Trailers

Friend of mine has just aquired a LOT of money(many millions of dollars) and has decided he want to open a TB breeding/Racing farm here in Ga (not sure if this is a good idea or not) upwards of 30-40 horses and has asked me for some help with truck and trailer issues. He has jumped in with both feet and talked to several of the larger trailers makers so he can take them from here to Fl,LA, KY, NY etc etc he wants a LQ so he does not have to pay for hotels and such and drivers will be comfy. He has pointed out several brands of trailers Shadow Lakota etc with 14-15-even 16.5 LQ for around 100k and less and has been told if he buys a van type trailer(10-15 horse) it can have LQ added the biggest question I have I suppose is does he need all of that room? I understand the toliet issue but really all a driver needs is a bed maybe a couch sm stove a place to sleep for a few hours layover am I right? also with the regular LQ's I mentioned hold up over all of the miles he is talking about racking up will a slant load be comfortable for the bigger size TB's what about preganant mare's and foal and does he just need to get a van type trailer" so it will convert to box stalls? will a slant load do that?

  Trucks

He has fallen in love with several of the larger conversions Schwalbe, Lonestar, Western Hauler, 2L etc and has shown me several for sale, the biggest issue I have is most of these are single axle trucks with the weight limitations, will a single axle Pete carry a 45 ft trailer he is looking at safely, will it stop it, will it scale?

 I can buy a nice used tandem axle ultra or auto shift truck with good miles for under 50k is this the best option? He is worried about the image of his farm can he buy a International or freightliner and have it be safe. He already got mad at me whan I told him the new 2011 Ford he just bought was not bigenough for the trailers he is looking at 

I am sitting in the saddle with both feet in the stirrups sawing on the reins but he has the bit in his teeth and is determined

Towman1

Friend of mine has just aquired a LOT of money(many millions of dollars)

Reminds me of an old joke:

How do you get a million dollars in the horse business?

Start out with 2 million!

He has at least hired someone to help design his farm and help him hire a manager (I won that one yay me)

I am not really sure why he does not want to hire someone I showed him several of the big transportation companies and the rather lame answer he gave was he didnt want someone he didnt know or trust taking HIS horses when I pointed out that was silly at least a few of the big farms hire out there transportation he would not budge (I am almost sure he has just become intriged with big trucks and trailers )

..... I imagine those "millions" will gone soon enough..... The guy that wants to go into the trailer business here on the boards needs to hook up with your friend...!

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/forum/thread-view.asp?threadid=14980&posts=10

No he will not be living out of the trailer which is why I said he did not need that big of a LQ he wants to have the drivers have a place to sleep and use restroom WITHOUT leaving the horses

he has also mentioned transport to breeding farms so I am in agreement with him on needing a bigger trailer 5-6 horses at least but will a slant load work will it make a box stall?

sorry car trailers I know this is a bit beyond me

In the TB business, we had a 6 slant built that had two full stud screen partitions.....to use a box, we removed a standard partition and used 2 stalls with a wall or stud screen as the partition.  Worked fabuloulsy.  Carl Turnbow helped us design it and it served us well for years comercially.

 thats wonderful news is it something that has to be designed or do the partitions remove in most trailers?

thank you so much for helping me

I would take a close look at one of these.... You can ad a small LQ and it will convert to 3 box stalls in just a minute or so..  http://www.4startrailers.com/goose_center6_328.asp

http://www.youtube.com/user/gkong2002#p/a/u/2/3KA1G0M9mZY

Each 4Star is custom built, so prices will vary according to the options that are specified. Shadow trailers are definitely in 4Star's shadow, not in the same league.

What he buys for a power unit will depend to some extent on what size trailer he winds up with, and also I would take into consideration how many miles a year he will put on it. The medium duty hauler type trucks work well up to a point- but you are right- he can buy a heavy duty(single or tandem axle tractor) for much less.  

Here is a couple of ideas...

First hire the hauling out if you have that much money and let the company you hire worry about the truck/trailer and insurance to coveer them.  Then he/she can buy a smaller rig for local stuff.

