Hi Friends, I currently have a 3H GN stock/combo with a a dressing room and midtack. It has a 20' Floor length.  Its for sale now on here. I just don't need that much trailer  so I though I would downsize to a 3H BP. 

Now - I never haul 3 horses at one time, usually just one (which is why I don't need the trailer I have now) but I do have 3 horses so I never want to be in situation where I can't move them all at once in some type of emergency. That's why I want a 3 horse.

My husband and one dealer I talked to both feel that a 3H BP is a dumb idea, because  they say don't haul well, and so if I want a 3H I need to stay with my GN.

My tow vehicle is a one ton diesel dually.

Also, a good quality 3H BP is VERY expensive, pretty much the same as a GN, so not sure if this is a wise way to spend money.

I am just tired of hauling this big trailer around.

Thoughts? 

Jennifer in Texas

I think you should stick with your gooseneck. BPs are harder to back IMO. I've had both, and I'll take a GN any day. Traded my BP in only after a year, because I like the stabilty and ease of pulling better with the GN.

I've also seen a lot more 3 horse trailers "fish" tail from being overloaded. See if you could test drive the 3 horse BP so you can get a feel for the way it handles. Granted it will be empty, but should give you an idea of how easy it is to manuver.

You've got plenty of truck and I can't imagine the GN being that much longer than a 3-horse BP unless your dressing room/LQ is over 4 feet.

We owned and pulled an 18' slant load, stock combo for over a decade. The only reason we sold it, was to get the same length trailer with a small LQ. The BP was as steady on the road as any trailer I've owned, and without the need for any auxiliary sway or load leveling devises.

By varying the placement of the horses within the trailer, it can be balanced in its loading without undue tongue weight. If a trailer constantly sways while towing, it's usually an indication the the tongue weight is unsufficient. However, some people profess a need to always place a single horse in the front stall. This can add unnecessary weight to the hitch, and cause a need for weight distribution devises. Many 3 horse trailers have both axles under the stall areas, which allows the owner to vary the loading, depending on the number of horses being hauled. By being selective in the loading, tongue weight can be reduced, and the trailer will carry most of the weight.

A properly loaded trailer is not a dumb idea, because it can haul very competently and safely. As far as cost, our steel CornPro was ~$5K and we sold it over a decade later for $4K. It was by far the most practical trailer we've owned. If I had a need for three horse trailers, a similar one would again be on my list.

A BP trailer is easier to park in tight situations. It more closely follows the towing vehicle's track and is quicker to respond to steering inputs from the driver. You can jack knife a BP, where as most GN hitches can turn a full 90 degrees without interference issues. Stability is not an issue with a proper hitch and loading.

Our trailer had a 4' dressing room and an additional half a stall length behind the last horse. It had no rear tack. The trailer could easily be duplicated in a 16' or even perhaps a 14' box length, depending on how much non horse area you need.

I've never had a GN so I can't compare, but I like my 3H BP. It goes great with our 3/4T Chevy. I've hauled from 1 to 3 horses plus a stuffed rear tack and a dressing room with a weekend's worth of gear, and never had a problem yet knock wood.  It backs better than my 2Hs did. I like having the bed of the truck, under a cap, available for my dogs and their stuff (or more of my stuff as the case may be). 

I made the dealer put on a WD system, although he said we don't need it. I feel better having it; better safe than sorry.

Yes, interestingly there is not much market for a 3H GN that does NOT have living quarters, like mine. Mine has an insulated 4' SW dressing room with heat and AC, but that's it.  Most folks, if there have the towing capacity for a GN, and are willing/wanting to haul a big trailer, want a LQ trailer.  So I have had my trailer on sale here on HTW for almost a month and not one nibble.  I am asking a very fair price, too.

So I am in the same boat, hauling a big @ss trailer that I can't camp comfortably in. If I can't camp in it, would rather have a smaller trailer. 

OTOH, 3H BPs are fairly rare and seem to hold their value. Hard to find a real bargain on one, used go for pretty much the same as new, maybe a few $1,000 less.

 Maybe I need to look for a 2H BP instead, and not worry about the off chance I may have to haul 3 horses some where at once.

I have a 1987 Sooner all aluminum 3H bp with a dressing/tack room, collapsable/removable rear tack and hay rack. It's been well maintained, and most people would have no idea of its age if they weren't told. We paid $5500 for it 2 years ago and had a new aluminum floor put in it for $1000 (WAY less than what a new Sooner goes for!) It's terrific for getting around in and I can haul a ton of gear in the tack areas and on the hay rack. I've pulled it with both a 3/4 ton and 1/2 ton (both with brake controllers) with no problems. It also has a paint stripe design with a 'V' in the front center that I line up with the bolts in the center of my tailgate for the handle release to hook it up (like lining up a gunsite) I don't need a second person to help guide me. It has a weight distributing hitch, and swaying isn't a problem. We put a porta-potty in the dressing room because we've travelled for our kids' Jr Rodeos. We've been thinking about getting a living quarters so that we could camp in comfort at rodeos, but we'd keep the bp for getting around town and shorter hauls.

Good luck on your decision. Keep us updated on what you decide!