Posted 2005-08-16 11:01 AM (#29263) Subject: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Mpls. MN
Ok then, I'm pretty sure that everyone who owns a trailer with mangers will have an experience good or bad to share. I'd love to hear from those experienced haulers who use an 8ft wide, have larger, longer horses and could share any advice on trailer brands those that work well and those that don't. Good advice needs to be shared with the human race!
Posted 2005-08-16 12:33 PM (#29269 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
I take it you are getting a slant load. If you are ordering the trailer, just have them add a foot more to the length of your trailer and change the stall angle a bit so that you get longer, wider stalls. You can fit even super larger horses in it then.
Posted 2005-08-16 12:39 PM (#29270 - in reply to #29269) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Mpls. MN
I'm afraid I don't have the luxury to order the trailer. I'm looking at the std 4h slant in a CM and S'downer and both have a 72" floor distance from manger to axel fender, I have a 68" animals, just doesn't seem to be enough space. What do you own and what's your experience?
Posted 2005-08-16 1:46 PM (#29271 - in reply to #29270) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
I have always had to order my trailers so I made them my way. For a trailer with mangers, I prefer at least a 7'6" W but, if you have long horses, stick with an 8"W. You should have no problems. Don't forget, the first stall affords the most space and has no wheel wells but then wheel wells have never really been an issue with me if the trailer is the right width.
Posted 2005-08-16 10:09 PM (#29283 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
My trailer is 7' wide. The stalls are 74" along the partition divider.
My horses are 16 hands tall. The only problem I've had with the new trailer with the mangers is that my horses can longer turn around and walk out. This caused some concern with my horse. As he didn't want to back out or learn to back out. We had a couple very hot lessons around the 4th of July while he scrambled to turn around and I tried to teach him to back out. After threating to sell him for dog food if he didn't learn, he gave in and backs out just fine now.
He is just TOO BIG to turn around in that space. He was cutting himself up on rivets (or something) as he tried to squeeze his bulk between those two walls. His feet would slip and slide around. It was a wreck waiting to happen. I was scared to get in the trailer with him when it came time to unload. We spent a lot of time teaching the back command outside the trailer. We backed over curbs, ditches anything where he had to step down as he backed. Once comfortable outside the trailer, we started loading again. It took him a couple of weeks to get comfortable with it, but at least he stopped trying to turn around.
But he travels just fine in that space. I suspect he stands diagonally in his space, to make the most of it. I've not notice him seeming crowded or squeeshed when I load him and shut the panel.
I prefer a flat wall to a trailer with wheel wells that protrude into the horse compartment. I've twice had to doctor horse's hocks where they rubbed on the wheel well housing after a 8-10 hour ride. Both horses had rubbed a nasty sore on theback of their hock/pastern area as they braced themselves in the trailer.
Posted 2005-08-16 11:52 PM (#29287 - in reply to #29283) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Mpls. MN
Maybe the previous post has the answer with the wider trailer. More width should relax the the angle and add some important inches on the floor where needed, I can see how a large horse can have a problem in a std 7ft wide with mangers I didn't know anyone made that size, what brand is it? And I hear ya screamin' when you have one that wants to turn and bolt from the trailer it's a bad habit, I hope you're done with it now.
Thanks for your input!
2kkorral
Posted 2005-08-17 1:25 PM (#29304 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 7
We have an 8 wide 3 horse Bison trailer with mangers and we love it. I have a 15'3 hand 1340 lb horse and he looks little in ours. He cant turn around but he has alot of room.
Posted 2005-08-17 6:09 PM (#29315 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
Other than trying to turn around in the stall, My horse has no problem with the space left with the mangers installed. It is the same space he used in my old trailer with OUT the mangers. So unless the horse is trying to paw he doesn't notice that he has less space. The mangers use the space under the Horses head, his feet are not striaght below his head. He would have to put his head OUTSIDE the window in order access the extra space with his legs or chest. I don't let my horses put their head out.
