Horse trailer brands

Yup, Equispirit.

Wood floor (less heat and vibration vs. aluminum)
Steel frame, aluminum skin (steel bends instead of breaks like aluminum but it’s heavy and rusts. Aluminum skin keeps rust to a minimum and is lighter, steel keeps the frame intact in case of accident)
Fiberglass roof (maybe most have this? Much cooler than alternates)

I ordered a 5H H2H that I couldn’t love more. Turns into 3 boxes, super open and and bright inside, the horses love it, I love it

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Really nice trailer! I can’t see me trying to back it down to the barn though. HAHA!

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I would love to hear if you tried anything else before the BR! I have one that is very similar to your horse in a standard two horse straight load and have been heavily researching BR or EquiTrek specially for her.

Thank you! I came from a 2H Equispirit and I was TERRIFIED of it when I got it. We have a very tight yard/driveway and our yard can’t be driven on in the winter. I have to pull in, back it part way around a circular driveway, pull out again, then back down to the barn. I’ll just say that it takes lots of practice (and lots of DH spotting you) but you get there!

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@Demerara_Stables: that’s a beautiful trailer! My Brup has a fiberglass roof. WAY cooler. That’s one of the features that I like about them. How does that 5H configuration work? I see the 3 in front. Are the other 2 stalls wider, or is there something else that takes up the space of what I’m thinking would be the 6th stall?

Thank you! I figured other brands had the fiberglass as well.

So it’s a 5 instead of a 6 because of the wheel wells in the back (see first picture). With the wheel wells in the stalls, there just isn’t enough leg room for the two outside horses if it was 3 across. Consequently, the two stalls in back are wider. I also made them 6" longer in case I ever wanted to haul a really big horse (draft or massive WB). I attached a floorplan - this may not be the final one we decided on but it gives you a good idea of what I have. We could’ve made it a 6 if we made it longer but I didn’t want to do that. :grimacing:

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Hi Kaya. Here’s my story. I am the original owner of my old trailer. 2006 Equispirit. I adore that trailer. Served me well for almost 2 decades. My show horse is a 16.3 1400# WB. He trailered perfectly in it until earlier this year when he had a traumatic ride on a very busy highway en route to the show. A usual 1 hour trip took nearly 2. If you don’t know the sheer hell that is the I-4 corridor then you’re blessed. Some jerk cut me off hard to the point I had to swerve onto the shoulder and brake suddenly. When I opened the back doors at the show said horse was missing a back shoe had bloody legs and sore enough to have to scratch the weekend. Trailer ride home was quiet and uneventful. Or so I thought. He again had cut his back legs. Torn off his shipping boots and removed the shoe the show farrier tacked back on. :crazy_face:

So I installed a camera. And saw how he would kind of just give up the ghost on any sort of right turn. No matter the speed or ease. It was like trailer ptsd. Funny thing is that he loads and unloads with ease. Even after the incident. I had a neuro exam done. He was fine.
Things I tried.
Replaced the mats with ones with ridges for traction
Shavings at the rear to avoid the poop slips
Totally sound proofed any jingly jangly latches
Brand new tires
Head divider out
Body divider pulled aside
Body divider removed.
Butt bars removed.
In the end he traveled best in the old trailer if it was a box stall but he still used both walls to lean and was so tense and exhausted by the time he’s arrive
I also tried a series of short trips to train his mind to believe he could keep all 4 feet on the floor. I spent the entire summer doing this.
He improved but not enough.
I consulted with 2 vets and both recommended getting a stock trailer or a trailer he could face backwards in.
So I looked into the BR.

If you know any horse friends with a rear facing or a stock trailer you could try. Maybe even hire a service. It’s worth seeing if this could help.

Best thing I ever did was to install a trailer camera. I incorrectly assumed my horse was being naughty. That he was kicking the back of the trailer. I never dreamed he was scrambling and falling.
Forgive any typos I’m on my phone.

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Thank you so much for laying that all out! It sounds extremely similar to what we’ve experienced and tried with my trailer- troubled horse (who still loads and unloads perfectly but the cornering looks just like the video you posted).

Did you consider EquiTrek when you were shopping? If so, what made you choose Balanced Ride? I am in a similar boat as FiveStrideLine considering between a GN BR with bigger truck or an EquiTrek.

I did not. I am unfamiliar with Equitrek. I chose the BR after reading reviews online and speaking with the dealer. Like I said I loved my Equispirit. It was manufactured by Hawk in 2006. The Hawk factory builds the BR. My new trailer has so many echoes of my old one in its components. I feel like what my horse needed was the rear facing option. Likely it wouldn’t matter so much by who.

If you are anywhere near central Florida. Let me know. We can take your horse for a test ride. (:

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If you’re too far to take ThreeWishes up on their very generous offer, see if anyone has a head to head they’d let you put your horse in a rear facing stall and drive around. Bonus points if they have a camera (or you can tape your phone up somewhere).

I have found that a rear facing straight stall rides different than loose in a stock rear facing, as my horse likes to back himself into a corner and use both walls to lean on. Rear facing + dividers in seems to help mine. If I didn’t like huge horses I’d get a reverse slant actually - but this is the smallest horse I’ll probably ever own so I’m not buying something that’ll limit future horse purchases :laughing:

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