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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | a month ago, i was finally ready to order my new LQ trailer: a 3H, 8' wide, 7'6" tall with an 11' SW (and only one sink for those of you who joined in that discussion...) two things occurred: major stock market decline AND i tried out a friend's 8' wide trailer with 20" mangers.
daughter's horse could not turn around and walk out of the trailer because of the mangers. he is a tall, very long-bodied horse who apparently has been involved in some bad trailer accident and now has major issues with backing out of a trailer. (we have made him back out before but it is not worth it. i seriously think he may have a heart attack.) he isn't fond of walking off the back ramp, either, but is getting better about it.
so...now i have to re-figure things. what are my options? obviously, can't go any wider than 8'. thought about adding more width to the stall areas (so instead of 44" wide, go wider in very front stall which may give him more room to turn?). the easy, and obvious choice is to order a trailer without mangers but i have been told by the dealer that 'no mangers' is the kiss of death as far as resale, esp on a LQ trailer.
i have seen ramps on the side of trailers for the reverse load set up, but again, those require backing out.
has anyone ever seen a ramp added to the side of a trailer where the escape door is? i foresee the problem in adding a ramp there (besides any mechanical problems) would be that the ramp would be too steep? thoughts?
the mangers also restrict a horse from stretching out, which is not a problem except on really long hauls. (for our trip to colorado this summer i will use a 7'6" wide trailer, no mangers and extra wide stalls which should give the horses plenty of room to stretch out.)
other than getting a different horse (not an option) or training the poor guy to back out (pretend that is not an option), what are my options? i have looked thru tons of trailers but haven't really seen anything that would work. i am sure someone out there has a viable solution or suggestion???
(is the dealer right about "no mangers" being the kiss of death as far as resale?) what do you guys who have the huge warmblood/draft horses do? (i guess the answer to that one is: back the horse out of the trailer, so forget i asked.)
once again everyone, thanks for the help, suggestions, input. |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
   
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Quote: (is the dealer right about "no mangers" being the kiss of death as far as resale?) First time I ever heard that one!! I myself don't like mangers (just something for an unruly horse to climb up on) and wouldn't buy another big trailer, without a side ramp, on the curb side. I don't know how you could put a side ramp on a 3 horse trailer. A single ramp in front of the horse ain't going to get it (not wide enough) and there's not enough room at the rear of the horse for any kind of ramp on the right side..... Wheels are in the way. That big horse of yours needs to get a handle on himself and back out as he should. As with anything else....... Practice, with the help of some Calm & Cool. http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=2e87c3f6-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5 Good luck with your "single sink"!! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 824
Location: Kansas | Have you looked at a reverse load 2+1 configuration? Turnbow makes these and they look great-probably my fantasy trailer. I believe 4 Star and Equiss are also making this configuration now. Worth a look. PS_Calm and Cool is good stuff! |
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 Veteran
Posts: 235
Location: Bucksport, Maine | I hate mangers. The only thing I do NOT budge on when looking for a trailer is NO MANGERS. |
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Veteran
Posts: 285
| You go wider than eight feet. I think Hart does them, but then you are probably talking major bucks.Personally we need the mangers for storage. If you think you don't need them and plan to keep the trailer a long time then I would get what I needed to use now and don't worry about the resell value. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 610
Location: Northern CA | you can get an 8' wide trailer with no mangers. I have seen them. the wheel wells will be on the inside though but they are covered in rubber stall matting.This is usually a trailer built for "warmbloods". Also, there are trailers with a 2+1 floor plan configuration. I have been looking at this for my new trailer. Exiss and Keifer both make them. Keifer being more "affordable" though. It is a 2 horse straightload gooseneck (usually 7'6" tall)with a box stall up front for a 3rd horse that has a ramp on the side for exit that the horse can be walked out of going "forwards". The DR or LQ area would have to be extended if doing a LQ but take a look at this floor plan option, might work for ya? They make a model with a separate DR area from the front box stall as well.You can even get a walk-thru door and or the saddle rack installed in the box stall area as well(have seen pics of this) The two horses that enter from the back(ramp), can also walk thru their two front stalls into the box stall in front of them. So, even if you had 3 horses that had to be led out "forwards" you can do this with this floor plan. Pretty neat. (i am looking at this model for the "storage" aspect of the box stall up front. Also, I have a horse that I like to groom and saddle up INSIDE the trailer because he likes to run his teeth and "paw" down the side of the trailer when tied to the outside! I rather him do this on the inside for "aesthetic" reasons!. Good Luck in your trailer search- |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | That 2+1 trailer would be the real deal, walk him in the back and out the front, side. That would give you plenty room for hauling other stuff. |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | rentento, why would a single ramp in front of the escape door not work? after reading your response, i went out to measure the trailer i am now using. the escape door is 36" wide, and it is 32 inches away from the closest point of the fender (plus, there is another 24" between the escape door and the tack room door.) so wouldn't there be plenty of room on this trailer? (of course, this trailer doesn't need a side ramp, since there is enough inside room for the horse to turn around.) not being an engineer, i am sure there are other problems with adding a ramp to the side, at least after market. but, if i were to get a trailer with the same stall measurements of this trailer, i would think it would work? |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | oops, that last replay should have been addressed as: retento. sorry about that. |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | i have looked at the 2+1 floor plan. there are things i like about it (obviously that daughter's horse could walk out) but then the other horse would have to ride facing front. (not that big of deal on a short haul, but not so great on a long haul. and living in southeast texas, seems like there is almost no such thing as a 'short' haul. it is a two hour drive to get to the trainer...that is our shortest haul.) also, if using this arrangement with living quarters, where do you put all your "stuff"? if you load both horses in straight load area, you would have to unload your stuff out of the front area before horse could then walk out thru the side ramp. guess you could use one of the straight load stalls for all the junk. other problem: i had been dealing with platinum trailer dealer and would like to stick to that brand, if possible. guess i will have to see if they would make a 2+1 but since it is not one of their 'usual' floorplans, i am guessing it would be an expensive "request". probably cheaper to go without mangers and put all the extra "stuff" in a hay pod. then the question becomes: who the heck is going to get the job of unloading and loading that thing? climbing up a ladder? not this old lady. will also have to check to see what the dimensions are of the 2+1 vs. a regular 3 horse slant, see if it is worth the extra length (i don't want to pull a really long trailer, but don't want to give up any of my 11' LQ area, either.) where is that blue moon trailer when you need it? |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | You would want that ramp wider than 36". On the slant load the horse is coming out at an angle so the ramp must be much wider so the horse won't step off the side as he exits the trailer. Look at the side ramp on this reverse slant trailer. And by the way.... It's your brand!!
