Posted 2013-01-25 9:30 PM (#149546) Subject: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 12
I'm shopping for a new horse trailer. I have two horses and one donkey. I would like to get a two horse trailer to haul around my horses, but I don't want to have to make two trips to the vet once a year when I take all three to get their teeth floated. I'm considering a 2 horse slant load CM Charger. I'm wondering if I might be roomy enough to squeeze my donkey in the back stall with my smaller horse who are buddies. Here are the numbers:Mare: 15.2h 1200 lbsGelding: 14.2h 1100 lbs (he really isn't stocky. I don't know where he puts the weight.)Donkey: 11.2h 700 lbs (he is a standard but stocky)Trailer: 15' floor, 6'8" width, 6' 6" (or 7") tall. (I can order a 7x7 if I remember right)I'm not concerned with the height. I am concerned about width, and could really use some advice!! I had a 3 horse Ponderosa (6' width) that I had to sell because neither horse fit in the dividers. I couldn't even close the divider on my mare and my gelding was too cramped to ride that way.I have a four horse stock trailer, but my hubby backed into a a car with my trailer the other day. Now I'm needing to get a new trailer earlier than planned. The original plan was to get a Trails West trailer later this year, but now I'm needing something a little more economical. I like the galvaneal or aluminum, but I'd like to stay under $7,000. Is the CM Charger the best deal for this price range?
Posted 2013-01-26 2:22 AM (#149549 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
Don't get anything less thatn 7' tall for sure. I wish I had gone 7'6" tall and both of mine are 15.3h and the other being 16h. Make sure you measure the slant length as well. Logan makes a nice wider and taller trailer. So does Trails West. Any other brand will have to be special order I think. Exiss makes em big enough. Just for re sale value alone, dont get anything less than 7 tall.
Posted 2013-01-26 8:57 AM (#149550 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 26 Location: Decatur, TX
CM has a very large back stall. I second the thought of getting a 7' Tall trailer, they work much better for horses. I think if you are only going to be hauling the 3 together one time a year (very little) you would be fine. The front stall on the CMs is narrow but the back section is very open and large with not having the rear tack. You should be fine. My customers haul three in them more times than I hear not.
Posted 2013-01-26 9:37 AM (#149551 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 12
My horses load and ride fine in the shorter trailers, so for that I'm not worried about it. hadn't considered resale though, so I might go for a 7' for that sake.
Posted 2013-01-26 4:42 PM (#149552 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
I have had and sold three trailers already and always the first question asked is, " How tall is it?" Definately for re-sale value. That and if you ever haul another persons horse. There are so many good used and affordable trailers out there that are 7' tall and taller. Getting a 6'8 tall or shorter is just not worth buying at all. Make sure you measure the inside of the trailer too. At the lowest spots. Don't go by some one else telling you it is 7' tall. Measure measure measure.
Posted 2013-01-26 5:28 PM (#149553 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 12
Why do people buy 7' tall trailers that are only 6' wide? If a horse is big enough to need a 7' tall trailer how do they fit in the 6' wide trailer? (Honest question no sarcasm). I'm just thinking back to the 6' wide ponderosa slant load trailer that my horses would not fit in.Can anyone give me measurements for a slant load that a big horse fits in? I see some 2h trailers that a 7x7x12 and some 6'6"x6'x13. The CM Charger being 7"x6'8"x15 seems to offer the most room.
Posted 2013-01-26 7:03 PM (#149554 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
See that's just it. They give you the width and length and height of a trailer but you have to manually go in there yourself and measure the stall width and lengths. It all depends on the slant stall configurations. All trailers are different. Some trailers slants are more angled than others.This is why you absolutely have to measure yourself. Because the seller will try and guarantee you your horse will fit. Measure your horse from nose to tail and add a few inches to that. Then just make sure you take a tape measure with you every time you go to look at a trailer. My trailer has stall widths of 42" wide and 135 in length from where the nose would be to the tail/butt wall area. My horses are 15.3" and 16h tall and have a blanket size of 78-80 in length. The rear stall of a slant load trailer will be the largest and roomiest stall. Unless it has a rear tack of course. I opt for a 3 horse that way I can use the first stall for the tack area. I do not like a rear tack as I have had horses who would load but would not un-load out of the last stall with the rear tack. And since I camp....I don't want the tack up front. I need all that room up front for my camping stuff. So, my hay and tack are all in the front stall and out of the way.It took me three times to get it right and learn how I wanted and needed my trailer to work for me. One thing I learned for sure, you can never have enough room. When you have too little, that is when you want to kick yourself in the pants. This last trailer I bought....I love but it is not tall enough because I custom ordered it and went for a 7' tall and when I got it, it was actually 6'8" tall on the inside. They gave me the outside measurements and not the inside. Another thing you have to be aware of. Make sure you are getting the INSIDE measurements. This site is an awsesome info site. learn from those of us who have "been there done that."
