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Shopping for a Trailer

Sooner or later your partner is doing to decide to buy a horse trailer or go for an upgrade. When it happens, it’s almost impossible to ignore.

A horse trailer generally costs more than the horse it hauls….sometimes by quite a bit. So buying a trailer can be stressful. There are dozens of brands to chose from, dozens of attractive features, and the prices can range from the cost of a plasma TV to a new Harley (and even more if she goes for living quarters)

A note here: you’ll notice that I use the word “she” a lot. That’s because most horse lovers are women. If you are a female non-horse partner, please don’t get upset. We know you’re out there.

There are many reasons to get involved in the purchase of a horse trailer. The first instinct is to say, “You don’t need a better horse trailer, you hardly use the one you’ve got!” or… “I saw one parked on the side of the road that was only $800. Why don’t you just buy that one?” But there are good reasons to allow her to spend as much as you can realistically afford on a horse trailer.

The first is safety. A cheap trailer will likely wander all over the road. It’s an accident waiting to happen. Plus, a horse in a noisy, unsafe trailer is bound to get nervous. A scared, nervous horse is much more likely to end up hurting your partner during loading and unloading than a calm, relaxed one.

And a scared horse in an unsafe trailer is more likely to get hurt itself, resulting in high vet bills.

The second has to do with your partner’s attitude when she gets back home. If the trailer is hard to tow, she’s going to arrive white knuckled, cranky and out of sorts. That’s not going to make your life any easier.

Plus, a bad trailer is likely to break down on the road, and you’re going to have to travel, sometimes long distances, to come to the rescue.

Okay, so you’re now convinced it can be worthwhile to get involved in buying a horse trailer. Or maybe you’re not convinced, but your partner is begging, “Please, I need you to come and give me a second opinion.”

Here are some basics you should know:

Buying a trailer that holds more than two horses requires a heavy duty towing vehicle, so you will be spending more money not only for the trailer, but for the necessary truck to pull it. There are more vehicle choices for a tag-along (also called bumper pull) trailer, which means there is also a better chance to pick the wrong one. Many people believe that a gooseneck trailer is safer than a tag-along, but that is not exactly true. If the tow vehicle is properly rated and equipped with the proper hitch, a tag-along two-horse trailer can be just as safe as a gooseneck. For more than two horses, a gooseneck is the better option.

Research the maximum towing capacity of your tow vehicle. This data is on the driver's doorpost or in the owner's manual. Then calculate the maximum load that will be hauled (for horse trailers, that's based on the number of horses, tack, hay and water you’ll carry) and check the unloaded weight of any trailer you are considering. This should be stamped on the trailer. The unloaded weight plus maximum load is the total weight that you will tow. If that load surpasses your vehicle's maximum towing capacity, you need to either adjust your plans or get a larger vehicle.

There are two types of trailers, straight load and slant. As with most horse issues, there are as many opinions on the merits of slants vs. straight loads as there are trailer owners. Slant load trailers have dressing or tack rooms. Some people feel that since slants permit the horse to lean against the divider while in transit, the horse is less affected by travel stress. Other’s believe the tag-along is better because the horse can’t lean and thereby the weight is distributed better.

The size of the horse is a very important factor to consider. Most likely, you don’t enjoy being cramped-up in tight quarters when you travel. And, neither does a horse! If the horse doesn’t have enough room to move its legs forward and sideways, it could lose its balance while moving and fall down, resulting in injury.

Narrow trailers and trailers with full center dividers can potentially cause the horse to scramble, because he doesn’t have enough space to spread his legs to keep his balance. Be aware that slant load trailers are not styled for horses that are over 15.3h, and the length of the stall is not long enough to allow the horse freedom of movement. Horses over 15.3h should have at least 7 feet of stall length and 3 feet of head area - 10 feet overall.

