What SUV’s and smaller pickups can safely pull a 2 horse trailer, gets ok gas mileage, and can fit into a parallel spot or city parking much greater ease than a dually? We have a dually for pulling goose necks that is currently hauling the 2 horse trailer. Need another two vehicle. Also have several mid sized SUV’s (one can tow about 7000 lbs, but doesn’t have a long enough wheel base) and cars. Thinking about getting either a larger SUV that can haul the 2H trailer or a smaller truck that can haul the 2H trailer. The trailer is an aluminum 2H straight load WB with dressing room.
I tow my 2H BP with a Toyota Sequoia. I wouldn’t go any smaller, as far as SUV’s go. The Sequoia wheelbase is longer than a Tahoe but shorter than a Suburban. My gas mileage stinks, though. I don’t know why Toyota has such bad gas mileage with their bigger vehicles. My husband has a Chevy Silverado half ton truck that gets much better gas mileage and tows the trailer very well. The quality of the Chevy isn’t as good as the Toyota though. Always a tradeoff…
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How much does the trailer weigh? If you don’t KNOW then take it to your local truck stop and spend $25 on the CAT Scale and get a real weight.
Then know the weight of the stuff you will put in it (horses, tack, forage, fodder, etc.).
Now you can start looking at the GCVWR of the tow vehicle. If you don’t know what that is here’s a decent definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_combined_weight_rating
In all the trucks I’ve owned this number was found in the Owners Manual. Some say they’ve found it on the data plate on the driver’s door; I never have.
Note that you IGNORE the “tow weight rating” in the slick ads. That’s from Marketing, not Engineering. And it’s for “dead” loads like boats, RVs, hay, steel pipe, etc. Live loads, like horses or fluids, move around that you can’t haul as much as you can with a load that doesn’t move.
Buy enough truck. That means that while you do worry about buying enough to move you worry more about being able to stop.
Do the math. That’s as close as you’ll get to an objective analysis. Then decide which truck that is big enough gives you pride in ownership. 
G.
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I towed a two horse straight load with a dressing room with an F-150 short bed extended cab years ago. The trailer was the maximum the truck could handle. I would NOT go to a short wheel base SUV with that type of trailer as you will end up with the tail wagging the dog.
As far as good gas mileage… Safe towing and good fuel economy are usually mutually exclusive.
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Thanks. Safety is always the priority: wheel base, brakes and stopping. Trailer is 2900#. The WB size trailer is a bit overkill for our horses. We have WB’s, but now only have smaller ones. Max horse weight would be 2400#. This trailer is only used for short local trips. GN is for shows or trips requiring lots of gear and feed. Max gear/haynets probably never be up to 500#. Total max weight 5800#.
Thanks. The Chevy Silverado dually gets about 13 miles per gallon, can tow up to 23,000#. The last several two vehicles we’ve had have all had about the same, regardless of make, model, or tow class. Any tow vehicle getting more than 12 per gallon would be considered decent fuel economy to us.
A 1984 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with airshocks, limited slip differential, V8 and electric brakes. Or a 1990 Chevrolet Caprice Classic with above specs and police package.
Oh how I miss my big cars. Each of the above had 100,000 towing miles on them. Pulled an oversized two horse like a dream. Could stop if needed. And got close to 24 mpg.
Now I see 1/2 ton pickups squatting with trailers. Practically everything you see is “over horsed”. It’s nuts.
Sorry I am not of more help. We have a 3/4 ton. Your post just made me lament for the old days. Sorry!
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since we were not needing certified weight we used the local rock quarry’s scale as the charge was nothing as we came to get some rock… they would also let us weigh the horses individually at a cost of $1 per head … proved the weight tapes as being within 25 pounds of actual
I am not too familiar with the SUV options. Some newer trucks do have much better fuel economy for the tow capacity, along with things like backup cameras that help with parking. Of course it will still be large…I just bought a new Ford 150 with the twin turbo ecoboost engine. It gets over 20 mpg in normal driving - haven’t towed enough yet to see mileage there. As mine is configured (crew cab and max tow), it can haul 11,600 lbs.
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Glad you know!!!
Clanter is right; you don’t need “certified” weight. We weighed our truck on the scale at our hay dealer who sold hay by the ton and could weigh a big trailer “before and after” loading. If you have a practical weight, within a couple of hundred pounds, you’re good to go.
For a lot of today’s vehicles 5800 lbs. is going to be a big bite of the GCVWR apple. Short trips should not be too much a source of comfort as most accidents happen close to home! 
Now you’ve got the base weight you’re looking at you’re ready to start reading owner’s manuals. Ain’t horses a grand way to have fun?!?!?!
G.
I pull my big 2-horse bumper with a 2013 3/4 ton Suburban. Solid rear axel like a truck. 3rd row seating or take it out and you can sleep 2 in the back. It is the long version so I think the wheel base is about 133". Abysmal gas mileage whether you are puling 2 horses or a loaf of bread but heavy and solid trailer puller. It (the Suburban) weighs 6300 pounds.
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I have the same type of trailer and I have a 2015 F-150 extended cab with short bed with a 3.5L ecoboost engine and HD tow package. I don’t know what the gas mileage is for hauling but I consistently get between 19 and 21 mpg not hauling. When hauling, the truck and trailer feel solid.
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Get a Suburban. I parallel park mine all over DC. I do get looks though. Pulls a 2 horse beautifully. Make sure it has the towing package installed by the factory though. Mine gets 14 in DC traffic and about 10 miles pulling trailer. On long trips with no trailer, I get around 20 mpg
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I have safely towed a number of 2 horse types, no dressing room for years with a couple of Jeep GC, V8, full factory tow package. And not just around town.
lol, love it. No need for a dressing room with that vintage Delta 88 or motel.
Or a tack room. LOL. Saddles stayed locked in the trunk at big shows where we dropped the trailer. Dad made a nifty saddle stand that fit on the jack and held three saddles for when we showed out of the trailer.
Luckily my old Quarter mare was a lug headed long backed model so she looked the part for the expected Saddlebred when she backed out. Ha! Stock horse folks had already moved on to trucks…Except us!
I sure do miss the days when it was more important what got out of the trailer. Not looks of the trailer. Safety yes. Looks no.
