# Using a Stock trailer to transport horses question?



## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

Hi everyone! I had a 2 horse trailer before. Couldn't get my Arab to go in and out feeling comfortable to go trail riding. So I sold it and bought a stock trailer 16'. He's AOK with it. He can see out and turn around to exit. We've been practicing here at home. My question is: Do any of you use one? This has no divider inside to make a stall per say. Is it ok to tie him from both sides keeping him in the center? I'm only driving 3 miles to a state trail riding park. Or do you guys have some make shift dividers that you use? I wanted to keep the trailer open thru winter to store hay or other implements to keep out of the weather. Thanks for any input here! Terry


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

I've hauled a lot of horses in stock trailers with no problem at all. Some horses are tied and others not, it depends on how they like to travel and how much they move in the trailer. 

You aren't hauling very far so I probably wouldn't worry about building a divider unless you find you truly need one.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

Such a short distance, I would experiment and trailer not tied. Let the horse decide how he wants to stand- likely backwards, from what I hear, and our experience with one of our geldings who didn't like our trailer when he was first bought. 
But if you plan to trailer more than 1 horse- dividers, or well trained, friendly with each other (and likely tied) horses I think is considered to be safer.

To make getting a loose horse off the trailer safer we cut a small piece of leather or rope- 1-2 feet- and attached that to the halter chin loop- instant quick grab when you open the trailer and Mr. Curious is right there waiting to hop off. 
Our loose-in-the-trailer horse was only haltered, no lead rope, as we worried he would step on a lead rope and cause himself injury. 

He usually traveled backwards with his head and neck over the stall gate, resting on my mare's rump (she was gated in, obviously).

If you ever build dividers- do yourself a favor and make them removable. Our trailer is a 3 horse slant Charmac, with a front tack room. 
But we can strip both gates out, and even remove the water tank and entire wall of the tack room to make it a bigger stock trailer. I might even be able to use the 2nd gate to make 2 huge stalls, but I haven't done it yet to see.


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

wr said:


> I've hauled a lot of horses in stock trailers with no problem at all. Some horses are tied and others not, it depends on how they like to travel and how much they move in the trailer.
> 
> You aren't hauling very far so I probably wouldn't worry about building a divider unless you find you truly need one.


AWESOME! Thanks for your reply! I was getting really worried, I'm reflooring right now. And was very concerned what is a proper way to trailer one. Many people from earlier riding told me to get a stock trailer. It can be utilized more. But when I purchased and started practicing getting the Arab in and out, which worked out great, I was concerned about trailering. I just need to get to the trail park 3miles to ride. THANK YOU for this info!


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

gracielagata said:


> Such a short distance, I would experiment and trailer not tied. Let the horse decide how he wants to stand- likely backwards, from what I hear, and our experience with one of our geldings who didn't like our trailer when he was first bought.
> But if you plan to trailer more than 1 horse- dividers, or well trained, friendly with each other (and likely tied) horses I think is considered to be safer.
> 
> To make getting a loose horse off the trailer safer we cut a small piece of leather or rope- 1-2 feet- and attached that to the halter chin loop- instant quick grab when you open the trailer and Mr. Curious is right there waiting to hop off.
> ...


I'm going to pick up another friend and her horse that is 1/4 mile away from the state park. Then we are going to the park to ride. She is by herself, and wants someone with her. SAFETY reason! I agree! 
So we will try just the standard free ride in the stock trailer and see how it goes! I'm in Illinois, very SUPER flat. So, the ride should be super smooth.
Thanks for the reply also!
Terry


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

1/4 mile away--- I say ride to her place, then mount up there and hoof it into the park! 

Have a good ride!


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

gracielagata said:


> 1/4 mile away--- I say ride to her place, then mount up there and hoof it into the park!
> 
> Have a good ride!


My thoughts exactly! Only reason I'm not riding to her place is I'm crossing 3 different INTERSTATE exchanges! I don't feel good crossing the Interstates!
Fully will do! Such a shame that I need to buy a trailer. If it was full country horseback ride, it would be my way to travel to the park!