In the past, a 7 foot tall trailer was considered extra tall. Today, however, it isn’t unusual for trailers to be 7'4" to 7'6" tall. This height should be considered for any horse over 15.3h. If the trailer has a round top, it may be 7 feet high in the middle, but only 6.6 feet tall at the sides. If there’s any question, take along a tape measure.

There should also be enough room for the horse to lower its head to remove debris (hay dust and other contaminants in the trailer) by coughing, in order to keep his respiratory tract clear.

Make sure there are no sharp edges or protrusions anywhere on the trailer. (Check both inside and out, especially aluminum trailers, which seem to dent and crack easily.) Look at the floor boards. These should run the length of the trailer (vertically), not across the trailer (horizontally), and there should be good support underneath.

Floor mats and ramps should be non-slip. Ramps should not be steep. If it’s a step-up trailer, the horse should be able to walk out headfirst when unloading.

For safer trailering, rubber torsion suspension is available on almost all newer trailers. This type of suspension greatly reduces the amount of shock. As a result, the horse absorbs less shock through the floor of the trailer, thereby reducing stress. Also, if the trailer should have a flat tire, rubber torsion suspension allows the remaining three wheels to maintain the trailer until the driver can get to a safe place to change the tire.

Quick-release mechanisms on all tie rings, center dividers, chest bars, and butt bars are a must-have for safety and convenience. Construction material and all other parts should be strong enough to hold up to the largest, strongest horse your partner will be hauling. In fact, the strength of the trailer, not its weight, should be among your highest priorities, if she has large horses to haul. How well will the trailer hold up to a panicky horse or in a traffic accident?

When buying a used trailer, pay close attention to the tires. Trailer tires and car tires are entirely different and not interchangeable. Car tires on a trailer will quickly fail, endangering your partner and your horses. Tires should also be of the proper weight rating. Read the sidewall, all the important info is there. Tires over five years old should be replaced no matter how good they look. UV exposure degrades the rubber over time. Take a good look at the spare tire. All too often it’s a junker. That’s okay—just keep in mind you’re going to have to get another spare tire as soon as you buy the trailer.

Check the tires for uneven wear, an indication the axels could be out of alignment.

Check the floors and frames for deterioration. Horse urine causes rust very quickly. If you are looking at a used steel/galvanized trailer, pay very careful attention to the frame and load gate hinges as well as their attach points. Urine ends up pooling there, especially when there is manure to hold it in place and keep the area wet. Check these areas out with a very jaundiced eye, particularly where they are welded together. The frame can be unbelievably rotten in a trailer that otherwise looks fine cosmetically.

If the trailer has a wooden floor, roll the floor mats back. If you see anything iffy, get out your pocketknife and check for weak, soft spots. See how well the how well the floor is supported by the cross members. Even a good board floor will break if there are not enough cross members.

Get down on your hands and knees and check out the axels. Are they still straight? The axels should be lined up and the wheels also lined up so the trailer will pull straight.

Still at ground level, look at the wheel drums and the rims and check out the springs to make sure they aren’t rusted through and are still in good working order.

Whether the trailer is made of aluminum or steel, windows are a must. Make sure the trailer has big windows that work.

Horse trailers are notorious for malfunctioning tail/break lights, so it’s a good idea to test to sure they are operational. But don’t be surprised if they’re back on the blink in a month or two!

Finally, check the hitch. Be sure it’s well greased and the mechanical parts are working. Verify that the safety chains and locks are there and adequate.

Beyond that it’s up to you how much more you get involved. There are a lot more decisions to be made: color, size of tack room, swinging vs. stationary saddle racks, size of dressing room, living quarter amenities, racks, water storage, and whether to buy the gold bell or the silver whistle.

One last caveat: Statistics tell us that on average a horse trailer changes hands once every two to three years. So this isn’t the last time the subject is going to come up.

Want more info? Here are a couple of good web sites:

www.equispirit.com/info/articles/buying-horse-trailer.htm

http://www.teampenningnorthwest.com/articles/tow_vehicle.htm