In July when it was 103-105* degrees outside, I had no patience to practice backing out of trailers. Neither did my horse, he just wanted to turn around. But with a few insults and threats of becoming dog food he quickly over came his fear of stepping down. And while he still quivers as he backs out, he does so with any serious protest.
I like the added storage. I keep some folding chairs, folding table, feed buckets, a sack or two of hay cubes, blankets and my head stalls. I dislike having to close the drop down windows in order to Open the storage compartment doors. And I dislike the extra key that I have to carry for those locks. Plus when I lock up the trailer, I now have two man doors, two storage compartments and a rear tack to lock.
Posted 2005-08-20 10:16 AM (#29425 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Expert
Posts: 2689
If you HAVE TO HAVE A SLANT (not that I believe anyone HAS TO), then why not leave out the mangers and use soft corner feeders ?
If you have REALLY LONG horses the 10ft between chest bars in a head to head trailer is probably the best answer. Oh, there is the issue of trailer length, gotta pack as many horses as possible into the minimum floor length, gottit (-:
Posted 2005-08-21 10:27 AM (#29442 - in reply to #29425) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 1011 Location: Oregon
A friend of mine just bought a slant trailer with mangers. I loaded my old man in the first stall there just to see what kind of room he had (he wears an 80 blanket). He could not turn around. The width of the stall really wouldn't make any difference since the dividers were open to let him out. IMO, I would want a trailer that a horse could either turn around or back out. I found out that mangers were not for me.
Posted 2005-08-24 4:26 PM (#29574 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 15
Location: Charleston, SC
Featherlite now offers a standard model called the "Big Horse" trailer. You can get it in a bumper pull or gooseneck, straight or slant load and your horse gets all the trailer since it doesn't have mangers, 7'6" wide, 7'6" tall and 50" stalls. Check out www.fthr.com and model 8549, 8552, 9649, 9608 and 9406. Hope that helps and good luck!
Posted 2005-08-24 5:04 PM (#29577 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 10
Location: Mpls. MN
Well look at you "life is Good" What an excellent I will. I would think that with that lead the other manufacturers would start to Advertise and promote a large horse fit trailer, makes good Horse sense!Thanks for your comment!
Posted 2005-08-25 8:07 AM (#29592 - in reply to #29574) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 18
Location: Warner Robins, GA
I actually have the 9407 model Featherlite. It is a 2H straight load BP with mangers and a 4ft DR. I fit my 16.3hh TB in it with no problem and still (knock on wood) have not had any incident with my horse hurting himself or me. I love my trailer.
BTW, the Featherlite trailers have drain tubes in the mangers for easy cleaning.
Posted 2005-08-25 12:46 PM (#29601 - in reply to #29263) Subject: RE: Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
Member
Posts: 13
Location: Clarkston, MI
I have a new Sundowner 3H LQ with mangers (slant load). Our 2 TWH's loaded into it great and exited perfectly (BTW: we also have a ramp which really helps). Seemed to love it. Upon returning to the stable after one trek my horse had crawled up into the manger (both legs) - scared me and my wife big time. He's a big almost 17 H horse. We did the following and have not had problems since: shortened his tie, changed the but bar so he can't swing his rear around and rear back (the last stall in a Sundowner gives lots of rear "wiggle" room), raised the height of the manger by placing a full bale of hay in it, and now ride him with a head bumper as he used to bump his head as indicated by the ceiling dents. I previuosly had a Sundowner 2 horse straight load with mangers and had no problems except when he ran out of hay and decided to gnaw on the windows and mangers instead. I'm looking to buy another Sundowner (customized per my spec) but this time am going to buy with higher ceilings and modified manger wall (higher than the default) and of course changing the but bar. I should also mention that I got tired of cleaning smeared poop off the slant wall, so I bought some very durable, closed cell foam pads and hung it on the walls and tire well. I used heavy duty velcro to secure it. This works great - when I clean the trailer I just remove the pads and hose them off.
Stall size w/mangers a Problem?
