I ran across someone at a horse show that bought a 2 horse Miley a couple of years ago. I asked lots of questions and her answer was that she loved the trailer and would buy another if she ever had to. There is a local dealer here and I have checked them out and they seem to be very sound and well made. You can get them in a slant load, st.load, ramp, step up with big door and step up with 2 doors.
Collin-Arndt trailers, Dillsburg PA
One if the best trailer makers I know is in Dillsberg, Pa. Not far fom Harrisburg. Collin Arndt. While he primariy does custom trailers, my first was a off the peg stock type. I had it for only 20 years or so before I sold it (it still looked great) and had him build me one to my design. I can use it either as a box1, straight 2, or slant 3. He’ll build anything you want. The thing that got me was it cost less than an off the lot of the top priced trailers.
Of course he doesn’t advertise, and that saves him a bundle.
Oh yeah, He sometimes takes one back in trade, so he has one or two around, but you take potluck on that
FIrst. A2… someone said SOME… get it SOME not ALL slant load trailers have a smaller rear stall.
to the OP.
The Neva & Tom Scheve book is EXCELLENT; however, they are SUPER biased about certain features and tend to go overboard in the safety functionality of those items.
I for one, being 5’4" do NOT like a ramp load on a 2H straight load trailer. I do NOT like the horse having all 4 feet on a platform that puts the horse higher than me if I stand next to the ramp, on the ground, to send the horse on. I also do not like bending over and lifting a ramp up with 2 sets of hind feet within kicking range of me. Not ALL ramps can be easily lifted and closed from the side.
If the trailer is a monster LQ with tanks under it, it will have very large wheels and tires to raise the underside AND to have sufficient bulk to carry all that weight. That means, a horse will have to step up VERY high into the back and equally, will have a huge step down. In those cases, a ramp is a necessity - but choose a ramp that goes over full doors. If the ramp fails, you still have doors to hold the horses.
There are pros and cons to EVERYTHING in any horse trailer. Slatted sided trailers are excellent and a preferred trailer (unless it’s A/C) in the west and SW where it’s SO hot. With no or little rain or snow in the SW, there’s little concern for rust or rot. However, unless you can park your trailer inside in the north/ NE - a slatted sided trailer (stock-type) will let all the weather inside and rot and rust the trailer no matter WHAT it’s made of.
Alum will corrode. Alum trailers still require cleaning.
I would, FIRST. Determine the tow capacity of your tow vehicle. Then determine what 80% of that capacity is. That is your max weight. It’s also NOT just what your tow vehicle can handle, but what can your HITCH handle and ALL components of the assembly - the hitch, the receiver, the ball, etc. The reason I say 80% - is because horse’s are top heavy. The calculations used for tow capacity of trucks and cars, etc. is based on properly loading the trailer - meaning base heavy - not top heavy like horses are.
Once you have your max towing weight, add up your horse’s weight and add in allowances for hay, tack, water, etc. (1 gallon of water = 8.64 pounds I believe). I never haul ANYPLACE without at least 5 gallons of water and a few flakes of hay in case I have a breakdown. I used the water, one time, to pour over a hot horse that was trapped. Subtract the horse’s weight, including the “other stuff” from your max towing weight. That’s how much the trailer can weigh empty. Nearly all trailers have their weight calculated from the weight of the stuff used to build it. The weight will be on the title - it is not on the data plate. THis will help narrow down your search. So far as 2 and even many 3 horse BP trailers, there is not a huge difference in weight between steel and alum. That’s because to get the strength of steel, you need to use more alum. It’s when you get into GNs, and 3H and larger trailers where the lower weight of alum can make a difference.
Then, go on horsetrailer world and be careful in your research. Certain brands will have different models that are good or bad. Also - it seems that as the Plant and Production managers move between companies from year to year, quality can go up and down. All manufacturers are trying to cut costs - sometimes they use components that are cheaper but later discover those components are not worthy and they will change them.
Next, measure your horses in a relaxed stance. measure from nose to butt. Then, compare THAT measurement to the stall divider on any trailer. THAT and ONLY THAT measurement, will tell you if your horse(s) will fit.
$7500 is going to limit you to steel trailers, unless you go used. In steel trailers, look for galvanealed steel. Western PA… you might also consider Detroit area trailer dealers. The economy here sucks big time… and with it being end of season, you might find some deals. Horsetrailerworld is a great place to search for EXACTLY what you want.
Make a list of the stuff that’s important. Give each item a rank of 1 - 5. If 5 is MUST HAVE, then that will help you narrow down and/or eliminate trailers that don’t have what you want.
SOmething to give a high value to is windows, when open, have safety BARS so that you can open the window to get more air into the trailer, without the horse(s) hanging their heads out the window. Some windows are configured strangely and to have bars up, the window must be closed. defeats the purpose. You can always haul with face masks.
Lastly. I believe there is a wonderful dealer Risa - on the East Coast. There are many who have bought trailers from her. She sounds like a woman to be trusted.
GOOD LUCK!!
I own a 2004, Titan Avalanche GN, galvanealed steel. BAREBONES, no mangers, no padding. 3H slant. No rear tack. 4’ shortwall with saddle rack and hooks in the DR/LQ area. Double rear doors, sliding butt windows and drop down head windows. Step up. It’s holding up well to hauling and camping. I like the latches and hinges - they could be better, but I’ve seen worse. It cost me $8200 in 2004. I’ve had one minor electrical problem that I (electric dyslexic) was able to fix.
