A few weeks ago, at the start of the stay-at-home orders, I posed several questions I had about horse trailers to my Instagram audience. Who better to ask about the nitty gritty of buying, owning, towing a horse trailer than riders across the country who are experienced on these matters? If you missed the blog post 42 Best Horse Trailer Shopping Tips check it out.
A couple of friends reached out to me to share even deeper insights into owning trailers–things to consider before making the leap (as I have been toying with the idea for next hunt season to get my own trailer). I found the additional info to be really good and so I’m sharing it with you now. 🙂
1. Do you want to give rides to other people’s horses?
Just like living in the house on the street with the swimming pool that all the neighbor kids want to go swimming in, apparently once you own a trailer, people will want free rides. If the people are your friends and you want to take them on the road with you, then get a trailer that will accommodate different types of horses, and a size that will suit you. If you have smaller horses but your friend you want to ride at the beach with has a draft cross, go for the wider, taller trailer. If you only have one horse but see yourself hitting the distant trails with two of your barn besties, perhaps a three or four horse trailer will ultimately be right for you.
On the flip side, if you don’t want to have to haul everyone and his brother and their horses around, get a smaller trailer or possibly one that is darker and older (this was actual horse girl advice!). My friend explained that you can take the time to train your horse to the trailer but other people (freeloaders) might be scared off.
2. Would your horse/s be happier in a stock trailer?
You might have your sights set on a new, beautiful trailer with a tack room and changing room, but your horse’s comfort should be paramount. Not all horses travel well. Some much prefer riding in stock trailers because they can have more space and typically there’s increased airflow. Do you know what type of traveler your horse is and would a stock trailer be a better bet for your beast? Perhaps your desire to have the “fashionable” modern horse trailer favored in your neck of the woods, is not going to be the best trailer for your four-legged friend. There’s no shame in a simple stock trailer.
3. Do you have the “nerve” to drive your horse/s in your trailer in your area?
I live in Los Angeles and the freeways are just downright nuts. Five lanes of traffic going just one direction is the norm. That’s right–10 lanes of freeway glory in many parts of SoCal. If you will be transporting your horse on roads like that, there is going to be a learning curve. My friend who trailers frequently in this area called it “an exercise in stress management.”
It’s stressful to drive a sedan or SUV and have to switch lanes when people are driving 70ish and the freeway is busy by where I live. Add to the intensity, pulling a trailer of precious cargo in the form of your best equine friend. Yikes!
As I have been researching horse trailers, a friend shared with me she was really nervous when she first started hauling her horses on the LA freeways and it took her about a dozen times until she felt completely comfortable. She also said she’s known people who’ve purchased trailers but have never gotten over their stress and their trailers sit in the parking lot acquiring dust because the owners had no idea how stressful driving their horses would be.
This topic is worth considering. If you are a Nervous Nellie driver to begin with, perhaps it’s worth it to you to hire a hauler who is very comfortable towing a horse trailer. This is the question I will continue to ponder before I make any big decisions.
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4. Have you figured out how many times per year you will use your trailer?
Estimate how many times in a given year you will want to haul somewhere. Then call a commercial hauler and find out how much it would cost to have them take you there, wait while you have your horsey adventure and then take you back.
Once you’ve done that, compare the prices to your trailer budget. For many equestrians that only use their trailer 2-4 times per year, it would have been way cheaper and way less stressful to just hire a hauler to take their horses to the beach, mountains, campsite, etc.
5. Will you have to upgrade your truck or buy one to accommodate the trailer?
Several people reached out to me as I was writing the original trailer advice blog post and said to be sure to get the trailer first, THEN the truck as you want to make sure the truck has enough “ooomph” to safely tow a trailer filled with a horse or horses. Another thing I learned is that the longer the truck bed is, the better the trailer will ride.
“The most important thing as far as your truck is its stopping ability,” one friend recommended. She said for a two horse with a tack room the truck needs to be a F250 or 2500. “I’m a stickler for safety and stopping the load behind you is the most important.”
Closing Thoughts about Buying a Horse Trailer
In summary, my friend recommends: “If you want to enjoy the experience of hauling your horse/s, you have to commit the time, energy and stress of learning how to make those experiences enjoyable.”
A special thank you to a few of my in real life horse girl friends who shared deeper insights on the horse trailer experience and to my photographer friend for the use of the trailer picture.
Question: Have you owned or do you currently own a trailer? Do you have additional insights into the topic of to purchase or not to purchase a horse trailer? Leave a comment and help out the community. 🙂
Thanks for reading and tally ho!
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I'm Susan and this is my horse Knight. We have been a blogging team since 2015 and we're glad you're here. Tally ho!
I’d add a note about the Stock Trailer option. Many stock trailers aren’t any taller than 6′, especially the bumper pulls. Stock trailers are designed to haul cattle, goats and sheep, not necessarily horses. If you have a horse taller than about 15.2hh, you need a trailer that is closer to 7′. And a 16h or taller horse really needs a 7’6″ trailer.
The absolute biggest reason I will ALWAYS own a horse trailer as long as I own horses is because of veterinary emergencies. I can’t imagine much worse than a colicking horse that needs to get to a veterinary facility ASAP and you have to worry about also finding a trailer and towing vehicle for at the last minute.
Thank you for sharing your insights. I appreciate this added info. I have a friend who loves her stock trailer, but now that I think of it, she has polo ponies. They’re small.
I towed my 17+ hand App just fine in my 7-foot trailer, but it was a close squeeze. At 15.2, Artie has scads of headroom in there. I do think some of the pearl-clutching over going to the 7’6″ height is a bit overblown.
There is a hauler locally that people call at my barn when their horse is colicking after hours, and he hauls them to the surgical clinic swiftly & safely any time, day or night. If you have that option, then owning a trailer (at my barn) is definitely not necessary. A lot of people want them for fire evacuation, however.
I’m sure you know this, but definitely add up a minimum of $500 for the annual maintenance visit and $100+ for monthly parking before thinking the purchase price is all you need. Also about $250+ for registration/plates every 5 years (in CA).
This is great info to have. Thanks for sharing, Holly!
In S. Florida, all aluminum trailers are best. You can actually watch a steel trailer rust away! I’m 20 miles from the ocean, but my two previous trailers rusted very quickly, and became unsafe, as well as unsightly. Unfortunately, the axels and undercarriage are steel even in aluminum trailers. You have to check it regularly. They are made of 1/4” thick steel, tho, so even rusty, it is still pretty good.
I had my ramp converted to a step-up. The ramp scares many horses, and it is easier to load a reluctant horse into a step-up because you can get him closer. Plus the hinges get full of shavings making the ramp is hard to close.
I’m
Looking for a new trailer myself, but I love the one I have. I would like to be able to camp with my friends, tho, so I want some amenities that my 2002 Merhow did not come with. Great trailer anyway!