Who takes their divider out and hauls in a box?

[sascha]

I found a trailer! Yay! 2H straight load DR GN Jamco for the curious I have the option to take out the divider and haul my horse in a box stall. I will mainly be hauling my own horse alone, but occasionally will pop a friend’s horse in to go do something fun together.

Just wondering when/why others haul in a box stall and have you found any big positives or negatives one way or the other? For instance, do all horses seem to ride more relaxed in a box or are some more content in the security of a straight stall? Do you normally haul in a straight stall and only make a box stall for longer trips? Or, do you haul in a box always and only put the divider in if taking a friend along? Do you notice any difference in the way your truck/trailer handle when shipping loose in a box as opposed to tied in a straight stall?

Please feel free to answer any questions I wasn’t smart enough to ask! :yes:

[fordtraktor]

I have done this before. But be careful if the trailer isn’t lined in the front, many 2H straight loads are not designed to do this so look and see whether it is 100% lined. I had Hawk specially put liner and extra secure door handles for the escape doors in the front of mine, the stock model was not safe to haul this way.

As for hauling, it’s been great, the Gooseneck makes all the difference. I usually tie big horses but babies I haul loose. A big horse running circles in the trailer around big time behind my f150 is not something I care to test out. it would almost certainly be fine, but why figure out it’s not on the road when I can’t do anything about it?

[PoohLP]

I don’t take the divider out, but I sometimes tie it to the side to create a large slant stall. My horse seems to ride fine either way. I do still tie him though as I wouldn’t want him to try to turn around in there.

[grinanride]

If you take out the front bars please be sure to cover any and all walk out doors with a 3/4" thick plywood screwed into the wall frame, front walk out doors are typically made out of a thin perimeter frame and “sandwiched” polystyrene - way to flimsy with inappropriate latching and would be very dangerous if not blocked from the horse
Risa
HappyTrailsTrailers
BalancedRideTrailers

[QUOTE=sascha;8628424]
I found a trailer! Yay! 2H straight load DR GN Jamco for the curious I have the option to take out the divider and haul my horse in a box stall. I will mainly be hauling my own horse alone, but occasionally will pop a friend’s horse in to go do something fun together.

Just wondering when/why others haul in a box stall and have you found any big positives or negatives one way or the other? For instance, do all horses seem to ride more relaxed in a box or are some more content in the security of a straight stall? Do you normally haul in a straight stall and only make a box stall for longer trips? Or, do you haul in a box always and only put the divider in if taking a friend along? Do you notice any difference in the way your truck/trailer handle when shipping loose in a box as opposed to tied in a straight stall?

Please feel free to answer any questions I wasn’t smart enough to ask! :yes:[/QUOTE]

[SuckerForHorses]

I would remove the divider that goes between the horses, but leave the chest bars in, and still tie the horse. That way there is room to move it’s butt around to wherever it is comfortable, but is not totally loose.

Also, in addition to Risa’s suggestion, usually with a straight load there are either butt chains or bars, which prevent the horse from pushing against the ramp itself. The ramp may not be designed to withstand leaning from a horse so do keep this in mind when removing a divider - you usually lose the butt bar/chain option.

[ThreeFigs]

I did this with an old Imperial trailer. My Arab traveled quite happily standing backwards that way. The realization that horses prefer facing backwards led me to purchase a Hawk Balanced Ride years later.

Bought it from Risa!

[Hinderella]

I’m glad to see this post because I’ve been thinking of doing the same thing when I haul my horse alone in my 2 horse straight load GN. But I will need to have some sort of butt bar/gate made that I can add to the back of the trailer to take the place of the butt bars that normally attach to the divider. Does such a thing exist or must I have one custom made?

[MysticOakRanch]

I have a slant load, and tie the slant divider back whenever I’m hauling younger, less experienced horses. Helps them feel less claustrophobic.

But - I do disagree with the comment to “tie the horse” - if you take the dividers out, you really need to let the horse loose. The dividers give it something to “lean on” if needed - without something to lean on, if the horse is tied and slips, its head is tied up and it loses all ability to balance. Tie (optional) if the dividers are up, leave loose if hauling in a box stall.

I don’t care if the horse is traveling backwards - actually, all research shows, that is their preferred way to travel. Just be careful when you open the door - there may be a face there to greet you

[Sweetums_Mom]

[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;8628467]
Also, in addition to Risa’s suggestion, usually with a straight load there are either butt chains or bars, which prevent the horse from pushing against the ramp itself. The ramp may not be designed to withstand leaning from a horse so do keep this in mind when removing a divider - you usually lose the butt bar/chain option.[/QUOTE]

This…^^^. I had a hard to load horse and have a 2H straight load with front and back padded bars and a ramp. I thought that by taking out the divider (therefore no butt bars) and just leaving the front bars , it would make the space more inviting. We got the horse in and then he flew backwards against the ramp and bent the pin holding the ramp up which then came down and out he went.

Had to get a welder to fix the ramp.

[sascha]

The good thing about the trailer I bought is that it was built to be box or straight stall. Hauling in a box is not something I’m contemplating doing with Joe 2 Horse Trailer that was never meant to be used as a box!

The escape doors have the same latches as the ramp and rear doors and the whole body, doors included, is the same material

Hmm, there is a walk through to the dressing room though. I’m going to want to inspect that more closely. If Miss Sweet Tooth got a whiff of the peppermints I keep in my grooming box, she’d be picking the lock and wedging herself through it if possible.

[Jarpur]

I’ve taken the divider out in a slant load trailer to make a box stall. Very handy to haul a mare and foal. But, this was a trailer without an escape door, so no weaker area that could be accessed by the horse.

[soloudinhere]

I ship in my trailer as a box and I have a butt chain. The chest bars are still in.