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

It took me a second to figure out what an interstate exchange was! On and off ramps, overpasses... duh.  
I could certainly see not wanting to go near those on horseback... in some states it is illegal as well, I am sure.

Having a trailer is good too, if ever an emergency. 
This time of year, we keep ours attached/5 seconds from hook up to the truck 24/7, with fire season. Not to count medical emergencies... And haul ins are usually cheaper... trying to find your silver linings here... (not that a sick or fire-chased horse is a silver lining... okay, maybe I should stop while I'm ahead!!)


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

gracielagata said:


> It took me a second to figure out what an interstate exchange was! On and off ramps, overpasses... duh.
> I could certainly see not wanting to go near those on horseback... in some states it is illegal as well, I am sure.
> 
> Having a trailer is good too, if ever an emergency.
> This time of year, we keep ours attached/5 seconds from hook up to the truck 24/7, with fire season. Not to count medical emergencies... And haul ins are usually cheaper... trying to find your silver linings here... (not that a sick or fire-chased horse is a silver lining... okay, maybe I should stop while I'm ahead!!)


Exactly, 2 lanes heading south, then grass in the middle, then 2 lanes heading north. 1 Large overpass, then 4 lanes together on the next one. They are all fenced on both sides. It's bad enough traveling in a car Lol! Speed limit 70 MPH, these people do 80++MPH! And talking on their phones! It's a whole new generation out there Lol!
And you are probably very correct that it is illegal to cross one. Most deer don't make it!
Thanks Terry


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## tamarackreg (Mar 13, 2006)

One horse in a stock trailer tied to the side with no divider is good to go.

Adding another horse to the trailer with no divider would be a recipe for disaster.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I hauled for years, even had a stock type trailer built to haul the warmbloods, 28 x 6 gooseneck, 6 1/2 center height. It had one divider, so I could make it into two stalls and haul mare/foal pairs loose. Some of my horses preferred to be hauled loose, others did require being tied and you can tell pretty quickly how each horse prefers to haul. I had one mare that came with the caution that she was very difficult to haul and I found she was fine if she hauled loose at the front of the trailer where she could back up and "sit" on the gooseneck ledge, facing the back of the trailer.


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## aoconnor1 (Jun 19, 2014)

Bizarre, I posted a response but it disappeared! 

Lots of folks use stock trailers here to haul horses. One alone is fine, and two at a time if ok if they know each other. Putting two strangers on together though would maybe not work well without dividers.


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## gracielagata (Jun 24, 2013)

SFM in KY said:


> I hauled for years, even had a stock type trailer built to haul the warmbloods, 28 x 6 gooseneck, 6 1/2 center height. It had one divider, so I could make it into two stalls and haul mare/foal pairs loose. Some of my horses preferred to be hauled loose, others did require being tied and you can tell pretty quickly how each horse prefers to haul. I had one mare that came with the caution that she was very difficult to haul and I found she was fine if she hauled loose at the front of the trailer where she could back up and "sit" on the gooseneck ledge, facing the back of the trailer.


SFM, that is AWESOME!! When we first bought our BLM mustang, he wouldn't use our trailer. His original owner even didn't cash the check for a month and we rewrote the contracts there on the spot, because he had no problems on her larger thoroughbred trailer. After just a few days, he had no issues, with one contingency. He did not like to be tied for the longest. He would spin backwards and ride with his head on my (gated in) mare's rump. They liked it and had no issues. Now he does just fine in the trailer. But is thankfully short-bodied, as he still needs to be taught to back off. Something we are going to work on with a trainer soon. 

But resting her butt on the gooseneck ledge is awesome!!!!


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## Teej (Jan 14, 2012)

I haul tied (just a single lead, no cross ties) unless it's a youngster that I'm not sure knows how to stand tied or mare & foal in which case the mare is tied but not the foal. I would want a divider if I was hauling two that weren't very familiar with each other.


