work something out with the friend with the big GN.

[fivestrideline]

@kaya842

Both of my current are 16H.

You might just be fine with a good sized slant and use it as a “box”. Make sure it’s the right dimensions with no center post or fixed rear tack and you’re golden, with options of moving both horses/furniture/etc.

I’d have a gooseneck Balanced Ride or massive stock combo myself, if I had the cash for an entirely new rig. As it stands, I just take out my divider and block the front under the chest bars so I can haul Mr 16 Hands On A Good Day loose. It helps that my Exiss is 7’9” tall and well over 7’ wide.

[NaturallyHappy]

@kaya842, I’m not familiar w your trailer. I’ve only seen a couple. Does it have a built in hay feeder w a full piece to the floor under the chest bar so you can store tack underneath? The reason I ask is you mentioned scrambling more in front.

[kaya842]

Yes and no - there is a tack storage up front but there is space between the where the chest bar is and the tack area starts (so not like a manager where the chest bar/ stop is where the tack goes). They can lower their heads and have space to move their legs up as much as the chest bar will allow.

[kaya842]

Definitely making sure whichever trailer is next that I can remove the divider/ all the innards! The balanced ride trailers are so beautiful but impossible to find used and unfortunately I’m not made of money (and pony doesn’t poop golden apples ). I am looking at two used Equitreks (they ride backwards in those) but need to read up on them more. I really do love the Euro style (fiberglass roof so it’s cooler, the surge brakes are light years better than electric IMO, the suspensions are better, and they are light enough that tow vehicle options are pretty much endless) so maybe one of those will work out. I briefly considered a stock trailer so she has all the space but realized I’d be SOL if she’s worse without a divider.

[endlessclimb]

You really can’t do this without trying some stuff

I would not be selling your existing trailer just yet. It’s your ticket to being able to try other trailers, even if it’s just a short haul to where your friend with the monster slant can safely meet you.

[kaya842]

I must be underselling it - I cannot/ will not trailer her even a short distance away because she does not remain upright. There is a video in the other thread that shows what she does. She does it going 10mph and I have not found a way to make it safe for her in that trailer. She has fallen, gotten injured AND stuck in this trailer once before and it was the second most traumatizing thing ever, second only to my young horse’s death. I don’t know what other options there would be to try even if I could get her to a meeting place safely.

We took her out last weekend as a test and made it less than a half a mile before returning home for her safety. Thus, this thread. It’s a $hit position to be in, I know.

ETA I also have two interested parties in the trailer, one of which wants to look at it this weekend.

[endlessclimb]

I don’t know that shooting in the dark to the tune of 10-20k for a new trailer assists you or her at all.

If you’ve got the money and the patience to make that mistake (maybe multiple times!), then carry on!

Edit: what if she does it in every trailer, and you just sold a trailer you like for no reason??