42 Best Horse Trailer Shopping Tips

As self-quarantine is the name of the game, the community aspect among equestrian Instagrammers has been both entertaining and educational. I’m toying with the idea of later this year buying a horse trailer. The problem is I know nothing about horse trailers. Who better to ask about horse trailers than fellow horse lovers who own and drive them? I set up a series of “surveys” and questions in my Instagram stories in order to learn more. This blog post is a roundup of what I learned.

Update: After I wrote this blog post, I continued to receive really good advice. Read my second trailer shopping blog post 5 Horse Trailer Questions to Ask Yourself Before Shopping. 

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What’s Your Best Horse Trailer Shopping Advice?

The first question I posed had varied advice with some overlapping themes. I was urged to do a ton of research, talk to people and “check the floors.” Dive into the 42 tips right here.

1. “Pick out your ideal trailer, then look for that trailer in any brand.”

2. “Upgrade the windows!”

3. “If buying used, have the floor inspected”

4. “Check the floor!”

5. “Have the floors checked!” (This point is worth repeating.)

6. “Check the age of the tires if buying used.”

7. “Get the extra tall, extra wide/long.”

8. “Be sure to get a dressing room!”

9. “Dressing room with A/C. I didn’t need one before kids, only used a Miley 2 horse. Post kids, I won’t go without it.”

10. “Warmblood size so you can evacuate or move any horse.”

11. “Make sure it has a tack room!”

12. “Extra tall and wide, love a side ramp. If buying used have someone who knows go with you. You’ll want to check floorboards, axels, etc.”

13. “A two-horse bumper pull with a ramp. Also have a side ramp which is convenient.”

14. “Big enough to fit a biiiiiig horse just in case!”

15. “The biggest decision is bumper v. gooseneck. Then it’s straight v. slant. I prefer gooseneck slant.”

16. “Straight load, windows, NO MANGERS, escape door.”

17. “Good air flow for my horse and ease of use for one person.”

18. “Do TONS of research.”

19. Speaking of research, I was given three book recommendations: 

Trailering Your Horse, 

The Complete Guide to Buying, Maintaining, and Servicing a Horse Trailer, and

Equipping Your Horse Farm: Tractors, Trailers, Trucks and More.

21. “New ones may be less $ than you think. People want to charge so much for used.”

22. “I did a ton of research of new versus used and with the better brands it was clear new was worth it. For example, the difference in price between my 2020 Adam and the 2008 version was $2-3K. The resale value on the good brands is really good, making new the better option, if someone can swing it. Also, some states don’t require inspections, so if you’re buying in one of those states you have to know what to look for on the used ones versus knowing it passed an inspection.”

23. “Browsing vendors at horse fairs helped me narrow my search.”

24. “Don’t buy new.”

25. “Be patient. Buy the trailer first, then the truck. Always pack water Clean it out every time.”

26. “Buy the trailer before the truck so you know what the weight will be.”

27. “Go new and with a solid brand. Your resale value will be much higher.”

28. “Go see it in person to be sure it’s what you want.”

29. “Sometimes you can find great deals on used trailers.”

30. “Lift up the floor mats to check for rust/leaks, etc.”

31. “Do your research before you shop so you know what you want. Size. Brand. Haul type.”

32. “Check floor and frame for rot and rust.”

33. “If your horse is tall (16hh or more) you need at least a 7′ tall. 7’6″ is better.”

34. “The wider the better.”

35. “Measure your horse! Don’t buy a trailer too small/short for a big horse.”

36. “Consider buying used for your first trailer. Compare OA costs on a per horse basis, 2 v. 3.”

37. “Talk to people with trailers to find out their likes and dislikes.”

38. “Upgrade your AAA road side assist coverage to “recreational” to cover trailer too.”

39. “Make sure others are driving them too, that’ll be a good pointer on whether they are decent.”

40. “Don’t let yourself be pressured into buying something that’s not perfect for your wants/needs.”

40. “No ramp! Slant load as well.” (We’l get into slant load v. straight load later in this post.)

41. “Get something lightweight and slant load. I love my Trails West Sierra Select.”

42. “Height. Some are simply too low for hunters.”

Two Horse v. Three Horse for Someone Who Owns One Horse?

At this point I only own one horse, Knight my fox hunter in training, but a girl can dream of having two awesome steeds, right?

So I posed the question “What capacity is best for someone with 1 horse but aspires to own 2?”

As I checked the results on this throughout the 24 hour time period the Instagram story was live, it was neck and neck until the very end. At that point 56% of respondents said a two horse trailer would be better than a three horse for someone who only owns one horse. However there were some points to consider.

For example, a California voter messaged me to state it would be better to have the larger three-horse trailer for evacuations. My horse Knight and I had to evacuate a few years ago when Canyon Fire 2 destroyed Knight’s barn and roared through the equestrian center where I boarded him at the time. I know several other SoCal friends who’ve been fire-affected at various boarding facilities and even their private homes. So I can see the merit in having a way to haul more horses in an emergency situation.

Also, another person send a message stating having the extra space in a trailer is great for throwing in a bale of hay and “you’ll never wish you had a smaller trailer.”

On the other hand, someone pointed out that since I’m new to horse trailers and hauling, it’s easier to learn how to haul with a smaller trailer. “Start with a two horse. They are easier to learn maneuverability  with. You can move up to a three horse as you gain experience.”