I do tie with a Velcro tie that would assuredly break if the horse went down for some reason. I don’t feel comfortable having him try to make a beeline for it when I drop the ramp.

[caper]

[QUOTE=sascha;8628424]
I found a trailer! Yay! 2H straight load DR GN Jamco for the curious I have the option to take out the divider and haul my horse in a box stall. I will mainly be hauling my own horse alone, but occasionally will pop a friend’s horse in to go do something fun together.

Just wondering when/why others haul in a box stall and have you found any big positives or negatives one way or the other? For instance, do all horses seem to ride more relaxed in a box or are some more content in the security of a straight stall? Do you normally haul in a straight stall and only make a box stall for longer trips? Or, do you haul in a box always and only put the divider in if taking a friend along? Do you notice any difference in the way your truck/trailer handle when shipping loose in a box as opposed to tied in a straight stall?

Please feel free to answer any questions I wasn’t smart enough to ask! :yes:[/QUOTE]

Can I ask where you found your Jamco?

[goodhors]

We always haul big horses with a divider, not in a box stall. We use a stock trailer for most hauling, though we have a 2nd, larger trailer with stalls facing the rear for going to competitions. These older horses are ALWAYS tied when hauling. We use neckropes to tie, no pull on their heads if something happens.

Baby horses under a year, get put in a box stall in the front of the stock trailer. Ride is better there, “between the axles” and they can stand or lay as they wish. The yearlings are trained to tie, put in tie/straight stalls when they tie WELL after much practice and lessons. Yearlings know how to give to pressure, are comfortable being tied in the tie stalls and not having great spaces like box stalls give them. None have ever had an issue with our straight load stalls in the trailer.

I don’t like large horses moving around inside the trailer, it can throw how the pull is behind the truck, expecially with larger horses. Stalls are wide enough and long enough, so horse has some room to step forward or change how they stand, get more comfortable while in transit. They are not touching the sides of stalls at all, even being big horses.

[sascha]

[QUOTE=caper;8629340]
Can I ask where you found your Jamco?[/QUOTE]

Sadly, I had to cross the border. I found it in Ohio. There is a 2+1 at Granton’s which is local to me, but it was too much money for not as many ammenities and 8 years older than the Ohio trailer. It was worth the drive (on The Most Boring Stretch Of Highway In Ontario lol and then Michigan roads, oh my, Michigan roads - where there should be a warning sign: sports bras and neck braces required!)

There was another also in Ontario (Ottawa area, I think) but also more money for fewer ammenities.

If you’re looking and end up thinking about a US trailer, border xing was easy peasy (fill out your RIV paperwork ahead and the customs folks think you’re a HERO!) Then you’ve got a federal inspection at Crappy Tire (getting mine today) within 45 days of import on top of the regular provincial inspection (wherever yellow sticker inspections are done) before you can change over to Ontario plates. All in all, no big deal.

I will say that dealing with Kim at Altmeyer’s in Ohio was great. He’s btdt and had everything in place for me to do a very quick transaction with all the paperwork in place and get me back on the road to get home. I’m not sure it would have gone so well working with a private seller with this having been my first time importing a vehicle. Importing, whatever, I keep saying I’m re-patriating it

[sascha]

Oh, also, a little update. My trailer is higher than normal (bigger axles) and I was worried about how my pony would self-load and unload. Box stall hauling was going to be my go to if I couldn’t get her to reliably get in and out by herself. Turns out I was worked up about the ramp steepness, and she was not.

“Why are you wrapping me and putting me on and off of this thing if we’re not going anywhere? I’ve totally got this. Just chill, mom.”

I may still consider box stall hauling for long trips, but for now, I’ll stick with what we both know - straight stall.

Thank you for all the input, everyone!

[caper]

I saw that Jamco at Granton and it IS way over priced especially for the age. It is also open to the gooseneck with no separating wall.

I have been looking at the Altmeyer website as they had a couple of Jamcos and the prices were decent for a much newer trailer and as you say better amenities. To me Jamco equals a 4Star but it a bit more affordable. I just have to get the husband onboard. He doesn’t want to invest $$$ into a trailer I won’t use that much.

I just wish our dollar was a bit better as I am only an hour from the boarder. You go a fabulous trailer. Solid and safe. Glad pony likes it too.

[sascha]

Is it the 99 you looked at at Granton’s? If so, it does have the lift gate thingy to close off the gooseneck when you are hauling in the +1. Also the big gate has 2 positions - 1 further forward for straight stalls, and another further back for when you’re hauling in boxes. Mind you, I had to point that out because the sales guy didn’t know.

It’s a nice trailer, the floor will blind you when you lift the mats, but it was just too expensive for the age + needs maintenance work done that hasn’t been done in who knows how long.

[sascha]

http://www.grantontrailers.com/straight-load-horse-trailers/two-horse/gooseneck.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=508&category_id=70

If you look at the picture that’s taken looking into the gooseneck, you can see the metal gate. It swings up and latches to cover the gooseneck opening.

If you like it, feel free to say a “friend” went to the US and got a better deal for more options and newer, and see if the lady who has it on consignment would become reasonable about the price. I literally paid less than the asking price on that one even considering our crappy dollar, having to haul down to pick it up, etc. Take into account that the one I bought was ready to safety and the one at Granton’s would need brake work, bearings checked/packed, etc. It is nice, and I do like the 2+1, but for my one horse and me, I’m glad I found the other one.

[caper]

I didn’t see it in person but rather online. It is way over priced for it’s age. Yes I did see that it had that gate that went up. I am thinking a set up like the one you got might be better. The gooseneck has a separating wall. Keeping it cleaner and could put a mattress in the gooseneck in the event we camp with the horses.

When you purchased did you negotiate a price or just pay the listed price? I am thinking more and more to make a trip to the states if the right one comes along.