I recently bought a stock trailer and am slightly concerned about sharp edges. Has anyone modified their trailer to reduce sharp edges? if so how? how would you feel about putting pool noodles over the edges?
I have never have had to do what you are needing to do, maybe some one will post their solution(s)
my guess the pool noodles would be useless, maybe grind/sand the sharp area(s) and coat with a rubberized paint?
No livestock like sharp edges, so I’m surprised you have any. I’d use a file or some sort of epoxy made to adhere to steel, depending upon the geometry of the situation.
Pool noodle, if it stays on, will degrade in the sun and get munched on by the livestock.
No trailer should have any sharp edges, be it a horse trailer or a stock trailer. I currently have an LQ horse trailer and a stock trailer, and neither have sharp edges. Over the years I have owned at least 8 trailers and have never had an issue with that.
File the the sharp edges down. A pool noodle would be a bandaid that a horse could easily remove.
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Pool noodles and duct tape. I also bought some adhesive-backed foam at Walmart, that I use with duct tape reinforcement.
I didn’t think my steel stock trailer had sharp edges when I purchased it. I ran my hand over every darn surface prior to purchase and couldn’t find any. Then I put my horses in it and learned they have a magical way of scratching themselves to pieces on nothing (I guess I’m just lucky like that). Now pretty much any metal they can come in contact with has either a pool noodle, foam, or duct tape.
Pool noodles stay on really well with zip ties and a little bit of creative duct taping.
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Better than pool noodles is rubber air hose. Slit it on one side and fasten with zip ties. Even garden hose is acceptable for a bare metal edge. The ultimate round edge is metal tubing slit and welded on.
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You can eliminate the “sharp edges” by grinding, filing, etc. and then coating as noted by others.
Or you can try and cover them up with something. That last strategy might work in the short term while you figure out how to eliminate the hazard but we all know that Murphy is endlessly inventive and that cover will fail at the most inopportune of times.
Where are these edges and why are they there? I’ve owned multiple stock trailers over the years and none ever had “sharp edges” that weren’t caused by some sort of human or animal action. When that happened we fixed the edges so we would not have to deal with them in the future.
Some photos might also be interesting.
G.
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