Additional input on a two horse trailer came in the form of another DM: “For a two horse I like a bumper pull because they haul straight behind your truck. Goosenecks don’t. Just something to get used to. Also, the longer the truck bed, the better the trailer will ride.”

Based on this crowd sourced feedback, I’m hoping to get my starter trailer in a two horse size.

Does the Horse Trailer Brand Really Matter?

The overwhelming majority of respondents said the brand DOES matter, but a few said it depends on where you live and how you store it and a few people also said no, brand does not matter.

The trailer brand cited most frequently as the brand people love and felt is the highest quality is 4 Star, but other names popped up as well.

“I got a Hawk and I’m in LOVE. I drove all the way to Michigan to get it and it was so worth it.

“King Star is awewome and Logan Coach makes great ones too!”

“I love Shadow trailers!”

“There are lots of good brands. I’ve owned Sundowner, Featherlite, Lakota and 4 Star.”

“If I could shop all over again, I’d go with a 4 Star.”

“Yes! Just like cars, some are better than others.”

Other opinions on this were. . .

“Depends on who you ask. I think condition matters more (if buying used).”

“Probably depends on keeping it under cover or not.”

“So it depends on where this trailer will be living–I only bought a steel trailer because it’s California.”

“Some manufacturers skimp on quality parts in order to make them affordable to buyers.”

“Yes, there are definite quality differences.”

“The dealership service matters more than brand.”

 

Ramp v. Step Up

In the Instagram voting, the clear victor was ramps with 69% of the vote, step up garnering 31%. However, I had a number of people send me direct messages telling me ramp horror stories.

“I like step ups because they can slip off the edge [of a ramp]. My mare lost her previous foal when he was a few weeks old walking down a trailer ramp because he was unsteady and slipped off the side and broke his neck. They’re not my favorite for sure!”

“I don’t like ramps because if you have a horse that likes to back out of the trailer (or does in a specific instance because they are panicked over something), I think it is so dangerous for them to go off the side of the ramp! I do think for training horses to get in the trailer a ramp is easier, but overall, if I was on the market I would get something without a ramp.”

“I’ve had them panic, back out and fall off the side of the ramp. I asked a couple of vets in my area if ramps or step ups were safer and they were all adamantly in favor of step ups. One vet had seen multiple broken legs because of ramps. Both emergency calls and just at the clinic!”

“My horse slipped on a ramp and if shavings or anything go into the gap between the ramp and the trailer floor, it won’t close. It’s a pain.”

Slant Load v. Straight Load

Slant load was the preferred choice of my Instagram followers with 64% to 36% win. However, some people are firm in their afinity for straight load trailers.

“Slant load is wasted space.”

“I have had both. I think I prefer a slant as you can use it for a multi-purpose trailer too.”

“Straight load trailers can be tricky to load/unload by yourself. You have to have a patient horse if you are by yourself! My horse I unhook from the tie in front, then go to the back, let down ramp and bar, and he waits until I pull on him to back off. But some horses are antsy to back off, and start to push on the butt bars and I’ve seen accidents happen this way!  A slant load you can walk up and grab the horse and walk them off. I think it’s a little safer. Unless you get a straight load that is gooseneck with space/ramp in the front, in which case I prefer the straight load to slant.”

“I never thought of these kinds of things until my new horse, I discovered, was a very nervous traveler! And my other horse won’t load onto the straight load without some encouragement from behind. But he isn’t patient enough for me to walk him up, hook him up in the front, then go behind and do up the butt bar. The nervous one is much better for loading and unloading. I do a lot by myself, so the safety of it all is important.. . .The other option which I never thought of as a good option is a stock trailer! Horses ship very well in them. They have been recommended over and over for my nervous shipper.”

What About Stock Trailers?

Stock trailers have a leg up on horse trailers according to the following responses:

“You can have them loose, which some horses prefer and the air flow is better.”

“You can carry pigs too!” (That was my sister’s response. Funny, Linda.)

“Easier for problem loaders. Better for traveling longer distances or overnight trips. You can turn the entire trailer into a large box stall in the middle of the night.”

“Multipurpose. Pick up hay, grain, friends’ furniture.”

A new Instagram friend who just relocated and had her horse shipped across several state lines to their new home said her horse was hauled in a stock trailer that had three sections that were each 7 feet by 8 feet. Three horses were hauled and they each had their own “stall” (were not tied) with shavings, hay and water. The horse traveled well is this type of set up.

To Sum It All Up on the Topic of Horse Trailers + a Favor

Overall, I am so glad I was able to find out all this information from actual equestrians who own and haul their horses with their own trailers. I hope you enjoyed this post and found it informative. If you have a friend who is also considering a trailer purchase, please forward this blog post on to him or her.

A request I have that will help with a future horse trailer blog post is this: Do you know the weight of your horse trailer and if so, can you email me or DM me a picture? One fellow horse lover DMd me that what made horse trailer shopping really difficult was finding the exact weight of trailers. It made the whole process daunting as the vehicles have weight restrictions. She suggested I try to set up a “database” blog post that shows “this type of trailer generally weighs around this much.”  I love that idea and think it would be helpful for our community. What do you think?

Question: Do you have a trailer? What features do you love or wish were different? Share your response in the comments. 

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

Be sure to read my follow-up trailer shopping blog post 5 Horse Trailer Questions to Ask Yourself Before Shopping. 

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