Horse Trailer Recommendations

[Lhotka]

Who makes a bullet proof 2-3 place horse trailer? What things should I look for if purchasing used unit?

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2001. 5 4x4 ETH/DEE Reg. cab SLT, six speed, camper/tow, snowplow, 4. 10 LSD, Patriot Blue

 

[Brandon]

4 star trailers. ok.
bloomer trailer . tx.
all the guys going down the road use these pretty regularly
we have a sooner 3h gn right now, some day wife wants a 4star someday
B

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Danelle's Dodge

 

[sam peterson]

four/star is probable the best but like all good things it costs the most. i have been looking at 3 horse & living qtrs for over 3 years and i think they jave the best quality. C & C is also good. splitoff from 4/star.

 

[Okie-Go]

I have never owned one but I live about 3 miles from where the Bloomers are built they look real neat sitting out there. Been thinking about talking to them about taking them and delivering for them. Wonder how long it would take to get to Alaska pulling a gooseneck horse trailer?

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2001 quadcab slt 2500 HO 6spd. LWB,2wd,dk garnett red, trailer tow package,camper special, anti spin 3. 54 axle, speed liner,oversized stainless steel chicken slide,66 gallon in bed aux. tank,K&N air filter,Reese 20k hitch, Terry 2000 EX 30ft. double slide 5er, 2000 20ft gooseneck for haulin jeep, firewood and huntin stuff. 5X12 tagalong for haulin the 4 wheeler. Okie Newton

 

[Archive]

Okie-Go... take two trailers up there. . the Cummins could handle it and you would have more fun!

I have a Sundowner 3 horse... so far I am loving it. Here is an older pic of it...
#ad

 

[moparguy]

Lhotka, lots of questions need to be answered prior to the big purchase, things such as: Gooseneck or bumper pull,
aluminum or steel (pros and cons for both), slant load or streight, type floor; treated wood, lifetime rubber composit, aluminum, living quarters or not. And the list of things to consider goes on.

I'm in the same boat as you, need to buy a another trailer, will likely be either a used aluminum or a new steel, 3 horse slant with a 4' to 7' short wall in the dressing room (will convert to living area) with the entry door on the left side, if it dosen't have a pass though door into the back, I'll install one, ideally will have drop down windows, with removable rear tack.

On things to look for on a used trailer. Used trailers are kinda like used cars/trucks, a bargan rarely is, by the time you fix up a fixer-upper, you could have bought a better trailer for the same or less money and a lot less trouble (ask me how I know).

Check for the obvious, rust, missing or corroded frame members, if there is a rubber mat, pull it up and check the floor carefully, on wood floors, stomp around looking for soft spots, use a screw driver to probe suspect areas. On aluminum floors, look for discolored (white) areas, could be a sign of aluminum oxidation, if the owners didn't remove mats and wash the urine out often, the floor could be weakend to the point of being dangerious.

Best advise, go to several dealers, ask questions, tellem up front that you're gonna buy soon, just not today, and you want to get as knowledgeable as possible before spending your money. If possible, carry someone you trust who knows trailers to go with you and act as your advisor.

Good luck, Ronnie

 

[Okie-Go]

I would take it to him but he has to buy the trailer. I do pull trailers in the summer. I have the summer off.

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2001 quadcab slt 2500 HO 6spd. LWB,2wd,dk garnett red, trailer tow package,camper special, anti spin 3. 54 axle, speed liner,oversized stainless steel chicken slide,66 gallon in bed aux. tank,K&N air filter,Reese 20k hitch, Terry 2000 EX 30ft. double slide 5er, 2000 20ft gooseneck for haulin jeep, firewood and huntin stuff. 5X12 tagalong for haulin the 4 wheeler. Okie Newton

 

[QRTRHRS]

You also have to decide on step up or ramp loading. I like the step ups but some of them get pretty high off the ground. To low and you got to watch for tail dragging. Like any trailer, check out the suspension real well. If the trailer has sat out in the sun, the tires may be weather checked. Even pressure treated floors can go bad. I have to replace the one in my trailer due to what looks like dryrot? One of my relatives is a trucker. He saw a accident where the horse broke through the floor and the driver did not know it. Not sweet! You also need to be concerned with trailer heighth so your horse has adequate headroom. There have been quite a few articles published about buying used in the last few months. Give me a couple of days and I will dig some up. If you want, I can photo copy and send some. I think some are on the net as well.

 

[Eventer]

Lhotka,

What size are your horses? If yours are like mine (my 4 year old is 16. 3 hh, 1325 pounds and still growing), you will need extra tall (7'6") with extra wide stalls.

Something else to keep in mind is what the horse sees when he steps into the trailer. You don't want, and neither does the horse want, to step in to a black hole. Make sure the interior is a light color, preferably white and well lit.

