OT: Horse trailer questions

[J Miller]

How long and how wide is a horse?

Basically I'm looking for a used trailer I could tow with my Pathfinder. Wife and I got to thinking that even a used horse trailer would work. But I don't know how big a horse trailer would be.
I'm looking at a trailer around 5' wide x 10' with a tandem axle and surge breaks if possible.
The new trailers around here don't offer anything like this. Single axles is all they offer.

I've had great luck with the 5x10' U-haul trailers, they are set up like I mentioned, but nobody makes them. And I can't afford a new one anyway.


Joe

[Wind]

Hey Joe - The thing about used horse trailers is they are essentially portable horse outhouses. Unless you find a used one where the previous occupants wore diapers. All that acidic horse urine eventually leads to structural issues (as in the bottom falling out) with older used trailers. Hauling boxes of grandma's doillies around may not be recommended. As always it's just me expressing an opinion. Watch yer top knot. Wind

[J Miller]

Hey Joe - The thing about used horse trailers is they are essentially portable horse outhouses. Unless you find a used one where the previous occupants wore diapers. All that acidic horse urine eventually leads to structural issues (as in the bottom falling out) with older used trailers. Hauling boxes of grandma's doillies around may not be recommended. As always it's just me expressing an opinion. Watch yer top knot. Wind

Wind,

I've read that before. I was thinking though that if I got the trailer cheep enough I could put a new floor in it and clean it up and still save some money. Just a thought.

Joe

[C. Cash]

There are probably alot of horse trailers out there that have never been used as horsetrailers, so you might strike onto something in nice shape.

[horsesoldier03]

They could have a point on issues with old horse trailers, however powerwashers have been invented. Most good folks that I know these days that haul a horse around will powerwash their trailer after every use. They are too expensive not too. Check out craigslist, ebay or some of the online horse sales sites that also list trailers. Rather than search under horse trailer check out stock trailer as well. I would try to find a nice older stock trailer that was no longer than 12-14'.

[Bob A]

They could have a point on issues with old horse trailers, however powerwashers have been invented. Most good folks that I know these days that haul a horse around will powerwash their trailer after every use. They are too expensive not too. Check out craigslist, ebay or some of the online horse sales sites that also list trailers. Rather than search under horse trailer check out stock trailer as well. I would try to find a nice older stock trailer that was no longer than 12-14'.

Ditto the stock trailer idea. We haul our horses to and from events and vet checks several times a month. We have a very nice two horse slant load trailer and a basic 16 ft stock trailer to choose from. I find that I use the stock trailer every time I can. Plus, the 16 ft flat floor is perfect for hauling funiture, hay, lumber, you name it. This is the best vehicle I have ever bought. I can be hard to find a used one because no one in his right mind would ever sell one. But, if you can find one, you'll be glad to have it. It doesn't have to be 16 ft but 16 does seem to be a popular length.

Bob A

[Malamute]

I had one I used for a tool trailer for a couple years. Just sold it for $100. It was old, but worked fine. It would have needed a new floor to haul horses, but it was good enough for what I did with it. I've heard of others going in the $200 range.


What do you want to do with it? Pickup bed trailers are pretty handy with a shell on them, and they can go anywhere your truck can go.

[J Miller]

I had one I used for a tool trailer for a couple years. Just sold it for $100. It was old, but worked fine. It would have needed a new floor to haul horses, but it was good enough for what I did with it. I've heard of others going in the $200 range.


What do you want to do with it? Pickup bed trailers are pretty handy with a shell on them, and they can go anywhere your truck can go.

I need an enclosed trailer for our eventual move out of here. I'm trying to get things arranged ahead of time for cheap.

Joe

[Hobie]

I had one I used for a tool trailer for a couple years. Just sold it for $100. It was old, but worked fine. It would have needed a new floor to haul horses, but it was good enough for what I did with it. I've heard of others going in the $200 range.


What do you want to do with it? Pickup bed trailers are pretty handy with a shell on them, and they can go anywhere your truck can go.

I need an enclosed trailer for our eventual move out of here. I'm trying to get things arranged ahead of time for cheap.

Joe

Nothing wrong with planning ahead. If I had lived in the Obamunist state of Daleystan I'd have moved or died in the attempt.

