Trailers angle vs Straight haul

[Bluey]

@clanter

the real question is Ramp or Step up

As a teenager, a breeder sent us a colt to start.
Backing out down the ramp, the colt missed and kind of fell sideways and his hock hit a groom in the belly.
The groom was hurt, they took him to the hospital and he was dead two hours later from internal injuries.

I have always given ramps a wide berth and kept everyone away from them.
Decades ago, horses were transported in vans, so a long way up.
Vans had a long, steep, narrow ramp you pulled out from the middle of the van, then flipped two leafs for sides and put a rug down and horses walked down that.
In places, we had one, there was an unloading dock, where the van could pull up to it and so be close to van height, horses didn’t have to slip and slide down that steep ramp.

As others have mentioned, I have never seen a horse scramble, “hit their shins” or have any kind of trouble backing off a step down.
I have heard of a horse that was stepping down on asphalt and slipped and caught his leg half under and was hurt.
Everyone knows not to unload on slick ground.
I don’t know why someone did that.
That is the only time I know a horse was injured and practically all trailers here are step downs.

[Foxtrot_s]

Personallly I am with Bluey - but when someone is given both sides, they make the choice that is comfortable for them.
I have my own outfit, ship only my horses, rarely someone else’s, they know the system, how I drive and how I load… If I was a commercial shipper I may think differently and my next trailer (not that I have plans) will have the extra front unload, but I’d probably never use it.

[quietann]

I was told, when I bought my mare, “no slant loads, no full-cheek-snaffle bits, no single-jointed snaffle bits.” I figured they knew what they were talking about, though I have no idea why no slant loads.

I ended up with a 2 horse straight load trailer and I LOVE that I can self-load the mare, as she was first taught to load. I really dislike being in a trailer with a horse. Too easy to get squished in various ways.

My mare probably would prefer a stock trailer where she could travel loose, to be honest. She turns herself around backwards when in a stock trailer. Unfortunately, straight loads that allow the horse to face backwards seem unobtainable.

[clanter]

question #3 Bumper pull or Gooseneck
question #4 Steel, Aluminium, Fiberglass or some mix

[Twistedpony]

Ambivalent about ramp vs step up…have used both and I think it just comes down to what the horse is used to/trained to do. However, after a trailering incident in which the third horse in a 3H slant went down and fell on top of the second/middle horse in the trailer (my guy unfortunately), I think I am now a straight load convert. We had to pull horse #3 out on the side of the highway and luckily my guy stood up unhurt and didn’t need to be unloaded…but if those horses had been the first 2 and not the last 2 in the trailer we would have had to unload an extra horse or drive an extra 10 minutes with two of them down to find a safer place. The falling won’t be prevented by the straight load, but the inaccessibility of the front horse makes me nervous now. Mine is a highly specific paranoia though

[Macimage]

We replaced our two horse straight load with a three horse slant load. All our horses self load so we only have to swing the divider closed and then go around the outside and secure them. We’ve had ramps on our two trailers.

[Foxtrot_s]

Seems to me - back in the day - that someone came up with the three horse slant to have a shorter trailer for three horses rather than have to buy a 4-horse straight load. Before that, I have seen three horses beside each other, the two outside ones straddling the wheel wells.

Horses are very adaptable - they load, unload, travel all according to their training.

[OneGrayPony]

@clanter

question #3 Bumper pull or Gooseneck
question #4 Steel, Aluminium, Fiberglass or some mix

I’d prefer gooseneck for hauling. I’d also prefer steel although some of the composites for walls are promising. But a steel frame is a must have.

I also prefer a step up to a ramp. I’ve only seen one issue with a step up, and it was mild (my husband got kicked in the shin when a horse’s hind foot slipped and he was just a step too close when trying to get the butt bar in). I’ve seen lots of shinners on a horse when they slid off the side of the ramp debating on whether to get into the trailer. I’ve never seen an equine injury from a step up.

[16_Hands]

@clanter

question #3 Bumper pull or Gooseneck
question #4 Steel, Aluminium, Fiberglass or some mix

Gooseneck all the way. I was a dyed in the wool BP user until I bought a GN. The difference is night and day. No sway, tracks better, more stability, plus I can camp in it.

My current trailer is aluminum with a steel frame with FRP siding and a wood floor. It’s a beast and heavy but I love it. It’s also a step up. I’ve had ramps before and I’m pretty ambivalent about them, I would have bought this trailer if it had a ramp or not. The only thing I’d change is the rear tack as it is fixed in place and not removable but it’s a minor detail.

Years ago we had a stock trailer with no dividers and were hauling my mare to the next state to be bred. We left her loose in the trailer and she found the most comfortable way to ride was in the center facing backwards at a slight slant.

[Dressagelvr]

The only safe trailer is one where you can access every horse at any time without unloading any other horse.

Most slant loads fail this basic test.

Most slant loads are also too smal for horses over 15 hands.

Ramps are much safer than step ups, but this is only when the ramp is low, short, and not slippery.

