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 Elite Veteran
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Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | Hi all, I had an issue this week with my daughter's pony reluctant to load in our step up 2 horse straight load trailer.. We'd been camping and were loading to go home.. The trip up to the camp site was uneventful, and unloading as well. The only thing I can say was different was that due to the trailer's position, the step up was pretty high..over her knees. We ended up having to tap her in with a longe whip, which is something I don't like to do.. She was scared by the time she was in.... Yes, we only tapped.. No whipping going on.. I think her previous owners must have beat the crud out of her because when we first bought her, she would yank up her foot so fast (when asked to) that she would literally hit her own elbow.. Anyway, she ended up having to jump in, and I've NEVER had trouble loading her.. she's always walked right in.. ...Next month I'm ordering a new 2 horse slant load, as some of you may remember from my poll on 4 star vs sundowner. Now my question is ...should I get one with a ramp? I'd planned on getting a step up.. I'd never had trouble with it before, but now I can see where a ramp would have been an advantage, on this trip at least. I'd always thought that horses liked a ramp less because of the hollow sound when loading, plus I thought it'd be wiggly when the ground was uneven or slippery when wet... What do ya'll think?  |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Danielsville Georgia | Have a ramp.Hate it.Step up is the only way to go.Next time pull truck and trailer to another spot to lower it. |
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Location: California | hounddog, why do you hate it? A ramp was on my "must have" list for the trailer I am going to order. Maybe you can save me some potential grief!! I would hate to spend an additional $1200 or so on something I end up not liking. |
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Location: Hartsville, SC | Step up, definitely. Have had both. I also vote for moving trailer to another location. She was probably stiff/and/or sore from trail riding...esp. if you do it infrequently. Still vote for Sundowner.Deb |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Hauling TB's commercially, we always had a ramp. Here in the ordinary world, we like the step up. Our personal trailers are step ups. Pony was possibly sore, moving the rig a bit would help a bunch! |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 420
Location: Iowa | I had Step- Ups before. Now I have a Ramp and Love it. Will never own another trailer with out one. Easier for baby colts, old mares or injured horses to load and unload. I also have a 36" pony. He always had to "Jump" into the old trailer. Not any more! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | yes, hindsight being 20/20, I should have moved the trailer... My mare stepped right in, and she's not but a hand taller....now I'm worried that she'll remember this to her dying day and be a problem to load.. Should I go ahead and try to reload her in a couple of days just to see how she does, or should I wait and hope she gets over whatever was bothering her? As I said, she's never, ever given me any trouble loading.. |
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Member
Posts: 32
Location: Paige, Tx | I also prefer the step up. I am 62 yrs old and even with the ramp easy to put up and down sometimes things just get too heavy. I don't know if you go with kids or what help but be sure and all of you raise and lower a ramp before buying and not with help because there won't always be help. nancy |
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Veteran
Posts: 188
Location: Kinston, NC | I prefer ramp, easier for me to get in. haha |
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Expert
Posts: 5870
Location: western PA | Our first trailer had a ramp. Some horses don't like the flexing under their footing. My wife injured her thigh when the ramp came down on her leg. We have only had step in trailers since. Be sure it is equipped with a bumper. Gard |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: Barnesville, Ga. | We have had two LQ trailers and both have had ramps. The first was a Sundowner and was spring loaded; it took the horses a while to get used to it and one mare never would load on it, but I still prefer the ramp. Our current trailer has a nicely weighted ramp with good traction. I prefer them because of backing a horse out of the trailer. I have had my share of horses backing out and banging legs or zooming back in because of a steep step down. We have a gelding (14.2 hands) who rides in the last stall with arthritis in his back hock; I think the ramp makes it much easier for him to load and back off of the trailer. |
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Posts: 2453
Location: Northern Utah | I've always had the step up and it's not been a problem. I had one horse that always wanted to turn around and walk out forward. When I bought a trailer with Mangers he couldn't turn around. Took an afternoon to teach him to back out. A ramp would have saved me a few hours of teaching a horse on a hot day. But it's not enough of a problem to have to deal with a ramp each time I haul. How does a ramp work on un-even ground? I can only imagine the problems if I dropped a ramp on some of the rough ground I park on in the mountains. One edge of the ramp touching the ground, the opposite edge 12" in the air. Can anybody say Spring board! |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