[Don McDowell]

Joe I don't know how it is around your part of the world, but a 2 horse trailer that you could pull with your pathfinder is going to be expensive here. We got to many real cowboys that keep the price's sky high. I know a fella from you state that got one of those enclosed uhaul looking trailers for 1k$, and there's no way you'll touch a 2 horse around here for that.
Pickup some of those auto trader things that are always at the door of the grocery stores etc, and watch the yard sales.

[J Miller]

I had one I used for a tool trailer for a couple years. Just sold it for $100. It was old, but worked fine. It would have needed a new floor to haul horses, but it was good enough for what I did with it. I've heard of others going in the $200 range.


What do you want to do with it? Pickup bed trailers are pretty handy with a shell on them, and they can go anywhere your truck can go.

I need an enclosed trailer for our eventual move out of here. I'm trying to get things arranged ahead of time for cheap.

Joe

Nothing wrong with planning ahead. If I had lived in the Obamunist state of Daleystan I'd have moved or died in the attempt.

My collection of meds is getting out of hand. My uric acid is way high and I'm running cronic gout spells. Can't get my blood pressure under control. My arthritus is causing me more trouble than I can tell. I'm putting on weight because of the stress, pain and the lack of mobility that causes. I can't sleep well any more ...........................

Dieing is in progress.

Joe

[J Miller]

Joe I don't know how it is around your part of the world, but a 2 horse trailer that you could pull with your pathfinder is going to be expensive here. We got to many real cowboys that keep the price's sky high. I know a fella from you state that got one of those enclosed uhaul looking trailers for 1k$, and there's no way you'll touch a 2 horse around here for that.
Pickup some of those auto trader things that are always at the door of the grocery stores etc, and watch the yard sales.

Don,
We've been looking at yard sales, adds, and local trailer lots. Used trailers seem to be extinct around here. New ones that my Pathfinder can tow are single axle and run close to $2K. I wouldn't mind a new one, but the finances just can't do that.

Joe

[Modoc ED]

Joe - It would be ashame to get all the way out to AZ or NM and have everyone calling you "Stinky Butt" because you brought all yer stuff in a horse trailer. Just funnin Joe.

How about if ya just wait and rent a U-Haul trailer when ya move?

Don't forget. You want a lot of weight up front in the trailer so that you have a lot of tounge weight.

Happy trailering.

[J Miller]

Joe - It would be ashame to get all the way out to AZ or NM and have everyone calling you "Stinky Butt" because you brought all yer stuff in a horse trailer. Just funnin Joe.

How about if ya just wait and rent a U-Haul trailer when ya move?

Don't forget. You want a lot of weight up front in the trailer so that you have a lot of tounge weight.

Happy trailering.

Ed, Have no fear, I have more than enough weight for that.

My wife does crafts and her pickup isn't big enough to haul all of it. So we've checked and measured and she rented a couple of nice trailers a year or so ago for a craft show in IN. We figure if we can find a used trailer for cheap, we could use it to move with and then when she does her shows, she'd have a trailer for that.

That's our idea anyway. It may not work out like that at all.

Joe

[Modoc ED]

Here's a little food for thought for you Joe.

If you buy/own a trailer and are moving across country or close to it and the darn thing breaks down, you will have to get it fixed and will probably have to at least partially unload it to do so. If it's not fixable, you're really in a tight fix.

If you rent a trailer from U-Haul and it breaks down, they will come out and fix it and if they can't fix it, they will send out a replacement trailer for you.

U-Haul has sales of some of their older equipment. Go up on their web site and see if they have anything for sale that you might want but I still say you're best renting one.

Your health does not permit you to be changing tires, axle seals, axles, broken tounges, etc. (well, maybe change a tire) alongside the road.

[dr walker]

Compared to a standard box trailer, horse trailers are seriously heavy. I know once you load any trailer its going to be heavy, but why start off with an extra 1000 pounds.

[J Miller]

Compared to a standard box trailer, horse trailers are seriously heavy. I know once you load any trailer its going to be heavy, but why start off with an extra 1000 pounds.

Good point. I don't know much about them, so I'd not thought of that.

Here's a little food for thought for you Joe.

