Looking for 2-3H slant load trailer

[earlybp]

Feel like selling your slant load trailer? I need one for 2-3 horses. I need it to be a bumperpull. Don't need a fancy tack room.
One that comes with a horse-calming beer dispenser would be perfect.

[wendyp]

Can I give you some pointers??? I know you didn't ask, but you know me, can't keep my mouth shut!!!

I had just a plain Bronco brand three horse slant, bumperpull, with the openings high on the sides.........My gelding Raz pawed from the minute he as loaded, until he was unloaded - non stop, very annoying, not to mention that he dented the single wall left side of the trailer. I sold that trailer to get a Sundowner, 3 horse slant (because the stalls are 5 inches wider than any other brand I could find), with drop down windows, and lots of bells and whistles. I thought I was getting a 'fancy' trailer for me - HA! I haven't had to haul Raz in a couple of years because he hasn't been sound to ride. Well last weekend, Hystyle and I went trail riding and I decided to take Raz - He never pawed once in this horse trailer!!!! I was stunned. He was being SSOOOO good, that I stopped at the grocery store on the way home! He never pawed. I realized (okay, I admit I am not as preceptive as you earlybp!!) that he hated the other trailer because he couldn't see out... Doh! How would I like riding in a closed box? So, my advice is to spring for a trailer with drop down windows at the very least - you can feed/water without unloading the horse, you can see in to check on the horse, there are a dozen reasons to get one with drop down windows.

Next tip - if you think you will have horses that don't load easily, then avoid the tackroom in the back - it blocks half of the door to load the horse, and the third stall is a tight squeeze. My rear tack area does collapse, so it can be just a regular type trailer, as their is a tackroom upfront, but it sure is convenient to just grab the saddle off the back saddle rack, and not have to climb in the trailer to get my 40 lb saddle - I feel like I am wrestling an octopus to try to get my saddle out of the front tack area. Okay, so now I'm just whining............

Oh, and get a water holder thing that goes in the tack room - if you go on a trailride, it sure is nice to be able to offer your horse a drink of water before heading home. The Sundowner has one built in, with a hose bid on the outside, so I don't have to reach in the trailer to get water. Can you tell I really like my Sundowner? Although, if I win the lottery, I want a 3 horse slant with living quarters - I HATE to have to hide behind a tree for a potty break. Besides, it takes a really big tree!!!!!!

That's probably a whole lot more than you wanted to know, but just thought I would share my trailer buying experiences...........

WendyP/Bend, OR

[earlybp]

I didn't even realize that they came without windows!

Eddie does not trailer well. He doesn't like to go in, and he emerges covered in sweat.
Bert trailers great.

I like the water holder thing! That sounds cool!

[dcsmmi]

We should start a "perfect trailer" thread. I've learned so much - but I've always thought it would be neat to custom design one. Maybe even one that would/could rig a sling system for some of the very weak rescues I pick up. Hmmm. Probably not practical though.

My Thurobilt is a 3H slant - but it has a removable tack wall - which means, basically, I have a slant load with an escape door! With some of the horses I deal with - that's a huge perk!! It's hauled many wild horses (all dividers out), bulls, hay (and later doubled as hay storage), it's been a stall, a ATV trailer, and a moving van!!! It's matted on all 4 walls and nicely built. I wish it had better vents though. It has plexiglass in the small window that runs the length of the trailer - with only a small opening up front for ventilation.

I hate rear tacks!! But then again.... see above for what I use my trailer for. lol

[earlybp]

My man is a mechanical engineer. How hard could it be to rig a sling?

[atticus]

Bridget, I have hauled with both of Jim's trailers and they are both great.

The Bronco stock trailer is great, it is very open and even Hawkeye went straight in after his trailer accident. It can haul 4 horses, but if you haul 2 it is excellent because the gate in the middle makes 2 great sized compartments and the horses have plenty of room. Not fancy but very horse friendly. We will probably buy a trailer like this.

His Thurobuilt slant is very nice and sturdy, it hauled so smooth and the compartments were so nice and big and the matting goes up the wall. The windows were very nice, as Brunie was sweating when we got her into the trailer but it was airy enough for her to cool down. The Tack room was big and in the front.

Check out Jim's trailers and that will give you a good base to go off of.

[earlybp]

Thanks, Ash!
I've hauled with both of Jim's trailers as well. I used the livestock trailer to move into my house, and hauled Bert and Eddie with the Thuro-bilt. I love his Thuro-bilt. It's awesome.

[pnp4kidz]

Just jumping in with my trailer experience...
I have a Charmac 3 horse slant, and had a 2 horse straight load with a ramp before that.
I would say that MORE horses like the step up (go figure) for loading...
and I have not had any one refuse to hop right in mine aside from the PMU mares.
the ceiling is kinda short for my big boys and girls (drafties), so might want to get a tall one if you have a draft or tall horse.
but, I have drop down windows, and sliding small windows, and use the small ones mostly because I'm afraid of stuff flying in at them...
mine is a bumper pull, and pulls great.
I have a front tack room, it's a bear to climb in, and even tho the saddle rack DOES swing out, it is not easy to do that, and even then, the saddles are up real high... so no matter what, get a step stool for entry into tack room adn getting saddles down... you get tired at a show going up and down too many times!!!
and, I have a water tank... love it, get a valve for the water hose so you can reverse fill it and shut it off easily... great little trick...
:-)
then... don't get too many horses! I need a 4 horse now!

[wendyp]

Quick story about the rear tack area. This rear tack cuts the doorway in half, so it is single file in and out - not a problem most of the time.

I was going on a trailride last weekend, and loaded Lotti as usual in the front stall. When I turned around to walk out (okay, my bad, I didn't tie her in - I usually don't) and close the stall gate as I went, I heard her turning around behind me. It was one of those split second, what-the-hell-should-I-do kinda moments, because I can't close the gate if she is turning around to come out, and there isn't room for both of us to scoot out the door at the same time, and I have nowhere to go except OUT! So I RAN out of the trailer as fast as I could, laughing, and duck to the side as soon as my feet hit the ground because I know there is a fat, 1200 lb QH right on my heels! I think it surprised Lotti as much as it did me that it turned out that way, but she kinda took off a little ways humping and 'laughing', then stopped and I walked over to her, hooked up her leadrope, and we loaded again, except this time I tied her so she couldn't 'follow' me out!!!! She is a really really good loader/unloader, so I think she just got confused as to whether we were coming or going, and decided she should just follow me! She wasn't scared, or she surely would have beat me to the door! Maybe you just had to be there, but Lotti and I got a good laugh out of it. My non-horsey husband saw it and didn't think it was funny at all that I came flying out of the trailer in front of the 1200 lb beast, and then the beast was loose, the main gate was open, yadda, yadda, yadda.....ya'll know how that lecture goes!!!!! And I was laughing too, so that means I am being irresponsible, and not taking things seriously enough.....love him alot, but he just doesn't get it sometimes.

WendyP, Bend, OR

[dcsmmi]

Great story Wendy. My hubby had locked me IN the trailer before with some pretty snorty wild ones. Uh... hellllo?? Hey!!! $)@^(%*^!( OPEN THE DOOR!!!