| Some of the new GNs are high and I would prefer a ramp than a very high step, like one poster said, sometimes I have to get in the trailer and that darned step is too high. I bought a ramp trailer after seeing how high the steps were. My horses like the ramp and I have no problems. I do have a criteria, when I go to shows and look for ramp trailers, I must be able to put up the ramp with my left hand while I hold a cup of coffee in my right hand. If the ramp is too heavy, I move on. Best bet is to go see the trailer and see if you can live the with height of the step. Jbsny |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 434
Location: Brooksville, Fl | It doesn't matter. You can teach your horse to load in whatever. I've had accidents with and without a ramp so it is a toss up. Both of my trailers now have a ramp and I lean towards them but it really doesn't matter. Your pony will probably be fine as long as the trailer is of a reasonable height to step into. It doesn't sound as if you traumatized her. I have a ramp on my big trailer because we have carriages and it's easier to load them with a ramp. My 2 horse has a ramp and I like it for reasons mentioned above about backing out. None of my horses has had an issue with standing on it and being afraid. Sometimes they were butt heads, but not because they were afraid of the ramp. FWIW |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 385
Location: washington | I have had both, and currently have a step-up. There have been times I wished I had a ramp, but not bad enough to order one. I have a 2 horse LQ with step-up and a rear tack, so he has to back out and step down. It was hard for him to learn, and sometimes where we park it's a long step down, but he manages just fine. He has never slipped like he did a few times on the ramp. I also had a horse step off the side of a ramp and cut the inside of their hind leg. So far I have not had one incident with the step-up and have used them for 6 years. I do think they're a bit safer and you do not have worry about a ramp being uneven. |
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Location: Central Arkansas | I prefer a ramp over full doors. The cushion space between the back doors and the ramp will definately save the back of the trailer in event of a rear in collision. At least it did in our case. There has been a lenghty discussion on this before here so it may be of great benifit to you to do a search on ramps to read all the old posts. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 317
Location: Barnesville, Ga. | Using a ramp on uneven ground is easy to fix with a couple a thick wooden blocks; we keep some in the bed of the truck and use them to even up the ramp when camping where it is unlevel. Another big advantage to the ramp is it makes it easier to reach saddles and briddles in the tack area. I don't think my kids could reach any of their tack if it wasn't for the ramp. Good Luck!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Danielsville Georgia | The weight is not the issue with mine or me.Ramp on my Hart LQ is easy to put up or down.Its hauiling and dealing with differ ant horses.They touch that ramp and it sounds hollow or moves and then its no go.Uneven ground its even worse.I've got mares that won't have a thing o do with it.Other folks horses for the most part won't eaither.Some of mine try to jump over it or up it and hit the doorway etc.I've never had these issues with a step up.In fact I've thought of taking the ramp off my LQ.Never won't a ramp again.Oh and my Hart LQ is/will be for sale.Its getting a new soft roof and detailed as I type this.
Edited by hounddog 2008-10-31 7:10 AM
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | I prefer a ramp over full doors also..... If I could walk, I wouldn't bother with a ramp. The ramps help with loading my "wheeled vehicles", that I take to our shows. Don't quite know how a side load, head to head trailerwould work without a ramp, never seen one of those. |
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Expert
Posts: 1723
Location: michigan | As you can see, a ramp is personal preference. I never had a trailer with a ramp so I never really cared one way or the other. There are pros/cons to them. I have seen with my own eyes horses refusing to load not because of the ramp but when it happened the ramp made things worse. Then again short people like me benefit with the added height. Overall, I am not willing to spend the money for a ramp for the few benefits. I bet your pony will load up fine. You didn't beat the crap out of him and make it worse. he was likely tired and just needed some encouragement.
Edited by farmbabe 2008-10-31 7:12 AM
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 399
Location: Ottawa, Illinois 61350 | A trailer with full length rear doors can have a ramp installed at any time. You may want to order your trailer without a ramp; and than add one at a later date. What a lot of folks don't think about in regards to a ramp, is; that if you are ever rearended, your ramp takes all the impact. This has saved many a horse from having the rear doors pushed into the horse on the rear of the trailer. This of course, is only the case with a ramp behind full length doors. Something to think about. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 681
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas | That's good to know JimBob.. I wondered if a ramp could be added later.. I know of one girl here at the barn who took her ramp off because her HUGE (17.3H) appendix QH felt too tall walking up the ramp.. He had no problem stepping up because his head was already INSIDE. I guess I'll just wait and add it later, if needed... This 2 H SL BP trailer to be ordered has so many add-ons that it's creeping (shooting) up in price and pretty soon, if I keep on, I'll run it up to a brand new LQ price.. Thanks all, for your input.. Leslie |
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step up or ramp load?