Lots of good trailers out there, but Equispirit is the best. Many other brands have copied their design and safety features. They also have an Equibreeze Line for those who prefer stock type trailers.

[16_Hands]

Personally, I would love a 2 horse van. I’ve hauled in them before and never had a horse refuse to walk up the ramp.

[TMares]

I have hauled, pulled and worked out of many different types of trailers and all have their strengths and weaknesses.

I showed out of a steel stock trailer with mid gate and GN gate as a kid and you could HEAR that trailer coming from I swear a 1/4 away. Awful. Followed that with a 4H straight load outfitted be Terry Leduke to haul 4 cutting horse stallions at a time. It was like Alcatraz it was so fitted out with extra heavy duty everything, full solid dividers between the front two and the back two. Looking back I would love to know what it weighed empty! There’s no telling. Then a small BP slant load, a really nice quiet little trailer - then a small weekender, then an awful Bee 2H slant- so tiny inside, on and on

and now my best one yet- 3H slant GN Merhow 8’ wide and 7 1/2 feet tall. Well lit, well built, easy to camp out of, show out of, and a dream to pull. And yes, it’s a step up. I got so tired of my trainer wincing and grimacing every time I unloaded my own horses out of MY own TRAILER that I shooed her away from the back door- and told her I don’t want to hear it! These horses are fine and your whinging is ridiculous, go away. Even my horses were tired of rolling their eyes at her.

There’s a trailer to fit everyone’s definition of ‘the only good style you can buy.’ Figure out your own list, and go get it

[eqsiu]

@Foxtrot's

Horses are very adaptable - they load, unload, travel all according to their training.

^^This. My 16.1hh Hanoverian loaded readily and hauled quietly in my friend’s 6’ tall 6’ wide homemade slant load. She can barely lift her head because of the curved roof. You’d think she would mind, but seemed perfectly fine in a pinch. The kicker is she’s hauled a few times in that trailer and was fine each time even though it’s best sized for my friend’s 14hh pony.

[streamline]

I think it depends on the horse honestly.

I bought an older 2 horse straight load circle j, extra tall with a ramp for my one TB I had. Got another, shorter TB.

My younger TB hates loading in the straight load, he will not back out of it to save his life so I took out the divider and turn him around.

He self loads and unloads in all the stock/slant trailers we’ve used. Everyone loads up their western horses with saddles on stuffs as many as possible in the trailer. My horse loves it.

[Texarkana]

A well designed straight load and a well designed slant load are pretty equivalent in my mind.

But there are certainly designs in each type that I avoid.

Features of straight loads I dislike:

-When there is no ramp and you have to back off horses. I don’t mind step up trailers so long as you can turn the horse around to walk off head first, but that’s not possible in some small straight loads.
-Managers. I’m a little more tolerant of better-designed mangers in trailers with a walk-through in the front, but I still hate that the horses can’t even lower their heads.
-Any straight load design that doesn’t have space at the front of the trailer for humans to access the head. You mainly see this with trailers with mangers.
-Fixed center posts.
-Narrow/flimsy dividers and breast/butt bars.

Features of slant loads I dislike

-Trailers that are too narrow to close the divider on longer horses. A well-designed, wide slant load trailer will fit most horses, but there are a lot of slant loads on the market under 7’ wide that are really limiting.
-The fact that the escape door is often directly in front of the horse in the 1st stall and sometimes have flimsy latches.
-Fixed center post can still be a problem, but a more common problem is fixed rear tack compartments.
-The lack of access to the horse’s head. This really only annoys me when the horses have to be on the trailer for extended periods of time. It makes it hard to offer water, refill hay, etc. Some slants have nice drop down windows that help with this, others are not as user friendly.
-Designs that don’t offer a good place to hang a hay net or allow the hay to blow into their faces.

A trailer that is too short, excessively dark, or doesn’t have good ventilation is a problem with either design.

[endlessclimb]

I believe that slant loads are harder on longer hauls due to the fact that the horse must brace on the right front leg for braking and the left hind for accelerating - he doesn’t have a choice. Having the divider to lean on is a plus, though. (I’m talking about a standard slant, same problem in a reverse slant but, reverse)

I think the decision comes directly from how big your horse is. Big horses need straight loads (or custom slants). Smaller horses can do either, but probably benefit from being able to lean on the divider in a slant.

-Gooseneck for sure, better hauling, more storage or a place for a mattress.
-I’m ambivalent about ramp or step up, I’ve had both and didn’t have issues with either.
-NO steel, except for the coupler (my opinion based on previous experiences). If there’s steel, make sure you can see ALL of it, to check it for corrosion, including what’s behind the walls.
-If you camp, I’d get a slant. It’s hard to find a weekender package in a straight load - I’m in the process of designing and building my own.

[Arelle]

Oh, personal preferences. :winkgrin:

I had a straight load, two horse bumper pull as a kid. It was highly traumatic when my childhood horse - 18 years old, kid safe, etc - freaked out and refused to load on it after we bought it. Rearing, striking, etc. Awful experience.