Edited by retento 2008-05-02 1:53 PM
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | yep, i looked at those platinum reverse load trailers...dang nice. only problem: there is no other exit, so the horse would have to back off the ramp...operative words being "back off". the entire back of the trailer, if this is same one, is a tack area. i have called the platinum dealer to see if a section of the back wall could be put on hinges so a horse could walk out the back. then the problem becomes one of attaching the dividers so they can be opened up in a direction so all horses can walk out the back. drawn out on paper, at least the way i figure it, the dividers would have to attach 'backwards' (the head part would have to be the part that swings open and closed, and attaches to the wall....not sure if that is feasible.) |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | 
This same trailer as above, has doors on the rear.... Most of them do! The horses walk into the trailer from the front side ramp and exit from the rear. (in a forward motion) The dividers are hinged on the "curb side". Mangers are on highway side same as the horses head, they're (horses heads) just point toward the rear rather than toward the front. Walk in from the front, down and out the rear. Check out this Lakota!! Two slant up front, two straight in the rear!! http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=145207  <script> window.setTimeout("watermark()",50);
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Edited by retento 2008-05-02 2:52 PM
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | yes, they have doors on the rear but they also have a solid wall so that the entire back end of the trailer is a tack area. check out #156372. reverse load, side ramp. my question is: could a part of that back wall be put on hinges so the horses could then walk out the back? problem then becomes one of 'how do you attach the dividers' so all the horses can walk out the back? |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | #156372 http://www.horsetrailerworld.com/home/trailerdetail.asp?ID=156372 |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | retento, what (or where) is the trailer to which you are referring? are you sure it is open in the back? all of the platinum reverse load trailers i have seen have a solid wall in the back so that, unless the horses are ghosts and can walk thru walls, there is no way out thru the back of the trailer. i hope i am wrong! would love to see the back doors of that trailer opened....is it for sale on this website? |
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Regular
Posts: 88
Location: beaumont texas | now just find me a platinum like that and i will be your best friend! |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | I'll PM you
Edited by retento 2008-05-02 4:15 PM
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Veteran
Posts: 151
Location: Manitoba, Canada | 1. No mangers. Just seems like one more thing in the way to me, and one more thing for a horse to do something stupid with. 2. A friend has a steel trailer, it's ancient and not pretty, but it's designed well. Side ramp on the curb side where the horses enter and then face the back of the trailer. To unload they walk down another ramp on the back of the trailer. It's a 4 horse slant, with dividers, AND a rear tack. The entire rear tack swings out because it's all mounted inside the door - yep, inside. The door is kind of rounded triangle shape. So, the horses have the entire width of the back end to walk out of. Very cool. Maybe the swing out door mounted tack wouldn't be an option on an aluminum due to strength, I wouldn't know. BUT, if someone 15 years ago could design this steel trailer like this, surely there's more than one modern aluminum one like it running around out there. OH, yeah, she's also got a front dressing room, aka more tack space. |
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Expert
Posts: 3853
Location: Vermont | Amysbean...if you have a ramp that you think is too steep...add these... http://www.doversaddlery.com/product.asp?pn=X1-27079&bhcd2=1209784072 When we haul from NewEngland to Florida...half face forward and half face backward as we use head-to-head design trailers...no problems... |
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 Expert
Posts: 1871
Location: NY | I have a stock with back and side ramps I love the fact that the horse dose not have to back off the side ramp is the way to go |
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 Veteran
Posts: 105
Location: parker, co. | I do not like the mangers either. In all my looking no one said it would hurt resale. Just ordered mine without. I did get the midtack for extra storage tho......... 28 days till I pick it up  Lindsay It's not the destination it's the ride |
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Expert
Posts: 3802
Location: Rocky Mount N.C. | Originally written by lindszo on 2008-05-03 11:16 AM I do not like the mangers either. In all my looking no one said it would hurt resale. Just ordered mine without. I did get the midtack for extra storage tho......... 28 days till I pick it up Lindsay It's not the destination it's the ride Whatcha gittin?!! |
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Expert
Posts: 1205
Location: Arkansas | Our 3 horse has the escape door on the first stall, no manger. The other 2 stalls have mangers. It is an 8' wide. I can turn a large race horse around by having it in the first stall, if need be. My 1400 lb 16hder can and will if asked turn and walk out from any of the stalls.... but all here load and unload without issues.... I would get the trailer I want and help the horse become less anxious and more agreeable about backing out.... will take a good deal of training with experience with an animal with those issues, but it can be done, quietly and well, with time.. We have done this for friends with OTTB's. Good luck in whatever you decide. Only you can know what works the best for your situation...hope you find the ideal thing for you ! I know alot of people who want mangers...not having any would be a deal breaker....but know alot of folks who would rather not have them... I don't think it will hurt your resale value as there will always be folks of both persuasions.. |
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add side ramp or forego mangers?