If you buy/own a trailer and are moving across country or close to it and the darn thing breaks down, you will have to get it fixed and will probably have to at least partially unload it to do so. If it's not fixable, you're really in a tight fix.

If you rent a trailer from U-Haul and it breaks down, they will come out and fix it and if they can't fix it, they will send out a replacement trailer for you.

U-Haul has sales of some of their older equipment. Go up on their web site and see if they have anything for sale that you might want but I still say you're best renting one.

Your health does not permit you to be changing tires, axle seals, axles, broken tounges, etc. (well, maybe change a tire) alongside the road.

I'm not dead yet. What you say is true, but if I worried about a trailer breaking down so I should rent one, then I'd have to worry about my Pathfinder breaking down so I should get rid of it and rent a car to drive across country.
Nah, I can't do that. If they break, they break. We'll just cross that bridge when we get to it.

Checking U-Hauls sales is a good idea though. I'll do it.

Joe

[Rusty]

I read an article once years ago that talked about moving on the cheap. One of the best ways the person writing the article found was to purchase a used school bus. You can load all your worldly belongings in it then when you get where you're going you can turn around and sell it to a church or someone else that is needing a bus. Here in Fla. they haul farm laborers around in them.

U-haul does sell off older units if you check around.

[Modoc ED]

Best of luck with whatever you decide Joe. Whatever it is isn't as important as moving to AZ or NM. So get moving.

[Buffboy]

Dr Walker is right, you need to be looking for an enclosed trailer not a horse trailer. The Pathfinder will thank you.

Seems odd that you can't find one reasonable. I did a quick search of ebay and came up with a new one for $1775 BIN in Ill. Don't know how close it is.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... &viewitem=

Seems a little small but there should be something bigger for less, used, you might even contact that seller. Keep shopping, you'll find one.

[Streetstar]

The guys are right about the things being heavy -- but one of the bigger issues is how tall they are compared to a regular box trailer -- not an issue with a 3/4 ton Chevy, but maybe an issue with a Pathfinder

[J Miller]

The guys are right about the things being heavy -- but one of the bigger issues is how tall they are compared to a regular box trailer -- not an issue with a 3/4 ton Chevy, but maybe an issue with a Pathfinder

Well, I guess you guys have just about talked me out of a horse trailer. Unless I find one for Shetland Ponies

Joe

[Malamute]

Joe, how big of a trailer do you need?

Pickup bed trailers go in the $200 to $400 range generally. I have a Datsun PU bed trailer I use with my Nissan pickup. It has a shell on it, and I can leave my camp gear and such in it, ready to head out. Mighty handy. If both you and the wife had PU bed tralers, it would be like having 4 pickups to move with. They arent very heavy either. Something to think about, if you don't turn up a box trailer.


I believe the general rule for trailer packing is 60/40. 60% of the weight ahead of the axle, 40% behind. You want the trailer axle to carry the weight, but enough tongue weight that it doesnt sway. If the weight is too far back, it can start to sway. You DON'T want that to happen. It can ruin your whole day.

[AJMD429]

A 'goat' trailer is shorter (too short for horses) but may be cheaper, and is more streamlined fuel-efficiency wise.

A good modern trailer will have a treated-lumber floor which ventilates and allows for less metal-rusting moisture accumulation.

[J Miller]

Malamute,
I've had good luck with the 5x10' box trailers. They pull very well behind the Nissans and should haul all my stuff. Should .... being the operative word.

I didn't know they made trailers for goats.

Joe

[Modoc ED]

Joe - All this talk isn't getting you moved. Start packing. You could probably be out West by the end of the summer if you step on it.

[Str8man]

How long and how wide is a horse?

Basically I'm looking for a used trailer I could tow with my Pathfinder. Wife and I got to thinking that even a used horse trailer would work. But I don't know how big a horse trailer would be.
I'm looking at a trailer around 5' wide x 10' with a tandem axle and surge breaks if possible.
The new trailers around here don't offer anything like this. Single axles is all they offer.

I've had great luck with the 5x10' U-haul trailers, they are set up like I mentioned, but nobody makes them. And I can't afford a new one anyway.


Joe

To bad you are in Illinois, My neighbor has one that he will trade for 5 cords of fire wood.
I already have a two horse but may take him up on it just to resell it.