Returned it, bought a three horse slant, walked on like the angel he was - not hesitating even once. I still have that trailer - it’s almost twenty years old now.

I would love to have a 2+1, but my problem is that I have a lot of horses and several of them are very big. Currently, I have eight horses. The plan is to be at six by the end of this year. :rolleyes: Right now, my two big guys (16.1, 16.3, both in 84’’ blankets) haul in my three horse slant with a divider removed so it’s effectively a two horse trailer. PITA.

I don’t want a huge, professional type rig - but for me to get what I want, which ideally would be a four horse GN slant - I have to consider my giant horses.

On the topic of steel vs aluminium - one thing to note recently if you’re looking at goosenecks, there was a trailer accident I saw posted on FB where the front of the GN trailer basically snapped apart near the tack room door while driving (luckily, no one was hurt). I messaged a friend of mine about it and she said the following:

I actually learned that around 2005 and before the framing was welded together instead of being one piece which was why it would split there, now I check all older trailers my clients buy and tell them to watch the floor and ceiling separation.
The trailer I have now the front and back of the trailer welding is one big square, so there are no joints. It was a common build error with many brands unfortunately. My assistant has an older trailer and it has similar issues and has been welded a few times. As long as you check it and stay on top of it, seems to be fine, if you know what your looking for its quite easy to see the fractures in the welding before it separates.

[FatCatFarm]

@Arelle

I would love to have a 2+1, but my problem is that I have a lot of horses and several of them are very big. Currently, I have eight horses. The plan is to be at six by the end of this year. :rolleyes: Right now, my two big guys (16.1, 16.3, both in 84’’ blankets) haul in my three horse slant with a divider removed so it’s effectively a two horse trailer. PITA.

I don’t want a huge, professional type rig - but for me to get what I want, which ideally would be a four horse GN slant - I have to consider my giant horses.

FYI, several 2+1 manufacturers - I know of 4Star and Keifer for sure - offer the 2+1 with an optional divider so the 2+1 box easily converts into a 4 horse head-to-head for not a lot of more money. My trainer just got one.

[wildlifer]

There really is a lot of personal preference, both human & equine, involved, as well as what is available to you & what you are comfortable managing.

My personal preferences based on the last ~15 years:
-Straight loads for the big guys. My horses are 16+ hands, funnily the smallest at 16.0 is the longest, he does not fit at all in a standard slant stall. The few times he’s had to ride in a slant load (when we traveled with someone else), he went in the back stall & he always tried to wedge himself as close to straight as possible so he could balance on his butt. I am also big on being able to unload any horse at any time in any situation without having to move others. I do like open stock trailers too, very versatile.

-No solid mangers. I had them in my first trailer, just dangerous & I hated that my horse couldn’t lower his head.

-Step up. I train mine to self-load on anything, but have seen too many go off ramp sides & hurt themselves or handlers, including horses I was helping train. I do spend time teaching all of mine to back off the step calmly with voice commands & consider it a very useful skill – I want to be able to maneuver my horse’s feet anywhere at any time & this ability is very useful on trails, in sticky emergency situations, or other tight spaces. Just like every other trained skill, I introduce it in logical steps. I also have some back & knee arthritis & one less heavy thing I have to bend over & lift is good – age gets to us all. I don’t think ramps are necessarily evil, I just don’t want one. It’s also usually cheaper without one.

-Even though my trailer is a 2H straight with step up, I train & expect my horses to load & unload from all types of trailers. If there were some emergency where they can’t ride on my trailer, I don’t want my horses to lose their lives simply because they wouldn’t get on a slightly different kind of box on wheels. In my personal opinion, this is the #1 most important aspect of a horse owner’s approach to trailering. Sometimes horses come with pre-existing baggage, I recognize that, but it’s to your advantage to try to have your horse as versatile as possible – doing that work can truly save his life in the future.

I LOVE my trailer, it’s a simple steel Adam BP with stock sides & a dressing room. It’s sturdy, well-built, airy & horses like it (they’ve fallen asleep in it, LOL). Divider is fully removable & a full escape door in front. 7’ tall has been plenty for my uphill-built 16.2 h TBs, but I do haul them with head bumpers just in case. The only thing I would change if I had money is I’d like a 2nd escape door on the other side – if trailer were rolled onto the right side & rear door was jammed, it would give me another way in/out. I prefer steel because it’s easier to work on, any decent welding shop can service it, maintenance is very easy, I can knock rust off with a little sandpaper & protect with clearcoat. I expect to have this trailer for 20+ years (I can’t believe I’ve already had it 12 yrs, it still looks great, stored outside) easily.

Both aluminum & steel corrode, maintenance is key to whatever equipment you end up with. Make sure its engineered for strength & stability, the lightest trailer may not be your friend. Stay on top of it, take care of your bearings & axles. Put good load-rated tires on it, take care of them (I do park my trailer on pavers & keep tires covered).

[Rallycairn]

This design looks interesting to me:

https://www.doubledtrailers.com/2plus1-gooseneck-horse-trailer-vs.-safetack-reverse-3-horse/