Posted 2006-05-06 12:12 PM (#41361) Subject: HELP-Trailer to narrow
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Posts: 24
We just bought a an 06 Keifer 3 horses, put our mare in it this morning to take to Vet and she had to tuck her nose, it's too short for her. Can we move the latches back to give them more room. HELP, anyone. Open to suggestions. Can't sell the trailer we will lose too much. Tahnks Connie
Posted 2006-05-06 4:37 PM (#41363 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
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Posts: 2689
Originally written by cm7258 on 2006-05-06 1:12 PM
We just bought a an 06 Keifer 3 horses, put our mare in it this morning to take to Vet and she had to tuck her nose, it's too short for her. Can we move the latches back to give them more room. HELP, anyone. Open to suggestions. Can't sell the trailer we will lose too much. Tahnks Connie
This is just ONE of the problems of buying a slant load. It is almost impossible to know before you buy your first one whether or not your horse(s) will fit. As kids move up from ponies to horses and/or as you might move up to warmbloods - trailer width, stall width, stall angle arithmetic time again. An alternative is to buy the BIGGEST slant load you can to begin with, but if you're going to waste that much space... {nevermind}
Posted 2006-05-06 9:12 PM (#41369 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Regular
Posts: 58 Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
They don't call them warmblood size trailers for nothing. Bigger horses need 8' wide, 7'6" tall, and 44" stalls. Personally, I would find a way to trade up. I bet your dealer will help you.
Posted 2006-05-06 9:32 PM (#41371 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Member
Posts: 24
We have a call into the Dealer to see if they will help. They made good money off from our trade in (wish i would have kept it) and we gave them a good down, so keep your fingers crossed for us. Hopefully not much will have to come out of our pocket. If nothing else, I guess we take the dividers out and haul the horses that way.Hate to do that!!! Thanks All. Connie
Posted 2006-05-06 9:51 PM (#41372 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Regular
Posts: 58 Location: Shawnee, Oklahoma
A few years ago I had a 4-Star GN. I hauled a big mare and I never felt good putting her in the front stall. The trailer was 7' wide with 38" stalls. When I hauled 2, she went in the last stall because it had more space. When I hauled just her to a rodeo, I snapped my divider back and always gave her both stalls to ride in.
Most 3 horse 7' wide slant trailers allow 14' for the horses, and they are great for the average Quarter horse, but bigger horses need 7'6"-8' wide...or add a couple feet of length and get the 44" stalls...or do a 16' or 18' stock combo with one divider.
Posted 2006-05-06 10:39 PM (#41376 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
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Posts: 26 Location: Outside Louisville, KY
If a person really feels the need to get a slant load rather than a better straight load, they need to make sure the trailer has a 7'6" inside width. hopefully the dealer will work with you. I have seen a lot of horses get hard to trailer because of slant loads that were too small. -phillip
Posted 2006-05-07 7:59 AM (#41381 - in reply to #41363) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
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Posts: 1719 Location: PA
It's not the trailer, it's that she didn't know what size to get. The dealer should have asked her how large her horses were and sold her the appropriate size.
Posted 2006-05-07 3:13 PM (#41389 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Member
Posts: 24
Well, we have decided to try and make this trailer work. My Husband is a Welder and works with a Fabricating Company. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, we are going to rebuild the dividers, make them longer and replace them in the trailer. We have spent the weekend measuring and looking the situation over. We love the trailer, got a good deal on it and want to keep it. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks everyone for you input, it helped us make up our mind to keep the trailer, Connie
Posted 2006-05-07 6:19 PM (#41394 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 402 Location: Lockport, Illinois
Here is what I see in moving the latches. First of all you will have to increase the witdth of the stalls, this will create 2 wider stalls and 1 narrow stall. Also when you are moving the latches you will also have to move the front hinges, which will create a divider right in the center of the drop down window. If you were to just move the rear latches without moving the front. you would also have to make new dividers, you would be getting a longer stall but it would also be narrower.
If it was my trailer, I would contact the dealer, and trade it in.
Posted 2006-05-07 7:17 PM (#41400 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Expert
Posts: 1283 Location: Home of Wild Turkey Whiskey
Having owned Kiefer Trailers with and without mangers, what kind of horse can you possibly have that won't fit in the slant? I rope on a 15.1 hand 1300lbs. Blk/Wte Paint he has ridden in a Kiefer for 8 hours to Emminence Mo. from home, plenty of room for him.
Posted 2006-05-07 7:29 PM (#41402 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 333
If the trailer is only 7 feet wide, I empathize with you. My friend has a lovely Featherlite that my QH doesnt' fit in, we went on a local trip and she had to literally slam the gate on him. When we got there, I could see where the aluminum had rubbed off on his sides (the ribs on the partition).
He isn't a giant horse, only 15.2, but he is long and heavily muscled (wears an 84 blanket) and that is what caused the problem. I haul him in a straight load and he fills up even a WB trailer pretty well.
I'd love to get a slant-- but not while I have this horse. My other horse is a 14.3 RMH and he fits in anything.. but the QH is a wonderful ride so I cater to his needs.
I can't ride him when others haul if they are using the slants.. usually I end up hauling my horse separate as I want him to be comfortable and keep loading well.
Posted 2006-05-08 11:27 PM (#41478 - in reply to #41361) Subject: RE: HELP-Trailer to narrow
Member
Posts: 24
Well, our trailer saga continues. I contacted the dealer this morning and they are willing to try and help us out. They don't have anything that will work right now, unless we want to spend 10 thousand more, which we don't and can't. They are expecting some trailers in in about 3 weeks. So, we will wait and see. It's gonna be a long few weeks. We did put her in the back stall, she did fit a little better, but not enough for a long trip.
HELP-Trailer to narrow
Well, we have decided to try and make this trailer work. My Husband is a Welder and works with a Fabricating Company. SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, we are going to rebuild the dividers, make them longer and replace them in the trailer. We have spent the weekend measuring and looking the situation over. We love the trailer, got a good deal on it and want to keep it. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Thanks everyone for you input, it helped us make up our mind to keep the trailer, Connie
