To Sell the Horse Trailer ... Or Not

[LuvRedHeads]

Hi All:

I am considering selling my older model 2H BP, Xtra Tall, Xtra Wide, but I’m really on the fence.

I bought this trailer about 2-3 years ago from a trailer dealership. I had purchased a new horse (17.1) and he didn’t fit in my beloved Kingston TB model. I sold that Kingston (which breaks my heart, because I loved that trailer) and purchased a larger model, same vintage, to fit him.

The problem being, I bought a different make and I HATE it. I hate the design. All the latches seem to be difficult, I hate the haybag set up, hate where the trailer ties are placed, just don’t (and have never) liked this trailer.

This year, I finally have some opportunities to show my new, really nice horse. It would be great to have a trailer I liked.

Do I:

1. Keep trailer I have, which has brand new tires and is safe and sound, if annoying and I hate it
2. Sell trailer I hate, bank the money, ship with my trainer for the year and save for something I like better next year?

If I keep the trailer I have, I just have to put up with the things I dislike about it, but I have the freedom to go do whatever I want to do. If I sell the trailer, I get rid of the thing I have actively disliked for 2+ years, but I will be relying on others to ship me for the year while I save up for something I like more.

Any advice?

[Bluey]

Is your trailer worth more today than a year from now?
if so, maybe sell?

[LuvRedHeads]

@Bluey

Is your trailer worth more today than a year from now?
if so, maybe sell?

Meh, not really. It’s fairly old (like an early 2000’s model). I think it has retained whatever value it will retain, and a year or so won’t matter much either way.

[Bluey]

Then maybe keep using it until you have saved enough to trade for what you want?

[SonnysMom]

Lots of questions:
Do you show a lot?
Do you keep horses at home?
Do you do things without the trainer such as trail ride or clinics?

Personally if I had horses at home I would prefer to have a trailer just in case I need to haul to New Bolton or your local equivalent in an emergency.
If you board and the only reason your trailer is to go to shows and the anticipated trailering fees do not exceed the amount you want to save then sell the trailer now. No reason to keep it around getting older with the tires getting older.

Although if you are dependent on the trainer do you or your horse have to hang out for an extra few hours at the show grounds while she or other clients show? Do you need to get up much earlier to get the horse loaded on the trailer if you don’t show until the afternoon?

If you also like to do things without the trainer such as clinics, trail ride, shows without her then keep it and save some money for the next year then sell and buy a newer one. My trailer costs me minimal to have at this point- really just insurance and inspection. Mine is a 2001. I doubt the value is going to change much. But I keep mine at home so I don’t have a storage fee.

Is there a reason you can’t sell or trade your current trailer on a used trailer that has the features your prefer for a minimal price difference between the two?

Can you have a trailer place see if they can add trailer ties in your preferred location? Can you change out the hay bags or hay nets to something else? Can the latches be lubricated or adjusted so they are easier to use? I am wondering if there are things you can do to minimize the features you hate about the current trailer to buy yourself a little time.

I hate to be without a trailer. I have owned one for over 25 years. I mostly use it for the horse but have used it as a moving van, to take my Skag zero turn places, to move a wood stove insert, move pianos, pick up lumber, pick up kitchen cabinets, move my big a$$ trash cans to the curb plus other things I am forgetting. I also always want the ability to be able to move my horse at a moment’s notice if my boarding situation goes south.

Just some additional things to think about before you sell and become trailer-less

[Texarkana]

The big question is how badly do you need a trailer. Do you have a reliable way to get your horse where he needs to go in an emergency?

For most people boarding somewhere with lots of trailer access, the answer is “yes.” In that case, no problem selling and banking the money.

But if your barn doesn’t have a trailer or you keep your horses at home, I would not sit around for an extended, undetermined time period without a trailer. Murphy’s law is if it can go wrong, it will go wrong. You don’t want to find out who your friends are in an emergency with no way to transport your animal.

[4horses]

I would never want to be without a trailer but i go places weekly. I would try to modify what you have rather than get rid of it.

[LuvRedHeads]

Thanks all - you guys provided some great suggestions.

To answer questions, yes I board. I do not have my horse at home. My trainer has at least two trailers of her own, and many boarders have trailers that they keep at the barn. There is no fee to keep them parked at the barn. So from the perspective of emergency situations, I’m 100% sure I would be covered.

I did plan on doing some activities that my trainer does not attend - hunter paces and trail rides. But I do have friends that have trailers that I would be going with, so I could probably work out rides with them.

I think, after reading some suggestions here, that I am going to do an assessment/overhaul of the trailer I have to see if anything can be done to make it more user-friendly. I think that would be the path of least resistance.

This is my first year with a new horse and a new barn, so it might be nice to have the flexibility and autonomy (as someone pointed out up-thread) to do things according to my own schedule. I hadn’t even considered being stuck at a show all day while other clients show, and I’m not one to have my horse be someone else’s responsibility, although it sounds like that would be an option.

[gothedistance]

Sell it. If it could have been modified to suit you better, you’d have done it before now. There’s a reason you haven’t.

Life is too short to deal with things you hate. Buy what fits you and your goals.