Posted 2006-02-01 8:10 PM (#36402) Subject: NEW TRAILER
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Highlandville, MO
I am in search of a new trailer. Need a 2H BP. Want light weight. I really like the Chaparral. I hear good and bad about the Calico. Before slant loads we had straight loads. OK here is where your opinion comes in. What do you think of the Chaparral? AND slant vs straight load?
Posted 2006-02-02 12:18 AM (#36412 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489 Location: CA
I like slant loads because I think a majority of horses like them better than straight loads. I'm on the side of any horse who'll get into one of those tiny tin boxes on wheels! Sorry, no experience with either of the trailer manufacturers.
Posted 2006-02-02 1:06 AM (#36413 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
New User
Posts: 1
Location: arkansas
we had a calico 2H gooseneck with dressing room and rear tack and we loved it .. it hauled really well and we never had any problems out of it. we added carpet, cabinets, ac,etc.. to the DR .
Posted 2006-02-02 8:21 AM (#36421 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Highlandville, MO
I guess I should state that I will be traveling with 1 horse. I will be getting a 12' preferably a 14' trailer. I guess that is not small for 1 horse. If it is then Im not riding it. Will not use the other stall unless someone wants to trail with me.
Posted 2006-02-02 9:20 AM (#36424 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Regular
Posts: 97
We have never had a Chaparral, but we do have a close freind who had one. He sold it only to buy a trailer with LQ. They were sorry that they had sold it and went a bought another one, just for local trips. They are just as happy with the second one as they were the first one they had bought. The Chapparal is a nice steel trailer.
Posted 2006-02-02 9:35 AM (#36426 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Veteran
Posts: 274 Location: Memphis, TN
Hi Vicklynn. I have a larger 3H GN Chaparral with 6ft SW. I am in process of building weekend LQ. I really like the trailer for what we paid feel it is a good deal. But it is steel and heavy. You stated you wanted a light trailer. I dont think Chap. makes an aluminumn trailer. That would be the way to go for light weight.
Posted 2006-02-02 10:04 AM (#36427 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Highlandville, MO
Ok,weight wise the 14' 2HBP trailer combo/horse SL w/TR is approx 2000lbs. I figure that is light weight. I guess what I ment by heavy is all the extras, drop windows, full padding, full pannels, ect. I will be using plexiglass and making my own pads. Matts for floors and butt area will be included. So far I have found the Calico and Chaparral trailers from your opinion are pretty ok! Keep posting....oh hey...Im gonna go look at a WW Wrangler 14' this afternoon and is pretty much a basic trailer like Im looking for.
Posted 2006-02-02 10:33 AM (#36432 - in reply to #36427) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Regular
Posts: 67 Location: Central Ky.
Calico doesn't put much effort in their paint application.There is one near me that started pealing soon after the guy bought it,a search of this site should turn up a couple of posts about their paint coming off.
Posted 2006-02-02 2:00 PM (#36445 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Veteran
Posts: 127 Location: Fort Worth, Texas
On the straight vs. slant question, I have owned both and I can't say I really prefer one over the other. However, I just read a book by Monty Roberts entitled "The Man Who Listens to Horses" and he said he wanted to see how horses traveled and design a trailer as comfortable as possible for them. He did several tests with 1 horse at a time and put them in a stock trailer with plenty of room to move and turn around. He found that horses preferred to travel at a 45 degree slant and would re-position themselves in the trailer to ride at an angle. Therefore, he designed his own trailer some 40+ years ago that slanted the horses at a 45 degree angle and today over 1/2 the horse trailers sold are slant loads.
Anyway, I found that very interesting reading. If only our horses could talk and tell us which they preferred.
Posted 2006-02-02 2:13 PM (#36448 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Straight/Slant.....We have both.....We load saddled up in the slant. Can't do that in the straight. Haul hay, furniture, lawnmower in slant....Can't in straight(harder). If I had to I could sweep out the slant and set up camp.....straight not as easy.
Posted 2006-02-03 10:11 AM (#36493 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Veteran
Posts: 127 Location: Fort Worth, Texas
IKE - I thoroughly enjoyed his book.....what a wealth of knowledge and resilience he has. I would love to do the Vulcan Mind Meld on him and zap some of his knowledge over to my brain.
Posted 2006-02-03 4:30 PM (#36512 - in reply to #36402) Subject: RE: NEW TRAILER
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Northwest Indiana
I prefer the idea of a slant and no mangers, I feel there is less mischief a horse can get into. We had a straight load before and one of the horses decided to climb into the manger and somehow ended up with his front legs out the front window on the trailer. that was not a fun event getting him out of that situation.
NEW TRAILER
