FAQ's on Trailers
and Towing
What size trailer do I need for my horse?
- Most
horses up to 16 hands will fit in a 7' tall trailer. If your horse carries
his head very high, or if he's taller than 16.5 hands, we recommend a
taller trailer. Our slant loads are standardly
7', while our straight load trailers are 7'4" or 7'6", depending
on brand. We also have standard designs for warmbloods,
and can custom build extra wide and extra tall (up to 8') stalls in either
a straight load or a slant load.
- Straight
load stalls are simple to measure. Make sure you take the chest and butt
bars and divider pads into account when determining the usable stall area.
By contrast, slant load trailers have a variety of stall lengths,
depending on the width of the trailer. You need to be sure your horse will
fit between the dividers (actual stall width) and within the walls of the
trailers (usable stall length). If you're unsure, please measure your
horse...from nose to tail and side to side. Then allow a little room for
movement (more if you plan on long hauls) and compare to the trailer stall
dimensions.
Should I get a slant load or a straight load trailer?
- As with most issues, there
are as many opinions on the merits of slants vs. straight loads as there
are trailer owners. Slant load trailers all have dressing rooms. Generally
speaking, for 3 or more horses, a slant load will be shorter. Some people
find that slants permit the horse to lean against the divider while in
transit and be less affected by travel stress. As far as I know, there is
no definutive research to prove the least
stressful method to haul. If you find a study, please let me know!
What can my vehicle tow?
- Your vehicle dealer can
provide the safe weight-towing capability for your vehicle. Generally, a
sport utility type vehicle (Cherokee, Explorer, Trooper, etc.) can safely
haul 5,000 pounds, equal to a light weight 2 horse bumper pull trailer. A
1/2 ton full size pick-up can usually tow 6,500 pounds, which is what a
three horse gooseneck would be. Check vehicle capacity and loaded
trailer weight very carefully to avoid overloading the vehicle. Avoiding
a problem with the right-weight load is a lot less costly than a new
transmission or rear-end!
If you have other
questions you'd like to see answered here, please e-mail us at trailers@fuse.net.
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