The top of the trailer should also be a light or reflective color to keep the trailer cooler.

You want rubber mats on the floor, padding on the sides and front and a large diameter butt bar for the horse to lean on comfortably.

I have had a horse that would not load in a slant load but a straight in was not problem. I guess it depends on your horses as to what works best.

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Lyndon Hendry
Chief Equine Officer (CEO) and
President for Life
Head Over Heels Farm

2001 2500 QC LB ETH/DEE 3. 55RE Patriot Blue
Pop-Up Hitch, Stock engine except for MIA blow-by-bottle

"An oil burner for the hay burners. "

 

[danandamy]

Are you looking for something to just haul them around with or do you want living quarters? Sundowners are real nice but at some point you know you're paying alot just to have that name. Gooseneck hitch is really the only way to go. Pulls better, safer etc. . Aluminum is nice but expensive. What the heck, if you have a Cummins you can probably pull the extra weight of a steel trailer no problem, leave the aluminum to the chivy gassers. When it comes down to it, alot of the features on these trailers are for the people buying them, not for the horses riding in them. In our family we have all kinds of trailers but the truth be told, the horses ride and load better in my dad's metal top Dugan stock trailer than any of the fancy trailers. Go figure.

Daniel

 

[Lhotka]

I'm going to be hauling 2 Norwegian Fjords, 15. 2 hands, up to 1500 lbs each. Will have truck topper, prefer bumper pull. Weight won't be much of an issue, so steel will work. Most of my hauling will what I consider local ( 150 miles between home and the cabin down in the Alaskan Range). Living quarters are not needed. I am not looking for anything fancy, just well built. Nice looking set up Okie.

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2001. 5 4x4 ETH/DEE Reg. cab SLT, six speed, camper/tow, snowplow, 4. 10 LSD, Patriot Blue

 

[Lhotka]

I'm going to be hauling 2 Norwegian Fjords, 15. 2 hands, up to 1500 lbs each. Will have truck topper, prefer bumper pull. Weight won't be much of an issue, so steel will work. Most of my hauling will be what I consider local (150 miles between home and the cabin down in the Alaskan Range). Living quarters are not needed. I am not looking for anything fancy, just well built. Nice looking set up Okie.

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2001. 5 4x4 ETH/DEE Reg. cab SLT, six speed, camper/tow, snowplow, 4. 10 LSD, Patriot Blue

 

[K-Man]

You can generally cut your initial cost or purchase price by going with a steel trailer. The additional weight and potential of rust should factor into your decision.

I live in Phoenix so there isn't much of a risk of rust. We bought a trails West 3 horse slant with a 10' Living Quarter in it. This is probably the best built horse trailer I have seen - my opinion only but I've been in the horse business for 30 years. The knock on the trailer is that it's only 7' wide. They compensate for this by making the stalls with a little less slant to them. Anyway, I'm impressed with the overall quality of the trailer. When you close the stall dividers it's like closing a door on your car - no rattles, real nice and tight. Mine has the rubber torsion axles and the horses really haul good. I show horses and my horses come out of the trailer looking as good as when they went in. It is heavier than an aluminum trailer but with the little 5. 9 Cummins - no problem. I get around 12 mpg and can run as fast as I want when fully loaded.

 

[bstrong]

I've been looking at aluminum gooseneck trailer for about a year, and just opted for the Exiss. I looked at Sooner, Sundowner, Featherlite and Silverado as well, but dollar for dollar the Exiss fit the best for us. The trailer we bought is an XT406, and is all aluminum. I'm very pleased with the quality of this trailer. The 'Big guys' were just way 'TO PROUD' of there trailers for my tastes. About $4000 difference, and not as many features.


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'97 3500 auto CC 4X4, 4:10, 37,000 miles, bone stock except for 20 clicks on the star wheel

 

[DavidTD]

I also bought an Exiss. We have a steel 16ft stock trailer that is still used but for the long hauls I wanted something more comfortable for both the horses and the humans. After looking at all of the brands common to my area I opted for Exiss (see sig)as they seemed to team up great quality with a reasonable price. They have an event class trailer that is a bargin. All Aluminum to boot!!

Sundowner, Sooner, Featherlite, 4 -star are great trailers too.

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David
1998 3500 QC 4x4 5 speed 4:10, 235-85-16, VA CPC via JRE, PS Boost Module, RV 275 injectors, K&N air filter.
And ONE BIG A$$ GRIN.
Emerald Green w/tan leather. B&W turnover ball.
Pre- injectors - 1/4 mile 18. 2 @ 74. 75mph
1999 Exiss 3 horse slant, 4ft midtack, 6ft shortwall dressing.
70k miles as of 6/21/00