Everyone I know with a full width butt bar had it custom made.
Around here McBride trailers were the most common horse trailer for my early years of horse ownership. They all had covered chains at the bum.
The flexible butt rope/chain gives me the willies because I can imagine a horse scrambling backwards and getting underneath it. I never saw it happen but have heard direct from a couple of people who have. Which makes it an exceedingly rare thing to happen.
I have also seen a horse push so hard on the McBride butt chain that the S end used to hook it up bent (straightened) and came loose. Once. Also vanishingly rare occurrence.
This makes solid butt bars my preference, and it was on my list of wants when looking for a trailer (I would have had solid bars made if necessary). While it’s possible a horse could get under a solid bar, they would have to get lower than for a chain or rope. In any event it’s very unlikely, especially if the bar or chain is at an appropriate height for the horse.
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Can you remove the center divider all together? That’s what I do when hauling horses who aren’t good in trailers. The majority of horses will turn to face backwards if hauled loose like this. Solves the issue of needing a full width butt bar
My trailer is a McBride, and those original S hooks would even bounce out during trips sometimes. I taped them shut at first, and then switched to carabiner-style clips, which have worked well for me (in combination with a shortened rubber stall guard, rather than the original plastic tube over a chain).
I haven’t had any problems with a horse getting under them, but I also only trailer horses 16 hands or bigger. Where my hooks are set, I would be surprised if they could get under, but it might be an issue with small horses or ponies.
Yes, I learned to check the butt chain was still up before dropping the ramp!
I have it pushed all the way over. How would Removing it solve the butt bar issue? Seems t me that makes it worse - when I open the ramp, there would be nothing keeping the horse in? , Also removing it would give me no place to put hay or my trunk (Cannot get trunk into tack room or truck bed).
I’m assuming that by pushing it over it creates a V shape in there. Can the horse turn around or does it still have to back out?
Most horses will turn around if given the chance and ride backwards. Which means they won’t lean on the door. Depending on your trailer you should be able to keep the top doors closed while opening the ramp to catch the horse.
Can’t help you with the tack trunk.
Except for a few very old trailers, I have not seen one that allows this. Tops doors a generally locked to the ramp or have a lip that overlaps the ramp and need to be opened before you can drop the ramp.
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I cannot close top windows before ramp. They fold over ramp.
There is NO WAY I would haul any horse loose in a trailer with a ramp.
He backs out just fine.
PLEASE stop telling me what I need.
Umm what? I haven’t told you that you NEED anything. I made a suggestion that may be helpful for your situation.
Sorry for responding to your thread I guess? Goodness.
Hmm, both my current trailers allow the ramp to be opened without the top doors. It’s pretty helpful for if you have a horse that wants to back out down the ramp as soon the the doors open.
Maybe it depends on the brand.
The trick is training your horse. Try that.
Hmm, I guess I could say the same to you.
Amazing how you ask for opinions and then attack people when they give them.
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I had the seat belt material ones covered in the same foam as solid bars for both breast and butt. They were great. Less noisy, easier to clip than many of the fancy designs for butt and chest bars.
However, for a horse too short (height wise) for the height of the butt bar, they’d be easier to back out under than traditional solid butt bars. I never had a problem (because my horse and other horses that rode in my trailer all understood the rules of standing quietly in a trailer, even if the ramp is down), but it could be an issue with one that is just the wrong height and gets agitated between ramp lowering and undoing of the butt bar.
That said, a determined wrong-sized horse can back out under a solid bar too. BTDT, can still feel my jaw gaping as I watched it happen and it was many years ago! lol Nobody came to any harm, but I was super careful to teach that little pony to bloody well stand and behave until I asked for her to step back.
The only other disadvantage I can think of is having to cut them if a horse went over top. That compares negatively to bars that have a safety drop down feature for those situations. However, for trailers that don’t have a safety release, it’s easier to cut a strap than lift a horse off a bar that is stuck in place. And all that said, it is probably a little harder for a horse to get over top of an unfixed strap than a solid bar. Not impossible, but maybe slightly less likely.
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mine is not a training issue. Yours is.
What 
You literally admitted in your first post your horse is not a good traveler. That’s a training issue.
I take the center divider out and haul loose when I go pick up auction horses or rescues. But, yeah, next time I’ll spend several hours teaching them how to walk into a straight load while I’m at New Holland.
please enlighten me on how to train a horse to travel well in a trailer. Loads and unloads quietly and does not rush (that is the result of training), but gets dancey after about 10 minutes especially in traffic.
I’ve adapted my trailer to suit his needs and remain safe for him (which means he will not be untied.) I’ve made changes for comfort level - of course hay net, as much head freedom as is safe, additional roof vents, and a battery fan. CLosed upper back doors for safety and to cut the effect of tailgaters etc.
I would love to know another secret.
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I’ve cured a few. One I pulled over when he got stupid and knocked on his head window from the outside. That was when he discovered he actually had a window to look out of and boom, he never fidgeted again.
A couple of others travelled with my perfect traveller in my oversized trailer with heavy duty torsion axles. Done. Cured. “She will have a fit if a transport passes. She doesn’t stand when the trailer is stopped at a light or stop sign. Also throws fits about motorcycles.” Me to myself, uh huh, you have no idea of the magic of oversize, non-squishy suspension, and my quietly dominant horse will have on her. “WTF? Is she alive back there?” LOL!
Another was cured by “flooring” the trailer in reverse as soon as he was loaded and everything secured. (He was a fidget and a breast bar jumper)
Others travel much more quietly with a hefty dose of belly meds on board about an hour before loading.
This is not to say all can be cured, but it’s worth thinking outside the box to try more approaches.
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“Bouncing” off the brakes does not work.
The other changes you made were just that - changes to the conditions. Not training (unless you count the “effect” your quietly dominant horse has. My guy is the same even if traveling with a good partner. And of course he ahs a window!
And Belly Meds isnt training, either.
Thanks, everyone. My problem is solved by opening the divider and I have an idea for the butt “bar”. Not training, but adapting the conditions to make him happier.
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Sure is. You use a tool to help the horse feel more comfortable, the horse becomes more comfortable and adopts new, better behaviour. It may not be direct training, but you have allowed the horse to understand that being trailered does not necessarily = pain from belly juices sloshing.
Given the 10 minute time frame from good behaviour to fidgeting, I would seriously consider this if a horse in my care did this whether anyone considers it training or not.
Never said it did.
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