Second, anyone thinking of getting into horses as a buisness needs to buy a large toilet and go ahead and flush the money you have down it and get back to earth and enjoy it.

Just saying.....  Getting into them as a hobby is one thing but trying to make a buisness out of them is another.  The economy is piss poor for everything right now and even more so with horses...

 I want to clear up a few things, it seems some people think this is me, its not this is my one of my stepsons oldest friends I have known him most of his life, he is a fine young man with 2 degrees History& Biology he was orphaned at a very young age and raised by his Aunt and Uncle who while we knew was well off none of us had any idea about the type of money he had

He is not stupid he knows how much money he wants to put into this and is working his way backwards with some help to see if it is at all possible. He came to me because I owned a wrecker service and transport company that I sold in 05 he used to ride with me some as a kid and watch HRTV with me I am not sure where this breeding farm idea has come from but he has hung onto it for a year. I know trucks and car trailers but have no idea about horse trailers with LQ and I sold my wrecker service before all of this ULSD came into effect what little I know I picked up on the internet and these boards in the last couple of months, so I came to you as I have been price checking the ads on here and reading the forums I wanted some advice some of you were kind enough to guide me in the right direction I now feel I am armed enough to make the 100+ miles trek to a dealer here and see what I can see and work out for him

Cut above thank you for your help and wisdom I am trying to just slow him down a wee bit instead of him rushing out to buy $250k worth of truck and trailers just because he can also a big thanks to Flying farm for their help and advice

for those of you making fun of how much money he may lose...........why? I know for a fact he has not asked or will ask anyone much less any of you for a dime I dont really think this is a great Idea but it is his money for a dream he is also using a huge sum to start a foundation for charity work is that also dumb? he could lose every penny of this money and still have more than any 5 of us will ever have forever 

Please take care and thanks again

Towman1

I can understand why you would want your own rig.  We pull a larger LQ trailer.  I have an F550 Ford and an M2 Freightliner to pull with.  Both were purchased used at a decent price.  If it were up to me I'd find a good used KW or Pete to  pull this trailer.  Both my rigs are pretty well at their limit to pull this trailer loaded. I  could have found a good class 8 truck easily for what I paid the M2 (my wife and daughter are what keep me from doing the big truck).  I'd leave it tandem and either put a ball on it or convert your trailer to fifth wheel pin.  The 4 stars are and excellent trailer, I have a six horse slant I bought used and it has just been an excellent trailer.  I think the straight load in the video would serve your purpose.  As the operation grows you will have a pulling rig to grow with it and if you need to upgrade trailers you can do so at that time.  I also know a couple of guys that came out of high school with dreams of getting in the horse business.  They now have operations that most people would envy.  It can be done, hard work, some luck and some savvy business decisions and maybe a little more luck and your friend could have more than a good tax write off.  Best of luck!

I dont think anyone meant to be actually making fun. Its just that alot of us have been in horses as a business, and know that it quickly ceases to be fun. If most of us came into a large sum of money I think our experiences in horse "businesses" would cause us to want to invest in horse endeavors designed purely for pleasure. For instance, nice tack, nice rig and nice horses and travel the US riding and camping in all the neat places we can only dream about now due to cost, time factor, job responsibilities, etc.  I personally wish this young man many years of enjoyment. Maybe we will see him in the Run for the Roses some year. But you know, over the course of time even the very wealthy have lost great fortunes due to the fall of the economy. Tell him to be careful and invest wisely.

X2...!

He has hired someone from KY to help with the farm design and some other things he is supposed to meet with them next week and wants me to go along (I have no idea why)

I asked him why he didnt just buy a exsiting farm in KY or FL and he said there he would just be another farm (he is a life long GA resident) says he is willing to forego breeding money (that was intresnting) to have farm in GA (he was left quite a bit of land)

as far as big horse vans go is select OK how about pegasus I found some neg info here on pegasus (but I liked that trailer) some outfit in Chicago also make them Fleet equine I have read I can add a small LQ to them as well any idea at what cost? is it worthwhile? are those type trailers too heavy for some of the single axle conversions I have seen ? (The ones he is jumping up and down for baby Petes and KW's)