The quote did not say some. It said many. And I asked which type, because that’s not been my experience at all.
We’ve owned 3 different slants, and my two main riding buddies have 2H slants, and I’ve never noticed the back stall being any smaller than the others, and in fact they’re larger. 4 of these trailers have front tack rooms, and one has a rear tack room.
And that’s all I was sayin 
If there’s 4 trailers parked in a group…and three of them have smaller back stalls, is that some or many?
Does it matter? Only to the person wise enough to buy the one with a decent rear stall 
As forever and always, your mileage may vary.
Hay
gabz: “I also do not like bending over and lifting a ramp up with 2 sets of hind feet within kicking range of me. Not ALL ramps can be easily lifted and closed from the side.”
I do agree with this…First lifting the dang ramp and second seeing those hooves there. However, thankfully I have only one horse I trailer and I actually take the time, each time, to go around and lift the ramp from the non-horse side but the above is something to think about as well.
P4E… I have also had some gnarly instances (when working with 4H clubs) of people loading a horse in the left-hand stall (talking 2H straight load) before loading the right-hand stall. BAD BAD BAD. It places the handler behind the left-hand horse - UNLESS you have 2 individual doors. I’ve heard things like… “it lets me let Nobbins on, so I walk in the stall next to him”… .grrr…
But as always, there are pros and cons to every aspect.
When ramps are new and counter-balanced, they are delightful mechanisms with fully trained horses. But with a poorly trained horse, it adds one more piece of “in my way” to the training / loading excitement. :eek:
And… after a couple of years, the space between the ramp and the trailer begins to fill up with gunk… and the ramp gets more and more difficult to raise and latch. But… .again. with small ponies and miniatures, they are necessary; also in the high-step LQ type trailer (think 17" tires and more).
I haven’t read the whole post but if I could have a trailer other then the BP trailer that I have now that doesn’t have a dressing room, I want the following as I have been told it is a good idea. I trail ride and do a few camping trips each year.
I want a 3 horse slant with a 4 foot short wall in the dressing room. I want a walk through door so I can “extend” the living area rather then having to get out and walk around. I want the the back divider to have a stud wall so I can use that stall as a storage area since I will lose the space in the back of my truck. Other then those things, I don’t have much of a preference…
Just remember to buy something with a lot of room to store your stuff. I want at least a dressing room so bad so I can store my saddles instead of having to lug em around in the truck.
Regarding Risa Couch on the East Coast, she is actually in the Travelers Rest area of upstate South Carolina. She is wonderful. She represents Hawk Trailers. Her website is www.happytrailstrailers.com … Her info is as follows:
Happy Trails Horse Trailers
1300 Bailey Mill Road
Travelers Rest, SC 29690
Phone/FAX: 864-977-8009
Cellphone: 864-380-2485
SCM1959
[QUOTE=gabz;3682411]
P4E… I have also had some gnarly instances (when working with 4H clubs) of people loading a horse in the left-hand stall (talking 2H straight load) before loading the right-hand stall. BAD BAD BAD. It places the handler behind the left-hand horse - UNLESS you have 2 individual doors. [/QUOTE]
Wow…I actually never thought of that. However I really don’t think it matters what side (left or right) that the first horse his loaded in a straight load bumper-pull IF the horse self loads. I trained my horse to lead from both sides and she will load independent of what side I am standing on in relationship to her. She is a self-loader so I just point her in the direction of the trailer and up she goes… I never go in the trailer with her and I always stand off the ramp. If she is going in on the left ‘stall’ I stand off to the left. If she is going into the right ‘stall’ I stand off to the right. I am never behind the horse(s) at all. Of course, after reading this thread I am starting to appreciate my horse more and more. On the other hand you can never take too many precautions either…
KlawPaws
Hay
Klaws: My horse self loads too however when unloading he is nervous about that tiny ledge at the bottom of the ramp where it hits the ground. (Yeah, I know.)
So I have to stand at his side as he unloads and then say “Step” when he gets close to that little step. He takes mincing little steps until I say the word and then he steps off that little ledge/bump. That standing at his side while he unloads does make me nervous. When I bought the trailer, I had wanted a step up but was sold a ramp. Well, I suppose, they all their problems.
But I do like the light and airiness of this trailer and the two large side exit doors. I can set him up with the door open and some hay, a bucket of water and schmooze with friends of I want.
i see OP is in western pa
i own a gore that i bought from a gore dealer in ohio (towpath trailers, circleville OH). mine was used and a simple stock type horse trailer model but it’s large, airy and my mare loves hauling in it and other horses seem to like it too since they all climb in, even those who aren’t usually keen on loading. but i digress. i liked that dealer and he had a good selection of used trailers. i love my gore and if i were shopping for another trailer i’d look at them first.
i personally don’t like the slants i’ve seen. or should i say, my mare doesn’t. she’s small 15 hands but she gets v. uncomfortable in a slant load, squirmy. i don’t know if she feels clastrophobic or what, but she lets me know in no uncertain terms that she doesn’t like them. i personally think the ‘stalls’ are small:(
So, have you purchased a trailer yet?
Yes, we did!!! We got a two horse Miley slant load, with dressing room. It’s a 2008 and for an excellent price. I will keep you guys posted on how we are faring with it
Thanks for all your input!
Congratulations!!!