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

tamarackreg said:


> One horse in a stock trailer tied to the side with no divider is good to go.
> 
> Adding another horse to the trailer with no divider would be a recipe for disaster.


Thanks for the addition. I forgot to mention my trailer has the divider in the middle. I can haul one up front and 1 in the rear, separated by the divider gate. Thanks!


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## TerryR (May 20, 2012)

aoconnor1 said:


> Bizarre, I posted a response but it disappeared!
> 
> Lots of folks use stock trailers here to haul horses. One alone is fine, and two at a time if ok if they know each other. Putting two strangers on together though would maybe not work well without dividers.


Very GOOD info! My horse and my friends horse have never met. Glad I have the divider. I was debating removing it. I'm currently giving the trailer an overhaul. New floors, I added 200lbs of more structural floor metal. This company made a very lowball structured floor. 2 straps that ran the length of the trailer snapped the welds off. The welds were just dots. I just put 11hrs in it yesterday, and it'll be the same today. But I will feel 1000% safe this trailer will be sound. Got it dirt cheap, so the added LABOR & LOVE will be worth it!
PS This is a Hale Trailer. Never heard of it before.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

In 20 years, my horses have never been in anything BUT a stock trailer. 

And in cattle country, you routinely haul horses with others that they don't know. (The guy day working brings his, or the neighbor, or whomever) I can't think of a single time we had any real issues. Maybe because they're too cramped and busy trying to keep their balance to have fights?


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

ErinP said:


> And in cattle country, you routinely haul horses with others that they don't know. (The guy day working brings his, or the neighbor, or whomever) I can't think of a single time we had any real issues. Maybe because they're too cramped and busy trying to keep their balance to have fights?


Very few ranchers had an enclosed horse trailer and horses were hauled all the time together, whether they knew each other or not. It was normal at that time to have all geldings, though ... 

I rode an Arab stud for several years doing ranch work and my daughter rode a mare. We hauled them together, loose, in a stock trailer, all the time, although not when the mare was in heat. If he was saddled and bridled, my stud acted just like a gelding, used to run the mare herd in with him, in fact, even with mares in heat. Worked just like a gelding until I took him in the barn, unsaddled and put his breeding halter on. Then, he came out of the barn announcing he was a stud.


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## Alder (Aug 18, 2014)

I love stock trailers. The horses are much more comfortable in them. Hauling one horse, I tie him off to the side in front (I have a heavy wooden breast bar up front for the horses to lean on if they need it). One horse usually rides diagonally. 

Personally, I never let a horse turn around in a trailer to unload. Teach him the right way - back out - and he will do it with no issues when he rides in a trailer with dividers where he has to back out.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

I have been hauling horses and mules in stock trailers for thirty years, you couldn't give me a two horse trailer with a divider. I have never had a problem. Load up and get moving don't stand around and let them start fussing.

Muleskinner2


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## MomH (Feb 19, 2018)

Most horse seem to prefer stock trailers. I want to get one. A few years ago there were several used ones for sale in my area, now that I'm seriously looking to get one their no where to be found! I really didn't want to pay the price for new.


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## Grey Mare (Jun 28, 2013)

tamarackreg said:


> One horse in a stock trailer tied to the side with no divider is good to go.
> 
> Adding another horse to the trailer with no divider would be a recipe for disaster.


Not necessarily true...we have a 24ft stock trailer, 2 dividing doors to give us 3 "stalls" if you will. When I showed horses or went riding, I would put my draft mares side by side, one tied to the left, other to the right and off we would go. I grew up in Nevada, rode all over that great state with my dad, who also had a stock trailer and one thing that he taught me is you NEVER leave a horse in the trailer untied. If you have to stop quick, someone slams into you, that horse is now a projectile. 

As for using it for other uses, we can get about 165 square bales in our trailer  and it is used to move things as well or go pick up things. They are great all around, all purpose trailers and love ours.


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