Good luck! Trailer shopping can be fun. But be patient...what you want is out there. If you buy in a rush, you will end up with something that might not work for you.
Posted 2013-01-26 9:31 PM (#149557 - in reply to #149554) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Veteran
Posts: 201 Location: Lincoln, NE
After having the experience of my TWH not fitting in the slant load I've decided that not enough room is the nature of that type of trailer. You'd have to custom order, I suspect, to get slants that are wide and long enough. Next trailer has gotta be a straight load, no mangers and I'm being very careful about length.
Posted 2013-01-29 7:58 AM (#149584 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Now with horse measurements.
Member
Posts: 12
Ok, so I measured my horses yesterday. They are both exactly 8' long when standing in a relaxed position, head level, and it looks like they would both fit in a 31" divider spacing (when measuring the divider space at 90 degrees from the divider). So, should measure the divider itself to be 8' or the diagonal measurement?
Posted 2013-01-29 3:13 PM (#149590 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
The stall width.......I would get something that is 40" wide. I think that is the standard now for the newer trailers? Anything less than 35" width I would think would be too narrow?
Posted 2013-01-29 4:50 PM (#149592 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by Steffanyace on 2013-01-25 9:30 PM
I'm shopping for a new horse trailer. I have two horses and one donkey. I would like to get a two horse trailer to haul around my horses, but I don't want to have to make two trips to the vet once a year when I take all three to get their teeth floated. I'm considering a 2 horse slant load CM Charger. I'm wondering if I might be roomy enough to squeeze my donkey in the back stall with my smaller horse who are buddies. Here are the numbers:Mare: 15.2h 1200 lbsGelding: 14.2h 1100 lbs (he really isn't stocky. I don't know where he puts the weight.)Donkey: 11.2h 700 lbs (he is a standard but stocky)Trailer: 15' floor, 6'8" width, 6' 6" (or 7") tall. (I can order a 7x7 if I remember right)I'm not concerned with the height. I am concerned about width, and could really use some advice!! I had a 3 horse Ponderosa (6' width) that I had to sell because neither horse fit in the dividers. I couldn't even close the divider on my mare and my gelding was too cramped to ride that way.I have a four horse stock trailer, but my hubby backed into a a car with my trailer the other day. Now I'm needing to get a new trailer earlier than planned. The original plan was to get a Trails West trailer later this year, but now I'm needing something a little more economical. I like the galvaneal or aluminum, but I'd like to stay under $7,000. Is the CM Charger the best deal for this price range?
You mean your Vet won't come out to your farm and float their teeth?
Posted 2013-01-29 6:44 PM (#149594 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Elite Veteran
Posts: 610 Location: Northern CA
Paul,
More and more vets are not coming out to float the teeth. They want your horse in a "stock". Especially if they need "specialty" care on the teeth like my mare does.
Posted 2013-01-29 9:09 PM (#149596 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 12
Yes, I can get a vet to come out to my place. But, the kind of vet that I want doing my horses' teeth don't make farm calls. I also would like to be able to haul all three in case of emergencies such as wild fires or huricanes. I live in central Texas.
Posted 2013-01-30 10:38 AM (#149608 - in reply to #149546) Subject: RE: Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
Member
Posts: 12
I am considering just buying another four horse stock trailer. I would prefer something so a dressing room though, so when I get back to showing I have a place to change. I wish I could find an affordable 2+1.
Will my horses fit??? Please help with new trailer selection.