I am considering advising him to get a tandem axle road tractor I have a found quite a few with decent miles in the mid-upper 30's and just get it dressed some to make him happy then all my weight worries would be addressed and he would save 40k over some of the schawalbe's I have seen (I have to admit I really do like that truck though) I got out of trucking in 05 so I have missed a lot of the ULSD issues I am hearing some trucks are having problems with it, that is a concern as well I dont want him to spend 100+k on a new 2008 truck and have it have trouble all the time (just love our goverment, sorry had to get in a litte dig there)

 Anyway I guess I win 1st prize for looking busy when I am just really confused I just want to guide him the right direction he was supposed to be home yesterday but will not be here untill tuesday now I would like to show him some viable options by then

Thanks again for all of the help I have been blessed with here

Hmm man has money, likes nice things, sounds particular, and likes horses

Is he single? LOL

all 3 of my girls think he is handsome as well I still rememeber him as a small boy climbing up in my trucks

LOL he is not married but not really single has a girl friend for last few years she seems to be sweet and good for him

I dont think its a real estate person I think its a farm planner I am sorry I dont know the name of it I just told him I though he needed one and he agreed (whew) they are also going to help with hiring a farm manager (interveiws etc)

I guess we need to see a farm while we are up there, funny all the years on the road and all the horses races I have seen quite a few with him and Chris next to me I have never been on a real horse farm

Towman1

You all might plan a road trip from GA coming north, stop at Waterfall Farms in Shelbyville TN and then come on to KY to check out the horse farms of the Bluegrass.  Even tho Waterfall Farms is walking horses, it is a fine set up and well worth seeing.  Then go to Lexington, the Ky Horse Park is a working horse farm.  You can make appointments to see TB farms in and around Lexington.  Do you get The BloodHorse magazine?

Wow what a neat place! Thank you! and not far from us I will put that on the list!

If you got out of trucking in 2005, then you missed most of the fun!(That was sarcasm, by the way!)    The EGR systems(Detroit and Cummins) have had their hiccups, and Cat's two turbo system isn't overly popular, either! I wouldn't have a problem with either of those systems in the 2006 or 2007 model years- most of the bugs were worked out by then. Of course, engines built after 01-01-2007 have the DPF- another monkey wrench in the works! I personally am not a fan and would stay away from the DPF engines if I could. But wait! The hits just keep on coming- Jan 01, 2010- now, except for International's engines, you are looking at DEF(urea, or diesel emission fluid) technology also. Just too much fun! Good luck, and call me if I can be of any help.

Bill 

I'm talking about used trucks- and most of it has to do with the availability and the marketplace. A medium duty truck set up right for hauling down the road, just isn't nearly as common as an over-the-road semi tractor. There are just more of the bigger trucks(semi's) out there to choose from. A lot of folks trade them in at 400,000 or 500,000 miles. Taken care of right, (and assuming they were spec'd right initially) most of those should be 800,000, 900,000, even million mile trucks. If a person hauling horses maybe 40 or 50,000 miles a year buys one of these with 500,000 miles on it, they should get quite a bit of use out of it. Just more bang for the buck, most of the time.  

We had 4 Star custom build us a 4H that makes into 2 nice sized box stalls. We also have a finished weekend package for those last minute overnighters. TB folks LOVE ramps! Our 4 Star has a full back and a side ramp.The box stalls are great for mares & foals.  7'6" (to 8') height is also good. Hubby's 17H huntseat horse has plenty of room. This trailer can get into about anyplace we need to go, unlike the big Bloomer LQ that we also have. Every farm of any size will have a run around trailer that usually hauls at least 4 or 2 mares & foals. Most large TB farms ship commercially for a reason.

Flying H Farms still has track connections and would make a good resource for you.

 Waterfall farms in TN is worth the time of checking out. They have done it right. I just love Dr Harry!

Y'all should do the Keeneland Farm tour to see different styles of TB farms. Ask what they would do differently.

This would be perfect for y'all! TB horses + retired  truck driver =

http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=297814